US3504229A - Magnetic ignition system - Google Patents

Magnetic ignition system Download PDF

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US3504229A
US3504229A US599335A US3504229DA US3504229A US 3504229 A US3504229 A US 3504229A US 599335 A US599335 A US 599335A US 3504229D A US3504229D A US 3504229DA US 3504229 A US3504229 A US 3504229A
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magnetic
flux
core
ignition
transformer
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Martin E Gerry
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    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02KDYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
    • H02K19/00Synchronous motors or generators
    • H02K19/16Synchronous generators
    • H02K19/22Synchronous generators having windings each turn of which co-operates alternately with poles of opposite polarity, e.g. heteropolar generators
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02PIGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P7/00Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices
    • F02P7/06Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices of circuit-makers or -breakers, or pick-up devices adapted to sense particular points of the timing cycle
    • F02P7/067Electromagnetic pick-up devices, e.g. providing induced current in a coil
    • F02P7/0675Electromagnetic pick-up devices, e.g. providing induced current in a coil with variable reluctance, e.g. depending on the shape of a tooth
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02KDYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
    • H02K21/00Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets
    • H02K21/02Details
    • H02K21/04Windings on magnets for additional excitation ; Windings and magnets for additional excitation
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02KDYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
    • H02K21/00Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets
    • H02K21/12Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets with stationary armatures and rotating magnets
    • H02K21/14Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets with stationary armatures and rotating magnets with magnets rotating within the armatures
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02PIGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P7/00Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices
    • F02P7/02Arrangements of distributors, circuit-makers or -breakers, e.g. of distributor and circuit-breaker combinations or pick-up devices of distributors

Definitions

  • FIG. '7 is a diagrammatic representation of FIG. '7.
  • a magnetic ignition system for an internal combustion engine comprising a rotatable shaft driven by the internal combustion engine and having a discontinuous magnetic core with magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarities at the ends of the discon tinuous magnetic core for providing a magnetic flux in the core and in the discontinuity.
  • a coil is wound on the magnetic core.
  • a rotatable member is attached to the shaft and adapted for rotation by the shaft past the magnetic poles for periodically varying the magnitude of the magnetic flux thereby inducing a voltage in the coil.
  • the rotatable member has surfaces which are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the magnetic poles of the magnetic core thereby providing additional magnetic flux to the magnetic core for increasing the magnitude of the voltage. Variations of this system include additional permanent magnets in the rotatable member to assist in the rapid collapse of the flux in the magnetic core.
  • Various ignition systems employ mechanically actuated contacts to enable periodic interruption of electrical connection of a primary winding of an ignition coil or of a primary winding of a magneto which is electrically connected to either a direct current power means, an alternating current power means or a high frequency current power means for the purpose of creating a pulse in the primary to be transferred to the secondary by inductive coupling.
  • Other ignition systems provide a rotating magnetic shunt which provides coupling between a primary and a secondary of a small transformer wherein the primary winding is connected to a high frequency power means, the inductively coupled high frequency voltage in turn is applied to a resonant circuit including a primary of another transformer which then transfers the high frequency voltage to a secondary winding of the other transformer and thence to a spark plug.
  • the conventional ignition coil with points and condenser and high voltage sparking distribution means are basically complex electrical power generators and for the most part include mechanically actuated interruptor contacts; and third, a distributor which embodies a series of small transformers, a high frequency power means connected electrically to the primaries of these transformers and a rotating magnetic shunt to inductively transfer the high frequency voltage from the primary to the secondary which secondary is part of another circuit including another primary of still another transformer and a capacitor 3,504,229 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 carefully selected to resonate to the frequency of the high frequency power means.
  • the obvious disadvantages of the first method are the frequent wearing out of parts such as points, condenser, distributor arm, distributor casing, the spark advance automatic mechanism, and the frequent and careful adjustment that must be made to distributor point dwell angle and to the spark advance mechanism as well as the falling off of the high Voltage to the spark plug at high engine speeds when proper ignition voltage is most needed which is attempted to be compensated by advancing the iginition of the spark plug, the main purpose of the automatic spark advance mechanism.
  • the obvious disadvantages of the third method are that two sets of transformers are required for each spark plug, a mechanically and electrically complicated high frequency power source is required, and careful selection and matching the inductive components with the capacitance and the rotatable magnetic shunt and the power source to achieve equal inductive and capacitive reactances at the specific input power frequency in order that resonance may be obtained.
  • a further disadvantage of the second and third methods is that the inductive coupling is small between primary and secondary windings preventing efiicient energy transfer.
  • the leakage flux is principally depended upon for mutual inductive coupling between the windings.
  • the leakage flux is substantially weaker than the main core flux and dependency on leakage flux for inductive coupling also leads to inefficient energy transfer.
  • Patent No. 3,265,931 patented Aug. 9, 1966 by the same inventive entity.
  • certain refinements and advancement of the state of the art beyond this patent are realized in this invention through the utilization of means for residual flux cancellation when the ignition distributor is powered by a direct current energy source, thus offering the advantages of higher voltage output and faster main core flux switching action.
  • This invention relates to ignition systems and more particularly to an electromagnetic apparatus used in generating and distributing electrical energy to internal combustion engines or the like, and in general relates to main core operated flux responsive devices.
  • An objective of the invention is to provide an improved ignition system of higher reliability, fewer total parts, fewer moving parts and a system of simpler and more rugged structure.
  • a further objective is to eliminate the need for distributor points and condenser, eliminate a sparking distributor and eliminate the need for an automatic spark advance mechanism.
  • a still further objective is to provide an ignition system Where moving parts are substantially not in mechanical cooperation with each other.
  • Another objective is to provide a mechanism for energy generation and distribution of electrical pulses of ampli tude and rise time directly proportional to engine rotational speed, and the generation of the pulses being dependent upon interruption of the main core magnetic flux.
  • the invention overcomes all the aforementioned disadvantages. It embodies simple mechanical construe tion, a minimum of moving parts, a minimum of total parts, one ignition inductor for each spark plug, the absence of breaker points and condenser, the absence of a sparking distributor switch, the eificient utilization of the main core magnetic flux rather than leakage flux, the capability for utilizing a power source of direct current, alternating current or high frequency current without being frequency or component stability dependent.
  • the scientific principle utilized in this invention is the sequental rate of change of the main core magnetic flux in each of a plural number of inductors corresponding to an equal plural number of spark plugs.
  • the inductor flux creating coils are constantly electrically energized by being electrically connected to a power means, and in the case where the power means in a direct current power source a steady magnetic field and hence a steady magnetic flux in each inductor core is established.
  • This flux is changed by a section of a rotatable magnetized material rotating in close proximity to and past the north and south poles of the inductor cores at a rate directly proportional to the engine revolutions per unit time, thereby creating a voltage across the high voltage winding of each inductor sequentially which is proportional to the product of the number of turns of the high voltage winding and the flux rate of change with time, to provide a voltage to the spark plugs of large enough magnitude to break down the gap of each of the spark plugs under operating conditions of cylinder pressures at varying engine speeds.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partially in crosssection of one form of the invention utilizing an electromagnet rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
  • FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanent magnet bar rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core;
  • FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized scalloped disk rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core;
  • FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized spool with scalloped portions at its north and south poles rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
  • FIGURE 5 is a perspective view partially in crosssection of another form of the invention utilizing a scalloped permanently magnetized disk rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core, the disk has a scalloped section which is a permanent magnet of opposite polarity with respect to the magnetic polarity of the disk;
  • FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized spool with a small angular segment of said spool being a per manent magnet and having a magnetic polarity opposite to the magnetic polarity of the permanently magnetized spool, and said permanently magnetized spool is rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
  • FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another form of the invention utilizing a scalloped electromagnetically magnetized disk with a permanent magnet segment of opposite magnetic polarity to that of the disk, the permanent magnet being held in a scalloped section of the disk, and a direct current generator coupled to the disk and providing power to the flux creating coils of the ignition inductor cores and to the flux creating coil of the disk;
  • FIGURE 8 is a cross-section view partially in elevation taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 and showing electrical connections between components;
  • FIGURE 9 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit representing the several configurations of the invention and including an ignition inductor and variation in the quantity of core material to assist in the theoretical discussion of the principles of operation of this invention;
  • FIGURE 10 is a set of curves setting forth the voltage response characteristics of the high voltage winding of one of the inductors considering different engine speeds, thus enabling a better understanding of the operating principles of this invention.
  • FIGURE 11 is a typical magnetic material flux-field characteristic curve which serves to explain the flux changing requirements of this invention.
  • FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 the equivalent circuit of an inductor with two coils mounted on a magnetically responsive core, the induced voltage response characteristics across the high voltage coil for three specific engine speeds referred to as low speed, medium speed and high speed, and the typical magnetic core material flux-field characteristics are respectively illustrated.
  • a direct current power means voltage V is electrically connected to the primary or flux creating coil having a self-inductance L and an equivalent resistance R 2.
  • current 13 will flow in the primary or flux creating coil setting up a direct magnetic field which will set up a steady flux in the ignition inductor core establishing magnetic north and south poles at the core gap.
  • the core flux lines are prevalent in the gap between the magnetic poles, but since the field is a steady field no voltage will appear across the secondary or high voltage coil until the flux between the poles is interrupted or changed either by reinforcing the lines of flux by rotating magnetic material past the poles of the core, or diminishing the lines of flux by rotatably removing magnetic material from the core gap, thereby changing the flux in the core at a rate proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic material in the core gap and hence the flux therein, and inducing a voltage 11 into the high voltage coil due to the mutual inductance M between L and L and the time rate of change of the current in L
  • the core offers an efficient path for magnetic flux and provides a good coupling means between L and L Therefore,
  • M is the mutual inductance between L; and L in henries and is defined as Iq/m, and where substantially or tight coupling between L and L exists due to flux linkage through a common core, and k, which is the coefiicient of coupling approaches unity.
  • the magnetic field H is defined as,
  • N is the number of turns of the inductance
  • i is the current in the inductance in amperes
  • L is the length of the core in meters.
  • Equation 8 the voltage induced in the high voltage coil prior to firing of the spark plug is simply represented by Equation 8, which states that the induced voltage is a product of the number of high voltage coil turns and the time rate of change of flux linking the turns. It is obvious that the time rate of change of flux will be proportional to the rate of interruption of the flux lines by the means stated above, which of course will be a direct function of the engine rotational speed.
  • the high voltage build-up over the short period of time under these conditions provides a steeper slope of the v characteristic build-up portion of the curve during the period of increased cylinder pressures, permitting the spark plug gap to break down earlier than at slow speeds by virtue of 11 reaching the required spark plug gap voltage break down level earlier in time, effectively advancing the firing time as compared to slower engine speeds, thereby avoiding diesel action and precluding the necessity for a vacuum ignition distributor advance mechanism which is required by a conventional ignition system.
  • the decay portion of the high voltage coil characteristic curves v will occur the instant firing of the spark gap takes place.
  • the spark gap when fired acts essentially as a short circuiting switch across the high voltage coil from the time the spark is initiated until the spark is extinguished.
  • the decay characteristic will be quite rapid, current flowing through the high voltage coil circuit, bleeding or decaying the voltage v which had been induced therein.
  • the time constant of the high voltage coil circuit under spark plug firing conditions is Lg/Rz
  • the voltage decay characteristic can be simply expressed as,
  • V represents the peak build-up voltage at which the spark plug gap breaks down and the spark plug fires.
  • V may take on finite values of V V V at which point in time the high voltage coil builds up to a sufficient level to break down the gap resistance of the spark plug.
  • V is an alternating power source of a frequency substantially higher than the maximum engine revolutions per second, corresponding to a substantially higher number of flux changing operations per second for any one inductor, to avoid a partial H curve excursion during the fiux changing process, using a source of a frequency between 400 and 800 cycles per second, the H changes will be comparable to the changes under conditions of residual flux neutralization as described above.
  • the field H will vary negatively as well as positively for an overall excursion of 2 delta H, and the flux will vary negatively as well as positively for a total excursion of 2 delta over the entire H curve including dotted and solid portions (except for curve A), and the ratio of flux change to field change will remain delta /delta H. It can therefore be concluded that a direct current source with a means for neutralizing residual flux is equally usable as an alternating current source, except that the characteristic shape of the H curve for a specific magnetic material will be different when responding to alternating current as compared to direct current.
  • the principle of operation may be briefly summed up as the existance of a constant field and accompanying constant flux in the ignition inductor core and a movable magnetized member sequentially rotatable past the magnetic poles of the inductor cores to effectively change the magnetic core material quantity of the core with the attendant effect of time rate of change of the main magnetic flux in each of the sequenced cores, and a residual flux cancellation means integral with the movable magnetized member, for inducing a high voltage sequentially into each of the high voltage windings associated with each ignition inductor, which voltages are applied to the respective spark plugs causing ignition to take place due to the breaking down of the resistance of the spark plug gaps and causing decay of the high voltage in an exponential decaying manner.
  • v characteristics as in FIGURE 10 for any one ignition inductor and spark plug combination will decay very rapidly to substantially zero, substantially prior to re-ignition of the same spark plug at the next ignition opportunity, and decay prior to buildup of voltage at the next succeeding inductor and spark plug combination, so that only one characteristic pulse across any one high voltage winding will be present at any one period of time over the entire range of engine rotational speed.
  • each said configuration otherwise referred to as a magnetic distributor has a base 13 which is mechanically mounted over engine block 11.
  • Distributor shaft 16 extends from and is coupled to the cam shaft located internally to the engine block 11 and extends through distributor shaft bearing 30 mechanically affixed into and held by aperture '31 located at the center of base 13 and extends upward to retain a rotatable magnetized member.
  • Spark plug 106 with its spark plug gap 109, and spark plug 119 with its spark plug gap 120, are retained in motor block 11 at the heads of each of two cylinders, and provide a means for ignition of fuel in each of the cylinders at the appropriate periods of time.
  • Base 13 is mounted over engine block 11, distributor shaft 16 is coaxial with sleeve bearing 30 which in turn is afiixed to base 13, and negative terminal 23 of battery 22 is electrically connected to screw 17 by means of wire 19 providing the common electrical negative return means for the electrical system employed.
  • Apparatus base 13 has timing angle slot in which is inserted timing angle set screw 14 for moving base 13 with respect to a calibrated timing angle indicator 12 in order to advance or retard the firing of the spark plugs in accordance with the specified manufacturers requirements, and set this timing angle fixed in position by means of timing angle set screw 14.
  • the two transformer primaries are connected in series with each other and negative return Wire 18 is electrically connected to screw 17.
  • Wire 21 electrically connects positive terminal 24 of battery 22 to stationary contact 27 of ignition switch 25, and movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25 is electrically connected by means of wire to the other transformer primary.
  • High voltage lead 28 is electrically connected between the high voltage side of the one transformer secondary to spark plug 106, and high voltage lead 29 is electrically connected between the high voltage side of the other transformer secondary to spark plug 119.
  • a low frequency alternating current means or a high frequency alternating current means may be used in lieu of direct current power means battery 22.
  • Ignition transformer and ignition inductor are used interchangeably in that the same function is performed by both.
  • the primary is used as a means for supplying core flux whereas a flux coil is used in the case of the ignition inductor, and the secondary of the transformer is used as the high voltage coil of the inductor.
  • the only difference between the transformer and the inductor is that the secondary of the transformer is wound on top or over the primary whereas in the inductor the high voltage coil and the flux coil are wound directly on the core.
  • the core is common and is the main path for magnetic flux in either the transformer or inductor. All ignition transformer cores have equal spacing between each other in all configurations and are mechanically afiixed by means of screws or other means to apparatus base 13.
  • wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 104 of the one ignition transformer 102, the other side of the primary 104 being electrically connected by the wire 101 to a screw in non magnetic metal bracket 110, said bracket being mechanically afiixed to insulating bushing 118 which in turn is mechanically afiixed to base 13.
  • Non-magnetic metal rod 114 which is mechanically affixed by means of a screw to bracket 11! provides electrical continuity and said metal rod 114 is mechanically afiixed to insulating jacket of coil 115 of electromagnet 108, and one wire-end 113 of coil 115 is mechanically affixed to and therefore electrically connected to rod 114, the other wire-end 112 of coil 115 being mechanically affixed to non-magnetic metal rod 111 and forming an electrical connection therewith, one end of rod 111 being mechanically affixed to jacket of coil 115 and the other end of rod 111 being mechanically held by a screw to bracket 127, said bracket 127 being mechanically affixed to insulating bushing 117 which in turn is mechanically afiixed to base 13.
  • Wire 122 electrically connects one side of primary of the other ignition transformer 123 to combination of bracket 127 and rod 111, the other side of primary 125 being electrically connected to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 107 electrically connects one side of secondary 105 to common return means 17, and wire 121 electrically connects one side of secondary 126 to common return means 17.
  • Magnetic material core 103 together with primary 104 and second ary 105 both tightly Wound on the vertical portion of said core 103 comprise the one ignition transformer 102; and magnetic material core 124 together with primary 125 and secondary 126 both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 124 comprise the other ignition transformer 123; and core 116 of electromagnet 108 which is mechanically coupled to and held by shaft 16, so that when ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 104, 125'and coil 115.
  • the respective primaries 104 and 125, and coil 115 are wound in the proper directions to establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of the respective U-shaped ignition transformer cores, opposite in magnetic polarity to the poles established at the U-shaped electromagnetic core of the electromagnet.
  • Coil 115 is circumjacent a portion of the vertical member of electromagnet core 116, and core 116 is rotatable by shaft 16 so that when the magnetic poles of said core 116 are rotated sequentially past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 103 and 124 at a rate of speed proportional to the engine rotational speed, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face the magnetic poles of the electromagnet and are in close proximity but do not cooperate with each other, the mag netic field and hence the magnetic flux in core 116 adds to the magnetic field and hence to the magnetic flux in core 103 and core 124 respectively and in sequence.
  • the adding of the flux from each respective ignition transformer core with the flux of the electromagnet core simultaneously with the adding of core material of the electromagnet core comprising a magnetic flux path for the transformer core flux causes a change in magnetic flux and in magnetic field in the combination of ignition transformer and electromagnet and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said flux, as per derivation in Equation 8 hereinabove defined in the theory of operation.
  • a permanent magnet rotatable member with the same magnetic polarity and same shape as core 116 of electromagnet 108 may be used instead of electromagnet 108.
  • wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 203 of the one ignition transformer 201, the other side of the primary 203 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 210 of the other ignition transformer 208, the other side of primary 210 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 214 electrically connects one side of secondary 204 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 204 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 28.
  • Wire 213 electrically connects one side of the secondary 211 of the other transformer 208 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 211 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 29.
  • Magnetic material core 202 together with primary 203 and secondary 204, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 202, comprise ignition transformer 201.
  • Core 202 has aperture 205 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • Core 209 has aperture 212 at the ends of its C- shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • the respective primaries 203 and 210 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores establishing a flux of small magnitude in their respective apertures 205 and 212.
  • This flux is a steady flux.
  • the adding of the flux from each of the respective cores of the transformers with the flux of the bar magnet simultaneously with the adding of magnetic material to the magnetic flux path causes a change in magnetic flux and magnetic field in the combination of ignition transformer core and bar magnet and induces a voltage sequentially in each of the ignition transformers and in each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the number of secondary turns and the rate of change of total flux being linked with the said secondary turns as derived in the theory of operation.
  • An electromagnet comprised of a magnetic core bar of the same shape as bar 206 and a coil wound thereon and connected to a power means, may be used in lieu of the permanent magnet bar 206.
  • a bar magnet (not shown) degrees disposed with respect to bar magnet 206 and having a magnetic polarity opposite to bar magnet 206 and mechanically affixed to the end of bar magnet 206 at screw 207, may be used to buck out the residual flux of the transformer core through which bar magnet 206 had just passed.
  • the flux bucking bar magnet will therefore enable a higher voltage output due to the larger rate of change of flux inasmuch as the flux will increase in the transformer core from Zero to maximum flux.
  • wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 311 of the one ignition transformer 309, the other side of the primary 311 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 303 of the other ignition transformer 301, the other side of primary 303 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 313 electrically connects one side of secondary 312 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 312 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29.
  • Wire 305 electrically connects one side of the secondary 304 of the other transformer 301 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 304 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means 1 wire 28.
  • Magnetic core 310 together with primary 311 and secondary 312, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 310, comprise ignition transformer 309.
  • Core 310 has aperture 314 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • Magnetic material core 302, to gether with primary 303 and secondary 304, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 302, comprise ignition transformer 301.
  • Core 302 has aperture 315 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • the respective primaries 311 and 303 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores establishing magnetic flux in apertures 314 and 315.
  • This flux is a steady flux.
  • a large steady flux is established due to the combination of the disk magnet flux adding to the transformer core flux.
  • the disk magnet is rotated so that the scalloped section rotates past the poles of the respective transformer core in the aperture of the said transformer core thereby suddenly subtracting magnetic material from the aperture of the transformer core simultaneously with subtracting flux from the combination flux of the disk magnet and the transformer core, and changing the magnetic field in the ignition transformer and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation.
  • a back electromotive force higher than the initially applied voltage is also induced into the primaries which may be used to operate externally located devices which require timed pulses.
  • wire 18 electrically connects corn mon return means 17 to primary 411 of the one ignition transformer 409, the other side of the primary 411 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 403 of the other ignition transformer 401, the other side of primary 403 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 413 electrically connects one side of secondary 412 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 412 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29.
  • Wire 405 electrically connects one side of the secondary 404 of the other transformer 40] to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 404 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28.
  • Magnetic material core 410, together with primary 411 and secondary 412, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 410, comprise ignition transformer 409.
  • Core 410 has a U-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established at the ends of the U-shaped core.
  • Magnetic material core 402, together with primary 403 and secondary 404, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 402, comprise ignition transformer 401.
  • Core 402 has a U-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established at the ends of the U- shaped core.
  • the edges of the spool faces of permanent magnet spool 406 which edges are oriented parallel to the ends of the U-shaped cores 410 and 402, and scalloped sections 408 of spool 406 are as shown in FIG. 4.
  • the edges of the spool faces of magnet 406 have magnetic polarities opposite to the polarities of the ignition transformer core poles facing the poles of magnet 406.
  • Spool magnet 406 is mechanically afiixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 407 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the engine speed rotation. Wh'en ignition switch is manually operated, causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 411 and 403.
  • the respective primaries 411 and 403 are wound in the same direction and established steady magnetic fields and steady magnetic south and north poles at the ends of their respective U-shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in each combination spool magnet and transformer core.
  • This flux is a steady flux.
  • a large steady flux is established due to the combination of the spool magnet flux adding to the transformer core flux,
  • the spool magnet is rotated so that the scalloped section rotates past the poles of the respective transformer core thereby suddenly subtracting magnetic material from the magnetic circuit simultaneously with subtracting flux from the combination of the flux of the spool magnet and the transformer core, and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the engine speed, or proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation.
  • An electromagnet comprised of a magnetic core of the same shape as spool 406 and a stationary coil wound circumjacent the stem of the said spool core and connected to a power means, may be used in lieu of permanent magnet 406.
  • wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 514 of the one ignition transformer 512, the other side of the primary 514 being electrically connected by Wire 32 to one side of primary 503 of the other ignition transformer 501, the other side of primary 503 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 517 electrically connects one side of secondary 515 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 515 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29.
  • Wire 505 electrically connects one side of the secondary 504 of the other transformer 501 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 504 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28.
  • Magnetic material core 513, together with primary 514 and secondary 515, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 513, comprise ignition transformer 512.
  • Core 513 has aperture 516 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • Magnetic material core 502, together with primary 503 and secondary 504, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 502, comprise ignition transformer 501,
  • Core 502 has aperture 506 at which the north and south poles of the C-shaped core 502 are established.
  • Disk 507 has a scalloped section in which is inserted non-magnetic retainer 509 in which a permanent magnetic segment 510 with surfaces corresponding to magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarity to the polarity of the surfaces of disk 507, but the said opposite poles are in the same planes, and magnet 510 is inserted into retainer 509 together with soft iron shoe 511, which shoe is located at the outer periphery of disk 507, and both shoe 511 and magnet 510 are mechanically held affixed to disk 507 by said retainer 509.
  • Shoe 511 retains magnet 510 in scalloped section of disk 507 and does not materially contribute disk 507 flux or magnet 510 flux to transformer core in that the flux of disk 507 and the flux of magnet 510 have cancelling effects upon each other and the shoe therefore has very little if any magnetic polarity.
  • Disk 507 is mechanically affixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 508 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the speed of engine rotation. Only the periphery of disk 507 is positioned between the poles ofthe said transformer C-cores.
  • disk 507 including the soft iron shoe 511 and magnet 510 is rotated past the said poles of the transformer cores in close proximity with but not cooperating with the said transformer core poles, so that when ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 514 and 503.
  • the respective primaries 514 and 503 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in apertures 516 and 506.
  • This flux is a steady flux
  • the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic fiux of disk 507 adds to the magnetic flux of the respective cores of the ignition transformers, and a large steady flux is established due to the adding of the flux from each of the respective ignition transformer cores with the flux of the disk magnet, and when the disk magnet is rotated by the distributor shaft so that the scalloped section retaining magnet 510 and shoe 511 is rotated sequentially past the poles of the ignition transformers, subtracting core flux due to the small magnet 510 opposing with a flux opposite to the flux in the core gap and opposing the magnetic field established by the transformer, and also cancels out the residual flux in the transformer core, causing a sudden rate of change of total magnetic flux in
  • wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 612 of the one ignition transformer 610, the other side of the primary 612 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 603 of the other ignition transformer 601, the other side of primary 603 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25.
  • Wire 614 electrically connects one side of secondary 613 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 613 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29.
  • Wire 605 electrically connects one side of the secondary 604 of the other transformer 601 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 604 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28.
  • Magnetic material core 611 together with primary 612 and secondary 613, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 611, comprise ignition transformer 610.
  • Core 611 has a U-shaped configuration at which ends of the U-shaped core the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • Magnetic material core 602 together with primary 603 and secondary 604, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 602, comprise ignition transformer 601.
  • Core 602 has a U-shaped configuration at which ends the magnetic north and south poles are established.
  • the edges of the spool faces of permanent magnet spool 606 are oriented parallel to the ends of the U-shaped cores 611 and 602, and a wedge-shaped segment 608 retained in spool 606 are as shown in FIG. 6.
  • the edges of the spool faces of Spool magnet 606 have magnetic polarities opposite to the polarities of the ignition transformer core poles facing the said magnet 606 poles.
  • Spool magnet 606 is mechanically affixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 607 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the engine speed rotation.
  • the respective primaries 612 and 603 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and steady magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective U-shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in each combination spool magnet and transformer core.
  • This flux is a steady flux.
  • Spool magnet 606 which has a wedge-shaped segment 608 inserted into a wedge-shaped sectional cut-out in the spool magnet along the length of the spool which is inserted into and retained by a non-magnetic retainer 609.
  • the wedge-shaped segment 608 is a permanent magnet of opposite magnetic polarity to the spool 606, so that when spool 606 is rotated so that the section retaining the wedge-shaped segment 608 rotates past the poles of each respective transformer core, magnetic flux is subtracted, and due to the like magnetic polarities between the wedgeshaped magnet 608 and the transformer core poles, the residual flux in the transformer core is cancelled and subtracted, thereby causing a substantially large change in total magnetic flux in the respective ignition transformer cores, thereby changing the magnetic fields in each respective ignition transformer sequentially, and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the engine speed, or proportional to the product of the time rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation.
  • the electromagnetic inductor configuration therein has base 13 which is mechanically mounted over the engine block.
  • Distributor shaft '16 extends from and is coupled to the cam shaft located internally to the engine and extending through distributor sleeve bearing 30 mechanically affixed at the center of base 13.
  • Shaft 16 is coupled to an electrical power generator 718 which is affixed to base 13.
  • the output shaft (not shown) of power generator 718 is coupled to one end of a soft iron magnetizable disk extension 720 which is rotatably driven by shaft 16 inside a sleeve bearing 721.
  • extension 720 is aflixed to magnetizable soft iron disk 707 by means of 'disk retainer screw 708. Rotation of disk 707 is subject to rotation of shaft 16.
  • Sleeve bearing 721 is circumjacent extension 720 and disk magnetizing coil 719 is affixed at the outer surface of bearing 721 and to one end of power generator 718.
  • Disk 707 has a single wedge-shaped scalloped section at its outer periphery in which is mechanically affixed a non-magnetic insert 709 which may be of nonmagnetic metal such as brass into which is mechanically inserted and retained a wedge-shaped permanently magnetized segment 710.
  • Base 13 also has aflixed thereto a first ignition inductor 701 comprised of soft iron magnetizable core 702 of a C-shape and having an air slot or aperture 706.
  • Magnetic flux creating coil 703 is mounted or tightly wound on the lower portion of core 702, and
  • a high voltage coil 704 is afiixed to or wound on the upper portion of core 702.
  • a second ignition inductor 712 is 180 degrees displaced with respect to the first inductor 701, and has a core 713 identical to core 702, said core 713 having an air slot or aperture 716 identical to slot 706.
  • Core 713 is mechanically afiixed to base 13 and has magnetic flux creating coil 714 mounted tightly on the lower portion of said core 713 and high voltage coil 715 mounted on the upper portion of said core 713.
  • Coil 714 is identical to coil 703, and coil 715 is identical to coil 704.
  • Coil 704 has a high voltage output lead 728 which is electrically connected to one spark plug of the internal combustion engine, and coil 715 has a high voltage output lead 727 which is electrically connected to the other spark plug of the internal combustion engine.
  • Disk 707 when affixed to disk extension 720- has its peripheral edge located in slots or apertures 706 and 716 without ever cooperating with the ends of cores 702 and 713 which form such apertures.
  • Base 13 has an advance-retard timing angle adjust slot 15 for moving the entire assembly of ignition inductors with respect to shaft 16 and disk 707, and a set screw 14 which is tightened when the desired advance or retard angle for either earlier or later firing action of the spark plugs has been found.
  • Power means return screws 17 are afiixed to base 13 and form the common electrical return path for the ignition system. Screws 17 are at ground potential and serve as common electrical return means.
  • a first of screws 17 is electrically connected by means of wire 724 to one end of coil 714, the other end of coil 714 being electrically connected by means of wire 726 to the lower end of coil 703, the upper end of coil 703 being electrically connected to one end of coil 719 by means of wire 722, and the other end of coil 719 is electrically connected by means of wire 723 to the output terminal of electrical power generator 718, the other terminal of electrical power generator 718 is electrically connected by means of wire 725 to the first of screws 17 thereby completing the electrical path and establishing coils 703, 714 and 719 in series with each other and electrically connected to generator terminals 718.
  • the return side of coil 704 is electrically connected to a second of screws 17 by means of wire 705 and the return side of coil 715 is electrically connected to a third of screws 17 by means of Wire 717. Electrical current will flow in coils 703, 714, and 719 only when shaft 16 is being rotated, thereby rotating generator armature of generator 718 and supplying power to said coils 703, 714, and 719.
  • magnet 710 were to be physically removed leaving the sca loped segment aligned with one of the cores during rotation of said disk 707, there would be a flux change proportional to the rotational speed of the disk past the particular core slot due to the increased magnetic reluctance on the one hand and the removal of contributing flux by disk 707 on the other hand, so that if generator 718 were a direct current generator, the flux and field established would be a constant non-alternating magnetic field and flux, and the collapse of the magnetic field accompanied by a decrease of the magnetic flux in the gap or aperture would occur thereby, leaving a residual flux in the core.
  • the permanent magnet 710 which has magnetic poles of like polarity facing the respective poles of the core and an opposing flux is introduced.
  • This opposing flux if of the proper strength will have the effect of cancelling the residual core flux, or putting it another way, if the flux coils 703 or 714 are wound with the proper turns and impedance characteristics so that the desired ampere-turns therein are achieved and the proper core material is selected, then residual flux is capable of being bucked out by the permanent magnet 710.
  • generator 718 may be an alternating current generator of a high enough frequency to allow a complete H excursion of the complete curve B, dotted and solid portions of FIG. 11, for the fastest engine rotational speed possible. In this case generator frequencies of approximately 400 to 800 cycles per second would sufiice and the permanent magnet 710 may be preferably removed from disk 707.
  • coils 703 and 714 are to establish a flux in cores 702 and 713- as is the purpose of coil 719 to establish a flux in disk extension 720 and disk 707, and the purpose of disk 707 is to add flux to the cores except when magnet 710 is rotated past slots or apertures 706 or 716 in which case the function of disk 707 in combination with magnet 710 is to subtract fiux from the said cores and reduce said flux in said cores to zero by such subtractive action.
  • a rotatable shaft adapted to be driven by said internal combustion engine
  • discontinuous magnetic core means provided with magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarities at the ends of said discontinuous magnetic core means for prw ducing a magnetic flux in said discontinuous magnetic core means and between said magnetic poles;
  • a rotatable member attached to said shaft and adapted for rotation by said shaft past said magnetic poles for periodically varying the magnitude of said magnetic flux thereby inducing a voltage in said coil means which voltage is consequently proportional to the product of the number of turns of the coil means and the rate of change of the magnitude of said magnetic flux thereby providing energy to said igniter means.
  • said rotatable member having surfaces which are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the poles of said magnetic core means for providing additional magnetic flux and for adding said additional magnetic flux to the magnetic flux of said magnetic core means thereby increasing the magnitude of said voltage.
  • said rotatable member is bar-shaped.
  • said rotatable member is a disk-shaped member having a permanent magnet at a portion of its outer periphery, the surfaces of said permanent magnet being magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of said rotatable member for providing flux reduction and rapid field collapse in said magnetic core means as said permanent magnet is rotated past the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
  • said rotatable member is a spool-shaped member Where in the ends of said spool-shaped member are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the poles of said magnetic core means and comprises a permanent magnet retained in a portion of the outer periphery of said spool-shaped member, the ends of said permanent magnet being magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the ends of said spool-shaped member for providing flux reduction and rapid field collapse in said magnetic core means as said permanent magnet is rotated past the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
  • said rotatable member is a U-shaped member provided with magnetically polarized ends of opposite magnetic polarities to the magnetic polarities of the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
  • said rotatable member has a magnetizable extension attached thereto;

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Description

March 31, 1970 M.E.' GERRY 4 I 3,504,229
MAGNETIC IGNIT ION SYSTEM Filed Oct. 31, 11.966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.
March 31, 1970 M. E. GERRY 3,504,229
MAGNETI C IGNIT ION SYSTEM Filed Oct. 31, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.
March 31, 1970 M. E. GERRY MAGNETIC IGNITION SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 31, 1966 INVENTOR.
March 31, 1970 M. E. GERRY 3,
MAGNE'I 'IC IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Oct. 31, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.
FIG. '7.
d 7 705 114 17 A 17 ///J //K//// 727\ 302 w INVENTOR. H 8. 726
United States Patent O 3,504,229 MAGNETIC IGNITION SYSTEM Martin E. Gerry, 13452 Winthrop St., Santa Ana, Calif. 92705 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 473,082, July 19, 1965. This application Oct. 31, 1966, Ser.
Int. Cl. F02p 1/08 US. Cl. 315209 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A magnetic ignition system is provided for an internal combustion engine comprising a rotatable shaft driven by the internal combustion engine and having a discontinuous magnetic core with magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarities at the ends of the discon tinuous magnetic core for providing a magnetic flux in the core and in the discontinuity. A coil is wound on the magnetic core. A rotatable member is attached to the shaft and adapted for rotation by the shaft past the magnetic poles for periodically varying the magnitude of the magnetic flux thereby inducing a voltage in the coil. The rotatable member has surfaces which are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the magnetic poles of the magnetic core thereby providing additional magnetic flux to the magnetic core for increasing the magnitude of the voltage. Variations of this system include additional permanent magnets in the rotatable member to assist in the rapid collapse of the flux in the magnetic core.
PARENT APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 473,082, filed July 19, 196-5, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various ignition systems employ mechanically actuated contacts to enable periodic interruption of electrical connection of a primary winding of an ignition coil or of a primary winding of a magneto which is electrically connected to either a direct current power means, an alternating current power means or a high frequency current power means for the purpose of creating a pulse in the primary to be transferred to the secondary by inductive coupling. Other ignition systems provide a rotating magnetic shunt which provides coupling between a primary and a secondary of a small transformer wherein the primary winding is connected to a high frequency power means, the inductively coupled high frequency voltage in turn is applied to a resonant circuit including a primary of another transformer which then transfers the high frequency voltage to a secondary winding of the other transformer and thence to a spark plug.
Thus far three major ignition methods have been stated, first, the conventional ignition coil with points and condenser and high voltage sparking distribution means; second, the magneto distributor which in the varied embodiments are basically complex electrical power generators and for the most part include mechanically actuated interruptor contacts; and third, a distributor which embodies a series of small transformers, a high frequency power means connected electrically to the primaries of these transformers and a rotating magnetic shunt to inductively transfer the high frequency voltage from the primary to the secondary which secondary is part of another circuit including another primary of still another transformer and a capacitor 3,504,229 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 carefully selected to resonate to the frequency of the high frequency power means.
The obvious disadvantages of the first method are the frequent wearing out of parts such as points, condenser, distributor arm, distributor casing, the spark advance automatic mechanism, and the frequent and careful adjustment that must be made to distributor point dwell angle and to the spark advance mechanism as well as the falling off of the high Voltage to the spark plug at high engine speeds when proper ignition voltage is most needed which is attempted to be compensated by advancing the iginition of the spark plug, the main purpose of the automatic spark advance mechanism.
The obvious disadvantages of the second method are the expensive construction of this mechanism and the same disadvantages due to the points of the first method.
The obvious disadvantages of the third method are that two sets of transformers are required for each spark plug, a mechanically and electrically complicated high frequency power source is required, and careful selection and matching the inductive components with the capacitance and the rotatable magnetic shunt and the power source to achieve equal inductive and capacitive reactances at the specific input power frequency in order that resonance may be obtained. This is an extremely difiicult condition to achieve in a mass produced mechanism, difficult to adjust or tune the circuit components, and even more difficult to maintain inasmuch as aging or temperature changes of any of the components will change their dielectric material characteristics, change the spacing of and between turns of wire to effect changes in the effective inductance and effective capacitance, thereby no longer being tuned to the resonant frequency and no longer providing the high voltage attainable at resonance. Likewise, the input power means frequency can shift for similar reasons and even if the other parts mentioned remain stable, resonance would under these conditions not be achievable.
In addition, a further disadvantage of the second and third methods is that the inductive coupling is small between primary and secondary windings preventing efiicient energy transfer. In the case of the second method, the leakage flux is principally depended upon for mutual inductive coupling between the windings. The leakage flux is substantially weaker than the main core flux and dependency on leakage flux for inductive coupling also leads to inefficient energy transfer.
A fourth method involving certain advantages has been disclosed in Patent No. 3,265,931, patented Aug. 9, 1966 by the same inventive entity. However, certain refinements and advancement of the state of the art beyond this patent are realized in this invention through the utilization of means for residual flux cancellation when the ignition distributor is powered by a direct current energy source, thus offering the advantages of higher voltage output and faster main core flux switching action.
OBJECTIVES AND INVENTION SUMMARY This invention relates to ignition systems and more particularly to an electromagnetic apparatus used in generating and distributing electrical energy to internal combustion engines or the like, and in general relates to main core operated flux responsive devices.
An objective of the invention is to provide an improved ignition system of higher reliability, fewer total parts, fewer moving parts and a system of simpler and more rugged structure.
A further objective is to eliminate the need for distributor points and condenser, eliminate a sparking distributor and eliminate the need for an automatic spark advance mechanism.
A still further objective is to provide an ignition system Where moving parts are substantially not in mechanical cooperation with each other.
Another objective is to provide a mechanism for energy generation and distribution of electrical pulses of ampli tude and rise time directly proportional to engine rotational speed, and the generation of the pulses being dependent upon interruption of the main core magnetic flux.
Briefly, the invention overcomes all the aforementioned disadvantages. It embodies simple mechanical construe tion, a minimum of moving parts, a minimum of total parts, one ignition inductor for each spark plug, the absence of breaker points and condenser, the absence of a sparking distributor switch, the eificient utilization of the main core magnetic flux rather than leakage flux, the capability for utilizing a power source of direct current, alternating current or high frequency current without being frequency or component stability dependent. The scientific principle utilized in this invention is the sequental rate of change of the main core magnetic flux in each of a plural number of inductors corresponding to an equal plural number of spark plugs. The inductor flux creating coils are constantly electrically energized by being electrically connected to a power means, and in the case where the power means in a direct current power source a steady magnetic field and hence a steady magnetic flux in each inductor core is established. This flux is changed by a section of a rotatable magnetized material rotating in close proximity to and past the north and south poles of the inductor cores at a rate directly proportional to the engine revolutions per unit time, thereby creating a voltage across the high voltage winding of each inductor sequentially which is proportional to the product of the number of turns of the high voltage winding and the flux rate of change with time, to provide a voltage to the spark plugs of large enough magnitude to break down the gap of each of the spark plugs under operating conditions of cylinder pressures at varying engine speeds.
THE DRAWINGS Several exemplary forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partially in crosssection of one form of the invention utilizing an electromagnet rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanent magnet bar rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized scalloped disk rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized spool with scalloped portions at its north and south poles rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view partially in crosssection of another form of the invention utilizing a scalloped permanently magnetized disk rotatable through a gap in each ignition inductor core, the disk has a scalloped section which is a permanent magnet of opposite polarity with respect to the magnetic polarity of the disk;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another form of the invention utilizing a permanently magnetized spool with a small angular segment of said spool being a per manent magnet and having a magnetic polarity opposite to the magnetic polarity of the permanently magnetized spool, and said permanently magnetized spool is rotatable past the poles of each ignition inductor core;
FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another form of the invention utilizing a scalloped electromagnetically magnetized disk with a permanent magnet segment of opposite magnetic polarity to that of the disk, the permanent magnet being held in a scalloped section of the disk, and a direct current generator coupled to the disk and providing power to the flux creating coils of the ignition inductor cores and to the flux creating coil of the disk;
FIGURE 8 is a cross-section view partially in elevation taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 and showing electrical connections between components;
FIGURE 9 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit representing the several configurations of the invention and including an ignition inductor and variation in the quantity of core material to assist in the theoretical discussion of the principles of operation of this invention;
FIGURE 10 is a set of curves setting forth the voltage response characteristics of the high voltage winding of one of the inductors considering different engine speeds, thus enabling a better understanding of the operating principles of this invention; and
FIGURE 11 is a typical magnetic material flux-field characteristic curve which serves to explain the flux changing requirements of this invention.
THEORY OF OPERATION Referring to FIGURES 9, 10 and 11, the equivalent circuit of an inductor with two coils mounted on a magnetically responsive core, the induced voltage response characteristics across the high voltage coil for three specific engine speeds referred to as low speed, medium speed and high speed, and the typical magnetic core material flux-field characteristics are respectively illustrated.
If a direct current power means voltage V is electrically connected to the primary or flux creating coil having a self-inductance L and an equivalent resistance R 2. current 13 will flow in the primary or flux creating coil setting up a direct magnetic field which will set up a steady flux in the ignition inductor core establishing magnetic north and south poles at the core gap. The core flux lines are prevalent in the gap between the magnetic poles, but since the field is a steady field no voltage will appear across the secondary or high voltage coil until the flux between the poles is interrupted or changed either by reinforcing the lines of flux by rotating magnetic material past the poles of the core, or diminishing the lines of flux by rotatably removing magnetic material from the core gap, thereby changing the flux in the core at a rate proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic material in the core gap and hence the flux therein, and inducing a voltage 11 into the high voltage coil due to the mutual inductance M between L and L and the time rate of change of the current in L The core offers an efficient path for magnetic flux and provides a good coupling means between L and L Therefore,
Where M is the mutual inductance between L; and L in henries and is defined as Iq/m, and where substantially or tight coupling between L and L exists due to flux linkage through a common core, and k, which is the coefiicient of coupling approaches unity. Using unity approximation,
M= /7L T Combining Equations 1 and 2 we obtain,
-dt a The voltage due to self-induction in a coil is given by,
it' 4? Induced Voltage- L N dt where di/dt is the time rate of change of current in the inductance, and ddJ/dt is the time rate of change of the magnetic flux of the inductance, and N is the number of turns of wire of the inductance, and L is the value of the inductance in henries.
From (4) we obtain the following relationships:
i it! 2 2 L N dt dFL dt (5) However, the magnetic field H is defined as,
H :Ni/L, (6)
Where H is in ampere-turns per meter, N is the number of turns of the inductance, i is the current in the inductance in amperes, and L is the length of the core in meters. Combining (5) and (6) and considering these equations in terms of L and i N, E l- E:
L dH
It is therefore seen that the voltage induced in the high voltage coil prior to firing of the spark plug is simply represented by Equation 8, which states that the induced voltage is a product of the number of high voltage coil turns and the time rate of change of flux linking the turns. It is obvious that the time rate of change of flux will be proportional to the rate of interruption of the flux lines by the means stated above, which of course will be a direct function of the engine rotational speed. Therefore, when the engine is running at a slow rate of speed providing relatively low pressures in the cylinder chambers, the dqS/ d1 will be small and voltage v will build up to V level over a period described as T when the engine is running at moderate speed, voltage v will build up to V level over a shorter period of time described as T and when the engine is running at high speed, voltage v will build up to V level over still shorter period of time described as T It is evident that the faster the time rate of flux change the higher the voltage level in the high voltage coil which will build up in a shorter period of time. This voltage build-up rate i coincident With and satisfies the requirement for higher ignition voltages when the cylinder pressure is increased with higher engine speeds. It is to be noted that the high voltage build-up over the short period of time under these conditions provides a steeper slope of the v characteristic build-up portion of the curve during the period of increased cylinder pressures, permitting the spark plug gap to break down earlier than at slow speeds by virtue of 11 reaching the required spark plug gap voltage break down level earlier in time, effectively advancing the firing time as compared to slower engine speeds, thereby avoiding diesel action and precluding the necessity for a vacuum ignition distributor advance mechanism which is required by a conventional ignition system.
The decay portion of the high voltage coil characteristic curves v will occur the instant firing of the spark gap takes place. The spark gap when fired acts essentially as a short circuiting switch across the high voltage coil from the time the spark is initiated until the spark is extinguished. During the life of the spark, the decay characteristic will be quite rapid, current flowing through the high voltage coil circuit, bleeding or decaying the voltage v which had been induced therein. Inasmuch as the time constant of the high voltage coil circuit under spark plug firing conditions is Lg/Rz, the voltage decay characteristic can be simply expressed as,
where V represents the peak build-up voltage at which the spark plug gap breaks down and the spark plug fires. V may take on finite values of V V V at which point in time the high voltage coil builds up to a sufficient level to break down the gap resistance of the spark plug.
For a more thorough understanding of the flux-field and magnetic core characteristics we refer to FIGURE 11. With current not initially flowing in the flux-creating coil, no residual fiux will be present in the core. Therefore, upon application of a direct current power means to L the H curve will follow curve A, representing a flux change of delta with respect to a field change of delta H. After the initial application of power to L 5 will be established in the core, and a field change of delta H will only permit a flux change of delta 11),; unless is cancelled by a residual flux cancellation means to be hereinafter disclosed. With a direct current field, no current reversal from positive to negative takes place and hence no negative field will be present, hence the dotted portion of the H curve will not apply, and considering the presence of residual flux, the flux-field excursions will occur along solid portion B. If some means in a direct current powered system is provided for neutralizing the residual flux such as a permanently magnetized core material as part of the rotatable member whose magnetic poles facing the magnetic poles of the stationary cores are of like magnetic polarity, that is the north pole of the magnetic core faces the north pole of the permanently magnetized portion of the rotatable member and the south pole of the core faces the south pole of the permanently magnetized portion of the rotatable member, the magnetic flux of the permanently magnetized portion of the rotatable member will buck out the residual flux of the core (as in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8), and for the same delta H change the fiux change will increase so that its change will be described as delta This represents an improvement in the efficiency of the device in that a higher induced voltage into L will be possible for the same core material and the same number of turns of L or the number of turns of L could be reduced if a higher voltage is not required, thereby making each inductor smaller, or a core material with a steeper -H curve but which may have a greater residual fiux retentivity may be used improving the efficiency and reducing the size of the magnetic ignition distributor.
When V is an alternating power source of a frequency substantially higher than the maximum engine revolutions per second, corresponding to a substantially higher number of flux changing operations per second for any one inductor, to avoid a partial H curve excursion during the fiux changing process, using a source of a frequency between 400 and 800 cycles per second, the H changes will be comparable to the changes under conditions of residual flux neutralization as described above. The field H will vary negatively as well as positively for an overall excursion of 2 delta H, and the flux will vary negatively as well as positively for a total excursion of 2 delta over the entire H curve including dotted and solid portions (except for curve A), and the ratio of flux change to field change will remain delta /delta H. It can therefore be concluded that a direct current source with a means for neutralizing residual flux is equally usable as an alternating current source, except that the characteristic shape of the H curve for a specific magnetic material will be different when responding to alternating current as compared to direct current.
It is obvious that methods used in producing time rate of changing of flux in an inductor core by removing or inserting core material due to rotation of said core material in the slot of the core becomes even more sophisticated by magnetization of the material being passed through the core slot, so that the flux in the core and hence the voltage induced into L is increased. The use of a wedge of permanently magnetized material inserted in the material being passed through the core slot bucks out the residual flux in the core and thereby effects a higher induced electromotive force into the high voltage coil of the ignition inductor.
The principle of operation may be briefly summed up as the existance of a constant field and accompanying constant flux in the ignition inductor core and a movable magnetized member sequentially rotatable past the magnetic poles of the inductor cores to effectively change the magnetic core material quantity of the core with the attendant effect of time rate of change of the main magnetic flux in each of the sequenced cores, and a residual flux cancellation means integral with the movable magnetized member, for inducing a high voltage sequentially into each of the high voltage windings associated with each ignition inductor, which voltages are applied to the respective spark plugs causing ignition to take place due to the breaking down of the resistance of the spark plug gaps and causing decay of the high voltage in an exponential decaying manner.
It should be noted that the v characteristics as in FIGURE 10 for any one ignition inductor and spark plug combination will decay very rapidly to substantially zero, substantially prior to re-ignition of the same spark plug at the next ignition opportunity, and decay prior to buildup of voltage at the next succeeding inductor and spark plug combination, so that only one characteristic pulse across any one high voltage winding will be present at any one period of time over the entire range of engine rotational speed.
RELATIONSHIPS COMMON TO CONFIGURATIONS OF FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6 Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, each said configuration otherwise referred to as a magnetic distributor has a base 13 which is mechanically mounted over engine block 11. Distributor shaft 16 extends from and is coupled to the cam shaft located internally to the engine block 11 and extends through distributor shaft bearing 30 mechanically affixed into and held by aperture '31 located at the center of base 13 and extends upward to retain a rotatable magnetized member. Spark plug 106 with its spark plug gap 109, and spark plug 119 with its spark plug gap 120, are retained in motor block 11 at the heads of each of two cylinders, and provide a means for ignition of fuel in each of the cylinders at the appropriate periods of time. Base 13 is mounted over engine block 11, distributor shaft 16 is coaxial with sleeve bearing 30 which in turn is afiixed to base 13, and negative terminal 23 of battery 22 is electrically connected to screw 17 by means of wire 19 providing the common electrical negative return means for the electrical system employed. Apparatus base 13 has timing angle slot in which is inserted timing angle set screw 14 for moving base 13 with respect to a calibrated timing angle indicator 12 in order to advance or retard the firing of the spark plugs in accordance with the specified manufacturers requirements, and set this timing angle fixed in position by means of timing angle set screw 14. The two transformer primaries are connected in series with each other and negative return Wire 18 is electrically connected to screw 17. Wire 21 electrically connects positive terminal 24 of battery 22 to stationary contact 27 of ignition switch 25, and movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25 is electrically connected by means of wire to the other transformer primary. High voltage lead 28 is electrically connected between the high voltage side of the one transformer secondary to spark plug 106, and high voltage lead 29 is electrically connected between the high voltage side of the other transformer secondary to spark plug 119. A low frequency alternating current means or a high frequency alternating current means may be used in lieu of direct current power means battery 22. Ignition transformer and ignition inductor are used interchangeably in that the same function is performed by both. In the trans former the primary is used as a means for supplying core flux whereas a flux coil is used in the case of the ignition inductor, and the secondary of the transformer is used as the high voltage coil of the inductor. The only difference between the transformer and the inductor is that the secondary of the transformer is wound on top or over the primary whereas in the inductor the high voltage coil and the flux coil are wound directly on the core. In any event the core is common and is the main path for magnetic flux in either the transformer or inductor. All ignition transformer cores have equal spacing between each other in all configurations and are mechanically afiixed by means of screws or other means to apparatus base 13.
ELECTROMAGNET ROTATABLE MEMBER CONFIGURATION Referring to FIG. 1 wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 104 of the one ignition transformer 102, the other side of the primary 104 being electrically connected by the wire 101 to a screw in non magnetic metal bracket 110, said bracket being mechanically afiixed to insulating bushing 118 which in turn is mechanically afiixed to base 13. Non-magnetic metal rod 114 which is mechanically affixed by means of a screw to bracket 11!) provides electrical continuity and said metal rod 114 is mechanically afiixed to insulating jacket of coil 115 of electromagnet 108, and one wire-end 113 of coil 115 is mechanically affixed to and therefore electrically connected to rod 114, the other wire-end 112 of coil 115 being mechanically affixed to non-magnetic metal rod 111 and forming an electrical connection therewith, one end of rod 111 being mechanically affixed to jacket of coil 115 and the other end of rod 111 being mechanically held by a screw to bracket 127, said bracket 127 being mechanically affixed to insulating bushing 117 which in turn is mechanically afiixed to base 13. Rods 111 and 114 together with brackets 127 and 110, and bushings 117 and 118, form the structural support for coil 115 of electromagnet 108. Wire 122 electrically connects one side of primary of the other ignition transformer 123 to combination of bracket 127 and rod 111, the other side of primary 125 being electrically connected to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 107 electrically connects one side of secondary 105 to common return means 17, and wire 121 electrically connects one side of secondary 126 to common return means 17. Magnetic material core 103 together with primary 104 and second ary 105 both tightly Wound on the vertical portion of said core 103 comprise the one ignition transformer 102; and magnetic material core 124 together with primary 125 and secondary 126 both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 124 comprise the other ignition transformer 123; and core 116 of electromagnet 108 which is mechanically coupled to and held by shaft 16, so that when ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 104, 125'and coil 115. The respective primaries 104 and 125, and coil 115 are wound in the proper directions to establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of the respective U-shaped ignition transformer cores, opposite in magnetic polarity to the poles established at the U-shaped electromagnetic core of the electromagnet. Coil 115 is circumjacent a portion of the vertical member of electromagnet core 116, and core 116 is rotatable by shaft 16 so that when the magnetic poles of said core 116 are rotated sequentially past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 103 and 124 at a rate of speed proportional to the engine rotational speed, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face the magnetic poles of the electromagnet and are in close proximity but do not cooperate with each other, the mag netic field and hence the magnetic flux in core 116 adds to the magnetic field and hence to the magnetic flux in core 103 and core 124 respectively and in sequence. The adding of the flux from each respective ignition transformer core with the flux of the electromagnet core simultaneously with the adding of core material of the electromagnet core comprising a magnetic flux path for the transformer core flux, causes a change in magnetic flux and in magnetic field in the combination of ignition transformer and electromagnet and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said flux, as per derivation in Equation 8 hereinabove defined in the theory of operation. A permanent magnet rotatable member with the same magnetic polarity and same shape as core 116 of electromagnet 108 may be used instead of electromagnet 108.
ROTATABLE BAR MAGNET CONFIGURATION Referring to FIG. 2, wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 203 of the one ignition transformer 201, the other side of the primary 203 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 210 of the other ignition transformer 208, the other side of primary 210 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 214 electrically connects one side of secondary 204 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 204 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 28. Wire 213 electrically connects one side of the secondary 211 of the other transformer 208 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 211 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 29. Magnetic material core 202, together with primary 203 and secondary 204, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 202, comprise ignition transformer 201. Core 202 has aperture 205 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established. Magnetic material core 209, together with primary 210 and secondary 211, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 209, comprise ignition transformer 208. Core 209 has aperture 212 at the ends of its C- shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established. The faces of permanent bar magnet 206 which faces are oriented parallel to the ends of the C-shaped cores 202 and 209 and shown in aperture 205, said bar magnet 206 has a magnetic polarity opposite to the polarity of the poles facing the said magnet 206 while in apertures 205 and 212. Bar magnet 206 is mechanically aifixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 207 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the engine rotation. When ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 203 and 210. The respective primaries 203 and 210 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores establishing a flux of small magnitude in their respective apertures 205 and 212. This flux is a steady flux. When the magnetic poles of bar magnet 206 are sequentially rotated past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 202 and 209, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face the opposite poles of the rotatable bar magnet 206 in and past the respective apertures 205 and 212 and the said poles are in close proximity but do not cooperate with each other, the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic flux of the bar magnet adds to the magnetic flux of the respective cores of the transformers in sequence. The adding of the flux from each of the respective cores of the transformers with the flux of the bar magnet simultaneously with the adding of magnetic material to the magnetic flux path, causes a change in magnetic flux and magnetic field in the combination of ignition transformer core and bar magnet and induces a voltage sequentially in each of the ignition transformers and in each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the number of secondary turns and the rate of change of total flux being linked with the said secondary turns as derived in the theory of operation. An electromagnet comprised of a magnetic core bar of the same shape as bar 206 and a coil wound thereon and connected to a power means, may be used in lieu of the permanent magnet bar 206. A bar magnet (not shown) degrees disposed with respect to bar magnet 206 and having a magnetic polarity opposite to bar magnet 206 and mechanically affixed to the end of bar magnet 206 at screw 207, may be used to buck out the residual flux of the transformer core through which bar magnet 206 had just passed. The flux bucking bar magnet will therefore enable a higher voltage output due to the larger rate of change of flux inasmuch as the flux will increase in the transformer core from Zero to maximum flux.
ROTATABLE SCALLOPED DISK MAGNET CONFIGURATION Referring to FIG. 3, wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 311 of the one ignition transformer 309, the other side of the primary 311 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 303 of the other ignition transformer 301, the other side of primary 303 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 313 electrically connects one side of secondary 312 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 312 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29. Wire 305 electrically connects one side of the secondary 304 of the other transformer 301 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 304 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means 1 wire 28. Magnetic core 310, together with primary 311 and secondary 312, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 310, comprise ignition transformer 309. Core 310 has aperture 314 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established. Magnetic material core 302, to gether with primary 303 and secondary 304, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 302, comprise ignition transformer 301. Core 302 has aperture 315 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established. The faces of permanent magnet disk 306 which faces are oriented parallel to the ends of the C-shaped cores 310 and 302 and shown in aperture 314, and scalloped section 307 is shown in aperture 315, said disk magnet 306 has a magnetic'polarity opposite to the polarity of the poles facing the said magnet 306 while in aperture 314. Disk magnet 306 is mechanically afiixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 308 and is rotatable by said shaft at a speed proportional to the engine rotation. When ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate With contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 311 and 303. The respective primaries 311 and 303 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores establishing magnetic flux in apertures 314 and 315. This flux is a steady flux. When the magnetic poles of disk magnet 306 are sequentially rotated past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 310 and 302, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face the opposite poles of the rotatable disk magnet 306 in and past the respective apertures 314 and 315 and the said poles are in close proximity but do not cooperate with each other, the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic flux of the disk magnet adds to the magnetic flux of the respective transformer cores. A large steady flux is established due to the combination of the disk magnet flux adding to the transformer core flux. When the disk magnet is rotated so that the scalloped section rotates past the poles of the respective transformer core in the aperture of the said transformer core thereby suddenly subtracting magnetic material from the aperture of the transformer core simultaneously with subtracting flux from the combination flux of the disk magnet and the transformer core, and changing the magnetic field in the ignition transformer and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation. A back electromotive force higher than the initially applied voltage is also induced into the primaries which may be used to operate externally located devices which require timed pulses.
ROTATABLE SCALLOPED SPOOL MAGNET CONFIGURATION Referring to FIG. 4, wire 18 electrically connects corn mon return means 17 to primary 411 of the one ignition transformer 409, the other side of the primary 411 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 403 of the other ignition transformer 401, the other side of primary 403 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 413 electrically connects one side of secondary 412 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 412 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29. Wire 405 electrically connects one side of the secondary 404 of the other transformer 40] to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 404 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28. Magnetic material core 410, together with primary 411 and secondary 412, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 410, comprise ignition transformer 409. Core 410 has a U-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established at the ends of the U-shaped core. Magnetic material core 402, together with primary 403 and secondary 404, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 402, comprise ignition transformer 401. Core 402 has a U-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established at the ends of the U- shaped core. The edges of the spool faces of permanent magnet spool 406 which edges are oriented parallel to the ends of the U-shaped cores 410 and 402, and scalloped sections 408 of spool 406 are as shown in FIG. 4. The edges of the spool faces of magnet 406 have magnetic polarities opposite to the polarities of the ignition transformer core poles facing the poles of magnet 406. Spool magnet 406 is mechanically afiixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 407 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the engine speed rotation. Wh'en ignition switch is manually operated, causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 411 and 403. The respective primaries 411 and 403 are wound in the same direction and established steady magnetic fields and steady magnetic south and north poles at the ends of their respective U-shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in each combination spool magnet and transformer core. This flux is a steady flux. When the magnetic poles 406 which is rotated past the respective poles of the transformer cores and is in close proximity but does not cooperate with the said transformer core poles, the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic flux of the spool magnet adds to the magnetic flux of the respective transformer cores. A large steady flux is established due to the combination of the spool magnet flux adding to the transformer core flux, When the spool magnet is rotated so that the scalloped section rotates past the poles of the respective transformer core thereby suddenly subtracting magnetic material from the magnetic circuit simultaneously with subtracting flux from the combination of the flux of the spool magnet and the transformer core, and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the engine speed, or proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation. An electromagnet comprised of a magnetic core of the same shape as spool 406 and a stationary coil wound circumjacent the stem of the said spool core and connected to a power means, may be used in lieu of permanent magnet 406.
CONFIGURATION OF ROTATABLE SCALLOPED DISK MAGNET WITH MAGNETIC SEGMENT INSERTED IN SCALLOPED SECTION Referring to FIG. 5, wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 514 of the one ignition transformer 512, the other side of the primary 514 being electrically connected by Wire 32 to one side of primary 503 of the other ignition transformer 501, the other side of primary 503 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 517 electrically connects one side of secondary 515 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 515 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29. Wire 505 electrically connects one side of the secondary 504 of the other transformer 501 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 504 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28. Magnetic material core 513, together with primary 514 and secondary 515, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 513, comprise ignition transformer 512. Core 513 has aperture 516 at the ends of its C-shaped configuration at which the magnetic north and south poles are established. Magnetic material core 502, together with primary 503 and secondary 504, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 502, comprise ignition transformer 501, Core 502 has aperture 506 at which the north and south poles of the C-shaped core 502 are established. The faces of magnetic disk 507 correspond to the magnetic north and south poles of disk 507 and are oriented parallel to the ends of the C- shaped cores 513 and 502, are in the apertures of cores 513 and 502. Disk 507 has a scalloped section in which is inserted non-magnetic retainer 509 in which a permanent magnetic segment 510 with surfaces corresponding to magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarity to the polarity of the surfaces of disk 507, but the said opposite poles are in the same planes, and magnet 510 is inserted into retainer 509 together with soft iron shoe 511, which shoe is located at the outer periphery of disk 507, and both shoe 511 and magnet 510 are mechanically held affixed to disk 507 by said retainer 509. Shoe 511 retains magnet 510 in scalloped section of disk 507 and does not materially contribute disk 507 flux or magnet 510 flux to transformer core in that the flux of disk 507 and the flux of magnet 510 have cancelling effects upon each other and the shoe therefore has very little if any magnetic polarity. Disk 507 is mechanically affixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 508 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the speed of engine rotation. Only the periphery of disk 507 is positioned between the poles ofthe said transformer C-cores. The
periphery of disk 507 including the soft iron shoe 511 and magnet 510 is rotated past the said poles of the transformer cores in close proximity with but not cooperating with the said transformer core poles, so that when ignition switch 25 is manually operated causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the series-connected primaries 514 and 503. The respective primaries 514 and 503 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective C- shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in apertures 516 and 506. This flux is a steady flux, When magnetic disk 507 is rotated past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 513 and 502, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face the opposite poles of the rotatable disk magnet 507 in and past the respective apertures 516 and 506, and the said poles are in close proximity with but do not cooperate with each other, the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic fiux of disk 507 adds to the magnetic flux of the respective cores of the ignition transformers, and a large steady flux is established due to the adding of the flux from each of the respective ignition transformer cores with the flux of the disk magnet, and when the disk magnet is rotated by the distributor shaft so that the scalloped section retaining magnet 510 and shoe 511 is rotated sequentially past the poles of the ignition transformers, subtracting core flux due to the small magnet 510 opposing with a flux opposite to the flux in the core gap and opposing the magnetic field established by the transformer, and also cancels out the residual flux in the transformer core, causing a sudden rate of change of total magnetic flux in the gap of the ignition transformer core, and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the engine speed of rotation, or proportional to the product of the rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with the said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation.
CONFIGURATION OF ROTATABLE SCALLOPED SPOOL MAGNET WITH MAGNETIC SEGMENT INSERTED IN SCALLOPED PORTION Referring to FIG. 6, wire 18 electrically connects common return means 17 to primary 612 of the one ignition transformer 610, the other side of the primary 612 being electrically connected by wire 32 to one side of primary 603 of the other ignition transformer 601, the other side of primary 603 being electrically connected by means of wire 20 to movable contact 26 of ignition switch 25. Wire 614 electrically connects one side of secondary 613 to common return means 17, the other side of the secondary 613 being electrically connected to spark plug 106 by means of wire 29. Wire 605 electrically connects one side of the secondary 604 of the other transformer 601 to common return means 17, the other side of secondary 604 being electrically connected to spark plug 119 by means of wire 28. Magnetic material core 611 together with primary 612 and secondary 613, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 611, comprise ignition transformer 610. Core 611 has a U-shaped configuration at which ends of the U-shaped core the magnetic north and south poles are established. Magnetic material core 602 together with primary 603 and secondary 604, both tightly wound on the vertical portion of said core 602, comprise ignition transformer 601. Core 602 has a U-shaped configuration at which ends the magnetic north and south poles are established. The edges of the spool faces of permanent magnet spool 606 are oriented parallel to the ends of the U-shaped cores 611 and 602, and a wedge-shaped segment 608 retained in spool 606 are as shown in FIG. 6. The edges of the spool faces of Spool magnet 606 have magnetic polarities opposite to the polarities of the ignition transformer core poles facing the said magnet 606 poles. Spool magnet 606 is mechanically affixed to distributor shaft 16 by means of screw 607 and is rotatable by said shaft 16 at a speed proportional to the engine speed rotation. When ignition switch 25 is manually operated, causing contact 26 to cooperate with contact 27, electrical current is established in the seriesconnected primaries 612 and 603. The respective primaries 612 and 603 are wound in the same direction and establish steady magnetic fields and steady magnetic north and south poles at the ends of their respective U-shaped transformer cores, establishing magnetic flux in each combination spool magnet and transformer core. This flux is a steady flux. When the magnetic poles of spool magnet 606 are sequentially rotated past the magnetic poles of transformer cores 611 and 602, so that the magnetic poles of the transformer cores sequentially face opposing magnetic poles of the rotatable spool magnet 606 which is rotated past the respective poles of the transformer cores and is in close proximity with but does not cooperate with the said transformer core poles, the magnetic fields and hence the magnetic flux of the spool magnet adds to the magnetic flux of the respective transformer cores. A large steady flux is established due to the combination of the spool magnet flux adding to the transformer core flux. Spool magnet 606 which has a wedge-shaped segment 608 inserted into a wedge-shaped sectional cut-out in the spool magnet along the length of the spool which is inserted into and retained by a non-magnetic retainer 609. The wedge-shaped segment 608 is a permanent magnet of opposite magnetic polarity to the spool 606, so that when spool 606 is rotated so that the section retaining the wedge-shaped segment 608 rotates past the poles of each respective transformer core, magnetic flux is subtracted, and due to the like magnetic polarities between the wedgeshaped magnet 608 and the transformer core poles, the residual flux in the transformer core is cancelled and subtracted, thereby causing a substantially large change in total magnetic flux in the respective ignition transformer cores, thereby changing the magnetic fields in each respective ignition transformer sequentially, and sequentially induces a high voltage into each of the ignition transformer secondaries proportional to the engine speed, or proportional to the product of the time rate of change of total flux and the number of secondary turns being linked with said total flux as hereinabove derived in the theory of operation.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTOR CONFIGURATION Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the electromagnetic inductor configuration therein has base 13 which is mechanically mounted over the engine block. Distributor shaft '16 extends from and is coupled to the cam shaft located internally to the engine and extending through distributor sleeve bearing 30 mechanically affixed at the center of base 13. Shaft 16 is coupled to an electrical power generator 718 which is affixed to base 13. The output shaft (not shown) of power generator 718 is coupled to one end of a soft iron magnetizable disk extension 720 which is rotatably driven by shaft 16 inside a sleeve bearing 721. The other end of extension 720 is aflixed to magnetizable soft iron disk 707 by means of 'disk retainer screw 708. Rotation of disk 707 is subject to rotation of shaft 16. Sleeve bearing 721 is circumjacent extension 720 and disk magnetizing coil 719 is affixed at the outer surface of bearing 721 and to one end of power generator 718. Disk 707 has a single wedge-shaped scalloped section at its outer periphery in which is mechanically affixed a non-magnetic insert 709 which may be of nonmagnetic metal such as brass into which is mechanically inserted and retained a wedge-shaped permanently magnetized segment 710. Base 13 also has aflixed thereto a first ignition inductor 701 comprised of soft iron magnetizable core 702 of a C-shape and having an air slot or aperture 706. Magnetic flux creating coil 703 is mounted or tightly wound on the lower portion of core 702, and
15 a high voltage coil 704 is afiixed to or wound on the upper portion of core 702. Likewise a second ignition inductor 712 is 180 degrees displaced with respect to the first inductor 701, and has a core 713 identical to core 702, said core 713 having an air slot or aperture 716 identical to slot 706. Core 713 is mechanically afiixed to base 13 and has magnetic flux creating coil 714 mounted tightly on the lower portion of said core 713 and high voltage coil 715 mounted on the upper portion of said core 713. Coil 714 is identical to coil 703, and coil 715 is identical to coil 704. Coil 704 has a high voltage output lead 728 which is electrically connected to one spark plug of the internal combustion engine, and coil 715 has a high voltage output lead 727 which is electrically connected to the other spark plug of the internal combustion engine. Disk 707 when affixed to disk extension 720- has its peripheral edge located in slots or apertures 706 and 716 without ever cooperating with the ends of cores 702 and 713 which form such apertures. Base 13 has an advance-retard timing angle adjust slot 15 for moving the entire assembly of ignition inductors with respect to shaft 16 and disk 707, and a set screw 14 which is tightened when the desired advance or retard angle for either earlier or later firing action of the spark plugs has been found. Power means return screws 17 are afiixed to base 13 and form the common electrical return path for the ignition system. Screws 17 are at ground potential and serve as common electrical return means. A first of screws 17 is electrically connected by means of wire 724 to one end of coil 714, the other end of coil 714 being electrically connected by means of wire 726 to the lower end of coil 703, the upper end of coil 703 being electrically connected to one end of coil 719 by means of wire 722, and the other end of coil 719 is electrically connected by means of wire 723 to the output terminal of electrical power generator 718, the other terminal of electrical power generator 718 is electrically connected by means of wire 725 to the first of screws 17 thereby completing the electrical path and establishing coils 703, 714 and 719 in series with each other and electrically connected to generator terminals 718. Also, the return side of coil 704 is electrically connected to a second of screws 17 by means of wire 705 and the return side of coil 715 is electrically connected to a third of screws 17 by means of Wire 717. Electrical current will flow in coils 703, 714, and 719 only when shaft 16 is being rotated, thereby rotating generator armature of generator 718 and supplying power to said coils 703, 714, and 719. Electrical connections were made to coils 703 and 714 so that a magnetic flux in cores 702 and 713 would be established due to the establishing of a magnetic field in each of coils 703 and 714, and hence a magnetic flux would be established in gaps 706 and 716 so that the north magnetic pole is on the upper portion of the C-shaped cores and faces the upper portion of disk 707, whereas coil 719 was so connected so that extension 719 and cooperating disk 707 are magnetized so that the south pole of the disk 707 is on the upper surface of disk 707, magnetized also upon rotation of shaft 16. The objective is for the fiux of disk 707 to normally aid and add to the flux in coils 702 and 713 established by the energizing of coils 703 and 714. The sum total of the flux contributed by disk 707 and the flux in core 713, or the combination of the flux of disk 707 and the flux of core 702, must not exceed the saturation characteristics of either core. Under these conditions, it is apparent that when magnet 710 is rotated in alignment with either gap or aperture 706 or 716, substantially all the flux contributed by disk 707 will be subtracted from the inductor core and a new flux of opposite direction to that of the core flux due to like magnetic polarity of magnet 710 to that of the poles of the inductor core will buck out the flux residual in the core. It must be appreciated that if magnet 710 were to be physically removed leaving the sca loped segment aligned with one of the cores during rotation of said disk 707, there would be a flux change proportional to the rotational speed of the disk past the particular core slot due to the increased magnetic reluctance on the one hand and the removal of contributing flux by disk 707 on the other hand, so that if generator 718 were a direct current generator, the flux and field established would be a constant non-alternating magnetic field and flux, and the collapse of the magnetic field accompanied by a decrease of the magnetic flux in the gap or aperture would occur thereby, leaving a residual flux in the core. With the addition of the permanent magnet 710 which has magnetic poles of like polarity facing the respective poles of the core and an opposing flux is introduced. This opposing flux if of the proper strength will have the effect of cancelling the residual core flux, or putting it another way, if the flux coils 703 or 714 are wound with the proper turns and impedance characteristics so that the desired ampere-turns therein are achieved and the proper core material is selected, then residual flux is capable of being bucked out by the permanent magnet 710. Practically speaking, this means that the coils 703 and 714 may be comparatively small, the major flux contributed by coil 7'19, and when magnet 710 is in the air gap or aperture of the core, the flux in the core is decreased to zero, which is the origin of the H curve of FIG. 11, following curve A rather than the solid portion of curve B due to the fact that is bucked out by magnet 710. In this case the flux rate of change with time will be d ldt which is larger than d /dt. Equation 8 states that the voltage induced into the high voltage windings 704 or 715 will be proportional to the product of the number of turns and the time rate of change of the flux. Making possible the use of instead of 5 due to magnet 710 is therefore a definite advantage in achieving a high voltage required for spark plug gap breakdown or ignition. It should be noted that a battery and an ignition switch in series with each other may be used in lieu of the electrical power generator 718. It should also be noted that generator 718 may be an alternating current generator of a high enough frequency to allow a complete H excursion of the complete curve B, dotted and solid portions of FIG. 11, for the fastest engine rotational speed possible. In this case generator frequencies of approximately 400 to 800 cycles per second would sufiice and the permanent magnet 710 may be preferably removed from disk 707. It should be noted that the only purpose for the presence of coils 703 and 714 are to establish a flux in cores 702 and 713- as is the purpose of coil 719 to establish a flux in disk extension 720 and disk 707, and the purpose of disk 707 is to add flux to the cores except when magnet 710 is rotated past slots or apertures 706 or 716 in which case the function of disk 707 in combination with magnet 710 is to subtract fiux from the said cores and reduce said flux in said cores to zero by such subtractive action. Further, when disk 707 subtracts the flux to zero at a rapid rate, the flux linking the turns of either coil 704 or coil 715 induces a voltage therein proportionate to the product of the number of turns of the coil and the time rate of change of the flux, thereby establishing the required ignition energy and voltage to fire the spark plugs electrically connected to said high voltage windings.
I claim:
1. An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the type having a magnetic energy generation and distribution means and fuel igniter means, wherein the magnetic energy generation and distribution means comprises:
a rotatable shaft adapted to be driven by said internal combustion engine;
discontinuous magnetic core means provided with magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarities at the ends of said discontinuous magnetic core means for prw ducing a magnetic flux in said discontinuous magnetic core means and between said magnetic poles;
coil means wound upon said magnetic core means; and
a rotatable member attached to said shaft and adapted for rotation by said shaft past said magnetic poles for periodically varying the magnitude of said magnetic flux thereby inducing a voltage in said coil means which voltage is consequently proportional to the product of the number of turns of the coil means and the rate of change of the magnitude of said magnetic flux thereby providing energy to said igniter means. said rotatable member having surfaces which are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the poles of said magnetic core means for providing additional magnetic flux and for adding said additional magnetic flux to the magnetic flux of said magnetic core means thereby increasing the magnitude of said voltage.
2. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, wherein:
said rotatable member is bar-shaped.
3. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, wherein:
said rotatable member is a disk-shaped member having a permanent magnet at a portion of its outer periphery, the surfaces of said permanent magnet being magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of said rotatable member for providing flux reduction and rapid field collapse in said magnetic core means as said permanent magnet is rotated past the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
4. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, wherein:
said rotatable member is a spool-shaped member Where in the ends of said spool-shaped member are magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the poles of said magnetic core means and comprises a permanent magnet retained in a portion of the outer periphery of said spool-shaped member, the ends of said permanent magnet being magnetically polarized opposite to the magnetic polarization of the ends of said spool-shaped member for providing flux reduction and rapid field collapse in said magnetic core means as said permanent magnet is rotated past the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
5. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, wherein:
said rotatable member is a U-shaped member provided with magnetically polarized ends of opposite magnetic polarities to the magnetic polarities of the magnetic poles of said magnetic core means.
6. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, wherein:
said rotatable member has a magnetizable extension attached thereto; and
an electrically powered winding circumjacent said extension for providing magnetic polarization of said rotatable member.
7. The apparatus as stated in claim 1, including:
an electrical generator adapted to be driven by said internal combustion engine; and
another coil means on said magnetic core means connected to said electrical generator for providing said magnetic flux between said poles electromagnetically.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,924,633 2/1960 Sichling et al. 123148 3,230,145 1/1966 Furth et a1 1763 3,265,931 8/1966 Gerry 3l5218 3,359,455 12/1967 Koda et al. 315-209 3,382,407 5/1968 Dotto 315-209 2,910,622 10/1959 McNulty et al 3l5183 JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner SIMON BRODER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.
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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4138983A (en) * 1976-10-29 1979-02-13 Robert Bosch Gmbh Engine ignition system with electromagnet control of enclosed distributor gaps
FR2443155A1 (en) * 1978-11-30 1980-06-27 Bosch Gmbh Robert Magnetic generator for IC engine ignition unit - has interconnected control pole and main magnet pole shoes via inserted magnetically inactive frame
US20110285491A1 (en) * 2009-01-14 2011-11-24 Rolls-Royce Plc Rotary transformer
US20190177135A1 (en) * 2017-12-08 2019-06-13 David R. Hall Battery Cell Shifting in Rotational Motor Applications

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2910622A (en) * 1959-10-27 Ignition system
US2924633A (en) * 1954-03-27 1960-02-09 Siemens Ag Ignition system for internal combustion engines
US3230145A (en) * 1963-11-04 1966-01-18 Harold P Furth Apparatus for magnetically confining a plasma
US3265931A (en) * 1964-09-21 1966-08-09 Martin E Gerry Magnetic ignition distributor
US3359455A (en) * 1964-07-09 1967-12-19 Clare & Co C P Automotive distributor and ignition system
US3382407A (en) * 1965-06-21 1968-05-07 Gianni A. Dotto Ignition system for an internal combustion engine

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2910622A (en) * 1959-10-27 Ignition system
US2924633A (en) * 1954-03-27 1960-02-09 Siemens Ag Ignition system for internal combustion engines
US3230145A (en) * 1963-11-04 1966-01-18 Harold P Furth Apparatus for magnetically confining a plasma
US3359455A (en) * 1964-07-09 1967-12-19 Clare & Co C P Automotive distributor and ignition system
US3265931A (en) * 1964-09-21 1966-08-09 Martin E Gerry Magnetic ignition distributor
US3382407A (en) * 1965-06-21 1968-05-07 Gianni A. Dotto Ignition system for an internal combustion engine

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4138983A (en) * 1976-10-29 1979-02-13 Robert Bosch Gmbh Engine ignition system with electromagnet control of enclosed distributor gaps
FR2443155A1 (en) * 1978-11-30 1980-06-27 Bosch Gmbh Robert Magnetic generator for IC engine ignition unit - has interconnected control pole and main magnet pole shoes via inserted magnetically inactive frame
US20110285491A1 (en) * 2009-01-14 2011-11-24 Rolls-Royce Plc Rotary transformer
US8350656B2 (en) * 2009-01-14 2013-01-08 Rolls-Royce Plc Rotary transformer
US20190177135A1 (en) * 2017-12-08 2019-06-13 David R. Hall Battery Cell Shifting in Rotational Motor Applications
US10889474B2 (en) * 2017-12-08 2021-01-12 Hall Labs Llc Battery cell shifting in rotational motor applications

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