US3604156A

US3604156A - Small portable universal spark plug cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3604156A
Application number: US7073A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas M Diggs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-10
Filing date: 1970-01-10
Publication date: 1971-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-14

Abstract

A spark plug cleaner is disclosed in which a sealed chamber is provided into which the sparking end of a spark plug is inserted. Sand in the chamber is agitated by air so as to blast against the electrodes of the spark plug and the lower end of the spark plug to clean carbon deposits therefrom. A filter is provided to permit the escape of air from the chamber without permitting the escape of sand therefrom.

Description

United States Patent 7/1932 Mullan........4............4... 3/1942 Johnson [72] Inventor Thomas M. Diggs 1349 Otis St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017 7,073

8/1958 Persak....................4...::

Primary Examiner-Lester M. Swingle Attorney-Victor J. Evans & Co.

[2| Appl. No.

[22] Filed Jan. 30, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 14, 1971 [54] SMALL PORTABLE UNIVERSAL SPARK PLUG CLEANER 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A spark plug cleaner is disclosed in which a sealed chamber is provided into which the sparking end of a spark plug is inserted. Sand in the chamber is agitated by air so ast against the electrodes of the spark plug and the end of the spark plug to clean carbon deposits therefrom. A filter is provided to permit the escape of air from the chamber without permitting the escape of sand therefrom.

PATENTED SEP14I97I 3,604,156

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SMALL PORTABLE UNIVERSAL SPARK PLUG CLEANER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates broadly to the apparatus for sand blasting deposits from the electrodes and lower end of spark plugs of internal combustion engines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a sandblasting apparatus for spark plug electrodes which comprises a chamber into which a spark plug can be inserted with the chamber containing sand and means for directing a blast of air entraining a portion of the sand against the electrodes of the spark plug. The chamber has a filter surrounding it to permit the escape of air therefrom without permitting the escape of sand from the chamber.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for sand blasting deposits from the lower end and electrodes of a spark plug to renew the spark plug for conventional use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when considered in light of the attached drawings.

I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 5 is a detailed enlarged vertical sectional view of the filter-attaching structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral indicates generally a small portable universal spark plug cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention.

The cleaner 10 includes a chamber 11 of generally cylindrical formhaving a circular bottom wall 12 and a cylindrical sidewall 13 extending perpendicularly upwardly therefrom. The sidewall 13 is vertically slotted at 14 adjacent the upper end thereof with the slots 14 extending perpendicularly downwardly in the sidewall 13 a short distance from the upper edge thereof. The bottom wall 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 15 to permit the escape of air therethrough. A plurality of legs 16 are secured to the bottom wall 12 in depending relation thereto to support the cleaner 10 from a surface. An inner cylindrical chamber 17 having a circular bottom wall 18 and a cylindrical sidewall 19 is positioned within the container 11. The inner container 17 has a plurality of apertures 20 formed in the sidewall thereof to permit the escape of air therethrough. The container 17 is positioned within the container 11 so that the upper edges thereof lie in the same horizontal plane.

A cylindrical filter 21 is formed of cloth and overlies the inner container 17 and-has a bottom wall 22 which underlies the bottom wall 18 of the inner container 17. A pair of leather washers 23, 24 are glued to the inner and outer surfaces of the filter 21 surrounding an aperture 25 formed centrally therein. A threaded hollow tube 26 extends through the center of the bottom wall 12 of the outer container 11 andthrough the center of the aperture 25 and then through the center of the bottom wall 18 of the inner container 17. A head is formed on under the bottom wall 18 and a ainst the leather washer 23. A nut 27 is threaded on the threa ed tube 26 to clamp the inner container 17 to the outer container 11. A nozzle 28 extends upwardly from the threaded tube 26 within the inner contai'ner 17 to direct the flow of air therethrough. A valve (not shown) is positioned within the threaded tube 26 to prevent the flow of sand out of the inner container 17. A draw string 29 is positioned within the hem 30 at the upper edge of the filter cloth 21 to hold the filter cloth 21 tightly over the upper edge of the inner container 17. The bottom wall 18 of the inner container 17 is provided with a plurality of apertures 31 ,to permit the flow of air therethrough.

A rubber top wall 32 extends across the inner container 17 and across the filter 21 and extends downwardly between the inner edges of the filter 21 and the upper edge portion of the outer container 11. A clamp ring 33 extends around the upper edges of the outer container 11 and with the clamp element 34 clamps the outer container 11 tightly against the peripheral edges of the cover 32 and the inner container 17 to provide a leak-proof connection therebetween. A plurality of triangular fingers 34' are formed by a plurality of radial cuts 35 centrally of the top wall 32 to form an opening through which a spark plug 36 may be inserted in sealed relation to the top wall 32.

In the use and operation of the invention any type of air fitting shown generally at 37 is engaged against the lower edge of the threaded tube 26 to permit the flow of air therethrough. Spark plug 36 is inserted through the center of the top wall 32 and air is flowed through the fitting 37 and through the threaded tube 26 and nozzle 28 to blast the sand 38 in the inner container 17 upwardly against the lower end of the spark plug 36 to clean deposits therefrom.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

. l. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner comprising an inner container having perforations therein and including a lower wall, a filter encompassing said inner container and covering the perforations therein, said filter having a bottom wall having acenter, a perforate outer container including a lower wall and a top edge, a flexible top wall connected to said filter, and said outer container, said top wall having a sparkplug-receiving opening formed centrally thereof, an airblast nozzle extending through the lower walls of said inner container and said outer container, sand in said inner container, and means for supplying air through said nozzle to blast sand contained in said inner container against a spark plug extending through said top wall.

2. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said filter is formed of cloth and permits the flow of air therethrough while preventing the flow of sand therethrough.

3. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said top wall is formed of rubber and the opening in said top wall seals the spark plug therein.

4. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein a circumferential clamp engages about the top edge of said outer container to bind said outer container, said top wall, said filter, and said inner container together in sealed relation.

5. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner as claimed in claim I wherein said filter is provided with a pair of leather washers on opposite faces of the center of the bottom thereof surrounding an aperture with said leather washers sealing against said inner container and said outer container to prevent the fiow of air therebetween.

Claims

1. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner comprising an inner container having perforations therein and including a lower wall, a filter encompassing said inner container and covering the perforations therein, said filter having a bottom wall having a center, a perforate outer container including a lower wall and a top edge, a flexible top wall connected to said filter, and said outer container, said top wall having a spark-plug-receiving opening formed centrally thereof, an airblast nozzle extending through the lower walls of said inner container and said outer container, sand in said inner container, and means for supplying air through said nozzle to blast sand contained in said inner container against a spark plug extending through said top wall.

5. A small portable universal spark plug cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said filter is provided with a pAir of leather washers on opposite faces of the center of the bottom thereof surrounding an aperture with said leather washers sealing against said inner container and said outer container to prevent the flow of air therebetween.