US709598A

US709598A - Electric igniter for explosive-engines.

Info

Publication number: US709598A
Application number: US7721001A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard A Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1901-10-01
Filing date: 1901-10-01
Publication date: 1902-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1919-09-23

Description

(No Model.)

H. A. GRAY.

Patented Sept. 23, |902.A

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application led Oct. 1, 1901.)

2 sheets-sheet L I RW /NVENTo/e.

By f/z'wara! @rage A TTORNE Y.

No. 709,598. Patented sallaz-391902. H. A. GRAY. ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

` (Application led Oct. 1, 1901.)

IN VEN TOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

I-IOVARD A. GRAY, OF PLAINFIELD, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

,SPEOIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,598, dated September 23, 1902.

Application led October 1,1901. Serial No. 77,210. (No model.)

T all whom it 771,617/ concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD A. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Igniters for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming apart thereof.

My invention relates to explosive-engines, and has particular reference to electrical igniting devices therefor.

The object of (the invention is to provide a simple and effective igniter and one controlled by the governor through the medium of the valve mechanism ofthe engine-as, for instance, the rod for operating the exhaustvalve in an engine of the four-cycle type or the rod or other device governing the feed- Valve in an engine of the two-cycle type.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully bereinafterset forth and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-.-

Figure lis a side elevation of an explosiveengine,showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of a part of the engine with particular reference to the valve-rod and connections and the electrode-shaft and clutch for the same, the valve-casing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line L1 4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a section, also on an enlarged scale, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, illustrating the electrodes, a modification of the same being shown in dotted lines. Figs. 6 and 7 relate to details of the governor. Fig. 8 is a face view of one of the members of the clutch shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 9 shows a square-faced clutch used with a re- Versing-enginewhenthe modified form of electrodes is employed, and Fig. 10 is ar detailof the reciprocating or sliding electrode illustrated in Fig. 5.

I have shown in Fig. 1 thebed-plate 15, cylinder 1U, fly-wheels 17, and crank-shaft 18 of an explosive-engine of ordinary construction. The piston and connecting-rod are not seen.

Secured to the cylinder 16, near the inner end thereof, is a valve-casing 19 of common construction, the chamber 20 of which opens into the interior of the said cylinder, and 21 and 22 designate the exhaust and inlet ports, which are closed by the inwardly-opening valves 23 and 24, respectively, the latter being held to its seat by a spring 24a. As shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the ports 2l and 22 communicate with the chamber 20 for feeding the explosive mixture entering by the pipe 14 to the chamber 14@ and exhausting the `products of combustion from the chamber 13 to the pipe 13. The exhaust-valve 23 is provided with a stem 25, which extends through the wall of the casing 19 and is held to its seat by an expansion-spring 26 reacting between the wall of the casing and a nut 27, screwed on the said stem.

Reciprocating in a guide 28, secured to the bed-plate 15, is a rod 29, having at the end thereof adjacent to the crank-shaft 18 a friction-roller 30a, and the opposite end of the said rod pushes against the end of the valvestem when moved by a cam 30, fixed on a sha-ft 31, jonrnaled in the bearing 32 on the bed-plate 15. This shaft 31 has keyed to it a gear 33, which meshes with a pinion 34, keyed to the crank-shaft 1S. The ratio of the gear 33 ro the pinion 3l is such that the former makes one revolution to two of the latter, the engine now being described being of the fourcycle type. When the cam is turned away from the reciprocating rod 29, the latter is moved to its original position by the expansion of the spring 26 in closing the exhaustvalve 23.

Secured in but insulated from the wall of the chamber 2O of the valve-casing 19 by a nut 35a is a hollow plug 35, closed by a cap 36. In the open end of the plug 35, extending into the chamber 20, is seated a sliding or reciprocating pin 37, serving as one of the electrodes of the igniter, and interposed between the head of this pin and the cap 36 is an expansion-spring 3S, which holds the electrode in the path of the cam or electrode 39, also located in the chamber 20. The spring 3S is surrounded by an insulating-sleeve 40 to avoid sparking and the consequent wasting of the battery, which would occur on the expansion and contraction of the spring if no means were provided to prevent contact therewith with the walls of the plug 35. The pin 37 has a flat side, and also the seat therefor, as shown in Fig. 10, to prevent the turning of the pin, and the contact-point thereof is beveled, as at 41. Theelectrode 39 is in the shape of a cam having an angular face 42, thereby rendering the rotation of the same possible only in one direction, the flat faces of the two electrodes meeting when the motion of the cam 39 is reversed. One wire of an electric circuit, conventionally shown at A, is grounded in the cylinder 16 and the other led to a binding-post 36 on the cap 36 of the plug 35. The electrode 39 is fixed to a shaft which passes through the casing 19, said shaft consisting of two parts or

sections

43 and 44. The end of this shaft is journaled in a bearing 45, supported from the bed-plate 15, and provided with a'beveled gear46,which meshes with and is driven bya beveled gear 47, keyed to the shaft 31, and the two sections are coupled by means of a ratchet-clutch, one member, as 48, of which is fast on the end of the shaft-section 44, while the other, 49, is carried by the shaft-section 43. The member 49 of the clutch is capable of a sliding movement on the shaft-section 43, but is held against turning thereon by reason of the lattened side of the said shaft, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and a spring 50, encircling the shaft and reacting against` a collar 503, serves to hold the said movable member in engagement with the member 48. The clutch member 49 is also provided with a pin 51, which is engaged bya cam or extension 53 of an arm 52, secured to the valve-rod 29, the said extension being concentric with the clutch and its end beveled or inclined, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, the beveled portion terminating in a flat seat 54.

The sparking of the

electrodes

37 and 39 may be controlled by means of any suitable governor capable of coaction with the valverod 29. I have showna governor of ordinary construction, consisting of the bell-crank levers 55, pivoted to the hub of one of the flywheels 17 and provided with the usual balls 56. Splined on the shaft 18, so as to be capable of longitudinal movement, is a conical sleeve 57, provided with a collar 58, having an annular recess 59, in which the short arms of the levers 55 play. The centrifugal force acting on the governor-balls 56 is resisted by a spring 60, connecting the said balls, and the tension of said spring is adjusted by means of a screw-bolt 61 and nut 62. Pivoted to the bed-plate 15 of the engine is a lever 63, the beveled end 63 of which bears against the conical sleeve 57 of the governor, and the other lies adjacent to an arm 64 of the valverod 29.

From the foregoing it will be understood that at every revolution of the cam 30 the valve-rod 29 is moved forward, opening the exhaust-valve 23, and at the same time the cam extension 53 of the arm 52, carried by the valve-rod 29, strikes the pin 51 of the clutch member 49 and turns the shaft-section 43 in advance of the section 44. As soon, however, as the cam is withdrawn from engagement with the rod 29 the said rod is returned to its normal position, releasing the clutch member 49, which is immediately thrown by the spring 50into engagement with the member 48, and then at the proper moment the electrode 39 is brought into contact with the electrode 37, and upon separation therefrom a spark is generated which ignites the charge within the cylinder. If the engine exceeds a certain speed, the governorballs 56 are thrown outwardly, thereby sliding, through the medium of levers 55, the conical sleeve 57 on the crank-shaft 18, and the lever 63 is moved on its pivot into the path of the end of the arm 64 of the rod 29, its free end engaging a notch 65 in the end of the said arm, thereby holding the exhaust-valve 23 open so long as the end of the lever remains in engagement with the arm 64 of the valve-rod. Of course while the rod 29 is in its advanced position and the valve 23 held open the clutch member 49 will be held separated from the clutch member 48 by the cam extension 53 of the arm 52,as heretofore described. The arm 52 not only serves to separate the clutch members, but also by reason of the beveled extension to turn the shaft-section 43 until the pin 5l rests in the squared seat 54, thereby holding the electrode 39 in such position that it is out of contact with the electrode 37 when the shaft-section 43 is stationary. As soon as the speed of the engine is reduced to normal the lever 63 is released by the governor-sleeve and drawn out of engagement with the arm 64 of the rod 29 by a spring 66, one end of which is anchored to the bed-plate and the other to the lever. If the engine be reversed, as soon as the squared face of the rotating electrode 39 comes into contact with the pin 37 the clutch will-permit the section 44 of the shaft to turn, while the other section will remain stationary, thereby avoiding injury to the electrodes.

It will be obvious that the invention herein described may with slight modification be' adapted-to an engine of the two-cycle as well as any other type-as, for example, by placing the arm 52, carried by the valve-rod 29 for opening the exhaust-valve, on a rod or other device for actuating the feed-valve.

If the igniter is employed with a reversible engine, the electrode 37 may be provided with a tapering point and a double-faced cam employed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig.,5, so as to permit of the sparking of the electrodes when running in either direction. Under this latter construction instead of the ratchetclutch a straight-jaw or lap-joint clutch, such as is shown in Fig. 9, might be employed.

Various modifications may be made in the IIO foams construction of theinvention, and I do not limit myself to details so long as the spirit thereof is not departed from.

I claim as my inventionl. Inv an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a pair of intermittently-contacting ingiting-electrodes one of which is rotatable, means for rotating said electrode, a charge-controlling valve, means for actuating the valve, a governor for interrupting the action of the valve, and an adjunct of the valve-actuating means engaging the electrode-rotating means to hold the rotatable electrode against movement.

2. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, intermittently-contacting electrodes one of which is rotatable, means for rotating said electrode, a clutch-controlling connection between the rotatable electrode and the rotating means, a reciprocating rod, and a detent carried by the rod and separating the clutch to prevent rotation of the electrode.

3. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a rod controlling the valve, means for moving` the rod, a pair of electrodes one of which is rotatable, a shaft to which the rotatable electrode is iixed, and a connection between such shaft and the valve-controlling rod for holding the rotatable electrode against movement.

p 4. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a rod controlling` the valve, means for moving the rod, a pair of electrodes, a rotating shaft to which one of 'the electrodes is fixed, a clutch for the shaft, an arm carried by the rod and for separating the clutch to throw the electrodes out of action, a governor, and a lever operated by the governor for holding the rod against movement.

5. In an explosive-engine, in combination,

a cylin der, an exhanst-valve,a rod controlling the valve, means for moving the rod, a pair of electrodes one of which is rotatable, a shaft to which the rotatable electrode is fixed, and an arm carried by the valve-rod for holding the rotatable electrode against movement.

(l. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a rod controlling the Valve, a cam actuating the rod, a reciprocating electrode, a second electrode, a rotating shaft comprising two sections to one of `which the second electrode is tixed,a clutch connecting the two shaft-sections, a pin projecting from one of the clutch members, and an arm secured to the valve-rod and having a beveled extension for engaging the pin to uncouplel and also turn the shaft-section to which the second 'electrode is Iixed.

7. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a rod for opening the valve, means for moving the rod, a pair of electrodes one of which is rotatable, a shaft to which the rotatable electrode is fixed,means controlled by the valve-rod for holding the rotatable electrode against movement, a governor, and connection between the governor and the valve-rod.

8. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a rod for opening the valve, a cam engaging the rod, a pair of electrodes one of which is rotatable, a shaft to which the rotatable electrode is hxed, an arm carried bythe valve-rod for holding the rotatable electrode against movement, a governor, and connection between the governor and the rod.

i). In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, arod controlling the valve, means for moving the rod, a pair of electrodes, a shaft comprising two sections to one of which one of the electrodes is fixed, a clutch coupling the two sections, an arm carried by the valve-rod and nncoupling the clutch to throw the electrodes out of action, and a spring for throwing the clutch into engagement when released by the arm..

l0. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a valve therefor, a cam driven by the engine and moving the rod, a movable electrode, a second electrode, a shaft comprising two sections to one of which the second electrode is fixed, a clutch for coupling the two shaft-sections and one of themexnbers of which is slidably mounted upon the shaft, a pin projecting from such clutch member, an arm secured to the valve-rod and having a beveled extension for engaging the pin to uncouple the clutch and also turn the shaft-section to` which the electrode is fixed, a spring for coupling the clutch when the arm is withdrawn from the pin, a governor, and a pivoted lever actuated by the governor and for engaging the valve-rod when advanced by the cam.

11. In an explosive-engin e, in combination, a cylinder, intermittentlycontacting electrodes one of which is rotatable, means for rotating said electrode, a clutch controlling connection between the rotatable electrode and the rotating means, and means timed to act intermediate of contacts between the electrodes for separating the clutch members to prevent movement of the rotatable electrode.

l2. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a pair of electrodes one of which is moved intermittently into contact with the other, a shaft to which the moving electrode isfxed, a valve, a rod controlling the valve, a pin rotatable with the electrode-shaft, and a cam carried by the Valve-controlling rod and for engaging the pin to throw the moving electrode out of action.

13. In an igniting device for explosive-engines, in combination, a pair of electrodes, a shaft comprising two sections and to one of which one of the electrodes is secured, a clutch for coupling the two sections, a spring for holding the clutch members in engagement, a valve, means for operating the valve, and means carried by the valve-operating means for separating the clutch members.

IOO

IIO

14. In an igniting device for explosive-engines, in combination, a pair of electrodes, a shaft; comprising two sections and to one of which one of the electrodes is secured, a clutch for coupling the two sections, a spring for holding the clutch members in engagement, a valve, means for operating Lhe valve, means carried by the valve-operating means for separating the clutch members, a governor, and means controlled by the governor xo for' holding bhe valve-operating means against; movement.

HOWARD A. GRAY. Witnesses:

WM. G. SToPP, F. F. HoAG.