US717466A - Electrical igniter for gas-engines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 7|7,466. STOD'DAW Patented Dec. 30, 1902,.

ELEGTRICAL'IGNITEB FOR GAS ENGINES.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1901.)

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOTT J. sTODDARD, OE DETROIT, MIcI-IIGAMAssIGNOR TO CHARLES RRIIRTON, TRUSTEE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.`

ELECTRICAL IGNITER FOTRGAS-ENGINES.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,466, dated December 30, 1902. ,Application filed cacher 10,1901. serrano. 78,165. (remodel.)

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Electrical Igniters for Gas-Engines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speci` fication.

My invention relates to electrical igniters for gas-engines; and it consists in theimprovements hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a sectional elevation of a gas- Fig. 2 is an elevation of that part ofthe apparatus which is at the left and topof the engine in 1 Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the part carryingthe contact-points.

The same referenceletter indicates the same part in all the views.

A is the base, B the cylinder, C the main shaft, D D the fly-wheels, E the piston, F the connecting-rod, and'G the crank, of the gasengine.

H is a shaft extending through the wall of the cylinder B into the combustion-chamber of the engine and adapted to revolve-in a bearing in said wall.

h is a linger attached to the inner end of the shaft H and carrying a contact-point h at its end eccentric to said shaft.

H is a sprocket-Wheetupon the shaft H outside of the engine-cylinder.

H2 is a sprocket-chain engaging with the teeth of the sprocket-Wheel H' and also engaging with the teeth of a sprocket-Wheel upon the shaft C, so that the rotation of the shaft C shall produce a rotation of the shaft H.

HS is a cylinder of insulating material upon the outer end of the shaft H.

H4 is a strip of metal surrounding the cylinder H3 at one end thereof.

H5 is a strip of metal connected with the H7 is a second brush contacting the strip H4.

The brushes HGH7 are insulated from the en-f gine and connecting parts and froml each other, but are connected together through the strips H4 H5 When the brush H6 contacts the strip H5. y

I is a cylindrical rod extending through the Wall of the cylinder B and insulated therefrom. The rod I is opposite and axiallyin line With the shaft H.

I is a iinger upon the inner end of the rod I.

I2 I3 are points upon the outer end of the finger I', adapted to be contacted by the end of the finger h.

I4 is a spring acting to draw the rod I inward.

J is a sparking coil having a complete or approximately complete iron magnetic circuit.

J is a primary coil. p

K is a generator of electricity as a battery. One pole of the battery K is connected with one of the brushes H6 or H7, and the other pole leads through the primary coil J' to the other of said brushes.

One end of the Wire lconstituting the secn `effect is obviated by a condenser.

With the above apparatus arranged as above described there will be an induced current set up in the secondary which will continue for a short time, apparently depending upon the completeness of the iron magnetic circuit, but also dependingin some measure upon the number of coils in the secondary. The larger the number of coils the longer the current seems to endure and the more com- IOG plete the iron magnetic circuit the longer the current seems to continue. When the point ,h/ passes out of contact with the point I2 a spark will occur, and a second spark will occur when the point h contacts and passes out of contact with the second point I3. These sparks may be of equal intensity,and in case the first does not ignite the charge the second will generally do so. The double spark may also be obtained with a primary current only, provided sufcient time of contact is given on the irst contact.

A greater number of sparks than two may be obtained by successive contacts if the coil is constructed for that purpose. I have obtained six or eight sparks. It is necessary to give the battery-current an appreciable time to magnetize the coil, but the second and subsequent contacts may be quite short, much shorter than necessary to obtain a spark with the battery-current.

While a primary current may be used instead of a secondary, as above described, the spark occurring'by self-induction, I prefer to use a secondary circuit, because it is easier to obtain a comparatively high voltage.

The successive contacts occur in rapid succession, Though the best distance apart, as also the best breadth of the second or subsequent contact-points,seems to depend somewhat upon the construction of the coil.

With a square coil having less than four inches in length and four (4t) inches apart, and a square cross-section 1.25 inches on the side, I have used one hundred and thirty-five turns of No. let wire for a primary and-four hundred and seventy-seven turns of No. 22' Wire as a secondary with sparking points about threesixteenths ofan inch apart and about the same distance across the face. With this apparatus I have obtained good sparks at speeds from four hundred and twenty-tive to seventeen hundred and twenty-eight revolutions per minute.

In the apparatus shown in the drawings the rod I may be turned and adjusted to various positions, so as to fix the igniting-point of the engine, the brush II( being turned by the same mechanism, so that the relation between the breaking-point of the primary and the making and breaking points of the secondary are not altered. This is effected by the following-described mechanism: M is an arm upon the rod I. N is a rock-shaft extending over the top of the cylinder. N is an arm upon the rock-shaft N. nis a rod connecting the outer ends of the arms N and M. P is a bell-crank lever upon the shaft H, adapted to turn upon said shaft. The brush I-IJl is secured to the upper end of the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever I). N2 is an arm upon the rock-shaft N. it' is a connecting-rod between the outer ends of the arm N2 and the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever P.

1. In an electric-lighting system, the combination of a sparking coil, means for completing the electric circuit through the windings thereof, to energize said coil, and means for breaking said circuit, to produce the spark at the point where the circuit is broken, two or more times in so short an interval of time that a spark shall be formed at each break due to the energy impartedto the coil during the time at Which said circuit is complete before the circuit is broken.

2. In an electric-lighting system, the combination ot' a sparking coil having a complete or approximately complete. magnetic circuit, means for completing the electric circuit through the windings of said coil to energize the coil, and means for breaking said circuit, to produce the spark, at the point where the circuit is broken, two or more times in succession in so short an interval of time that a spark shall be formed at each break due to the energy imparted to the coil during the time at which said circuit is complete before said circuit is broken.

5. In a sparking apparatus, the combination of a coil provided with a primary and secondary Winding, means for completing the secondary circuit, means for making the circuit through the primary Winding, and means for breaking the circuit through the primary winding while the secondary circuit is complete, and means for breaking the secondary circuit so proximately after the break in the primary circuit that the current induced in the secondary shall be interrupted at the break of the secondaryand the igniting-spark thereby produced.

4. In a sparking apparatus, the combination of a coil provided with a primary and a secondary winding, means for making the circuit through the primary winding and breaking the same While the secondary circuit is complete, and means for completing the secondary circuit and breaking the secondary circuit after the primary circuit is broken, two or more times in so short an interval of time that the electromotive force induced in the secondary by the break of the primary shall produce a spark at each break of the secondary.

5. In a sparking apparatus, the combination of a coil having a complete or approximately complete magnetic circuit and provided with a primary and a secondary winding means for making the circuit through the primary winding and breaking the same while the secondary circuit is complete, and means for completing the secondary circuit and breaking the secondary circuit after the primary circuit is broken, two or more times in so short an interval of time that the electromotive force induced in the secondary by the break of the primary shall produce a spark at each break of the secondary.

6. The combination with a gas-engine of a sparking coil having a primary and a secondary winding, means for making and break- IOO IOS

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ing the circuit through the secondary Winding Within the cylinder, and means for completing the primary circuit outside of the cylinder and breaking the same outside of the cylinder while the secondary is complete and so proximately before the break in the secondary that current induced in the secondary shall be interrupted and form a spark at the point of breaking the secondary.

7. The combination with a gas-engine of a coil having a primary and a secondary Winding, an adjustable means for making and breaking the circuit through the secondary winding Within the cylinder, an adjustable means for making and breaking the primary circuit outside of the cylinder, the means for breaking the two circuits being so arranged that the break at the primary shall occur While the secondary is complete and just before the break in the secondary, the means for breaking the two circuits being so connected that the movement of one shall produce a corresponding movement of the other.

8. In a sparking apparatus, Jthe combination of a coil provided with a primary and secondary Winding, means for completing the secondary circuit, means for making the circuit through the primary Winding, and means for breaking the primary circuit, and means for breaking the secondary circuit so proximately after the break in the primary circuit that the current induced in the secondary shall be interrupted at the break of the secondary and the igniting-spark thereby produced.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

NETTIE V. BELLES, LOTTA L. HAY'roN.

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