US788732A - Electric sparking igniter for gas or gasolene engines. - Google Patents

Description

' No. 788,732. PATENTEI] MAY 2, 1905.

I J. P. SEATON. ELECTRIC SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS 0R GASOLE NB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19, 1903.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PARKEY SEATON, OF NORTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,732, dated May 2, 1905.

- Application filed September 19, 1903. Serial No. 173,834.

To all whom it may concern:

a cam and lever-arm actuated by the driving-shaft of an engine is brought into contact with an insulated electric point of similar substance and supplied with a current from an electric battery; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide two shafts having each an ignition-point at one end and at the other end of one a shaft-spring and le ver-arm attachment and at the other end of the other shaft a shaft-spring, a speed-regulating lever, and an electric-battery connection; second, to provide the mechanism for producing a successive double-wipe electric spark in the cylinder of an engine at each revolution of the driving-shaft of a two-cycle engine and. at every alternate revolution of the driving-shaft of a fourcycle engine, thereby rendering the explosion of the compression in the cylinder of an operating-engine absolutely certain at the beginning of each stroke of the actuated piston of a two-cycle engine and at the beginning of each alternate stroke of a four-cycle engine, and, third, to insure the double wipe of the two ignitionpoints against each other of the two alternate sides thereof, thereby preventing the corrosion of said points and rendering them at all times clean and bright. I attain these objects by the mechanism in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail view of an engine with parts broken away, showing means of connecting my device to the driving-shaft of an engine and the igniter attached. Fig. 2 isa front view of the igniter. Fig. 3 is a reverse view of the igniter,showing the ignition-points in normal position. Fig. 4 is asectional view taken on line 9 9. Fig. 5 is a sectional view Fig. 6 1s a slde view in elevatlon on line 8 8.

of the friction-arm and bearing in contact with a cam on the driving-shaft of an engine.

A represents the cylinder of an ordinary gas or gasolene engine.

B is a metallic plug of any desired form, having the offset 0 and adapted tofit into an opening in the cylinder A and supplied with packing 4).

Through the plug B, which is secured to the cylinder with bolts or other suitable fastening device, is journaled shaft 7), provided with suitable bushing a and insulation 2' and is provided at its inner end with shaft-head 6, which is adapted to close shaft-seat 11, thereby preventing the escape of the compression during its explosion, and carries the ignition linger or point in. Near its outer end is secured the spiral shaft-spring 0, which has its outer end secured in the orifice 7) of nut 0 by means of the milled head 0 and having its inner end secured in the orifice p of speedlever s and is adapted to operate longitudinally along shaft Z) with sufiicient force to retain shaft-head 6 in its normal position and rotatively about shaft 5, thereby controlling its axial position for the purpose of returning ignition-point k to and retaining it in its normal position when wiped aside by the other actuated ignition-point Z in the normal course of operation of the engine and igniter.

The bushing 66, which surrounds shaft 6, is

provided with flange 10 on its inner end and is held rigidly in position by nut 2. near its outer end. Bushing a is also provided near its outer end with speed lever or regulator .9, having orifice 19 in which is secured the inner end of shaft spring 0 by means of milled head 8.

Speed lever or regulator s is adapted to fit loosely on the outer end of bushing a between nut tand lock-nut 0, but is held firmly in posi tion at any desired angle on its axis by means of lock-nut c. Speed-lever s is designed to control the speed of the engine by determining the promptness of delivery of the electric spark in the cylinder and the consequent ignition of the compression. When the speedlever is turned and secured in any desired position to the right of a perpendicular drawn through its axis, the delivery of the spark in the cylinder will be hastened or take place earlier relatively to the stroke of the piston; but if secured in position at an angle to the left of the perpendicular the ignition of the spark in the cylinder will be relatively re- 7 tarded, resulting in the first place in the speed of the engine being increased and in the latter instance in its being diminished. The 1'0- tation of speed-lever s rotates shaft-spring 0, which in turn rotates shaft Z by rotating nut 12, bringing the contact-point f it nearer to that of the normal position of Z or farther away from it, as the operator may desire the speed of his engine increased or retardedthat is, when speed -lever s is rotated andsecured in position by means of milled head 0 to the right of a perpendicular drawn through its axis point Zr is made to assume a position nearer to the relative position of point Z,as inclicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. If the engine be now operated and the igniter put in motion simultaneously therewith, the electric sparks will be generated in the cylinder when the piston is at or near the point of its initial stroke and while the compression in the cylinder is under greatest pressure the compression in the cylinder will be exploded at that point of the stroke of the piston, instantlydriving the piston forward from its point of initial stroke at each return thereto and by the prompt recurrence of these explosions increase the speed of the action of the piston and the consequent speed of the engine, but when speed-lever s is rotated and secured in a position to the left of said perpendicular point k then assumes a position farther from point Z, which on being normally operated simultaneously with the piston will move a greater distance before coming in contact with point k. The igniter-sparks are thus produced at a relatively later period in the stroke of the piston-z'. a, after it has completed a larger part of its stroke-and consequently explodes the compression when the operated piston is at a greater distance from its initial point of stroke and while the compression is under less pressure, resulting in a retarded movement of the piston and a consequent slackened speed of the engine. Shaft Z) is supplied with an electric current froma battery through wires attached to its outer end. Shaft f is also journaled into plug B, parallel to and near shaft 6. On its inner end is located shaft-head 7, carrying ignition-point Z. It is surrounded with bushing a, having flange 10, and secured in plug B by nut t. On its projecting outer end is located spiral shaft-spring on, its inner end pressing against the outer end of bushing a and its outer end pressing against the head of lever-arm e, which is rigidly secured to the outer end of shaft f. The object of this spring is to normally adjust shaft-head 7 in shafthead seat 7 so as to prevent leakage or loss of compression during the operation of the engine. 1

Lever-arm 6, extending outwardly from its axis of oscillation, is provided with the connection-rod g, pivotally secured at its outer end, said rod 9 being pivotally secured to bearing-arm it, forming therewith and tension-spring z" a lever of the second class, as

shown in drawings, Figs. 1 and 6.

Bearing-arm Zt is pivotally secured to engine A near driving-shaft 4 by any suitable means and is provided near its center with pivotal bearings for operating connection-rod g outwardly from the center, bearings, and friction-wheel Z1, and at its outer end bearings for tension-spring c".

Friction-wheel it is located in bearing-arm it, preferably between the bearings of connection-rod g and tension-spring 2" at the outer end of bearing-arm 7i, and is adapted to move smoothly over periphery of cam 2. Cam 2 is rigidly journaled to driving-shaft 4 of the engine and is adapted and arranged to impart an up-and-down motion to bearingarm 7i and ignition-point Z through shaft f, connection-rod g, and lever-arme with reference to the stroke of piston of engine and to ignite charge in cylinder at the moment compression fills it, resulting in desired explosion and consequent generation of desired power.

Ignition-points and Z are arranged to point inwardly and toward each other, the point Z being slightly longer than that of k and adjusted to stand slightly above it when in its normal position, both of which are made of any very hard electrically-conductive metallic substance.

More particularly, when bearing-arm h is oscillated upward by cam 2 passing its longer diameter under it an upward motion is given through the connecting mechanism to leverarm 6. Ignition-point Z, located at the inner end of shaft f, is caused to move downward, wiping against and passing point is of the insulated shaft Z), generating an intense fat spark in its downward movement; but cam 2 continues to revolve and instantly passes its shorter diameter under friction-wheel Z1, and by action of tension-spring z' friction-wheel h instantly rolls into the shorter diameter of cam 2. Through the connecting mechanism lever-arm e is oscillated downward, and ignition-point Z is carried upward, wiping'against insulated point A; in assuming its normal position and again generating an intense electric fat spark, both sparks being generated instantly though consecutively with each revolution of the driving-shaft 4 and cam 2 of the engine, which are adapted to ignite the charge of compression at the desired moment.

I am aware that electric igniters have been constructed heretofore. I therefore do not claim my combination broadly; but,

What 1 do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, an oscillating shaft provided with suitable bushing and insulation, j ournaled into a suitable plug, provided on its inner end with a shaft-head and carrying an ignition-point, and on its outer end, and in combination with it, a spiral shaft and tension-spring having its outer end rigidly secured in an adjustable nut or support, said nut rigidly secured to said shaft at its outer end, and its inner end adjustablysecured to, and in combination with a speed-lever, journaled on the outer end of the bushing of the oscillating shaft, and secured movably in its normal position by a lock-nut for the purpose of regulating the speed of the engine, said shaft having electrical connection at its outer end, substantially as described.

2. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, having a plug with parallel shafts journaled in it, carrying on their inner ends, each a shaft-head and an electric contact,adapted to wipe one against the other and to generate electric sparks, the one having on its outer end a shaft and tension-spring with suitable supports, and movably secured to the outer end of. its bushing a speed lever or reg-- ulator, and having electrical connection at its outer end, the other and actuating shaft pro vided with suitable bushing and at its outer end a spiral shaft-spring and lever-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, the combination of a plug having rotatable parallel shafts journaled therein, provided at their inner ends each, with a shafthead and an electric ignition or contact point, one provided with suitable bushing and insulation, having on its outer end, and in combination therewith, a spiral shaft and tensionspring the outer end of which is rigidly se cured by a milled head or other suitable means in an orifice in a nut or support firmly secured to the outer end of said shaft, and having its inner end rigidly secured to and in combination with a speed-lever which is movably journaled to the outer end of the bush ing of the insulated shaft, and rotatably secured in position by a lock-nut, the other shaft having suitable bushing and on its outer projection a spiral shaft-spring, and on its outer end the radially-projecting lever-arm e, in combination with the connecting-rod g, friction or bearing arm h, friction-wheel h, spring 7:, cam 2, and driving-shaft 4, all for the purpose and substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH PARKEY SEATON. Witnesses:

S. L. (lumen, P. E. CHEEK.

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