US907929A

US907929A - Electric igniting system.

Info

Publication number: US907929A
Application number: US33188706A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Q Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-08-24
Filing date: 1906-08-24
Publication date: 1908-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1925-12-29

Description

' Q. WILLIAMS. ELECTRIC IGNITING SYSTEM. APPLIOYATION FILED AUG. 24, 1906.

Patented Dec.29,1908.

IIVYENTOR. WITNESSES- 6 /ZW M M A TTOEIVEY- EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

, nnnc'raro Isnrrme SYSTEM.

n soaeee.

Specification of Letters Patent;

:Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed August 24, 1506. Serial No. 331,887. 4

To all whom itmay concern: v j Be it known that I, EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS, of Syracuse, in the county of Ononda a, in the State of New York, have invente new 5 and useful Improvements in Electric I niting Systems, of which the following, ta en in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in electric igniting systems for vapor engines and analogous uses where an electric spark is used for thei nition otan explosive mixture a'nd'is usua y associated with an induction coil in: the sparking circuit of the gas engine. In the operation of this class of engines, various more or less delicate mechamsms, such as the spark coil and spark plug, carbureter or mixer and circuit make and break device are employed, all of which are active in the production and ignition of the explosive mixture, and are co-dependent one upon the otherin obtaining the degree of working efliciency re uired of the engine, and it theretore'follows t at if any one-of these 2'5 mechanisms fails: to. perform its function the efficient aperation of the engine is seriously impaire These mechanisms a e usually constructed and assembled in compact form in the machine and it is frequently 3Q. difficult to determine which mechanism is at fault in case the engine fails to erform its function with the degree of e ciency re quired, and it is not uncommon for even the skilled attend ant to overhaul several of these lii'echanisms before the trouble is located. The essential object of my resent invention is to provide means where y the attendant may more readily locate any defect in the harmonious action of said mechanisms in order that such defect may be expeditiously removed without disturbing other parts.

The spark coil and its adjuncts, such as the vibrator or automatic circuit breaker isperhapsfthe most ex ensive and difiicult of adjustment and w en once constructed and adiusted to produce the desired spark should not be tampered with unlessfit is absolutely certain'that the fault lies in some part of its mechanism; I 1 o The essential object therefore of my present invention is to avoid as far as "racticable any interference with or overhauiing of this particular mechanism by providing a gap and circuit closer in the sparking circuit 66 where it is readily accessible and visible to the attendant so that by breaking the circuit at the gap he may readily determine by the spark, or absence of such spark at the gap whether or not the spark 0011 is performmg its function satisfactorily without discon- 6Q necting or otherwise disarranging any of its parts.

If the s ark is normal at the gap it is evidence t at the coil is in perfect working condition, and that the fault, if any, lies either in the spark plug or some of the other mechanisms, thereby materially reducing the time and labor of locating the fault, and saving in a measure, the overhauling of the parts which are not at fault. 7:0

as mounte upon the head of the spark coil.

Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view of an electric.

igniting circuit in which the current tester is similar to that shown in F g. 1, except thatit is separate from the head of the spark coil.-

It willbe observed that in each of these modifications. the igniting circuit is broken and provided with contact terminals at. the gap and that a suitable circuit closer is employed to open and close the igniting circuit at such gap so that under normal working conditions the circuit is com leted throll Lglh the testingswitch, but may e tempora y a 7 broken when testing to determine whether or not the spark coil isin perfect Working order sufficient to roduce a spark across s'ald ga The usua method of' testing may e termed an .audible test; that is, the at-j tendant depends u on the audible explosions, or. absence vo such explosions in the .cylinder of the engine WlllCll requires a trained ear, particularly in the use of multi-, ple cylinder engines, because the numerous sounds which accompany the action of the i various mechanisms frequently mislead the; attendant into the belief that thefault lies in the spark coil, when in reality it may be in the spark plug, carbureter or some. other mechanism necessary to produce the proper explosion, and for this reason I have introduced the spark gap into the igniting circuit where it is readily accessible and .visible.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a, vibrator .plate' -A- of insulating material carrying an ordinary vibrating armature B- and its adjusting screw 'O which are electrically connected by wires T to a source of electric energy, as a battery .H, and to a primary winding P of a spark coil having a' core U and secondary winding S. The battery '-H is connected by wire I to the frame of a gas'engine J- which forms, as usual, an electric connection with arevolving contact terminal L- of a circuit closer having a fixed terminal K connected by a wire k' to one endof the primary coil -P. The other end of said-primary coil is electrically connected. by wire pto a binding post R, which in turn, is electrically connected by a Wire 1 and metal frame rto the adjusting screw -C, thereby completing, the primary circuit,

The secondary winding S of the spark coil is electrically connected in the usual manner to a spark plug M of the gas engine J, except that the secondary circuit 1s broken at some convenient easily accessible place to form a spark gap, and in Fig. 1 I have shown such a break with terminals E and -F slightly se arated to form a spark gap, said terminals eing in this in' stance,mounted upon an insulator head -A of the spark coil, and are associated with a switch lever D- which is mounted on the binding post -R and is electrically con" nected in the secondary circuit and adapted to be moved into and out of contact with the terminals -E and -F for the purpose of testing the e'lliciency of the spark coll.

\Nhen the lever D is in contact with the terminal .F- the secondary circuit is .complete without a break eXce t at the terminals of the spark plug. en it is desired totest the eilieiency of the spark coil, said switch lever is thrown into contact with the terminal E which is at this time electrically connected in the sparking circuit, leaving a spark testing gap between the terminals E- and *-F whereby the attendant may readily determine by visual inspection whether or riot-the spark coil is performing its function with the required degree of efficiency. If so, it indicates that the fault, if any, lies in some of the other mechanisms, whereupon the switch lever D may be returned to its normal position in contact with the terminal F, or it may be left in contact with the terminal E without materially afi'ectin'g the current energy at the spark plug.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a pair of terminals E and F- spaced apart forming a gap in the igniting circuit, and a switch lever all of which parts are similar to those shown in Fig. 1, except that they are not mounted on the plate or head -A of the spark coil and may be located in any convenient available place in proximity to or remote from said plate, but serve the same purpose and operate in the same manner the similar tester shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation for testing for faulty action in the operation of the engine, a gap is established in the i iiting circuit by throwin the switch I) from the terminal h into contact with the terminal E, whereupon if the spark coil is erforming its function with the re uired egree of ethciency, it is made visua ly apparent by a spark at the gap between the terminals E- and 'F, indicating that the fault is in some of the other mechanisms, whereas, if the fault is in the spark coil, ,it will be sim larly indicated by the absence or weakness of the spark at such gap. If the test is satisfactorily made and the trouble located the switch D may be returned to contact with the terminal F to re-close the igniting circuit, although as previously stated, the switch may be left in contact with the terminal '-E without materially affecting the current strength'of the spark' at the plug terminals.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a spark coil, a spark plug in circuit with the secondary winding of the spark coil, terminals spaced apart forming an intervening spark gap, one of which is in circuit with tie secondary winding of said coil, a switch member in electrical connection with the primary winding and incircuit with the secondary winding of the spark coil and movable alternately into and out of contact with either of said terminals whereby the secondary circuit may be opened and closed at will to test the condition of the spark coil.

2. In combination with a gas engine, a spark coil, spark terminals in the cylinder of t e gas engine and in circuit with the secondary winding of the spark coil, additional spark terminals also in said secondary circuit, and a switch member in said circuit movable into and out of contact with either of said terminals to open and close said circuit to test the condition of the coil during the action of the engine.

3. In a spark testing device for electric igniting systems, a spark coil having spark terminals thereon spaced apart forming an intervening spark gap, one of said terminals being electrically connected to the secondary winding of the coil, and a switch member in said circuit and also mounted upon the coil and movable into and out of contact with either of said-terminals.

' 4. In an electric igniting system for vapor engines, a spark coil, 'a spark plug in the secondary circuit of said 0011, and means including a switch and contact terminals mounted on the coil, said terminals hein placed apart forming an intervening sparli gap, and the switch being movable into and out of cont st with either of said terminals ll 5. In combination with ajump sparkvcoil,

f or testing the condition of the" coil while the engine is in action. l hand this 17th day of August 1906. I

oi terminals in circuit with the secondary I I EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS.

5 winding of the sparl; coil and spaced afar-t forming an intervening spark ga pin Witnesses: electric switchin said circuit movab e into and 'H'. E. CHASE, out of contact with either of said terminals. M. M. No'r'r.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 1