US968612A - Spark-plug. - Google Patents

Description

D. M. TUTTLE.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLIUATION FILED 1320.6, 1907.

Patented Aug. so, 1910.

gm z wwv DANIEL IVI. T'UTTLE, 0F CANASTOTA, NEW YORK.

SPARK-PLUG.

essere.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application sled December e, 1907.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910. Serial No. 405,450.

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. TU'r'rLn, of Canastota, in the county of Madison, in the State of N ew York, have invented new and useful improvements in Spark-Plugs, of which lthe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements'in spark plugs for gas engines. These spark plugs are made as separate articles of manufacture and are screwed or otherwise secured to the cylinder so as to bring the spark terminals in the explosion chamber of the cylinder.

In the operation of gas engines, and particularly the liquid hydrocarbon type, it frequently happens that the explosive mixture which is introduced into the explosion chamber is improperly mixed vand ununiformly distributed so that someV parts of the mixture may be correctly proportioned while other parts will be too rich or contain an excess of air and furthermore it is 'customary in the spark plugs heretofore employed to use a single spark gap which, of course, is necessarily located at one'xed point in the explosion chamber and it not infrequently happens that the portion of the mixture which 1s ein the immediate vicinity of the sparking terminals is too weak to be ignited by the spark thereby causing the engine to miss firing at regular Lvcycles of operation. Furthermore where a single spark gap is employed the intensity of the spark particuarly under a weak electric current'may be insucient to ignite the explosive mixture thus producing the same result of missing lire at regular cycles of operation.

The object of my invention is to overcome these diliiculties by providing the spark plug with a plurality of spark gaps or arcs forv the purpose of not only intensifying the spark at each break of the circuit but also to bring the arcs in different localities of the explosion chamber so as to increase the probability of ignition at each cycle of 0peration of the engine and thereby reduce the liability of misfiring.

' Another object is to render the electrodes self-cleaning by allowing one of them to ro-y tate relatively to the others.

Other objects and uses relating to the speciic construction of the spark plug will .be brought 4out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of one form of spark plug for carrying out the objects stated. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an inverted en d view of the spark plug seen in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. l of a modified form vof spark plug also adapted to carry out the same objects. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is an inverted end view of the spark plug seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

The device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises essentially a tubular metallic sleeve l havin@f a spark terminal. or electrode' 2 a tu ular bushing 3 of insulating material passing through the sleeve 1 an electric conductor 4 passing centrally through the provided with a terminal or electrode 5 and a conductor 6 interposed between the electrodes or termi als Q and 5 forming intervening spark gaps 7 and The sleeve 1 is provided at one end with a male thread 9 and at its opposite end with a female thread 10 the male thread 9 being adapted to be screwed into the cylinder of the engine, not shown, while the female thread l0 receives a threaded cap or follower ll having a central opening 12 therethrough for the reception of the insulating bushing 3 said sleeve 1 being also provided with an annular shoulder 13- substantially midway between its ends forming a seat for a suitable packing or buffer l3 The insulating bushing 3 is bushing 3 and l preferably made of porcelain or equivalent material and is inserted into the sleevel it being provided with an annular enlargement M for engagement with the packing 13 to limit the inward movement of the bushing relatively to the sleeve 1 said enlargement bein tween the ends of the sleeve an held against outward movement by the follower 11 the inner end of which is engaged with the annular enlargement 14 This insulating bushing 3 serves to electrically located beinsulate the conductor #4.- from the sleeve 1- which latter is in electrical connection with the frame or cylinder of the engine and may be electrically connected in any well known manner to a source of electric energy not shown. The electrode w-2- is secured to and in electrical connection with the sleeve 1 as best shown in Fig. l and extends some distance beyond and is insulated from the elect-rode -5, both of which electrodes protrude some distance nwardly from the inner ends of the sleeve -l and bushing -3-. so that the intervening space between the electrodes 2 and 5 is wholly within the explosion chamber of the cylinder, not shown. This insulating bushing 3eis provided with a central lengthwise opening -15-- extending therethrough from end to end, the inner end of said opening being enlarged forming an annular shoulder or abutment -16 having a corresponding annular enlargement -17 on the adjacent portion of the conductor L1-1 said annular enlargement being provided with a yielding buffer or packing -18- lying next to the shoulder -16- to enable the conductor 4- to be secured in place without liability of breaking the insulator -3-. The conductor lconsists, in this instance, of a metal rod or stem extending entirely through the opening -15- and beyond the opposite ends of the insulator #8, the inner end forming the electrode -wwhile the outer end is threaded to receive a clamping nut -19, said nut coacting with a metallic cap 20- on the outer end of the insulating sleeve -3 to receive between them one of the wires of the electric sparking circuit. The conductor -6- consists of a U-shape electric conducting bar -21- and a rotary electric conducting sleeve or electrodes -22, the U-shape bar 2lhaving the terminal ends of its arms offset toward each other and seated in sockets -23- in opposite sides of the inner ends of the insulating bushing -3- as best seen in Fig. 2 while the intermediate portion or base of said U- shape bar together with the rotary electrode 22- which is mounted thereon are interposed between the terminal ends of the conductors or electrodes -2- and -5- leaving sucient intervening space to form the spark gaps 7 and -8- said sleeve being free to rotate by the action of the exploding gases and it is, therefore, self-cleaning. The conducting sleeve or electrode -22- and adjacent portion of the bar 2lare in line with the electrode -5- and serve as a conductor for the current arcing across the gaps -7- and -8 so as to produce in this instance two sparks one at the gap -7- and another at the gap 8 in diteient arts of the explosion chamber although it 1s evident thatthe number of gaps may be multiplied and otherwise located if desired without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The spark plug shown in Figs-4 to 6 inclusive is substantially like that shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive except that I have* shown a tubular metallic sleeve #25-- as provided with pendent arms -26- in which is secured a cross pin or bearing -27- and upon this pin is mounted a rotary sleeve -28- of insulating material such as porcelain spaced apart some distance from the lower end of the insulating bushing -8-. The central-.portion of this insulating sleeve -28- is smaller than its ends and upon it is mounted an electric conducting ring or electrode -29-, adapted to rotate with or upon the insulator -28--. This conducting ring or electrode 29- is in line with and spaced apart a slight distance from the electrode 5 forming an intervening spark gap -30-. An additional spark terminal or electrode' -31- is secured to and in electrical connection to the sleeve -25- and has its inner end terminating a short distance from the inner side of the conducting ring -29- forming an intervening spark gap -32 at the side of the ring -29- diametrically opposite the spark gap -30- thereby forming two spark gaps both of which are always available for producing a spark and igniting the explosive mixture at each break of the sparking circuit in the manner well known, the insulator sleeve n28 and ring -29-f being free to rotate on the part w27- by the action of the exploding gases so as to make the electrodes self-cleaning. By introducing these two or a plurality of spark gaps in the manner described the electrical resistance is increased. by reason of the double arc thereby increasing the intensity of the spark atboth gaps and at the same time multiplying the sparks and locating them in different positions in the explosion chamber so as to insure a more perfect explosion at each cycle of operation of the l engine.

What I claim is:

1. Ak spark plug comprising two spark terminals insulated from each other and held a fixed distance l'apart forming an intervening air gap, a support extending across the air gap and spaced apart from both terminals, and an electric conductor encircling said support in line with and rotatable relatively to the terminals.

`2. A spark plug com rising spark ter minals insulated from eac i other and spaced apart forming an intervening spark gap, a support extending acrosssaid gap apart from both terminals, and a ring of elec tric conducting material rotatable around said support inline with the terminals but spaced apart therefrom.

3. A spark plug comprising two spark terminals insulated from each other and spaced apart forming an intervening spark gap, a rotary insulator extending' across the spark gap, a support for the insulator, and

an electric conducting ring encircling the 10 insulator in line with but spaced apart from the terminals. In Witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of November 1907. DANIEL M. TUTTLEi. Witnesses:

H. P. DENIsoN, M. M. NOTT.

Images