US993214A - Spark-plug. - Google Patents

Description

0 0. WINESTOOK.

SPARK PLUG. APPLICATION TILED JULY 27, 1909. I

Patented May 23, 1911.

w IIIIMEEEEEEEI OTTO C. WINESTOCK, OF PERKINSVILLE, VERMONT.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23,1911.

Application filed July 27, 1909. Serial No. 509,811.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OTTO C. Wmns'roox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perkinsville, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug, (Case A,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in spark plugs, and its object is to provide a means for preventing an accumulation of soot at the active end of the plug in a manner to cause a short circuiting of the sparking terminals.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a chamber in the spark plug structure on the side of the sparking zone remote from the body of the spark plug through which chamber the gases within the explosion chamber may freely circulate, and under certain circumstances pass with speed through the said chamber, thus thoroughly cleansing the sparking terminals from any soot or other deleterious material that may have found lodgment upon said sparking terminals and which either at once or from further accumulation may short circuit said terminals.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal axial section, with parts in elevation, ofthe active end of a spark plug with the invention applied thereto, the showing of the drawing being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a somewhat different arrangement of parts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of an adjustable terminal used in connection with the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a threaded member 1 designed to be introduced into a correspond ingly threaded hole leading to the explosion chamber, usually the explosion chamber of an explosion engine, though of course the spark plug may be used for any explosion chamber of any character where it is desired to fire an explosive-mixture by means of a spark produced by the passage of an electric current between two separated electrodes.

In Fig.2 the threaded member 1 is designed to remain in the walls of the explo sion chamber while the two terminals of the spark plug are carried by another member, insertible in and removable from the threaded member in a manner similar to the structure shown in my application for Letters Patent, Number 459,644, filed October 26, 1908.

Inthe structure shown in Fig. 1, the removable portion of the spark plug comprises a sleeve 2, the exterior of which may be brought into gas tight relation to the interior of the threaded member ,1, the parts having their meeting surfaces groundl'lto fit so that there is no escape of the gasesof combustion under the pressures generated in the explosion chamber. The interior of the sleeve 2 is formed with a tapering bore into which there is fitted a tapering sleeve 3 of insulating material, either mica or some other suitable refractory material. This sleeve 3 may be carried to the edge of the wide end of the sleeve 2, as shown in the drawings, or may terminate back of such edge, as shown in the aforesaid application. Fitting the interior of the sleeve 3 is a taper stem 4 which, in the showing of Fig. 1, terminates back of the wider end of the sleeve 3 so that there is a space between the wide end of the stem 4 and the wide end of the sleeve 3. Extending axially from the wide end of the stem 4 is a threaded rod or stem 5, either made in one piece of the stem 4 or separately therefrom and secured thereto.

The threaded rod or stem 5 carries a cup 6 comprising an annulus 7 joined at diametrically opposite points to the legs of a yoke 8, the junction member of which ex- ,tends diametrically with relation to the annulus 7 at one side thereof and in spaced relation there o. This structure may be formed from-a cylindrical block bored in the direction of its axis to a suitable depth,

one end being open and the other closed, and then milling away at the opposite sides of the cylindrical walls until there are formed two like passages 9 through the block at one side of the annulus.

Through the yoke 8 at the axial point of the cup 6 there is a threaded passage so that the cup may be secured upon the threaded rod or stem 5 with the edge of the annulus 7 remote from theyoke 8, in parallel relation to the corresponding end of the sleeve 2, this end being indicated by the reference numeral 10. A look nut 11 is applied to the rod or stem 5 beyond the cup 6 to secure the same in any desired adjusted position with relation to the end 10 of the stem 2.

The spark plug is so connected up in a suitable circuit that the end 10 of the sleeve 1 constitutes one of the sparking terminals of the plug and the corresponding edge of the annulus 7, that is the edge remote from the yoke constitutes the other sparking terminal.

The annular sparking terminal 7 is broughtinto proper relation to the annular sparking terminal 10 and locked by the nut- 11 and'thcn when the current is passed there is produced a ring shaped spark or series of sparks which is found to be highly eilicient and certain in action. It is found in practice to be necessary to provide or the adjustn'ient of one terminal. toward or from. the other to allow i'or variations in the parts making up the spark plug so that the snarhi 5 terminals may be brought into the most efiicient relation, and it found necessary after the spark plug has been put in use, this relation may be changed to allow for Vii "ying conditions which may arise.

l i ithin toe explosion chamber there occurs a movement of the gases of combustion at each. explosion and there is a. rush o'l on the intlow o the fresh charge.

There are therefore W1 hin the explosion chamb 2r violent and Frequent mmzcinents oi the whatever he thci r iracter, and any ti-uuilency of the deposit soot upon the active portion the spark plug or any tendency of accumulations forming thereon is prevented by the swirl of gases through he sluice between the sparking terminals 7 and 1.0 and through the chamber on the side of the sparking terminals remote from the body of the plug because ol? the passages 9. l urtherinore, any soot or other matters which may find lodgment upon. the spz'trliing terminals or interior thereto is liilown oil" hy the violent movements of either the gases of combustion or the incoming cool gase constituting the charge. 7 i

H is found in practice that commercial types of jump spark plugs usually become so fouled by soot after a comparatively short period of use that they become inoperative and must be removed from the explosion clnunber or engine and cleansed, and even spark plugs of commercial types especially designed to avoid the dGPOSltlOI'l of soot thereon become fouled in use.

A spark plug of su bstai'itially the constrnction shown in Fig. 1 has been used for period of time and under conditions which would cause many commercial forms of spark plugs to become inoperative from the deposition of soot while those terms of the so-called anti-soot type become markedly fouled by the deposition of soot, but no evidence of the deposition of. soot whatsoever was found upon the said spark plug construcled in substantial accordance with the showing of Fig. 1. This freedom of soot deposition is bclierwl to be due to the free access of the gases at high speed through the space between the sparking terminals and through the interior of the adjustable terminal by way of the openings 5), thereby thoroughly clca sin g all parts l'rom any 800i. deposits which may take place and all particleswhich may find lodgincnt upon those parts of the spark plug exposed to the action of the gases of combustion, It may fur thermore be stated that after the use referred to the sparking terminals were found to be bright and the only discoloration in evidence was found to he due to the action ol heat upon the exposed metallic surfaces. insulation where exposed, was also found to be clean.

In Fig. 2 the anti-soot "features of the structure of Fig. 1 are retained. but the arrangement of the central electrode and the manner of insulating the same son'iewhat different from that of Fig. 1. In this structure the central electrode is in the form ot a. rod 4;", and about this rod there is molded a block 3 of refractory insulating nuiterial while the threaded member 1. :irn'nnid with a. taper bore into which the block 3 lits tight. @l course the blecl; and may replace the insulatin sleeve and s n 4 of Fig. l and he scute in the sleeve 2 in the threaded mcn'ihcr 1.. ln the structure shown in. Fig. 2 the explosion comp ler end is prolcmgcd along the stem The of the block o l so that it extends for a C interior oil. the cup ('3, it being den this prolongation. shall he sullic y the distance between the spark. g tern'iinal' but it should not be r-eat enough to iui fore with the action of the chamber with the cup 6 or to prevent the flow oil through the annular spark gap.

lVhat is chimed is:

l. A spare: pl nals one of which is i lus '"i a carrying having us legs joii metrically op osile annulus and yoke con.

ulus at dun O'l. the latter, said lilting a cup with oppositely disposed rmssug es thcretlnrrnlgli on the explosion chamber side oi. the annulus.

2. A spark plughaving an annular spark terminal, central conducting stem with a threaded extension at the explosion chamlnir end, and an annular spark tcrn'iinal matcln ing the first named spark terminal and provided with a. yoke spacml from one side thereof and having a passag :tor the thread ed end of the central stem, said yoke hai'ii its legs joined. to the annulus at diametically opposite points of the atter.

3. A spark plug having an annular spark Ward and from the other, the adjustable ter-. terminal a central conducting stem with a minal being formed with an interior chamthreaded extension at the explosion chamber her and having passages through its walls at end,an annular spark terminal matching the -opposite sidcson the explosion chamber side 2 first named spark terminal and provided of the spark gap to permit the flow of gases With a yoke spaced from one side, thereof through the chamber in the adjustable ter and having a threaded passage for the minal transverse to the longitudinal axis of threaded end of the central stem, said yoke the plug.

having its legs joined to Vthe annulus at In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as 25 v 10 diametrically opposite points or" the latter, my own, I have-hereto afiixed my signature and a lock nut on said stem for locking the in/the presence of two Witnesses.

second named annular spark terminal in adjusted positions. I TT WINESTOCK' 4. In a spark plug, two annular opposed Witnesses: v 1; spark terminals, one being more remote from E. HUME TALBERT,

7 the body of the plug than and adjustable to- E. C. SCHLADT.

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