Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-02
MANY ADVANTAGES
OF IGNITION SYSTEM
L0COM0BILE EXPERT HAS
MANY GOOD WORDS
Low Tension Idea Has Many Advo.
Gates Because of Its Simplicity,
but Not Always Conceded
as Simpler

The Importance of the ignition sys-
tenn of an automobile has led to fire.
quent discussions as to the respective
merits and demerits of the various ex-
listing systems, says A. L. Riker, one
of the designing experts of the Loco
mobile car. AS manufacturers of long
standing and who adopted the present
type Of automobile about the earliest
of any company in this country. we
have had considerable experience in the
direction of ignition.
When we designed our first car, in
1901, we equipped 1t with the jump
spark system and used this for four
seasons and then changed to low ten
S IN ignition, principally for the reason
that the electrical problem was very
much more simple. We found that we
could apply very simple mechanical
apparatus for generating the spark that
greatly increased the reliability of our
car and greatly reduced the incon-
venience and time spent in adjustments
by the customer.
1t is freely admitted that the low
tension system is much simpler than
any other from purely electrical
standpoint, but 1t is not always con-
coded that 1t Is simpler from me-
chanical standpoint. In this connec-
ton it may be pointed out that the
early automobiles as rule had auto
1aatic inlet valves on the motor, more
simple and having fewer parts than
mechanical valves. But all good auto
mobiles now have mechanically operat-
ed valves throughout, the increased
] lumber of parts being more than justi-
fled on account of the better results
obtained.
In other words, few more parts do
not add to the complication, but do
add greatly to the general merit OF the
car. The same Is true of the ignition
A simply designed and finely con-
structed low tension system should
not be confused with what is widely
known as the make and break often
a crude apparatus or one that is real
ly complicated with large number OF
wearing parts insufficiently fabricated
or made of material that does not
wear, with a result that the owner
of the car or the motor boat spends a
great deal of time in tinkering and
adjusting. 80
AS a matter of fact it is more diff
ficult for the manufacturer to equip
his car with low tension ignition than
with high tension ignition, as an en-
CINE has to be specially designed to
use low tension, whereas jump spark
can be fitted to anything. You can
install high tension ignition on a low
tension motor, but you cannot install
low tension ignition on a motor de-
signed to use spark plugs.
AS manufacturers of high class
product it Is a matter of indifference
to us which system we use, but the
results we have obtained during the
last four years have led us to believe
that a properly constructed low ten
sion system, the current being sup
piled from the simple low tension mag
4rft fttfn Arrl
uneoualed for simplicity, either me-
chanically or electrically. For relia-
BILE operation year in and year out IT
REQUIRES a minimum amount of skill,
knowledge and expert adjustment.
The question of the magnetic is ex-
ceedingly important. Any magnetic is
an instrument-not a machine. Broadly
speaking, the simpler it is the better,
and the low tension magnetic is essen
tially the simplest instrument from
which electricity can be generated, be-
ing nothing more or less than the
original dynamo of Volta-the earliest
known electrical generator
Late in 1905 we started to make our
own magnetic and for the 1906 produce
ton we built twenty-five extra mag
netos to be held in stock for use In
case of emergency, but when we say
that these twenty-five magnetos are
still in stock we make point in favor
of the RELIABILITY OF tne low tension
magnetic that is exceedingly significant
and highly convincing.
The great reliability Of the low ten
sion system has been very prominent
in long distance road races where the
conditions are such as to test every
part of the car in the most searching
manner Our cars have been in great
many races and have never stopped
once because of ignition trouble or to
make any adjustments or to change
any parts of the system--a very salts
factory record.
A few years ago many people were