The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21
WEAVER TELLS OF
MOTOR IGNITION
Discusses the Jump Spark and
the Make and Break
Variety
Shows the Difference Between
the Two Systems Used
on Automobiles


@ebsker Bros. company OF California.
yesterday when asked 10 explain the
systems Of ignition now in use on
automobiles, and stin more do not
ffully appreciate the difference The
ignition problem Of the automobile IS q
. difficult one and for this reason. TO
many, is unsOlved- Both the jump
spark and the make-and-break are
e-ectrlc sparks, but the former adds
nut few moving. mechanical parts 10
me engine. while the latter, having
larger number OF mechanical parts,
mas fewer electric parts.
The jump spark, IL order 10
use energy. transforms il into cleo
iricity Of immensely high pressure or
voltage. and. IN making this trans
formation loses probably 80 per cent,
with resultant smaller spark. or cor
creased battery requirement; with the
maSe-and- break electrician energy is
used as directly as possible and with
tne least waste or loss thereof.
An indication OF the ignition ability
% ne jump spark may De nicely OBJ
estined by a very simple experiment.
ne Jump spark viii lump a gap in
Ihe air from one-fourth TO three
t9urths OF an inch and viii pass
through piece OF paper, burning
mole so fine that IL is just barely vis-
:loie 10 the eye when held against a
strong light This hole is q fair meas
IRE OF the heat OF the spark.
The -and-break spark will not
Jump through a gap in the air, but
with special apparatus can be caused
% Jump through a sheet OF paper.
burning q hole an eighth of an inch
or more IN diameter. This spark often
hres the paper, which the jump spark
:Nill seldom do Such q test indicates
That the make-and- break spark is
probably hundred times greater in
volume and largely greater in heat
tlan the jump spark and therefore
-mech better for Ignition purposes. II
Is the make-and- break ignition that
Is used on the Studebaker-Garford
automobiles and the great superiority
OF this system over others has been
proved many hundred times by every
Studebaker owner.
American automobse builders are
looking more seriously into the make
and-break spark than ever before and
tBe sparkling system used by the Stud
eeaker people is being examined con-
unually with great interest The
make e-and-break system adds COM
plcateQ look 10 the engine in contrast
10 the jump spark. The latter, with its
complicated coil located some distance
away and connected only by wires has
The uake-and- break spark has its
circuit breaker in the cylinder where
t-e spark is needed The jump spark
4as It's counterpart, the vibrator, on
the coil and this coil has double wind
ing OF wire. one Of which is extremely
delicate and requires the finest insula-
ton, with an ever constant tendency
10 jump al the wrong place, even
though this be the inCaUtiOus fingers OF
the operator. With this double number
o1 wires and need for careful inEula-
tonY the ever present danger of bro
ken or sooted spark plugs and the need
Tor carefully made timing mechanism
render the jump system noI only the
ieast economical but the most COM
pltcated Of the two.
Properly designed, the parts Of the
nake-and-break parts are as reliable
as any other part OF the engine. The
low tension current used operates un-
Ger water II necessary and it is very
seloom that sOOty fnsulations are
round The result is an extreme re-
liability Of the sparkling system"
c. f. Taylor. wei known abroad as
wei as in America has written 70 the
!. Pioneer automobile
fTy,o,,,.- -, 0 m any that
: standard aPe e'5es YEARS 'ts the mot Hs8t
gone precisely the same kind of de-
Nelopment, but al an unprecedented
speed. which every new mechanism is
obliged 10 pass through II has been
simultaneously improved in quality and
cneapened by the natural methods OF
ne survival ot the httest, and the
elimination OF the more unfit construc-
ZiOns. This process is still going on,
bur az slower pace than formerly. Few
elements OF the pleasure automobile
have survived the last five years un-
altered, as for instance fn our Thoms
Flyer The motor has been ouieted
by attention 10 valve operating mech
alism. 10 the carburetor an TO the
exhaust line. II has been given re-
markable fexibiIity by improvements
principally IN the csrburetor and valve
setting. The magnetic has come into
us own as the most reliable source OF
= Zuition current The radiators have
been strengthened and increased IN
cooling efficiency. The cylinder Jacket
ING md lubrfraffon have hee-, rared
for IN such 8 way that there Is no
longer any excuse Tor an oEerheated
motor" Il might be said that not only
in the engineering departments OF
The motor car factories have advance
. ments been made. but in the quality Of
material used and the more efficient
labor expended IN making and putting
together the modern vehicle.
In letter from Charles Benson Of
the Cadillac company, who has been at
!. the Chicago show,
----. 10 Cuyler Lee OF
Big IN N Plnsn,s pm 'ss,,s this city he states:
o.
'-.---- bile has become an
q al the year around necessity instead
OF as in the past largely a good
wea ther pleasure vehicle. is well evi-
q. denced by the fact that for the last
month we have shipped every car from
the factory the day il was finished.
The last two or three weeks we have
been shipping from 20 10 30 cars per
day. In fact, several days we ex-
ceeded 80. and on the last day Of 1903
WE shipped 80, and on the last day Of
January. 1903. we shipped the enor-
nous total Of - cars. Our specifica-
tions and delivery rates from our deal
. ers call Tor from 30 70 35 per day dur
ing January. February and March
months which ia past years have been
comparatively light. as dealers were
not disposed 10 order cars and store
them for spring delivery. Vow. how
ever. customers are taking their cars
IS fast as they can get them. and tak-
ing advanta &c OF the crisp. cold weather
10 get Out in the fresh air"
+ 7. Cutting OF the Standard motor
car company has just received word
from one OF the
Ford objects Fe-S -,o,,,, % IN ne
10 Aua' pary in Detroit
that II a man