Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Internal Combustion Motors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec.. 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Internal Combustion
Motors.
We, WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, of Crossley Bros. Ltd., Openshaw,
Manchester and JAMES ATKINSON, of The Woodlands, Marple, Cheshire,
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an additional and alternative method
of igniting the combustible mixture in internal combustion motors by means of
apparatus not liable to injury or derangement whilst working.
We combine the additional method with other well known means, for instance,
with a hot tube. A suitable arrangement of this combination being as follows:-
The ignition passage from the cylinder is controlled by the timing valve
described in Letters Patent No. 3756 A.D. 1888 granted to Francis William
Crossley and illustrated in Fig. 4 Sheet 2 of the drawings accompanying that
specification. This timing valve regulates communication between the cylinder and
the igniters, the passage dividing and connecting on the one hand with an ordinary
ignition tube heated by an external flame aud on the other hand with a chamber,
hereinafter called the hot chamber, which forms the alternative igniter. The bot
chamber is packed with suitable refractory material such as pieces of porcelain or
a mass of platinum wire.
To start the engine the ordinary ignition. tube is first heated by the external
flame and ignition caused in the well known manner. When the engine gets to
work some of the explosive mixture is forced into the hot chamber into the spaces
between the pieces of the refractory packing at each compression, at the same time
some is also forced into the hot tube and ignition takes place not only in the hot
tube but also in the hot chamber. The contents of the hot chamber shortly
become heated up to a temperature sufficiently hot to cause ignitions themselves,
when ignition from the hot tube may be dispensed with; the external flame may
then be extinguished and if desired a valve can be so arranged as to close the
branch passage to the hot tube, in which case anything necessary to the satisfactory
working of the ignition by means of the hot tube may be seen to, such as putting
in a new tube or relining the chimney, whilst the engine is at work igniting from
the hot chamber. A valve may also be arranged in the branch passage to the hot
chamber so that it also may be shut off from the cylinder and its contents examined
or renewed whilst the engine is at work igniting meanwhile from the hot tube.
The material is so arranged in the hot chamber that some portion acts as a
regenerator and prevents the rest being cooled down to so low a temperature that it
will not ignite the first explosive charge following a number of idle revolutions
when the engine is running with little or no load.
When porcelain or similar material is used in the hot chamber, a very suitable
form consists of rods or tubes placed side by side and confined end wise so as to
prevent their being blown about and fractured by the explosions.
External loss of heat may be guarded against by the use of non-conducting
material, or by an air jacket. In some instances an air jacket may be used having
adjustable openings for the passage of air so as to be able to regulate to some
extent the heat of the metal of which it is constructed.

page_text: Modifications of the arrangement above described may be used, also separate
timing valves or dispensing with a timing valve or valves adopted.
W. J. CROSSLEY.
JAMES ATKINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Internal Combustion
Motors.
We, WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, of Crossley Brothers Limited, Openshaw,
Manchester, and JAMES ATKINSON, of The Woodlands, Marple, Cheshire,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an additional and alternative method
of igniting the combustible mixture in internal combustion motors by means of
apparatus not liable to injury or derangement whilst working.
We combine the additional method with other well known means, for instance
with a hot tube, a suitable arrangement being illustrated in the drawing herewith
in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the alternative igniter and Fig. 2 is a
plan partly in section.
The ignition passage to an ordinary tube igniter may be controlled by the
timing valve described in Letters Patent No. 3756 A.D. 1888, granted to Francis
William Crossley and illustrated in Fig. 4 Sheet 2 of the drawings accompanying
that specification and this timing valve may be so arranged as to regulate com-
munication between the cylinder and the igniters; on the one hand to the ordinary
hot tube igniter and on the other hand by means of the passage A to the alternative
igniter, the subject of this invention, opening communication between the cylinder
and the chamber B hereinafter called the hot chamber at the proper time.
Suitable valves may be placed in the passage to the ordinary hot tube igniter
and in the passage A so as to shut either off at will. Otherwise the ordinary
igniter may have its own passage and ignition valve exclusively to itself and the
alternative igniter may have a separate passage A into the cylinder and its own
independent timing arrangement; this latter method being shewn in the drawings
as will be hereinafter explained.
The alternative igniter consists of the hot chamber B into which the ignition
passage A leads from the cylinder. The chamber B is shewn packed with seven
porcelain tubes C arranged one in the centre and six outside, with porcelain discs D
at the ends, recesses in the discs being so formed as to allow free communication
between the internal and external tubes. The metal of which the hot chamber B
is made is recessed slightly in the middle portion of its length so as to isolate the
tubes C as much as possible, so that they only touch the metal at their ends. It
will be observed that the passage A leads directly into one tube, the central one as
shewn in the drawings; this central tube thus acts somewhat as a regenerator and
prevents to a considerable extent the cooling down of the other tubes when the
engine is making idle strokes.
As shewn in the drawings the timing of the ignitions from the hot chamber B
is controlled by the automatic valve D2 which normally closes the passage A, being
forced into this position by the spring E. This spring E holds the valve 'D'2
against the compression pressure in the engine until at the desired time this pressure
overcomes the spring and forces the valve D 2 outwards so as to open the passage A

page_text: to the hot chamber B. The lock-outs F enable this timing to be accurately
adjusted and when in the outward position the valve D2 closes on a second face Ġ
so as to prevent external leakage.
The operation of the igniter is as follows:-The engine is started in the usual
manner by means of, say, the ordinary tube. Whilst running, the compression
pressure in the engine forces back the valve D 2, allowing (during working strokes).
some of the explosive mixture to pass into the hot chamber B and on ignition
taking place in the engine this explosive mixture is burned in the hot chamber B,
the contents being heated up by successive ignitions until they are hot enough to
cause ignition themselves, when ignition from the ordinary igniter may be.
dispensed with.
Suitable arrangements being made to shut off the ordinary igniter, anything-
necessary to its satisfactory operation may be seen to whilst the engine is working
igniting from the hot chamber. Similarly by screwing up the adjusting lock nuts F
so that the explosion pressure in the engine will not force back the valve D2, the
hot chamber and its contents may be overhauled whilst the engine is working
igniting from the ordinary igniter. Should the hot chamber igniter not be fitted
with the valve D 2, any other suitable valve may be so arranged as to close the.
passage A, if desired.
The porcelain tubes C being fixed in the manner described and shewn in 'the
drawings will not be liable to be blown about and broken by the explosions.
Other incandescent material such as metallic wire may be used in place of the.
tubes C, or porcelain, or other refractory material in other forms may be used.
External loss of heat from the chamber B may be guarded against by the use
of non-conducting material or by an air jacket. In some instances an air jacket
may be used having adjustable openings for the passage of air so as to be able to
regulate to some extent the heat of the metal of which it is constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In connection with an internal combustion motor the use of an additional and
alternative igniter consisting of the hot chamber B, containing the refractory
contents C, communicating with the cylinder by means of a passage A, either
controlled by the valve D 2, any other suitable valve, or left open, constructed and
operating substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In an igniting device consisting of a hot chamber constructed and operating
as described and illustrated, the use of porcelain or earthenware tubes fixed and
isolated as described and illustrated.
1000
W. J. CROSSLEY.
JAMES ATKINSON.