Ignition Gear for Oil or Gas Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Ignition Gear for Oil or Gas Engines.
JOHN WILLIAM HINCHLEY, 15, Fawcett Street, London, S.W., Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for the automatic alteration of the
point of ignition of the charge contained in the cylinder of an oil or gas engine
according to the speed at which the engine is running.
Usually, a cam or commutator fixed on the main or secondary shaft, causes
the electric circuit of a battery and induction coil to be completed, producing
an electric spark in the valve or combustion chamber of the engine, which deter-
mines the explosion.
This invention consists in a means of slightly revolving this cam on its shaft
to an extent dependent on the speed at which its shaft is turning, so that ignition
may take place earlier or later according as the engine is running faster or
slower.
For this purpose small equal connecting links are carried from the ends of a
diameter of the cam to the two moving weights of the controlling mechanism;
this consists of a drum, fixed to the shaft on which the cam is placed, inside
which are two flat springs fixed by one end to the curved face of the inside of the
drum at opposite ends of a diameter, while the other end carries -the weight:
(the relation in position of each spring to the shaft is the same); the springs are
cut or bent to a semicircle whose diameter is less than that of the drum, and
are thicker at the ends carrying the weights that at the ends which are secured
to the drum.
On rotation, the weights tending to move outwards cause the springs to change
their curvature, gradually, as the speed increases, to that of the inside of the
drum, this change commencing at the supports, so that the effective length of
spring diminishes as the speed increases.
The springs are conveniently made in the lathe by turning a ring of spring
steel, boring it eccentric to the outside, and finally cutting it into two similar
pieces. A number of springs may be used in place of one.
Dated this 29th day of September 1899.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HINCHLEY, 15, Fawcett Street, London, S.W., Consulting
35 Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
[Price 8d.]

page_text: .
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 for the automatic alteration of the
point of ignition of the charge contained in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine,
according to the speed at which the engine is running. Usually a cam or com-
mutator fixed on the main or a secondary shaft causes the electric circuit of a
battery and induction coil to be completed, producing an electric spark in the
valve or combustion chamber of the engine which determines the explosion.
This invention consists in the means of slightly revolving this cam on its shaft
to an extent dependent on the speed at which this shaft is turning, so that,
ignition may take place earlier or later according as the engine is running faster
or slower.
The drawings illustrate the invention. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and
Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.
Small equal connecting links A A, are carried from the ends of a diameter of
the cam B to the moving weights C C; the drum D is fixed to the shaft E
while the cam can, subject to the control of the links A. A, turn freely on the
same shaft, E. Inside the drum are two flat springs F F fixed at one end G G,
to the drum D, and carrying at the other the weights C C; the springs are cut
or bent to a semicircle smaller in radius than the drum and are thicker or broader
at the ends carying the weights than at the fixed ends. The electrical, or other
contacts or projections on the cam B for determining the passage of the electric
current, are not shown. On rotation, the weights tend to move outwards with a
greater or less force according to the speed, and cause the springs to change
their curvature gradually, as the speed increases, to that of the inside of the
drum this change commencing at the supports so that the effective length of
the springs diminishes as the speed increases. A number of springs may be
used instead of one. The springs may be conveniently made in the lathe by
turning a ring of spring steel, boring it eccentric to the outside and finally
cutting it into two similar portions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) The means of automatically altering the point of ignition of the charge
in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine, consisting of a drum, inside which are
fixed by one of their ends, curved flat springs carrying weights whose movement
is communicated to the controlling cam determining the explosion, the curva-
ture of the springs changing to that of the inside of the drum as the speed in-
creases, substantially as described.
(2) The means of automatically altering the point of ignition of the charge
in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine, consisting of a drum on the inside curved
surface of which are fixed springs, bent or cut to a curvature greater than that
of the inside of the drum, and carrying weights at their free ends, which ends
also are thicker or broader than the ends fixed to the drum, the weights being
connected by links to the cam which determines the time of explosion, sub-
stantially as described.