Improvements in the Igniting Arrangements of Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1897-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Igniting Arrangements of Gas and Oil Motor
Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in electric igniters for gas and oil motor
engines, and refers more particularly to lighters in which the electric spark is pro-
duced at the required moment by breaking an electrical connection within the
cylinder or chamber connected therewith.
The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective form of
contact breaker and mechanism whereby the production of the spark is rendered
more certain than heretofore and is not affected by slight defects in the insulation
or perfect contact within the cylinder.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect I arrange a stuffing box in
which an asbestos or other non-conducting packing is secured between two insulat-
ing plugs, these plugs and packing are perforated by a small hole through which
passes a piece of pianoforte wire, the insulators are arranged to project at the ends
so that the pianoforte wire is effectually insulated from the metal work of the
motor. The end of the wire protruding into the cylinder is bent round or set in
such a position as to be able to make or break contact with a stud projecting inter-
nally from the cylinder wall the external extremity is also bent round to form a
trigger which is acted on by an arm projecting from the second motion shaft.
It being understood that the insulated wire and the metal work of the motor are
connected respectively to the terminals of a battery and coil connected in series in
the manner usual in igniters of this class the action of the herein before described
apparatus is as follows. The projecting arm on the second motion shaft on coming
into contact with the extremity of the insulated wire closes the electrical circuit
and the current begins to flow, the arm then proceeds to turn the wire in its pack-
ing and forces its internal extremity against the projecting stud within the cylinder
the circuit being then doubly closed, the arm still further acting on the trigger
twists the wire and then lets it go with a jerk. The external contact is the first
to be broken but the current continues to flow for a very brief interval by way of
the internal contact alone this then breaks with great rapidity as the wire returns
to its normal position and a powerful spark results.
An igniter constructed as herein before described continues to work in spite of
any deposit or oxide that forms on its sparking contacts, and the external contact
surfaces suffer no deterioration as no spark or discharge takes place between them.
Dated this 25th day of August 1896.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Igniting Arrangements of Gas and Oil Motor
Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, 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:—
This invention relates to improvements in electric igniters for gas and oil motor
engines, and refers more particularly to igniters in which an electric spark is pro-
duced at the required moment by breaking an electrical connection within the
cylinder or chamber connected therewith.
The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective form of
contact breaker and mechanism whereby the production of the spark is rendered
more certain than heretofore and is not affected by slight defects in the insulation
or imperfect contact within the cylinder.
Three different modes of carrying this invention into effect are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which;-
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate one method.
Figure 4 illustrates the second method and
Figure 5 illustrates the third method.
Figure 3 is a detail of a spring attachment and
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the battery and coil used in all the
modifications.
Referring to the modifications illustrated at Figures 1 and 2-In this mode of
carrying the invention into effect a stuffing box A is arranged on the compression
space end B of a gas or oil engine cylinder and in this stuffing box an asbestos or
other non-conducting packing C is secured between two insulating plugs D D,
those plugs and packing are perforated by a small hole through which passes a
piece of pianoforte wire E, the insulators are so arranged that the pianoforte wire
is effectually insulated from the metal work of the motor. The end of the wire E
protruding into the cylinder is bent round or set to form an arm F in such a
position as to be able to make or break contact with the cylinder wall at G when
rotated in the direction shown by the arrow a (Fig. 2); the external extremity H
is also bent round to form a spring trigger which is acted on by an arm I project-
ing from the second motion shaft J, this spring trigger being secured by metallic
contact to the terminal K.
It being understood that the insulated wire E and the metal work of the motor
are connected respectively to the terminals K L of a battery and coil connected in
series in the manner usual in igniters of this class the said battery and coil being
indicated diagrammatically at Figure 6 the action of the herein before described
apparatus is as follows; The projecting arm I on the second motion shaft J on
coming into contact with the extremity H of the insulated wire E closes the elec-
trical circuit and the current begins to flow, the arm I then proceeds to turn the
wire in its packing and forces its internal extremity F against the side G within
the evlinder the circuit being then doubly closed; the arm I still further acting on
the trigger H twists the wire and then lets it go with a jerk passing beyond it as
shown in Figure 2 where release has just taken place, the external contact is the
first to be broken but the current continues to flow for a very brief interval by way
of the internal contact alone this then breaks with great rapidity as the wire is
returned to its normal position by the spring trigger; and a powerful spark results.

page_text: Instead of forming the spring out of the insulated wire itself a separate spring. L
of insulated wires such as shown at Figure 3 may be used and attached by an arm
to the insulated wire E.
On Figure 4 a further modification of the spring device to rapidly break contact
within the cylinder after contact has been broken outside in the moving portions
is shown. An insulated wire E has one end F projecting into a chamber M lead-
ing off the combustion chamber B and is insulated in a similar manner to the
first described device by asbestos C and insulated washers D D. The side motion
shaft J rotating in the direction shown by the arrow has a spring contact pawl N
fixed upon it in such a position that upon rotation it comes in contact with one end
of a spring bar O; the said spring bar O being fixed metallically to the insulated
terminal K and the wire E. The battery and coil contacts are made respectively
to E and L as in the first described arrangement. The operation is as follows;-
on rotation the spring pawl N comes in contact with the outer end O2 of the spring
bar O and the current flows, then upon further rotation the rod E is pushed in
longitudinally till the end F comes in contact with the side of the chamber M;
again upon still further rotation the pawl N passes beyond 03 and breaks the
external contact releasing the spring bar O and this is therefore immediately
followed by the outward movement of the end F of the wire E; this opening of the
circuit by breaking contact thus produces a powerful spark within the chamber M,
and ignition takes place.
Referring now to Figure 5 this is a modification of the device first described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and consists in forming a small anvil or plug P
within the combustion space B of the cylinder and connecting it to the insulated
terminal K, the wire E in this instance being in contact with the metal work of
the motor. The spring device is not shown but it may be arranged similar to
either of the two devices shown on Figures 1, 2, and 3 and already described or
the torsion of the wire alone may be relied upon.
In this device the projecting arm I rotates the end H of the wire E and causes
the end F to come in contact with the plug or anvil P when the current flows;
further rotation causes the arm I to release the spring actuated wire E and
immediately the arm F flies back breaking the current and producing a powerful
spark in the combustion chamber B.
It is to be clearly understood that a plug or anvil such as P can be used with
either of the modifications herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2,
and 4, of the drawings.
An igniter constructed as herein before described continues to work in spite of
any deposit or oxide that forms on its sparking contacts, and the external contact
surfaces suffer no deterioration as no spark or discharge takes place between them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is:-
1. In electrical igniters for gas or oil engines the method of operating to make
and break the circuit consisting in the employment of a main circuit and a spark-
ing contact the main circuit being arranged to be broken immediately before the
sparking contact.
2. In electrical igniters for gas or oil engines the provision of a rotating arm
which engages with a spring insulated wire having an external main contact and
internal sparking contact as a means for making and breaking the main contact
first and the sparking contact last substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The electrical igniter for gas and oil engines herein before described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
4. The electrical igniter for gas and oil engines hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure 4 of the drawings.

page_text: 5. The electrical igniter for gas and oil engines hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure 5 of the drawings.
1
100x
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.