Improvements in and relating to Explosive Vapour and like Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
Communicated from abroad by THE C.C. RIOTTE COMPANY, a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., located at
1155, Park Avenue, New York, United States of America, Engine
Manufacturers.
Improvements in and relating to Explosive Vapour and like Engines.
I, JOHN THOMAS KNOWLES, Trade Marks Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co.,
of 11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improvement in means for electrical ignition for
vapor engines, and my object is to provide a construction which will be simple,
inexpensive, automatic and positive in its action.
Many other advantages of this invention will appear on inspection of the
following drawings, in which
Fig.
represents in diagram a two-cylinder vapor engine with the preferred
form of dynamo connected therewith.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my dynamo.
Fig. 3 is a detail of one form of the sparking device.
Fig. 4 is a further detail of the cushioning device for one member of the same.
In the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of the invention,
1 is a casing for a vapor engine having cylinders, 2 and 3. Within these
cylinders move, preferably alternately, reciprocating pistons 4 and 5 connected
to cranks 6 and 7 of the driving shaft 8. This casing 1 is, in the preferred
embodiment, made of some electrically conducting material such as iron or
steel, as may be also the driving shaft S.
The preferred form of dynamo to generate electricity for the sparking device
is shown in detail in Fig. 2 and in diagram in Fig. 1. 9, 9, are the pole pieces
of the field magnet 10. Between the pole pieces rotates an armature 11, in this
embodiment a shuttle wound armature carried on armature shaft 12, which
may be a continuation of driving shaft. 8, as shown, so that said armature will
rotate synchronously with said driving shaft. One end of the armature coil 9 is
electrically connected to the armature shaft 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and the
other end of the coil as shown in diagram in Fig. 1 is electrically connected to a
division or segment 14 of an automatic switch, in this embodiment a divided
commutator 13. This segment 14 is otherwise insulated from said armature
winding except through the line circuit embracing, in this embodiment, wire 22,
the electrodes 25, 26 and the casing of the engine, hereafter described.
Another segment 15 of the commutator is insulated from the other parts, or
16 and 17 are brushes
may be formed of some insulating material as shown.
resting against the commutator and, preferably, touching the same at opposite
points and located so that one of them will be in contact with the segment 14

page_text: at each of the points of greatest electro-motive force in the rotation of the
armature, for instance, as shown in Fig. 1.
These brushes and their brush-holders are shown in detail in Fig. 2. In the
preferred embodiment of these brush-holders 18 is a hollow plug fastened in a
hole in the commutator casing 19. 20 is an insulating material between this
plug and the casing. This plug has a threaded reduced projection at the upper
end on which screws an internally threaded cap 21 which may co-operate with
a shoulder on the plug to form a binding post for a wire 22. The brush itself
in this embodiment is of a cup-shape and is held within the hole in the plug so
as to be free to slide and be guided therein. 22 is a coiled spring attached at one
end to the inside of the brush, and at the other end to the cap 21, if desired
which constitutes a retaining means for said brush, so that when the cap is
removed from the plug the brush may be drawn out with it. The other brush-
holder and brush may be a counterpart of the one just described.
25 and 26 are two electrodes of a sparking device for, and preferably in, said
cylinder 2 and located near the limit of movement of piston 4. Electrode 25
is in this embodiment fixed and carried on a shaft 24 insulated from the casing,
but electrode 26 is movable, and may be normally in contact with the other.
These electrodes are connected by a circuit embracing, in this embodiment, the
casing of the engine, the shaft and winding of the armature and the line wire 22,
as shown in Fig. 1. The piston 4 carries a projection 27, which, when the
piston reaches preferably the limit of its stroke, strikes against one member of
the sparking device and automatically operates the sparking device, in this
embodiment by moving one electrode away from contact with the other electrode.
The parts at this moment are preferably in the position shown in Fig. 1, the
armature generating its greatest electro-motive force and the brush 16 touching
the commutator segment 14. An electric current will thus be driven around the
circuit formed in this embodiment by wire 22, the sparking device, the casing
of the engine, the shaft of the armature and the armature winding. When the
projection 27 separates the electrodes a spark will thus be produced which will
As the dynamo
ignite the vapor in the casing 2 and drive forward the piston 4.
is at this moment impressing on said circuit its greatest electro-motive force, a
strong spark will be produced.
Referring now to Fig. 3, 24 is a shaft passing through the casing 1 and
insulated therefrom by some insulating material 29. This shaft carries on its
end, preferably within the casing, an electrode consisting in this embodiment,
of a head 30 and a reduced projection 31 therefrom. The outer end of the rod
may be screw threaded and carry a nut 32 to form a binding post, if desired.
33 is a second shaft fastened in a bearing in the casing 1, so as to be rotatable
therein, and said shaft is electrically connected with the casing. This shaft
carries within the cylinder a second electrode 34, in this embodiment in the
form of an arm having a curved contact face 35 to fit the contour of the pro-
jection 31 and also having a beveled side 36, which side, when said electrode 34
is turned into contact with the other electrode, will have a frictional contact
with the head 30 which will serve to keep the contact parts bright and form a
good electrical connection. 37 is a head on the shaft 33 without the casing
and between this head and the casing is a spring 38 pressing outward the shaft 33,
which is movable longitudinally as well as rotatably in its bearing. From the
shaft 33, also outside of the casing, projects an arm 39 to which is attached a
spring 40 tending to press said electrode 34 into contact with the other electrode.
When the projection 27 moves away from the movable electrode, said electrode
would be brought against the opposite one suddenly and with a shock depending
upon the speed of the piston and the strength of the spring 40. To reduce this
shock and allow the electrodes to come in contact gently, we have provided a
cushioning device, consisting in this embodiment of an air chamber or dash
pot 41 and a piston 42 moving therein connected with the arm 39. This arm

page_text: has a hole therein through which passes the piston rod 44. 45 and 46 are heads
preferably rounded on their opposing surfaces, as shown, so as to allow of a
universal movement of said shaft 44 in said hole. The air chamber 41 may also
be pivoted to the casing, if desired. 47 are holes in the bottom of the air
chamber for the entrance and exit of air. When the projection 27 leaves the
movable electrode, the spring 40 will tend to draw it quickly back into contact
with the other electrode, but the piston 42 will enter the air chamber 41 and
will tend to compress the air therein. The air will escape slowly through the
holes 47 and allow the electrode 34 to come gently into contact with the other
electrode and will thus prevent any shock.
28 is a wire connecting the brush 17 with a sparking device in the
cylinder 3, which may be similar to that just described. The pistons are pre-
ferably connected to oppositely disposed bell cranks on the shaft 8.
Before the
parts reach the position shown in Fig. 1, segment 14 will come into contact
with brush 16, closing the circuit through the electrodes as the sparking device
is about to be operated. After the piston has operated the sparking device and
the spark has passed, segment 14 will break contact with brush 16, opening the
circuit, and by a further revolution of driving shaft 8, the armature will be
given part of a turn, bringing the segment 14 of the commutator into contact
with the brush 17 and the brush 16 into contact with the insulated segment 15
of the commutator. When a half revolution from the position shown in Fig. 1
is given, the dynamo will be again generating its greatest electro-motive force
and a current will be passing from the brush 17 through the wire 28 and spark-
ing device in the cylinder 3 back through the casing of the engine, and the
shaft of the armature, to and through the armature coil in substantially the same
manner as before. A projection 48 on piston 5 will then strike the movable
electrode of the sparking device in cylinder 3 and produce a spark. This action
will then go on automatically, a spark being produced at the proper moment
in one cylinder and yet no current will be passing to the sparking device in the
other cylinder at that time. There is further no necessity of making but one
wire connection to each sparking device or of having more than one brush for each
sparking device, as a common return is provided through the cylinder casing.
The side rubbing contact of the beveled edge 36 of the electrode 34 against the
electrode 30 will insure a good electrical contact between them, but if there
is no frictional contact between the curved face 35 of electrode 34 and the re-
duced projection 31, those surfaces are liable to become coated with the products
of the burned vapor. The spring 40, however, presses the face 35 into contact
with the projection 31, and if it is desired to clean these contact parts of the
electrodes, a reciprocating motion may be given to the electrode 34 by pressing
against head 37 on shaft 32 outside of the casing. This will scrape the face 35
of electrode 34 over the projection 31 of the electrode and effectually clean the
contact parts. Piston rod 44 may have sufficient lateral motion in the mouth
of the dash pot 41 to allow of this longitudinal reciprocating of shaft 33.
The
In the above embodiment of the invention, when this piston recedes from the
5 sparking device after the burned gas has been expelled, a sudden and partial
vacuum is produced in the cylinder. This will lower the atmospheric pressure
upon the end of the rod 33 which is inside of the cylinder, and if the spring 38
is not too strong the pressure of the outside atmosphere on the head 37 will
press in the rod 33 giving a slight reciprocating movement to electrode 34.
rod will then be automatically moved longitudinally in its bearing and the elec-
trodes will be rubbed together. This will tend to keep the contact parts bright.
It is noteworthy that by this invention it is possible to employ instead of the
specific form of electrodes shown herein, in which one of the electrodes is mov-
able. ja pair of fixed terminals closely adjacent to one another, so that an arc may
5 be driven across the intervening gap at the proper time to ignite the compressed
charge. This modification is too obvious to need detailed illustration since there
need be nothing more than two metallic points spaced apart to the desired dis-

page_text: tance. In such a modification the live segment of the armature should of course
be rotated at the proper time ratio to create the spark and ignite a charge at
the moment of the downward stroke of the piston.
Other advantages will appear from the disclosure herein made, than speci-
fically mentioned. I do not desire to limit myself to the embodiment specifically
shown and described since many changes can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a vapor engine, in combination, a plurality of cylinders, a piston moving
in each cylinder, a sparking device for each cylinder embracing a pair of elec-
trodes, an independent circuit for each pair of electrodes, a dynamo having a
rotating shaft and means to drive the same, an armature coil carried thereby
and forming a part of each circuit, a commutator having a segment electrically
connected to said coil and carried by the said shaft, a brush in each circuit for
each set of electrodes and in contact with said armature, said segment being
adapted to make and break an electric circuit with the proper set of electrodes at
the proper time.
2. In a vapor engine, in combination, a cylinder casing enclosing a plurality
of cylinders, a piston moving in each cylinder, a sparking device for each
cylinder embracing a pair of electrodes, one of which is movable, an electric
circuit connecting each pair of electrodes, a dynamo having a rotating shaft
driven by said engine, an armature having a segment electrically connected to
said coil and also carried by said shaft, a brush in each circuit for each set of
electrodes and in contact with said armature, said segment being adapted to
complete an electric circuit through each set of electrodes successively and inde-
pendently, and means to disengage the movable electrode from the other electrode
to produce a spark at the proper time.
Dotad 1141
Santamho 1800
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.