Improvements in and relating to Igniters for Explosion Engines or Motors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LEVI SARGEANT GARDNER, of 215 Carondelet
Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer.]
Improvements in and relating to Igniters for Explosion Engines
or Motors.
1, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co.,
11 and 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 particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object the production of an igniter for explosion
engines or motors.
In this class of engines, three classes of igniters have been generally employed:-
First, those wherein an electric spark is utilized to explode the charge; secondly,
those wherein a jet of flame is employed to explode the charge, both directly and
indirectly; thirdly, those wherein a flame is employed to heat to incandescence a
tube, which tube in turn ignites the charge.
My invention differs from each of these and consists in a suspended ball or
body of any suitable substance, such as copper, platinum, or any other material
which will readily become incandescent by heat and yet not be fused or melted;
the said ball is preferably located upon the interior of the cylinder where it will
receive the full heating effect of each succeeding explosion in the cylinder, and is
surrounded by a suitable chamber communicating with the cylinder, which will
not become incandescent and is free from contact with the ball, whereby the
products of combustion or burnt gases will surround the ball and insulate it from
the new charge of gas until the latter has been compressed to the desired degree
prior to ignition.
:
The invention will be hereinafter explained more in detail.
In the drawing:-
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of the cylinder and piston with my
device in section.
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 Figure 1.
A represents a portion of the engine-cylinder and B a portion of the piston
thereof.
C is a suitable casing made of any desirable material, preferably steel, having
an elongated portion D, a bulb portion E having orifices e, and a stem F provided
with screw-threads f, where by the device may be secured to the interior wall of
the cylinder. G is a ball of copper, platinum, or any other material which will
readily incandesce without fusing, and g a wire supporting the ball in the casing C.
This wire is preferably made of some heat non-conducting material, as for
instance steel.
The relative sizes and proportions of the above parts depend on the engine to
which the device is to be applied as hereinafter explained.
The operation is as follows:-Initially, that is upon starting the engine, the
charge is ignited by any of the numerous devices now known in the art, as for
instance by an electric spark, and this is continued for perhaps half-a-dozen
explosis, more or less, until the ball G has become heated to incandescence by

page_text: the heat generated from those explosions. When an explosion takes place, such
of the products of combustion, that is, the burnt gases as are in the casing C, will
remain there and not be drawn off with those in the cylinder owing to the fact
that the casing is closed except at the orifices e, and to draw them out of the
casing would create a vacuum. These burnt gases remaining in the casing at
atmospheric pressure consequently form an insulator to protect the fresh gases as
they enter the cylinder from the ball G (now heated to incandescence).
As soon,
however, as the fresh gases are compressed they will enter through the orifices e
compressing the burnt gases in advance. By properly proportioning the parts, so
that the burnt gases will not be sufficiently compressed to allow the fresh gases to
reach the ball until the fresh gases in the cylinder have been compressed to the
required degree, the explosion can be made to take place at exactly the desired
time. This "time" explosion as I will term it, is directly due to the fact that the
ball is suspended entirely free from the insulating chamber that surrounds it, and
consequently cannot impart its heat to the chamber walls. For this reason the
ball, after becoming incandescent, always (during the operation of the engine)
remains so, while the chamber, having a constant circulation of fresh gas around it,
will not become incandescent. By locating the orifices e opposite to the point of
suspension of the ball, the fresh gases will, after they have compressed the burnt
gases, first come into contact with the hottest portion of the ball.
It will be seen that the advantages arising from the use of my above device are
numerous; it is applicable to any compression engine; the ball, when located on
the interior of the cylinder, and suspended entirely within and free from the walls
of its insulating chamber is in position to receive the full benefit of the heat
resulting from the cylinder-explosion and retain it, and can consequently be quickly
brought to and easily maintained in a state of incandescence, while it is not accessible
to the new gas until the burnt gases have been compressed; no valves are necessary
to regulate the admission of the fresh gas to the incandescent body, since the
burnt gases constitute an insulator; and it obviates the necessity of any non-
conducting linings of any sort to protect the incandescent body.
It is obvious that many mechanical changes may be made in my device without
departing from the nature of the invention. So also while I have spoken of a
ball G, yet I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to a sphere,
but by that term desire to be understood as contemplating any form or shape
of mass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination, with the cylinder of an explosive compression engine, of
a suspended body of material capable of being made incandescent by heat, and
a chamber surrounding said body and out of contact therewith and communicating
with the cylinder, said chamber being adapted to hold the burnt gases whereby
the latter form an insulator until compressed by the new charge, substantially as
described.
2. The combination, with the
made incandescent by heat, said
surrounding the ball and out of
cylinder and adapted to hold the
described.
cylinder, of a ball of material capable of being
ball suspended in said cylinder, and a chamber
contact therewith and communicating with the
burnt gases after each ignition, substantially as
3. As an article of manufacture, a casing provided with means for engaging it
to the wall of a cylinder or the like, said casing being made hollow and elongated,
and a ball of material capable of being made incandescent suspended within the
casing and free from the sides thereof, said casing being provided with one or
more openings, substantially as described.
4. An igniter consisting of a casing adapted to engage the wall of the cylinder,
a body of material suspended in said casing and free from the walls thereof,

page_text: said casing being provided with one or more openings adapted to admit fresh
gas to the ball at a point different from the point of suspension, substantially as
described.
Dated thie 23rd day of June 1896
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.