Improvements in the Electric Ignition of Charges in Explosion Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in the Electric Ignition of Charges in Explosion
Engines.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON, of The Motor Mills, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the ignition of charges in explosive engines and can be
utilised whether one or more sparks are required for the ignition.
In carrying out the invention I provide in the walls of the cylinder preferably
two electrodes at a suitable distance apart, an appropriate position for this being
one upon each side of the cylinder and near the end. Upon or in connection
with the piston I provide a finger or equivalent device whose function is to pass
and re-pass between the electrodes, and although it may, if desired, touch the
electrodes, yet I prefer that it should not do so in order that I may obtain a
Jumping spark which would not be due to breaking of contact. With the arrange-
ment described the deposit of carbon may be prevented and the parts kept clean
and in working order.
Usually the electrodes would be placed such a distance apart in relation to the
strength of current or arrangement of coil employed that it could not jump across
the electrodes, so that the spark would only be obtained when the finger was
present, and in order to obtain the two sparks, which I prefer to employ in my
engines, I arrange the finger so that it will pass twice between the electrodes,
once upon the instroke of the piston and again upon the next outward stroke.
I do not bind myself to any special disposition or arrangement of the parts, and
I have merely indicated above one arrangement by which the invention may be
carried into effect. The piston may be used as one pole the other pole being
introduced through the cylinder or cover.
Dated this 30th day of November 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Electric Ignition of Charges in Explosion
Engines.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON of The Motor Mills, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
[Price 8d.1

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the ignition of charges in explosion engines and can be
utilised whether one or more sparks are required for the ignition.
In carrying out the invention I provide in the walls of the cylinder preferably
two electrodes at a suitable distance apart, an appropriate position for this being
one upon each side of the cylinder and near the end. Upon or in connection
with the piston I provide a finger or equivalent device whose function is to pass
and re-pass between the electrodes, and although it may, if desired, touch the
electrodes, yet I prefer that it should not do so in order that I may obtain a
jumping spark which would not be due to breaking of contact.
With the arrange-
ment described the deposit of carbon may be prevented and the parts kept clean
and in working order.
Usually the electrodes would be placed such a distance apart in relation to the
strength of current or arrangement of coil employed that it could not jump across
the electrodes, so that the spark would only be obtained when the finger was
present, and in order to obtain the two sparks which I prefer to employ in my
engines, I arrange the finger so that it will pass twice between the electrodes,
once upon the instroke of the piston and again upon the next outward stroke.
I do not, bind myself to any special disposition or arrangement of the parts, and
I have merely indicated above one arrangement by which the invention may be
carried into effect. The piston may be used as one pole the other pole being
introduced through the cylinder or cover.
One construction according to this invention is shown in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through one end of an oil-engine
cylinder showing a portion of the piston, which latter is in the position it occupies
at about the commencement of the forward or outward stroke.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and
Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the details of Fig. 1, viewed in a direction
at right angles to that in which it is seen in Fig. 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the cylinder wall; BB are two electrodes which extend therethrough
to the interior of the cylinder at opposite sides, being insulated from the con-
tiguous parts of the cylinder. C is the piston upon which is a finger C¹, the
transverse portion C of which when the piston C reciprocates, passes and re-passes
in the gap between the electrodes B B without touching them, the spark jumping
from the electrodes to the transverse portion of the finger-piece C¹ when the
transverse portion and the electrodes are about in line with each other. Cón-
veniently the electrodes are adjustable endwise so that the gap available for the
passage of the finger C¹ or other projection may be varied as desired. In the
example illustrated in the drawings the metallic cores bb of the electrodes BB₁
are arranged so that they may be screwed in and out in the insulating sleeves 132
which surround them. Alternatively the pair of electrodes might be carried by
the piston and the projection be carried by the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Electrically igniting the charge in an explosion engine by a projection such
as C¹ traversing a space between two or more electrodes so as to give two or more
sparks.
2. In an electric ignition device for an explosion engine the employment of a
projection such as C', carried by the piston and electrodes such as B B, carried by the
cylinder or vice versa arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.

page_text: 3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete ignition
device for an explosion engine substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of August 1897
EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON.
Boult & Wade
Agents for the Applicant.