Means for Controlling the Ignition in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Means for Controlling the Ignition in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW, of "The Voltage," Woking, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to automatically regulate the time at
which the effective explosion occurs during the cycle of the engine. It is well
known that the provision of means whereby variably timed ignition can be
effected enables greater uniform power and also greater range of speed to be
obtained from an internal combustion engine. Amongst methods used for
effecting variable timing of ignition, varying the time at which the igniter
comes into contact with the explosive charge and varying the rapidity with
which the effective explosion follows the contact of the igniter with the charge
may be mentioned: I am aware that devices of this kind have been arranged so
as to be automatically controlled by a speed governor but this invention enables
any of these devices to be correctly and automatically varied, according to the
requirements of the engine, by the explosions themselves.
.
To carry this invention into effect I arrange a mechanism consisting of two
independently moved parts whose resultant action may be a motion of a third
part, either in one direction or the other or nil. The one of these parts is
actuated directly or indirectly by the engine shaft (preferably directly from the
half-speed cam shaft in a four-stroke engine) and the other moved part is actu-
ated by the sudden rise in pressure in the cylinder due to the explosion. The
third part which is arranged so as to be moved in either direction or to be
unmoved by the resultant action is connected to the variable timing ignition
device in such a manner as to either cause earlier or later ignition when and
according to the direction in which it moves. The mechanism is so arranged
that if an effective explosion occurs in the cylinder before the correct time the
one of its moved parts actuated by the engine shaft comes into contact with the
other of its moved parts (actuated by the sudden rise of pressure) and they cause
the third part to move in the direction which causes the ignition device to
operate later during the next cycle of the engine. The mechanism is also so
arranged that if no explosion occurs at the correct time motion is imparted to
the third part in the opposite direction and with converse effect: under all other
conditions no motion is imparted to the third part.
It is obvious that a great number of mechanisms satisfying these conditions
can be easily designed either reciprocating or rotary actions being employed
and I do not bind myself down to any particular design. The following is a
description of one mechanism of this kind and will enable me to more fully
describe the invention:-Upon a shaft, which is connected with the variable
timing device in such a manner that the rotation of the shaft in one or other
direction respectively causes either earlier or later ignition, are mounted two disks
or wheels, the one of which can only impart rotary motion to the shaft if turned in
the one direction and the other of which can only impart rotary motion to the shaft
if turned in the other direction. If either of the disks or wheels are rotated in
Pin 977

page_text: the opposite direction to that in which they can impart rotary motion they
merely turn idly upon the shaft, click gear being used in the well known manner.
Between these two disks tangentially and near their peripheries but not in con-
tact with both of the disks passes a rod which is carried in guides. The rod is
connected to a crank or cam or eccentric on the cam-shaft of the engine in such
a manner that it is reciprocated backwards and forwards and tangentially
between the disks during the latter part of the compression stroke and the first
part of the firing stroke of the engine, its change of direction of motion being
arranged (by the position of the crank or eccentric-or a cam may be used-on
the cam-shaft) to occur at or about that period in the cycle of the engine at
which effective explosion is required. .I may arrange an adjustable crank,
eccentric or cam so as to be able to vary or adjust this period from time to time
either while the engine is running or at rest if found desirable. The recipro-
cating rod is so connected (through a ball or pin joint) that it may also be
moved laterally into contact with either the one disk or the other by moving its
guides. These guides are connected preferably through a spring to a small
plunger which fits in a cylinder which is in open communication with the com-
bustion chamber of the engine. This plunger is preferably fitted with valve
seatings at both ends so that it acts as a double beat valve in its cylinder. It
.is also preferably held in its normal position by a spring which causes it to return
to its normal position again after an explosion in the working cylinder has
moved it to the other end of its cylinder and this spring I prefer to make of
sufficient strength to resist any motion of the small plunger during the com-
pression stroke but insufficiently strong to resist such motion when the pressure
in the cylinder exceeds this.
By this arrangement the reciprocating rod will during the period of the cycle
when it is reciprocating between the disks be either in contact with the one
disk or the other according to the position of the small plunger in its cylinder
and hence according to the pressure in the combustion chamber of the engine
i.e. as to whether an explosion is occurring or not. The disk which the recipro-
cating rod is in contact with during the one direction of its travel (during the
latter part of the compression stroke) and before an explosion has taken place
is the disk which can impart motion to the shaft upon which it is mounted
.only in the direction which causes earlier ignition but it is being moved by the
reciprocating rod in the reverse direction at this period. If however an explo-
sion occurs before this direction of travel of the reciprocating rod has ceased
then the reciprocating rod comes into contact with the other disk which is
rotated by it in the direction in which it (only) can impart motion to its shaft
and it causes the shaft to effect later ignition. Similarly this arrangement
causes the shaft to effect earlier ignition if the explosion does not cause the
reciprocating rod to cease contact with the one disk before the reciprocating rod
has changed its direction of motion. It is evident that no motion will be
imparted to the ignition time-controlling shaft so long as the effective explosion
causes the small plunger connected to the reciprocating rod guides to change its
position in its cylinder precisely at the same moment that the reciprocating rod
is at rest at that period in the cycle about the end of the compression stroke
and beginning of the firing (or working) stroke because the rod will during its
travel in the one direction be in contact with the disk which does not impart
motion to its shaft in the direction in which the rod is then rotating it and
because the rod will during its travel in the other direction be in contact with
the other disk which for a like reason imparts no motion to the controlling
shaft.
By such mechanical devices as I have described above my invention enables
the mere fact of an effective explosion taking place either earlier or later than
is desired to automatically cause a timing device to correct either partially or
precisely at each cycle such errors whether they are due to variations of either
temperature, fuel speed or other condition's..

page_text: One way in which the controlling shaft which I have above described may be
connected with one form of variable timing device (more particularly described
in my Patent Letters No. 29467 of 1897) in order to suit the particular form of
mechanism described is as follows:-The shaft referred to, which rotates in
either direction according to conditions fully described previously, is provided
with a screwed thread upon which a nut rides and this nut is rigidly connected
to a fork which rides in a groove provided in the cam which actuates the igni-
tion valve or equivalent. The cam is mounted on a feather-key on the cam-
shaft of the engine and is consequently able to move longitudinally along its
shaft which it in fact does in accordance with the rotation of the controlling
shaft and the consequent longitudinal travel of the nut upon its screwed thread.
The cam is so shaped in respect of its igniter-opening face as to vary the moment
in the cycle at which it exposes the igniter to the combustion chamber accord-
ing to its longitudinal position on the shaft and hence the controlling shaft
effects the desired variations when rotated as described. It must be understood
that the reciprocating rod which actuates disks or wheels in the mechanism
fully described may be toothed and may engage with teeth on the disks or wheels
or the rod may actuate the disks by frictional contact or may carry pauls which
engage one way only in teeth on a rack instead of disks. It must also be under-
stood that the reciprocating rod may reciprocate during the whole cycle of the
engine in which case its actuating portion only travels between the disks during
the latter part of the compression stroke and early part of the firing stroke or
it may be at rest during the greater part of the cycle and only reciprocate
during the required period. For this latter arrangement a cam may be
employed. I prefer to arrange the mechanical action of this engine driven part
of the mechanism in such a manner that quick motion is secured during the
whole of the actuating period and that when a reciprocating motion is employed
the intermediate "rest" period may be as brief as possible.
It may be necessary in certain cases to so adjust the mechanism that any
"lag" in the moving parts is compensated for. I may also permit an ordinary
speed governor to effect alteration's of adjustments of the engine driven part
relative to the cycle in order to rectify any variation of "lag" due to varia-
tions of speed.
I do not bind myself to the use of a small plunger working in a cylinder but
may use any equivalent device in communication with the combustion chamber
such as a diaphram to actuate one of the moved parts of the mechanism as
herein described.
בד
1
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Controlling the Ignition in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW, of The Voltage, Woking, in the County of Surrey,
some time of Green Hill, Evesham, in the County of Worcestershire, 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:-
• _
=
The object of the present invention is to automatically regulate the time at
which the effective explosion occurs during the cycle of an oil or gas engine.
It is well known that the provision of means whereby variably timed ignition
can be effected enables greater uniform power and also greater range of speed

page_text: to be obtained from an internal combustion engine. Amongst methods used for
effecting variable timing of ignition, varying the time at which the igniter
comes into contact with the explosion charge and varying the rapidity with
which the effective explosion follows the contact of the igniter with the charge
may be mentioned; I am aware that devices of this kind have been arranged
so as to be automatically controlled by a speed governor but this invention
enables any of these devices to be automatically and more correctly varied,
according to the requirements of the engine, by the explosions themselves.
To carry this invention into effect I arrange a mechanism consisting of two
independently moved parts whose resultant action is an alteration of position of
a third part, during a certain period in the cycle of the engine, either in one
direction or the other or nil, according to their relative times of motion. The
one of these moved parts is actuated directly or indirectly by the engine shaft
(preferably directly from the half-speed cam shaft in a four-stroke engine) and
the other moved part is actuated by the sudden rise in pressure in the cylinder
due to the explosion. The third part which is arranged so as to be re-adjusted
in either direction or to remain in the same position, at a certain period in the
cycle of the engine, by the resultant action is connected to the variable timing
ignition device in such a manner as to either cause earlier or later ignition in
the cycle of operations when and according to the direction in which it is re-
adjusted. The mechanism is so arranged that if an effective explosion occurs
in the cylinder before the correct time the one of its moved parts, actuated by
the engine shaft, co-acts with the other of its moved parts (actuated by the
sudden rise of pressure) and they cause the third part to assume a position,
during the firing period of the cycle, which causes the ignition device to operate
later during the next cycle of the engine. The mechanism is also so arranged
that if no explosion occurs at or before the correct time a position is assumed
by the third part, during the firing period, in the opposite direction and with
converse effect; under all other conditions no alteration of position is assumed
by the third part at that period.
It is obvious that a great number of mechanisms satisfying these conditions
can be easily designed, either reciprocating or rotary actions or even electrical,
hydraulic or pneumatic means being employed, and "that the resultant action of
the two actuated parts may either cause the third (actuating) part to be moved
only so much as is required for adjusting the ignition device or to be moved
through any convenient path so long as its position near about the igniting
period in the cycle of the engine is varied as much as is required for adjusting
the ignition device at the required period. I do not bind myself down to any
particular design. The drawings attached hereto show one mechanism of this
kind together with an arrangement of parts by which the desired effect can be
obtained, and will enable a full description of the invention to be made.
Fig. 1 is an end view of the cylinder of an internal combustion engine.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the combustion chamber end of the cylinder (partly
in section).
Fig. 3 is the same view as Fig. 2 and shows an alternative arrangement.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the same (chiefly in section).
A is the working cylinder, which has no separate combustion chamber.
B is the water jacket.
C the inlet valve.
D the exhaust valve.
E is the half-speed cam shaft carrying the inlet actuating cam C, and the
exhaust-valve cam D2 which actuate their valves by means of the levers C¹
and D respectively.
F is an ignition device arranged to effect ignition when the cam F2, which is
mounted on a feather-key on the cam shaft E and is bevelled longitudinally,
causes the hot igniter F¹ to come into contact with the combustible charge by
means of the lever F³, the rocking shaft and fork F4 and the shutters F³,

page_text: In the end of the cylinder A is fitted a small piston G which is free to move
a short distance but which fits tightly in a small cylinder formed in the wall
of the working cylinder A and in free communication with the interior. The
piston G is provided with valve faces at both ends which fit seatings provided
at each end of the small cylinder. A piston rod G is secured to the small
piston G and this is connected to a rocking arm G2 which is fixed to a rocking
shaft G³, fitted in suitable bearings G. Also rigidly attached to the shaft G
are, arms G³, G and G; the arm G is connected with a spring in such a
manner that the spring tends to keep the small piston G in the position shewn
in the drawings, its strength being such that it can only resist any tendency of
the piston G to move in its cylinder due to the ordinary compression of the
combustible mixture in the working cylinder previous to ignition; the arms G6, Gº
are provided at their ends with torks which ride about the rod H. The rod H
is provided with two spring catches H', the one pointing inwards towards the
cylinder and the other outwards, and is also provided with guides H2, H2 in
which and the forks G it is only free to reciprocate. J' is a lever pivoted at J³
and carrying a roller which is pressed by the spring J4 against a cam J on the
cam shaft E. The lever J¹ is connected by means of a pin J2 to the rod H in
such a manner as to cause the rod H to be reciprocated by the cam J. The
cam J is so shaped and fixed to the cam shaft that it causes the rod H to
move away from it during the latter part of the compression stroke of the
engine and allows it to be moved back again during the early part of the firing
or working stroke of the engine.
-
is a rod which is carried in friction bearings K', K' and which carries
toothed racks K2, K2 and which is also connected by means of the forked
lever K³, pivotted at K, to the ignition cam 12. The racks K2, K2 have their
teeth set in opposite directions and are so arranged that one of the spring
catches or pawis H' comes into contact with the one of them when the small
piston G, which controls the position of the rod H within its guides H², is at
one end of its small cylinder and that the other catch comes into contact with
the other rack when the piston G is at the other end of its small cylinder. The
racks K2, K2 and the pawls H¹, H¹ are so arranged that if the rod II moves
from left to right (Fig. 4) when in the position shewn (Fig. 4) the pawl H' does
not engage with the teeth of the rack 2 but slips over them; if however the
rod His moved in the opposite direction the pawl H' would engage with the
rack K² and cause the rod H to move the rod K and consequently the position
of the cam 12 on the shaft E.
The racks K2 and pawls II are also so arranged that, if the piston G is at
the other end of its cylinder to that shewn in the drawings, movement of the
rod H would have a converse effect to that mentioned above.
In Fig. 3 is represented. an alternative arrangement for the piston G; it con-
sists of a diaphranı G* held firmly about its circumference in a chamber formed
in the cylinder wall A; connected rigidly to it is a rod G¹ which is connected
as already described.
The manner in which this invention works is as follows:-
i
Assuming that from some cause pre-ignition is occurring during any given
cycle of operations of the engine the small piston. G, or diaphram G, would be
driven by the explosion in the cylinder A to the position in which it causes
the rod H and pawl H' to be in the other position to that shewn in Fig. 4 and
since at this moment the rod H will be travelling from left to right (Fig. 4) by
virtue of the cam J then the pawl H¹ will engage with the rack K2 and cause
the rod K to move the ignition cam F2 along the cam shaft E thus causing the
cam 1 to effect ignition at a later moment during the following cycle.
Assuming that late ignition is occurring during any given cycle then the
piston G, rod H and pawls H¹ will remain in that position shewn in Fig. 4 and
the cam J will allow the spring J4 to cause the rod H to travel from right to
left (Fig. 4); the pawl H₁ will then cause the rod H to move the rod K which

page_text: then moves the ignition cam F2 in the direction causing earlier ignition during
the next cycle.
It will be seen that no motion is imparted to the rod K and the cam F2 so
long as the piston G moves the position of the rod H at the moment when
the rod H is at rest as regards its reciprocating motion by virtue of the cam J
and spring J*.
By such mechanical devices as I have described above my invention enables
the mere fact of an effective explosion taking place either earlier or later than
is desired to automatically cause a timing device to correct such errors, either
partially or precisely at each cycle, whether they are due to variations of either
temperature, fuel, speed or other conditions.
It must be understood that I do not bind myself to the use of any particular
variable timing igniter.
The cam J or its equivalent may be so arranged that the time of its actuating
period during the cycle may be varied while the engine is at work.
This may either be used for facilitating exact adjustment for maximum power
and efficiency or may be used for regulating the power of the engine.
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
1 claim is:
(1) In gas, oil or other internal combustion engines, automatically control-
ling variable-timing igniters by the direct action of the explosions in the com-
bustion chamber.
(2) In gas, oil or other internal combustion engines, an automatic device, for
controlling variable-timing igniters consisting of a piston, diaphram or the
equivalent, in communication with the combustion chamber and actuated by
the explosions therein, and a moving part actuated by the engine synchronously
with its cycle of operations the piston, diaphram or equivalent and the moving
part being so arranged as to control the time of ignition substantially as
described.
(3) In gas, oil or other internal combustion engines an automatic device, for
controlling variable-timing igniters consisting of a piston, diaphram or the
equivalent, in communication with the combustion chamber and actuated by
the explosions therein, and a moving part actuated by the engine synchronously
with its cycle of operations, arranged in such a manner that any relative varia-
tion in their times of motion causes their resultant action to vary the adjust-
ment of the igniter either in the one sense or the other according to the
direction of such relative variation substantially as shewn and described.
(4) In gas, oil or other internal combustion engines, an automatic device for
controlling variable-timing igniters substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of January 1900.