Improved Means or Apparatus for Electrically Igniting and Governing Petroleum and other like Motors
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Electrically Igniting and
Governing Petroleum and other like Motors.
We, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, and CHARLES BOUTON, both of 12 Rue Ernest,
Patenux, Franco, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to bo as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improved means or apparatus for electrically igniting
petroleum and other like motors, and is designed to enable a make and break
contact device, such as is used with an ordinary induction coil, to be placed at any
distance from the coil or bobbiu, and to bo controlled and vibrated mechanically,
and not by magnetic attraction, at the moment that a spark is to be obtained to
ignite the explosive mixture.
Tho said invention is further designed to so arrange that the vibration of the
make and break shall be only produced when the motor is working at or below its
normal speed, and shall be interrupted if the motor is' working too quickly, the
apparatus thus performing the office of a speed regulator.
To effect these objects, we employ a tongue, or blade, such as that of a make and
break device, fixed at one end and bearing at the other upon a notched disc rotated.
by the engine. So long as an explosion is not to be caused, the tongue or blade
bears upon the rim of the disc, but, at the proper moment for oxploding, the tongue
slips into the notoh, and by reason of its flexibility is set in vibration and, at the
same time, establishes contact with an adjustable contact screw, or its equivalent,
and sots up in the induction coil the current for producing the igniting spark. The
flexibility of the tongue or blade, and the shape of the notch, may be so regulated
that if the engine is working too quickly, the tongue or blade has not time to fully
enter the notch and is caught by the succoeding part of the rim beforo a vibration
has been completed, thus preventing contact with the adjustable screw.
By this arrangement, the consumption of current only takes place at the momont
of ignition.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Electrically Igniting and
Governing Petroleum and other like Motors.
WC, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, and CHARLES BOUTON, both of 12 Rue Ernest,
Puteaux, France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described aud
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improved means or apparatus for electrically igniting
tho explosive charges for working petroleum and other explosion engines. The
1

page_text: said invention has for its chief object to so construct and arrange a make and
break contact device, that instead of its being operated magnetically as is the case
with the ordinary make and break contact of an induction coil, it is adapted to be
brought into operation and vibrated mechanically each time a spark is to be
produced to ignite the explosive charge. The said contact device can be situated
at any desired distance from the induction coil.
Our said contact device is furthermore so arranged that its operation takes place
only when the engine is working at or below its normal speed, and romains
inoperative if the engine increase its speed beyond the normal; the apparatus
thereforo also acts as a speed regulator.
In order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference
to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a portion of the induction coil and
our mechanical make and break device.
A is the induction coil, and B a metallic flexible blade or tongue such as that
employed in an ordinary make and break device for an induction coil. This
flexible blado is fixed at one end in a post or standard 6 which is provided with a
binding screw b' for enabling the said flexible blade to be electrically connected to
the induction coil by a wire b. The opposite or free end of the said flexible blade
carries a weight or rubbing picce B¹ which bears upon the periphery of a disc C.
This disc is mounted on a shaft c driven by the engine, and is formed with a recess
or peripheral notch c¹. At a point intermediate between the ends of the flexible
blade is the usual contact piece against which the platinum tipped end of an
adjusting contact screw D normally bears. This contact screw works in a post
or standard & which is furnished with a binding screw d for enabling the said
contact screw to be electrically connected to the induction coil by a wire d*.
So long as the free end of the flexible blade 13 bears upon the smooth periphery
of the disc C no vibratory movement of the said flexible blade takes place and
consequently no sparking of the ignitors occurs to fire the explosive chargo, but
immediately the peripheral notch carrives opposito the flexible blade the weighted
end thereof at once enters the said notch and owing to the flexibility of the blade
and the weighted end, said blade is momentarily set vibrating, thereby making and
breaking contact with the screw D and causing the induction coil to operate and
produce the igniting spark or sparks.
The flexibility of the contact blade B and the shape of the notch c¹ in the diso C
are advantageously so arranged that when the ongine is working too quickly, the
free end of the flexible blade will not have sufficient time to fully enter the notch,
but will be caught by the curved portion of before a vibration has been completed,
and no sparking of the ignitors thereforo takes place. Thus, so long as the speed
of the engine is excessive, the explosive charges are not fired by the electrio spark
and consequently the speed of the engine is soon reduced. The contact device then
works again in the ordinary manner.
It will be obvious that the wires b*d* can be made of any desired length, so
that the contact device can be situated at any required distance from the induction
coil.
The galvanic battery, employed with the induction coil, may be connected by
wires to the same terminals as those to which tho wires bx dx are connected.
It will be apparent that the consumption of electric current takes placo only at
the moment of ignition.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an explosion engine a mako and break contact device acting in conjunction
with an induction coil and having a flexible blade which is caused to vibrate
mechanically by some moving wart of the engine substantially as described and for:

page_text: 2. An apparatus or device for controlling the electric ignition of the working
charges of an explosion engine and for regulating the speed thereof, substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 21st day of July 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.