Improvements in Electric Generators for Gas Engine Igniters.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Generators for Gas Engine Igniters.
I BENJAMIN MCINNERNEY, of 619, S. 16th Street, in the City of Omaha,
County of Douglas, and State of Nebraska, United States of America, 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:-
In the operation of gas engines where an electrical generator has been used
for producing a spark and especially in that class where the generator consists
of a permanent magnet and a keeper, one of which is movable with respect to
the other, great difficulties have been encountered from the fact that in many
sparking devices the parts are so operated that the spark is produced at improper
periods, interfering with the regular operations of the engine and resulting in
much loss of power. Further, in all generators of this type magnetic leakage
has been so great that it has been essential to use generators of objectionable
In order to avoid this result I so construct the generator as to adapt it to
be used to compensate for irregularities in the sparking device, while at the
same time insuring a greater development of electric energy than heretofore, as
hereinafter fully set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in
which Figure 1 is a side view of a gas engine provided with my improved
generator; Figure 2 is an enlarged edge view of the generator; and Figure 3 is
a plan view of the permanent magnet.
size.
The generator consists of two parts the permanent magnet, a, and the keeper b,
and one of these parts is secured in a stationary position upon the engine and
the other is movable. As shown the permanent magnet a is bolted to a part of
the frame and the keeper b is carried upon a part of a fly-wheel c.
The permanent magnet a is preferably laminated or consists of a series of
laminae or plates 1, 2, 3 of any desired number, and in contact with each end
of this permanent magnet is a pole-piece d, each pole-piece consisting of a series
of laminae which are bent or cut to a U-shape, one limb in contact with the
end of the permanent magnet and the other limb 4 projecting at right angles
to the plane of the permanent magnet and having wound around it a coil of
wire e which connects with the coil upon the other pole-piece and is in circuit
with the sparking device, which is not shown as it may be of any suitable
character.
The keeper b may be of any suitable character, but preferably consists of a
series of laminae 5, connected together between two brackets 6, 6 bolted to the
ly-wheel at any suitable point.
Heretofore the keeper and the permanent magnet have been so arranged that
he keeper first approaches the pole-pieces and then travels over the magnet,
r the pole-pieces alone are presented to the keeper. I so arrange these parts
hat in the operation of the engine the keeper first travels from the toe or
onnected end of the permanent magnet towards the pole end.
T

page_text: In consequence of this arrangement there is practically a short-circuiting of
the permanent magnet through the keeper as the latter travels over the magnet,
which tends to remove the flux from the pole-pieces. This lowers
the flux in the pole-pieces to the lowest practical extent
just prior to increasing it to a maximum, so that the rate of increase is very
rapid, and as the generation of the current depends on the rapidity and magni-
tude of the change I am thus enabled to secure currents of much greater energy
than heretofore. As the change takes place during the passage of the keeper
across the gap between the pole-pieces and the ends of the permanent magnet the
time during which the change is developed can be varied by varying the extent
of the gap, so as to adapt the generator to engines in which there are variations
in the timing of the sparking device.
The time during which the generation takes place may be regulated by using
pole-pieces having different intervals between the ends of the permanent magnet
and the pole projections, and the latter may consist of L-shaped pieces instead
of U-shaped sections, but the latter form is preferable inasmuch as the pole-
piece receives the magnetic flux from each of the laminae of the horse-shoe
magnet directly without the flux passing from one of said laminae to the other,
and then to the pole-piece, which is the case if the latter is L-shaped and only
in contact with the lower section of the magnet.
While I have shown the permanent magnet as fixed and the keeper as movable
the keeper may be fixed and the magnet may be movable, and both the keeper
and magnet may be constructed in different ways, and the movable portion
instead of being secured to a fly-wheel may be connected with any other moving
part of or connection with a gas engine. In some cases the keeper may be a
projecting part of the fly-wheel integral therewith.
I have found that by the construction and arrangement described I am enabled
to secure a current of the desired volume by the use of a generator of much
less size and weight than otherwise would be essential.
I have shown the coils e as mounted on the ends of the pole-pieces d, but it
is evident that the coils would operate in substantially the same manner if
otherwise placed, and I am not limited to the exact construction and arrange-
ment shown.
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. The combination in a generator for the sparking device of a gas engine,
of a permanent magnet with laminated wire-wound poles and a keeper, and
means for carrying one past the other to first reduce the magnetic flux and then
increase it suddenly to a maximum, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a generator for the sparking device of a gas engine,
of a permanent magnet, and a pole-piece for each end thereof provided with a
wire-wound core arranged at right angles to the plane of the magnet at a distance
from the end thereof but magnetically connected therewith, substantially as
described.
3. An electric generator for the sparking device of a gas engine, consisting
of a permanent magnet, and a keeper, the magnet having a laminated terminal
at each end consisting of an assemblage of bent pieces, one limb in contact with
the end of the permanent magnet and the other wire-wound, substantially as
set forth.
4. An electric generator for the sparking device of a gas engine, consisting
of a permanent magnet, a wire-wound laminated terminal in contact with each
end of the magnet, a keeper and means for connecting it to a fly-wheel, sub-
stantially as set forth.
5. An electric generator for the sparking device of a gas engine, consisting
of a permanent magnet, a wire-wound laminated terminal in contact with each

page_text: end of the magnet, a laminated keeper, and means for connecting it to a fly-
wheel, substantially as set forth.
6. An electric generator for the sparking device of a gas engine, consisting
of a horse-shoe permanent magnet composed of laminae, and U-shaped laminated
terminals, one limb of each terminal in contact with all the laminae of the
permanent magnet at one end thereof and the other limb wire-wound, sub-
stantially as set forth.
7. A gas engine provided with a sparking device and a fly-wheel, a stationary
permanent magnet having wire-wound pole-pieces and a movable keeper, and
means for causing the latter to traverse the magnet toward the pole-piece,
substantially as set forth.
8. In a gas engine provided with a sparking device and a fly-wheel, a per-
manent magnet secured to the frame of the engine and having wire-wound
poles, the wires extending to the sparking device, and a keeper secured to the
Hy-wheel, the parts arranged for the keeper to traverse the permanent magnet
and act to short-circuit the same before reaching the wire-wound terminals,
substantially as set forth.
9. In a gas engine provided with a sparking device and a fly-wheel, a stationary
permanent magnet secured to the frame of the engine and having wire-wound
poles, the wires extending to the sparking device, and a movable keeper secured
to the fly-wheel, the parts arranged so that the keeper acts to short-circuit the
magnet before the keeper completes the circuit at the poles, substantially as
set forth.
10. In a gas engine having a sparking device and fly-wheel, a generator con-
sisting of a permanent magnet upon the frame, and a keeper carried by the
fly-wheel, the parts arranged to permit the keeper to travel over the magnet
towards the terminals thereof, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 30th day of June 1899
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agent,
For Applicant.