Improved Ignition Arrangements for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ignition Arrangements for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
in the City of Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to an improved arrangement of electrical generator for
the production of the ignition spark for gas and oil motor engines and has for
its object to obtain a sufficiently dense spark under all conditions of running
and even at starting with as little additional weight as possible and to avoid
the use of jerk motions such as are usually employed to actuate the armatures in
the magneto machines commonly used.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect a fixed armature is arranged
between the poles of a magnet built up as a portion of the fly-wheel, this magnet
is preferably constructed by attaching two parallel steel bars like chords across
the rim of a fly-wheel the boss of which is arranged not to lie in the plane of the
rim; these steel bars are then bored out to receive the armature and are
magnetised with a north and south pole at their respective centres; the magnetio
circuit is completed by the rim of the wheel.
The armature may be either of the shuttle or ring type, the latter form has
the advantage of allowing the crank shaft to be arranged through its centre; in
either case the armature is fitted with as small a clearance as practicable between
the projecting iron segments of the core and the poles of the magnet, and over-
lap is provided so that the magnetic circuit is never broken. When a ring
armature is employed the winding is arranged in two sections and the core
projects between thus resembling the shuttle" variety.
"
When starting, mechanism may be put in gear to impart an oscillatory move-
ment to the armature in order to obtain suflicient current at the low speed, but
when running, the armature is fixed. When starting a small motor with a
handle, sufficient speed may be easily obtained to render special arrangements
unnecessary.
The spark is obtained in the usual way by breaking contact within the com-
bustion space at a time when there is sufficient current in the armature.
If the time of ignition is to be altered, as when starting it is found advan-
tageous to rotate the armature into a new position, it may for this purpose be
attached to the same mechanism as is employed to delay the action of the contact
breaker.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ignition Arrangements for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
in the City of Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
[Price 8d.1
i

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved arrangement of electrical generator for
the production of the ignition spark for gas and oil motor engines, and has for
its object to obtain a sufficiently dense spark under all conditions of running
and even at starting with as little additional weight as possible, and to avoid
the use of jerk motions such as are usually employed to actuate the armatures in
the magneto machines commonly used.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect a fixed armature is arranged
between the poles of a magnet built up as a portion of the fly-wheel. This magnet
is preferably constructed by attaching two parallel steel bars like chords across
the rim of a fly-wheel the boss of which is arranged not to lie in the plane of the
rim; these steel bars are then bored out to receive the armature and are
magnetised with a north and south pole at their respective centres; the magnetic
circuit is completed by the rim of the wheel.
The armature may be either of the shuttle or ring type. The latter form has
the advantage of allowing the crank shaft to be arranged through its centre; in
either case the armature is fitted with as small a clearance as practicable between
the projecting iron segments of the core and the poles of the magnet, and over-
lap is provided so that the magnetic circuit is never broken. When a ring
armature is employed, the winding is arranged in two sections and the core
projects between, thus resembling the "shuttle" variety.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention:
Figure 1 is an elevation of my electric generator fitted on the fly-wheel of
an engine.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same on the line A B of Figure 1.
a is the crank shaft of the engine and b is the fly-wheel; c and care the
magnets which are bolted to the rim y of the fly-wheel at d, e, f, g, and to the
boss z at h, i, j, k. is the armature with two sections of winding m and m³.
The armature is fixed to a sleeve o which is loose on the shaft a and has a crank p
by which the armature can be rotated through a certain arc by means of a rod q.
When starting the engine, the armature may be given an oscillatory motion
by means of the rod 9 which may be reciprocated by a suitably timed eccentric
or by any other means. This gives sufficient current for starting but, when the
engine is running, the armature is fixed. When starting a small explosion
motor by means of a handle, sufficient, speed may easily be given to the fly wheel
to render unnecessary any device for oscillating the armature.
The spark is obtained in the usual way by breaking contact within the com-
bustion space at a time when there is sufficient current in the armature.
If the time of ignition is to be altered, as when starting, it is found advan-
tageous to rotate the armature into a new position. It may for this purpose be
attached to the same mechanism as is employed to delay the action of the contact
breaker.
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
I claim is:
The heroin described arrangement of electric generator for the production of
the ignition spark for gas and oil motor engines, substantially as described and
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of October 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agonts.