An Improved Ignition Tube for Gas and Oil Motors and other similar Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
ARTHUR EGERTON HECKFORD, Metal Manufacturer, Berndorf Metal Works,
Frederick and Regent Streets, Birmingham; England, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To obviate or lessen the danger of an ignition tube cracking under pressure
caused by the explosion of the charge of gas or vapour within it and further to
better protect the outside of the tube from the action of the flame, and thereby
to secure a longer life to the tube-I take a wire, or strand of wires, of platinum,
nickel or any other suitable material, or a combination of two or more such wires
or materials, and bind the same tightly round the tube in the form of a coil.
This coil or shield may extend to the whole length of the tube or it may be
confined to any portion of the same. The ends of the coil may be secured to
shoulders or screwed collars on the tube or in any other manner.
Therefore I
claim my invention to consist of an ignition tube of metal or any other material
having a wire coil fitting round & encasing the same to protect and strengthen
the walls thereof.
Dated this Tenth day of December 1898.
ARTHUR E. HECKFORD.
An Improved Ignition Tube for Gas and Oil Motors and other
similar Engines.
I, ARTHUR EGERTON HECKFORD, of Berndorf Metal Works, Frederick and
Regent Streets, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the ignition tubes employed in gas
or oil engines, which have internal explosive combustion, many of which are
now used for motor cars and the like, but which may be used for other purposes.
It is now found in practice that the ignition tube as at present made, is liable
to readily crack under the pressure caused by the explosion of the charge of
gas or vapour within it, and it is the primary object of this my invention to
lessen this liability and thus give to the tube a longer life than is at present
obtained, and at much cheaper production.
In order to more clearly describe this my invention I have appended hereunto
Q/1

page_text: an illustrative sheet of drawings upon which are figures and numbers of
reference, similar numbers referring throughout the several views to the same
thing or part, and in which:-
Fig. 1, shows an external view of a tube made according to this my invention.
Fig. 2, is a sectional view of the tube.
Fig. 3, is a sectional view in detail, showing means of securing end of coil.
Fig. 4, is a part sectional, and part external view of a commoner form of tube
than those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but also constructed according to this my
invention.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2:5, is the tube, which may be made of any desir-
able shape and size, and having in this case a screwthread 6, for attachment
to combustion chamber. 7, is a wire (or wires) which is tightly coiled around
the tube, the two ends being secured to the tube in any desirable manner, and
which may be done by passing the ends through holes made in the upstanding
flanges 8 and 9, as seen in Fig. 3. The flanges 8 and 9 are first made in the
upright position as shown at 8, in Fig. 3, then the wire is coiled tightly around
the tube and the ends secured, and then the flanges are rolled or spun down over
the end coils as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.
Usually the tubes for this purpose have been made of platinum because
inferior metal will not stand the explosive strain, but quickly bursts with longi-
tudinal cracks, while those made of platinum are necessarily very expensive.
Now it will be readily seen that the fibre or grain of the metal of a plain tube
lies in a longitudinal direction and thus offers very little lateral resistance
under explosion to longitudinal cracking, because the transverse strength is
comparatively weak. By applying the wire coil however I supplement the weak
transverse strength of the tube with a strong tensional strength of the wire,
which very considerably increases the strength of the whole, and thus adds
very much to the life of the tube.
By these means I am enabled to use metal of an inferior and cheaper quality
such for instance as nickel or the like for the tube, and for the wire I may use
platinum, nickel or other suitable metal or a combination of two or more such
metals. A much cheaper form of tube is shown for instance in Fig. 4, in which
the tube 5ª, may be of iron or steel having collars or flanges 8, and 9", shrunk
thereon, the inner parts of such collars being rolled down on to the coil in order
to secure it, as before described.
In the drawings I have only shown the wire coil upon the exterior of the tube,
but it will be readily seen that if desirable it may be placed inside the tube, in
addition to, or without the exterior coiling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An igniting tube for internal explosive combustion engines having a coil
of wire, substantially as set forth and shown, and for the purposes specified.
T
CL
1000
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent, 158, Edmund Street, Birmingham.