Improvements in Electrically Igniting Charges of Internal Combustion Engines,
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Electrically Igniting Charges of Internal
Combustion Engines,
I, ARTHUR FREDERICK EVANS, of 11, Brunswick Walk, Cambridge, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in means for electrically igniting the
charges of internal combustion engines.
The electrical ignition is effected by means of a lever or eccentric and rod,
which closes or breaks an electric current in the manner to be hereinafter
described.
In the cover of the combustion cylinder or chamber I provide an insulated rod
or pin. This rod or pin has a screw thread cut upon its surface as far along its
length as may be required for working in a metal sleeve, the object of the screw
thread being for adjustment. This said metal sleeve is screwed at both ends to
receive adjustable locking nuts. A hole is bored through the said cover large
enough in diameter to receive the said sleeve and allow for sufficient air space
around it. The inside and outside edge of this hole is bevelled to receive conc
shaped insulating cups, which are made to bear on the surface of the metal of
the cylinder cover by bevelled washers, screwed down and kept in place by the
nuts on the sleeve aforesaid. Further nuts serve to fix the wire from the battery
to the rod or pin aforesaid.
The electric current for igniting the charge in the cylinder is completed by
fixing the other wire to the cylinder cover or other convenient fixture.
To produce the electric spark I provide a rod or shaft which passes from the
outside of the cylinder, and across the end of the same inside, and near the
inner side of the cover.
Fixed on this rod or shaft is a short lever, the outer end of which is capable
of touching the inner end of the insulated pin or rod aforesaid. This short lever
has a continuation in an opposite direction, which strikes against a lug provided
inside the cylinder to limit the travel of said lever, if it travels too much in its
stroke when the end thereof is receding from the insulated rod or pin.
The circumferential reciprocating motion of the rod or shaft actuating the afore-
said lever is effected in the following manner: a sleeve is provided on
the shaft at a convenient point outside the cylinder, on one side of which is a
projecting lip or lug for engaging in the lever or eccentric rod which actuates and
controls the motion of the igniting device, which rod has also a lip or lug pro-
vided and so arranged as to catch and engage in the lip on the aforesaid sleeve,
and so cause the shaft to oscillate in the direction of the motion of the rod, which
is so arranged that this said motion shall actuate the end of the short lever
aforesaid and bring it into contact with the end of the said insulated rod or pin.
This said sleeve is fixed to the reciprocating shaft by means of a clip spring,
which surrounds the outer surface of the sleeve, one end of which is fixed into
the part of the sleeve adjacent to the lug or lip, and the other end is fixed into
the rod or shaft, a portion of the sleeve being cut away for this purpose,

page_text: When the eccentric has by means of the lug or catch on its rod or lever moved
the sleeve the required amount to cause the short lever to touch the insulated
ignition rod or pin, the shaft remains still and the sleeve and its lug still con-
tinues till the catch on the eccentric rod or lever passes beyond the sleeve
and its lug, which is thereby released and by the action of the spring, flies back
to its normal position till checked by a small tappit on the shaft, which action
forces the short lever to be immediately brought away from contact with the
ignition pin aforesaid.
The relative position of the lug or catch on the eccentric rod may be adjusted
in the following manner:-a sleeve or collar is fixed on to the rod at about tho
position of the sleeve on the shaft to the cylinder, said collar having a worm or
spiral ridge on its surface, and also the end of the rod is reduced and inserted
into the main eccentric rod by a long neck; by turning this rod round, the
position of the catch, which the spiral ridge now becomes, is adjusted to a
nicety, and its position fixed either by a set pin locking the reduced rod in its
long sleeve or socket, or any other convenient means, or as an alternative
arrangement, two or more separate catches are provided on the sleeve in place
of the spiral ridge.
In the case of motion being communicated by an eccentric and rod, the said
rod is pivoted on a sliding sleeve, which is so arranged that in the return motion
the rod end passes clear of the lugs aforesaid on the reciprocating sleeve.
Should the motion of the engine be accidentally reversed at any time, I pro-
vide a safety arrangement for preventing an undue strain on the tappets or lugs of
the reciprocating shaft aforesaid by dividing the eccentric rod or lever, and tele-
scoping the end of one part of the divided rod within the end of the other part
of the divided rod, and holding them together in position by means of a coil
or helical spring, so that the said spring will take up any undue strain.
Dated this Third day of September 1898.
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent, 56, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.
Improvements in Electrically Igniting Charges of Internal
Combustion Engines.
I, ARTHUR FREDERICK EVANS, of 11, Brunswick Walk, Cambridge, 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 fol-
lowing statement:—
This invention relates to improvements in means for electrically igniting the
charges of internal combustion engines.
The electrical ignition is effected by means of a lever or eccentric and rod,
which closes or breaks an electric current in the manner to be hereinafter
described.
In the cover of the combustion cylinder or chamber I provide an insulated rod
or pin. This rod or pin has a screw thread cut upon its surface as far along its
length as may be required for working in a metal sleeve, the object of the screw
thread being for adjustment.
This said metal sleeve is screwed at one or both ends to receive adjustable
locking nuts. A hole is bored through the said cover large enough in diameter
to receive the said sleeve and allow for sufficient air space around it.
inside and outside edge of this hole is bevelled to receive cone shaped insulating
The

page_text: cups which are made to bear on the surface of the metal of the cylinder cover
by bevelled washers, screwed down and kept in place by the nuts on the sleeve
aforesaid. Further nuts serve to fix the wire from the battery to the rod or pin
aforesaid.
The electric current for igniting the charge in the cylinder is completed by
fixing the other wire to the cylinder cover or other convenient fixture.
To produce the electric spark provide a rod or shaft which passes from the
outside of the cylinder and across the end of the same inside and near the
inner side of the cover.
Fixed on this rod or shaft is a short lever, the outer end of which is capable
of touching the inner end of the insulated pin or rod aforesaid. This short lever
has a continuation in an opposite direction which strikes against a lug provided
inside the cylinder to limit the travel of said lever, if it travels too much in its
stroke when the end thereof is receding from the insulated rod or pin.
The circumferential reciprocating motion of the rod or shaft actuating the afore-
said lever is effected in the following manner: a rocking sleeve is provided on
the shaft at a convenient point outside the cylinder, on one side of which is a
projecting lip or lug for engaging in the lever or eccentric rod which actuates and
controls the motion of the igniting device, which rod has also a lip or lug pro-
vided and so arranged as to catch and engage in the lip on the aforesaid sleeve
and so cause the shaft to oscillate in the direction of the motion of the rod, which
is so arranged that this said motion shall actuate the end of the short lever
aforesaid and bring it into contact with the end of the said insulated rod or pin.
In order to keep this rod or shaft cool and well lubricated I preferably provide
a long sleeve in which the shaft reciprocates, this sleeve is fitted from the outside
through the water jacket of the cylinder and terminates in a cone shaped end
which in turn fits a similar cone shaped hole in the cylinder wall. This sleeve
is secured and forced into this hole by a cap screwed into the cylinder, which
cap is secured by a lock nut.
The rocking sleeve aforesaid on the reciprocating shaft is fixed thereto by means
of a clip spring which surrounds the outer surface of the sleeve, one end of said
clip spring being fixed into the sleeve and the other end secured to a fixed sleeve
or lug clamped on to the spindle.
When the eccentric has by means of the lug or catch on its rod or lever moved
the sleeve the required amount to cause the short lever to touch the insulated
ignition rod or pin, the shaft remains still and the sleeve and its lug still con-
tinues till the lug or catch on the eccentric rod or lever passes beyond the sleeve
and its lug, which is thereby released and by the action of the spring flies back
to its normal position till checked by the fixed sleeve or lug on the shaft, which
action forces the short lever to be immediately brought away from contact with
the ignition pin aforesaid.
The position of the lug or catch on the eccentric rod may be adjusted
in the following manner:-a sleeve or collar is fixed on to the rod at about the
position of the sleeve on the shaft to the cylinder said collar having a worm or
spiral ridge on its surface, and also the end of the rod is reduced and inserted
into the main eccentric rod by a long neck; by turning this rod round, the
position of the catch, which the spiral ridge now becomes, is adjusted to a
nicety, and its position fixed either by a set pin locking the reduced rod in its
long sleeve or socket or any other convenient means or, as an alternative
arrangement two or more separate catches are provided on the sleeve in place
of the spiral ridge, this alternative arrangement being preferable, and is shown
on the drawings.
For the adjustment of the aforesaid lugs or catches on the eccentric rod, a
clamp is preferably provided which embraces the rod but allows the same to reci-
procate. This clamp can be turned and in consequence revolves the rod and is
locked in position in any suitable manner. This said clamp is connected with
the rocking sleeve.
In the case of motion being communicated by an eccentric and rod, the said

page_text: rod is pivotted on a sliding sleeve which is so arranged that in the return motion
the rod end passes clear of the lugs aforesaid on the reciprocating sleeve.
Should the motion of the engine be accidentally reversed at any time I pro-
vide a safety arrangement for preventing an undue strain on the tappets or lugs of
the reciprocating shaft aforesaid by dividing the eccentric rod or lever and tele-
scoping the end of one part of the divided rod within the end of the other part
of the divided rod and holding them together in position by means of a coil
or lielical spring so that the said spring will take up any undue strain.
In order that this invention may be readily understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1, represents an elevation of an engine
shewing part of the igniting gear; Fig. 2, a section shewing connection for pro-
ducing the spark in the cylinder; Fig. 3, a cross section of the same; Fig. 4,
is an enlarged detail of the fixed and rocking sleeves and lugs; Fig. 5, being an
end view of the same; Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail of the tappets or lugs of the
reciprocating shaft, and the lever and clamp for adjusting the same.
In these several views A is the engine cylinder, B the engine flywheel, C the
engine shaft, D the eccentric, E the eccentric strap, F the eccentric rod socket,
G the eccentric rod, H the rocking guide for the eccentric rod, the adjustable
tappet or lug or catches on the screwed upper end of the eccentric rod, J the
bracket for said guide, K the lever and clanip for turning the said rod; L is the
spiral spring for the telescope action of the eccentric rod in case of an accidental
reverse motion of the engine; the enlarged detail of the rocking guide H, adjust-
able tappet I, bracket J, and clamp K are shewn in Fig. 6, where I¹ and 12 are
two of the lugs, adjustable on the rod G, by means of nuts 13 and I. The rod G
is provided with a slot G¹ through which slot passes the key G2 bearing against
the sleeve G³. The sleeve G³ has a projection to which is pivotted the landle K.
This handle has a lug K¹ which is adapted to engage with two or more slots
at K in the guide H. When the handle is in the position shewn by solid lines
the lug K will be in engagement with slot K. By lowering the handle to the
position shewn by dotted lines, the lug is disengaged and the sleeve G³ turns
round on the rod G, and thereby the position of the lugs I and I² on the tappet
sleeve I can be altered at will. The guide H is pivotted at H' so that the said
guide can oscillate from the motion of the eccentric rod G. M is the igniter
having at its outer end the fixed lug or sleeve O with its clamp pin e and the
reciprocating lug or sleeve P, having the spring f, one end of which is fixed to
the arm of the clamped lug or sleeve O; Q is the sleeve within which the
spindle or rod R revolves reciprocally the said sleeve being fixed to the cylinder
casing by the cap g screwed into the cylinder and provided with a lock nut S
the said sleeve passing through the water jacket wall T, and space U and ter-
minating in a cone shaped end screwed tight down in the cylinder wall V by
means of the screwed cap g. The rod or spindle R terminates inside the cylinder
in a tappet lever W. X is the cylinder cover, Y the insulated electrode or
sparking pin which is screwed into the sleeve Z having a cone shaped head and
at its outer end a cone shaped washer a and nut b, the said electrode or sparking
pin being adjusted by the screw thread and lock nut c, d d are insulating
washers. The connecting wire for completing the circuit is shewn at with its
battery and is connected to the cylinder cover at k or any other convenient
part of the cylinder. On the inner side of the cylinder cover is cast or fixed
the lug and the lever tappet W on the spindle R has a projection m, so that
the tappet W is prevented from travelling reciprocally too far away from the
spark igniter Y by the said projection striking against the lug 1.
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: -
1. Improvements in means for electrically igniting the charges of combus-
tion engines, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. The application of this invention to any form or kind of internal combus-
tion engine, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1899
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent, 56, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.