B, P. STEWART.
TGNITING APPARATUS FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.
9%@98740
APPLIOAT'ION FILED AUG. s, 1908.
’ Patented Now/.16, 1909.
2 SHEETS-SHEET l.
1li' J9
1,5’
5.1". STEWART.
JGNITING APPARATUS FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.
APPLIUATIOH FILED AUG. S. 1908.
@@¿Ügäïám
Patented Nov. 16, 1999.
»
INED
A PATENT! OFFICE.
BENJAMIN ÍE‘. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
IGNITÍNG AFPARATUS FOR-EXPLOSIVE~EN GINES.
Speciñcation of Letters Patent.
Qlfltlß'î” .
,'Pzrtgnted Nov. 16,' 1909.
Application filed August 8, 1908.. Serial No. 447,621.
To all «whom »it may concern.:
4
Be it known that l, BENJAMIN F. STEW
ART, a citizen of the United States, and resi
taken on the line 2_2 of F ig. 5. Fig. 3 is
similar to a detail of Fig. 2 showing one of
the electrodes of the igniting apparatus
dent of Chicago, county of Cook, and State drawn to a larger scale. Fig.- 4 is an> end
of Illinois, have invented certain new and
ot’ the parts shown in- Fig. 3, and
useful In'iprovements»in lgniting Apparatus ` elevation
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the engine illus~
for EXplosive-l‘lngines, ot' which the follow trated in Fig. 1, some of the parts being
ing is a specification, and which are illus~ shown in central vertical section.
v
trated in the accoi'npai‘iying drawings, Íorm~
The engine illustrated in the drawings
ing a part thereof.
comprises a plurality of power cylinders
o
(Jl.
The invention relates to apparatus for designated 10, 11, 12, and 13 respectively,
igniting the fuel charge in explosive engines, the
walls ol’ the seyeral cylinders being east.
_more particularly those explosive engines of integral and being inclosed by an integral
the two~eycle type having a plurality of jacket 14. 'A piston 15 reciprocates Within
cylinders wherein provision is made for eX~ each of the cylinders 10, l1, 12 and 13, all
ploding a charge ot‘ l‘uel in cach of the cyl of such pistons being connected by pitm'en 1G
inders ot' the engine at every strolie of the to a crank shaft 17 the cranks 17“, 17", 17C,
iiston therein.
,
l
17“, of which are preferably so disposed
The invention contemplates the ignition of about the shaft that the pistons 15 approach
the fuel charge in each cylinder oit an ex the inner ends of the cylinders 10, 11, 12 and
l
plosive engine comprising a plurality of 1.3 successively at regular intervals during
power cylinders by means of an electrical
the rotation of the-shaft. As shown, the
spark projected from an electrode entering cranks 17a, 17h, 17C and 17“ are angularly
the chamber or' the cylinder through a side spaced about the crank-shaft 17 at intervals
Wall thereof when the electrode is apl of ninety degrees, whereby one of the four
proachcd by the piston, the several elec‘ pistons 15 of the engine reaches the limit of
trodes and the pistons for all of the cylin
ders being in the saine electric circuit tvhere
by the distribution' ot' the electric current to
the several cylinders is eil'ected by the move
ment ot' the pistons within the'cylii'idcrs to
ward and awayv from the corresponding elec
trodes. In order that thc time at which
each of the electrodes is approached to With
in a .suitable distance for the passage ot' a
80
its instroke at each quarter revolution of the
crank shaft.
A casing 1S, secured by bolts 19 to a flange
formed upon the Walls of the power cylin
ders 10, 11., 12 and 13 and the Jacket. 14 in«
closes _the cranks of 'the crank shaft. 17, a
separate compartment, as 20, being provided
within the casing-,at the foot of each of the
cylinders l0, 11, 12 and 13. During
spark by the corresponding piston, during power
the opera-tion o_.t' the engine an explosive
the cycle of n'iovcnient olf the piston Within charge is compressed Within cach of the
the cylinder, may be adjusted, provision is conn'iartments 2() of the crank case 18 dur
preferably made for longitudinally shifting ing the advance ot' the piston 15 in the
the electrodes within the cylinders.
power cylinder communicating therewith.
The object of the invention is to provide
means ot' simple and improved construction
for igniting the explosive charge of gas en
gines at a predetermined time with refer
ence to the position oil.’ the piston Within the
engine cylinder without the use of a mechan
‘llf'hen the piston reaches the end of its out
stroke this charge is delivered to the space
behind the piston through a Vduct 2l leading
through the Wall of the cylinder to a Jort
opening 22 cont-rolled by the piston. his
incoming charge' sweeps the products if
ically operated electrical switch commonly
termed the “ timer ”.
'do
f
combustion
of the last preceding charäle
from thev chamber of the cylinder througn
ln the accompanying drawings z-Figure an exhaust port 28 also controlled by tire
piston and is itself deflected toward the
der gas engine equipped witlrignitipg ap~ head of the cylinder by a projection or
paratus provided by the invcntiomthe plane battle 24 formed upon the head of the piston
105
1 is a plan sectional view of a multi plc cylin
'
of the section being indicated by the lin‘e 15 in front of the port opening 22.
1---~1 on Fig. 5 and parts of the igniting ap~
(J1 cli '
paratus being illustrated~ in diagram. Fim
2 is e. detail sectional View of the engine
- Means are
rovided for electrically ig’ 110
niting the explltisive chargev delivered to each
of the _power cylinders 10, 11, 12 and 13 in
940,374
2
the manner .just described, when the piston 'I frictional electrical contact with the inner
flanged end of the sleeve 31 by means of the
crank arm 28 which vis preferablyl adjust
insulated from the wall of the cylinder and ably secured to the outer end of the shaft
constitutin one of the terminals of an elec 27 by anut 38 for engaging the outer end of
.
trical circuit 25 which is supplied with cur' thel sleeve 31. `
In order that the shafts 27 at eachr of the
rent of suiiicient tension to cause a spark to
15 again approaches _the head of the cylin
der. To this end an electrode 26 preferably
en
pass over a short gap in the circuit, as from
cylinders 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the engine
an induction coil 43, projects into the cham may be rotatedfor simultaneously adjust-`
ber of each of the cylinders of the engine to in’gv`all o-f the electrodes 26, a rod 46 conven
such a position that an appurtenance of the iently accessible to an attendant, is con
engine piston 15, asy the vertical faceof the nected to each4 of the crank arms 28 by a
baille 24 approaches it for the passage of a screw bolt- 48 as most clearly shown in Figs.
spark, when the piston approaches the end l and 4, the arrangement being such that
of its inward stroke. As shown each of the movement of the rodv in each direction is sov
pistons 15 has electrical connection with the limited by contact with the hubs 49 of the
circuit25 by reason of one of the circuit
crank arms 28. By reason of the rod 46 ‘be~
Wires being connected to the wall of the en_
ing located upon the inner side of the crank
gine at 39.
-
Preferably the electrodes 26 are directed
arms 28 any one of the plugs 29 and its
appurtenances may be removed from the
85
laterally into the chambers of the cylinders a engine if the corresponding crank arm 28
10, 11, l2 and 13 and the vertical faces of
the baiiies 24 move in a plane beyond the
ends of the electrodes, the relation of these
parts being such that a spark will be formed
in each of the cylinders by the current im
pressed upon the circuit 25 only when the
face ofthe baille plate 24 reaches the level of
the corresponding electrode 26 and such a
spark 'will continue to pass between these
members for as long as any part of the battle
plate 24 remains directly 1n front of the
running on the sleeve 31. The electrodes 26
electrode 26.
for all ofthe other cylinders of the engine
The time when' a spark will begin to pass>
in each of the cylinders may be varied by
vertically shifting the electrodes 26 within
the cylinders. As shown each of the elec
trodes 26 is eccentrically mounted upon the
end of a rotatable shaft 27 which projects
'through the side wall of the cylinder and
the jacket 14 and carries upon its outer end
a crank arm 28.
Each of the shafts 27 is
preferably carried by a removable plug 29,
Figs 3 and 4, adapted to enter a screiv
threaded aperture 30 formed in the wall of
the ¿cylinden Preferably the shaft 27 is
journaled in a sleeve 31 which in turn is
supported within the plug 29 by being sur
rounded b a quantity of insulating matc
50
be first disconnected from the rod 46 by the
removal of the screw bolt 48.
Preferably the electric circuit 25 serves
for supplying current to the electrodes 26
rial 32 suc i as a plurality of ringsor wash
of all of the cylinders of the engine, one of
the circuit wires being connectedto that of
one of the cylinders as 13, Fig. 1, by being
clamped between the nut 34 employed for
90
securing the parts carried by the plug 29 95
in assembled position and a second’nut 40
have electrical connection with the same
branch of the circuit 25 as the electrode 26- 100
of the cylinder 13 through the rod 46 and
cranks 28 mounted upon the outer ends of
the shaft 27. As shown current is supplied
to the induction coil 43 from a` storage bat
tery '45, a‘simple switch 47 being provided
105 I
in the primary circuit of the induction coil
for interrupting the flow of current from the
battery when the engine is not in operation.
During the operation of the engine cur~
rent will be continuously -supplied to the in«
duction coil 43 from the battery 45, the sec
ondary current from the coil being distrib
uted to the several cylinders of the engine
_for the formation of a spark in each cylinder
at the proper time by .the movement of the '115
ers of mica. This insulating material is engine pistons into and out of sparking osi
hen
clamped in position on the sleeve 31 between tions in front ofthe electrodes 26.
a fiange 33 formed on the inner end of the each of the electrodes 26 is in the adjusted
sleeve and a nut 34 running on the sleeve ad
position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 4 of
55
jacent its outer end, that part ofthe insulat
the. drawings the ballie 24 formed upon the
head of the pistons 15 will, not move to a
position in front of the electrode for the pas
sage of a spark, until the piston reaches the
60
ing material 32 adjacent each of the ends of
the sleeve being of greater diameter than the
intervening portions as indicated at 35-36
for gripping the ends of the plug 29 and
thus firmly uniting the parts whenv the in
sulating material is compressed by the ap
the position represented b, dotted lines' in
120
end of the inward stroke. lf however, the
rod 46 be shifted to move the electrodes to
plication of the nut 34 to the outer end of Fig. .4 or to an intermefiate position b
A head 37 is formed on the turning the shaft 27 the baille 24 within eac
inner end gf the shaft 27 for carrying the of the cylinders will move in front of one of
1,25
l the sleeve 31.
65
electrode 26. ¿les shown this head is held in -the electrodes-26ffor the' passage of a spark
lso
'
940,374
before the piston reaches the end of its in rality of cylinders, an electric circuitî con
ward stroke and will remain in frontl of the tinuously supplied with current, a sparking
electrode until after the piston has begun its electrode within the chamber of each of the
outward stroke. Such an adjustment in po cylinders, all of the electrodes being elec-_
sition ofthe electrodes 26 will ordinarily be trically connected in one branch of the elec
accompanied by a high rate of speed of the
engine butv an ignition of each charge of
fuel within the cylinder will nevertheless be
insured by reason of the baffle 24 being in
sparking position in front of the electrode
9G during'a considerable period.
15
tric circuit, means for simultaneously shitt-4
ing all of the electrodes longitudinally with
respect to the cylinders, a piston recipro
cable with each of the cylinders toward 45
and away from the electrode, all of the pis
tons being electrically connected in the other
The baille 24 formed upon the pistons of branch
the electric circuit, operative con
two-cycle gas engines is preferably formed neet-ion ofbetween
the pistons whereby they
witha fiat vertical faceas shown and for this approach the electrodes in succession, and
rea-son provides a convenient part of the en
means for delivering an explosive charge to
each
of the cylinders at each cycle of move
trodel 26 for the formation of a spark, for ment of the piston therein.
while the electrode 26 is moved for adjust
'3. In a gas engine, in'eombination, a cyl
ment through an arc by rotating the shaft inder,
a sparking electrode within the cham
27, the _horizontal distance from the end of ber of the cylinder, a piston reciprocable
the electrode to the face of the baille remains within the cylinder toward and away from
50
gine piston for coöperatingI with the elec
20
the same.
_
-the electrode but never contacting therewith,
lI claim as my inventionl:-- ’
an electric circuit of `which said electrode
l. In a gas engine in combination, a. cylin-
25
55
and said piston constitute the terminals, said
60
d'er, a projection formed on the head of the with current, and lever-operated means for
piston having a plane face parallel to the shifting
the electrode within the cylinder
direction oi' the movement of the iston and longitudinally thereof whereby the time of
adjacent a side wall of the cylin er, an in relative approachlbetween the piston and
65
der, a piston reciprocable within the cylin
electric clrcuit being continuously supplied
sulated rotatable spindle enteringV the cham
electrode to sparking position 1s changed
ber ot' the cylinder through a side wall there with respect tothe cycle of» movement of
of, and an electrode coöperating -With the the piston within the cylinder.
face of the projection .on the piston mounted
on the inner end lof the spindle out of line
35 with the axis of rotation thereof.
2. In a gas engine, in combination, a plu
l
~
BENJAMÍN F. STEWART.
'Witnesses:
_
_ CHARLES B. GILLsoN,
Lome K. GILLsoN. '
‘