US1352433A - Electrical ignition system - Google Patents

Description

F. CONRAD.

ELECTRICAL IGNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, I9I0- RENEWED APR- 4,191?- 1,352,433. I PatentedSept. 14, 1920.

z'f zz WITNESSES:

. y Z INVENTOR primary circuit that FRANK CONRAD,

OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOIISE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN IA.

ELECTRICAL IGNITION SYSTEM.

Application filed September 26, 1910, Serial No. 583,858. Renewed April 4, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Ignition Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical ignition systems and particularly to such systems as are employed for igniting the charges of explosion engines and for similar purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of the character indicated, in which a high potential is produced for causing the initial discharge across the gap between the terminals of the spark plug and in which a relatively large amount of energy is caused to follow the said discharge. The system is simple and inexpensive and permits of the employment of its source of current for lighting and for other purposes.

.Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates, diagramatically, a system embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the system.

As shown, the system is supplied with current from a battery 1, which may be either a primary or a secondary battery, though it may be supplied from any other suitable source, such as a generator or magneto. If desired, the source may also supply current for lighting or other purposes.

Directly connected to the battery, is a comprises a coil 2 of a reactance device 2 an interrupter 3 and a primary winding 4 of a transformer or induction coil 5, the said devices being all connected in series relation. The interrupter 3 may conveniently consist of an arm 6 that is normally maintained in engagement with a terminal member 7 and is raised out of engagement therewith by means of a cam 8, that is actuated by the engine or other device in connection with which the ignition system is employed.

In shunt to the interrupter, is a condenser 10 that is employed, as usual, for the purpose of assisting the interrupter to quickly break circuit, and, in shunt to the ini the primary terrupter and the primary winding 4 of the induction coil, isv another condenser 11, in which energy is temporarily stored, upon interruption of the primary circuit v In shunt to the secondary winding 12 of circuit of the system,

device 2 is Serial No. 159,844.

the induction coil 5, is an auxiliary spark device 13 having permanently separated terminals, the distance between which is so adjusted that, when the primary circuit is interrupted, the high voltage induced in the secondary circuit will cause a discharge between them, thereby setting up high voltage. The secondary, circuit further comprises a spark plug 14 that is connected between the terminals of the secondary winding 12 and those of the auxiliary spark device- 13, condensers 15 and 16 being respectively included in the connections between said parts for the purpose of preventing the supply of direct current to the parts 12 and 13, and also to cause an accumulation of the potential in the secondary circuit. The spark plug 14 is also connected, independently of its connections to the secondary circuit, to the terminals of the reactance coil 2 that is in the primary circuit and, in some instances, it may be found desirable to include, in the said connections, other coils 17 and 18 that are wound upon the same core as the coil 2 and serve to increase the potential, and to reduce the current, of the energy supplied to the spark plug 14 from the primary circuit,

the periods of the discharge between the terminals'of the spark plug being thereby increased.

WVhen the terminals of the interrupter 8 engage each other, the battery or source 1 supplies current to the primary winding 4 of the induction coil, energy being at the same time stored in the reactancedevice 2. Upon interruption of-"the primary circuit by the interrupter 3, the condenser 11 becomes charged, and a high potential is induced in the secondary winding 12 of the induction coil which causes a discharge, between the terminals of the auxiliary spark device 13, the discharge setting up high-potential and high-frequency oscillations in the secondary which are conducted to the spark plug 14 through the condensers 15 and 16 and which, by reason of their high voltage and frequency, readily ump the gap between its terminals. The high resistance of the gap between the terminals of the spark plug being thus broken down, the energy previously stored in the reactance also discharged across the gap followed by the rebound of the charge put into the condenser 11 upon interruption of the primary circuit. A very reliable and Specification of Letters Patent... Patented S t 14 1920 r hot spark is thus produced which is particularly effective for ignition purposes. Since the voltage necessary to overcome the resistance of the gap between the terminals of the spark plug remains substantially uniform, the time required to discharge the energy stored in the reactance device 2 across the said gap will depend upon the number of turns in the coils of said device. It will be noted that the energy stored in device 2 is discharged through all of the coils 2, 17 and 18 thereof, and, consequently, a greater time is required to complete the discharge than if the discharge occurred only through the coil 2. This insures that the spark between the terminals of the spark plug will continue a sufiicient length of time to be effective. The discharge of the stored energy through all of the coils 2, 17 and 18 insures that it will be supplied to the spark plug at a voltage higher than that of the source, the reactance device operating, in effect, as an autotransformer since the coil 2 is common to the primary and the secondary circuits.

It will thus be seen that, by means of the present system, a high-potential discharge is first produced which causes a breaking down of the resistance of the gap between the terminals of the spark plug, and that thisis followed by a discharge of energy obtained from the primary circuit, which energy is in such form as to produce a spark that is particularly suitable for ignition and similar purposes.

In the system of Fig. 2, the circuits are somewhat simplified and rearranged, the same reference numerals bein applied to parts corresponding to those found in the system of Fig. 1. One terminal of the battery 1, the condenser 11, the interrupter 3, the spark plug 14.- and the secondary circuit is grounded, the wiring being. thus simplified. The coil 20 of a reactance device 21 is connected in series with the battery 1 and the spark plug 1 1, between .their ungrounded terminals, and one terminal of primary winding 4 of the induction coil is connected to approximately the middle or another suitableintermediate point 22 of the coil 20.

ne terminal of the condenser 11 is connected to the coils 20 at 23 between the connection of the winding 4 thereto and the terminal thereof that is plug 14. Only one condenser 15 is used in the secondary circuit of the induction coil.

he primary circuit that is periodically interrupted by the interrupter 3 comprises the battery 1, the left-hand portion of the coil 20, the winding 4, and the interrupter When this circuit is interrupted, high-voltage and high-fre uency oscillations are set up in the secon ary circuit which jump across the gap of the spark plug, followed by the discharge of the energy stored in the ing a source of electricity,

the condenser 11,

spark device and a spark plug, the spark plug being also in circuit with the reactance device.

2. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, a primary circuit associated with said sourceand including an interrupter and a reactance device, and a secondary circuit inductively related to the primary circuit and including an auxiliary spark device, a spark plug, and condensers interposed between the spark plug and the auxiliary spark device, the spark plug being also in circuit with the reactance device.

3. An electrical ignition I a primary circuit associated with said source and including an interrupter and a reactance device, and a secondary circuit inductively related to the primary circuit and including an auxiliary spark device and a spark plug, the spark plug being also in circuit with the reactance device, and reactance included in the connections of the spark plug to the reactance ing system comprise a source of electricity, an induction 0011 having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected an interrupter included in circuit with the primary winding of the induction coil, a condenser connected in parallel to the ininduction coil, and a spark between the terminals of winding of the induction plug connected the secondar coil and system compristo the source, a reactance device and.

between the terminals of the reactance device.

6. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected to the source, a reactance device and an interrupter included in circuit with the primary winding of the induction coil, an auxiliary spark device connected'in circuit with the secondary winding of the induction coil, a spark plug connected between the terminals of the secondary winding of the induction coil and also to the reactance device,.and condensers included in the connections between the spark plug and the secondary winding of the induction coil.

7. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected to the source, a reactance device and an interrupter included in circuit with the primary winding of the induction coil, an auxiliary spark device connected in circuit with the secondary winding of the induction coil, a spark plug connected between the terminals of the secondary winding of the induction coil and also to the reactance device, and reactance coils included in the connections between the spark plug and the reactance device.

8. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, a primary circuit associated with said source and including an interrupter and a reactance device, and a secondary circuit inductively related to the primary circuit and including a spark plug that is also connected between terminals of the reactance device.

9. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, a primary circuit associated with said source and including an interrupter and a portion of the wind ing of a reactance device, and a secondary circuit inductively related to the primary circuit and including a spark plug and between the terminals of which the total winding of the reactance device is connected.

10. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, a reactance device having a plurality of coils, an interrupter, a primary circuit including the source, one of the coils of the reactance device, and the interrupter, a secondary circuit that is inductively related to the primary circuit, and a spark plug included in the secondary circuit and connected to all of the coils of the reactance device.

11. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected to the source, a reactance device and an interrupter connected in circuit with the primary winding of the induction 0011, a condenser connected in parallel with the interrupter and the primary winding of the induction coil, an auxiliary spark device connected to the secondary winding of the induction coil, and a spark plug connected between the terminals of the secondary winding of the induction coil and also between the terminals of the reactance device.

12. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected to the source, a reactance device and an interrupter included in circuit with the primary winding of the induction coil, a condenser connected in parallel with the in terrupter and the primary winding of the induction coil, an auxiliary spark device connected in circuit with the secondary winding of the induction coil, a spark plug connected between the terminals of the secondary winding of the induction coil and also to the reactance device, and condensers included in the connections between the spark plug and the secondary winding of the induction coil.

13. An electrical ignition system comprising a source of electricity, an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the primary winding of which is connected to the source, a reactance device and an interrupter included in circuit with the primary winding of the induction coil a condenser connected in parallel with the interrupter and the primary winding of the induction coil, an auxiliary spark device connected. in circuit with the secondary winding of the induction coil, a spark plug connected between the terminals of the secondary winding of the induction coil and also to the reactance device, and reactance coils included in the connections between the spark plug and the reactance device.

14:. An ignition system comprising a source of current, a spark plug, means receiving current from said source for producing an oscillatory discharge to initially establish a spark at the spark plug, and energy storing means that receives energy from said source and supplies it to the spark plug following the initially established spark.

15. An ignition system comprising a source of current, a spark plug, means receiving current from said source for producing an oscillatory discharge to initially establish a spark at the spark plug, and energy storing means that receives energy from said source and supplies it at an increased voltage to the spark plug following the initially established spark.

' lish a spark 16. An ignition system comprising a source of current, a spark plug, means receiving current from said source for producing an oscillatory discharge to initially establish a spark at the spark plug, and energy storing means that intermittently receives energy from said source and supplies it to the spark plug following the initially established spark."

17. An ignition system comprising a source of current, a spark plug, means receiving current from said source for producing an oscillatory discharge to initially establish a spark at the spark plug, and energy storing means that intermittently receives energy from said source and supplies it at an increased voltage to the spark plug following the initially established spark.

18. An ignition system comprising a source of energy and a spark plug, of means comprising said source for initially establishing a spark across the terminals of said spark plug and means for storing energy received from said source and supplying it to said spark plug at a voltage higher than that of said source.

19. An ignition system comprising a source of energy and a spark plug, of means comprising said source for initially establishing a spark at the spark plug, and means comprising an impedance device for storing energy received from said source and supplying it to said spark plug at a voltage higher than that of source.

11 ignition system comprising a source of current, and a spark plug, of means comprising said source for producing an oscillatory discharge to initially estabat the spark plug, and means comprising an impedance device for storing energy received from said source and suplishing a spark across the terminals of said spark plug and means for storing energy received from said source and supplying it to said spark plug.

22. An ignition source of energy and a spark plug, of means comprising said source for initially establishing a spark at the spark plug, and means comprising an impedance device for storing energy received from said source and supplying it to said spark plug.

23. An ignition system comprising a source of current and a spark plug, of means comprising said source for initially establishing a spark across the terminals of said spark plug, and means in addition to said source for storing energy received from said source and supplying it directly to said spark plug. 24. In an ignition system, the combination with a source-of electricity and a spark plug, of a primary circuit including said source, a primary Winding and an interrupter in series relation, a secondary circuit including said spark ondary Winding inductively related to said primary winding, and means for storing electricityreceived from said source and supplying it to said spark plug.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23rd day of Sept,

FRANIQCONRAD. Witnesses A. W. Corner, B. B. HINES.

system comprising a plug and a sec-.

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