US1580562A - Translucent sparn-plug intensipier - Google Patents

Description

April 13 1926. 1,580,562

H. D. MOORE I TRANSLUCENT SPARK PLUG INTENSIFIER Filed April 11, 1925 Inventor. Henry D. Moore Attys.

Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

'of the spark plug;

UNITED STATES I, 1 1,580,562 PATENT- OFFICE.

HENRY n. MOORE, or Bosrom'MAssRcHusEfis, assiqiton 1-0 name 1). BAKER,

or msssacrrtismrsj mansnucmwr SPARK-PLUG immwsn rmy Applicat'ion filcd' Aili'il 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. Moons; a citizen of the United States and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Translucent Spark-Plug Intensifiers,' of which the following description incon'nection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a spark intensifier and the object thereof is to provide;- a

novel spark intensifier of the type forming a gap in the circuit wire of a spark plug.

A further object of the-presentinvention is to form such a spark intensifier in -which the auxiliar-y spark gap is visible. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric-ally insulating-translucent spark plug cap havingan aperture therein which forms a spark gap and aninclosed visible spark chamber.

A further object of thepresen-t invention is to provide aglass spark plug cap form-ing an auxiliary spark gap.

Other objects and features of the inven: tion will more fully appear'from the following description and the accompanying draw-- ings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation'of; the spark intensifier applied to a spark plug with meanson the intensifier for engaging thespark plug electrode toretain the intensifieronthe spark plug;

F ig. 2 is a vertical section through the intensifier and the top, of the spark plug shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to: Fig. 3 but showing different means for retaining the terminal of the spark plug lead wire on the intensifier Fig. 5 is an elevation of the intensifier with minor detail changes applied to the end Fig. 6 is a section on line 66' Fig. 5.

The device illustrated herein is designed to beused in conjunction with an electric circuit havin therein a spark ap. It is particularlydesigned to be used in the cir} euit wire of a s ark plug on an internal comb stion engine to form a spark dgap auxiliary to the spark gap on the an of 1923. Serial No. 631,274.

the'plu-g which lies in the cylinder of the is desirable to' permit the operator of the engine actually to see, during the period when the engine is" runi ing, that current s flowing through the circuit wire of the spark plug by seeing the spark jump across the a'uxiliaryspark gap-in the visible chamher and thus assure himself that, should the enginebe running 'i-rregi'ilarl-y; the

trouble does not lie in the ignition system v between the magneto, or other source of high voltage current. and the plug.

As] illustrated herein't he: device consists of an electrically insulating translucent bulb 1 made of any suitable material,-such for instance as glass. having an aperture' 2 vtherein, act-ing to. provide a path for the current across a separating gap and to form an incl'osed visible spark chamber. The wire of theelectric circuit illustrated herein comprises the: spark plug electrode 3 and terminal 5. V V.

In the form of device" illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 incl'usively the bulb I made in the form of an electrically insulating translitcent sparkplug cap presenting a groove 6 on its periphery to receive, and'supportthe terminal 5 of the spark plug'lead wire-and the aperture, 2 has} one end! communicating with said groove. "Anopening 7- communicates with the vaperture and houses, the end of the electrode 3- which projects above the spark plugin the usualnmanner. The aperture 2 is formed at such a height above! the base 8 01% the capft-hat the terminal of; the

the sparkplug lead wire 4- which has" a electrode lies adjacent one end of said aperture. For convenience in making, the aperture extends entirely through the cap forming two apertures and the opening 7 communicates with the inner end of each while the terminal 5 of the spark plug lead wire has portions lying adjacent to the outer end of each of said apertures. The terminal 5 may have either the form shown in Fig. 3

cap for retaining the cap on the spark plug. Such a means is shown at QFigs, land 2 and consists of a section of any suitable material, preferably metal, which is spun on the glass cap and has a section 10 embracing the outer periphery of the bottom of the cap and a section 11 which extends into the opening 7 to engage the terminal oi the electrode 3.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is the same in all essentials as that shown in F 1 and 2. In both forms the cap acts to hold the electrode and the terminal of the spark plug lead wire in spaced and insulated relation and the aperture acts to provide apath tor the current between said electrode and said terminal and to form an enclosed visible spark chamber. The. cap itself has, however, been made in a slightly different shape in order to permit the use of another form of means to retain on the cap the terminal of the lead wire. In this form of cap the aperture 2 does not go entirely through the cap but merely extends as tar the opening 7 which houses the electrode The cap is formed with a projection 12 thereon having a reduced neck 13 connecting said projection with the main body of the cap and aperture 2 extends through both the projection and the reduced neck. The means for retaining the lead wire on the cap is preferably a metal sleeve 1 1, of a size closely to embrace the insulation 15 oi? the lead wire, with a reduced end 16 which fits over the projection 12 and around the reduced neck 13 to retain the sleeve on the cap. The end of the sleeve lying away from the cap is turned inwardly as shown at 17 to bite into the insulation of the lead wire and thus hold the terminal of the lead wire, which in this case is the bare end of the wire itself, adjacent the end of the aperture. Wit-h this form of device the nut 18 ordinarily supplied with the spark plug is used to retain the cap on the plug.

Thus the device in either form illustrated is adapted to fit over the electrode of any ordinary spark plug without alteration of the spark plug construction. In the form shown in" Figs. 1 to'at the usual nut on the spark plug is discarded and the device is itself provided with means for holding it in position on the spark plug while in the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the device is made thinner and the usual nut acts as the retaining means.

From the above description it will be seen that the spark intensifier which forms the subject matter of this invention is extremely simple and can be cheaply manufactured.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrically insulating, translucent,

solid, integral spark plug bulb having an opening to fit over the spark plug electrode and having an aperture communicating with and extending transversely of the opening, the spark plug electrode lying adjacent one end of the aperture and the terminal of the spark plug lead wire lying adjacent the other end of the aperture when the bulb is in cosh tion.on the spark plug electrode, whereby the bulb acts to hold said electrode and said teminal in'spaced and insulated relation and the aperture acts to provide a path for the current between the electrode and the terminal and forms an inclosed visible spark chamber.

2. An electrically insulated translucent spark plug cap presenting a groove on its periphery to receive and support the. terminal of the spark plug lead wire, having an aperture with one end communicating with said groove, and having an opening communicating with the aperture to house the spark plug electrode adjacent the end of said aperture whereby the aperture will act to provide a path for the current across the gap between the electrode and the lead wire terminal and to form an inclosed visible spark chamber.

In testimony whereo i, I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY D. MOORE.

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