US1292004A - Spark-plug cleaner. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 2l, 1919.

F. C. MILLER.

SPARK PLUG CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. 1916.

INVENTOR wr'rN EssEs N TED s FRANK' CORNELIUS MILLER, OF TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

SPARK-PLUG cLEANEa.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application led September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KFRANK C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinidad,.in the county of LasAnimas and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to spark plug cleaners, and its object is to 'provide a simple and inexpensive device whereby spark plugs may 'be readily cleansed ofV accumulated carbon, even though the latter tenaciously adheres to the parts of the spark plug covered thereby.

In accordance with the present-invention there is provided a casing having a hopper for abrasive material into which hopper usedabrasive material may be readily returned. Connected with the hopper is a blast nozzle having connections exterlor to the casing `for the application'of a duct whereby compressed air may be utilized as the propelling force for the abrasive material. The casing is further provided with a holding device for .a spark plug which holding def vice is arranged to protect parts which would otherwise be subjected to the abrasive.

material from harmful eii'ect.

The invention will be best' understoo'dV from a considera-tion of the following detailed description, taken in connection with v the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter 1s not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long changes and modifications come within the scope ofthe appended claims.-

In the drawings:

Figurel is a central section through the device, some parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of thel device.

Fig. 3 is a detail vlew of a portion of the nozzle structure. V l

Fig. 4 is an elevationof a -removable part of the spark plug holder.

as such y casing has a cap 2 by means of which access may behad to the interior of the casing and this cap is formed with a perforated sec'tion 3. I Furthermore, -the cap carries a disk 4 rotatable about a pivot 5 and the disk has an opening 6 therethrough which may conform substantially to the perforated section 3 of the cap. The opening 6 is of such area that it may expose the perforations 3 or the disk may be turned 'to carry 'the opening 6 .away from the perforated portion andthe imperforate part` of the disk will then cover the perforations.

Within the casing at a short distance below the open end thereof there is a hopper .7 having a wall 8 spaced away from the tracted as shown at 11, and is cut to forml a longitudinal slot 12 for a purpose to be described. The contracted end of the pipe 9 extends across the long part 11 of the T l 10 and entering one end of the long part 11 is ano'ther pipe extending to the exterior of the casing Where it is connected to a valve 13, which latter is formed to receive a hose 14Aor other duct designed to carry air under pressure. The arrangement is such that with abrasive material in the hop.- per 7, such material will gravitate through the slit end of the i e 9 Into the long part 11 of the T 10 andpthen air under pressure entering through the valve 13 will pass around the contracted end of the pipe and withdraw abrasive ma'terial lfrom the pipe 9 through the slot 12 and drive al stream of abrasive material toward the other side of the casing 1, the force of the air stream being regulated by the valve 13. A

.Within the casingand fastto that wall thereof remote from the valve 13 is a holder block 15 Ahaving a passage 16 therethrough. The block 15 .is held to the casing by bolts 17, which bolts also secure to the 'blocka ring 18 surrounding 'the passage 16. Moreover, the side-.of lthe casing to which the block'15 is attached hasa passage 19 therethrough of a size substantlally that of the passage 16. The bolts 17 each carry a washer 20 capable of turning on the boltl and held thereto by a nu't 21, the Washer5 having a purpose to be described.-

Adapted to the opening 16 is a sleeve 22 with an outer peripheral flange 23 at one' end. 'The interior of the sleeve is screwthreaded and the sleeve is adapted to receive Y 19 into the passage 16 vuntil it abuts against the ring 18 or against the outer wall of the casing 1 and is held in place by the .washers 20, which operate as clamp members holding the sleeve 22 from accidental displacement. In this manner, the sparking 'end of the spark-plug is held within the casing in line with the air blast issuing from the portion 11 of the 'l' 10 which, therefore, serves as a nozzle. Abrasive material carried by the air blast is driven by the latter against the sparking end of the spark plug then Within the casing, the abrasive material serving to remove any accumulations of carbon which maybe present on the sparking end of the plug. If the accumulations be hard and-tenacious, the air blast may 'be regulated so as to remove such accumulations. In any event, the stream of abrasive material driven by the air blast against the sparking end of the spark plug quickly cleanses I the spark plug. Now, by unclamping the sleeve 22 the spark plug is readily removed from the casing, and if needful other spark lugs are similarly cleaned. The reservoir may be large enough to hold suicient abrasive material to cleanse several spark plugs, or it may contain only enough abrasive material to cleanse but one spark plug.

When the air blast is in operation, the disk 4 is moved to expose the erforated portion 3, thus providing escape or the air. The used abrasive material flows to the bottom of the casing. When it is desired to return such material to the ho per 7, which may be done after the spar plug is removed, a cork `25, shown in Fig. 5, or any A. other closure is introduced into the opening 16, and the disk 4 is turned to close the perforatlons 3, after which the casing is inverted in the manner already described to return the abrasive material to the hopper 7 The block 15 may be made of wood, and rf such material be used or even if metal like iron be used, the abrasive material is liable to injure it. For this reason, the ring 18 is provided and this ring is made of some such material as hard steelcapableof more effectively resisting the action of the aaeaeea abrasive material than either wood or some relatively soit metal.

l The structure may be made of relatively small size and in the-case of the device being used in connection with an automobile, air pumps are sufficiently common with such vehicles to provide air under pressure. In fact any other gas under pressure will operate as would air under pressure.

,What is claimed is Y 1. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising `a 'readily invertible casing with a container therein for loose abrasive material at the top portion thereof, said container being provided with a high opening communicating with the interlor of the casing, blast means lcornmunicatin with the container and entering one slde and directed' crosswise of the casing, and a holder for the'spark plug entering the opposite side of the casing in line with the blast means and positioned to hold the spark plug with the sparking end presented toward the Vblast means and in line with a stream of material projected by the blast means toward the spark plug.

2. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising a casing with a container for loose abrasive mater1al at a high point therein and provided with an openingfor directing abrasive material collected in the bottom of the casing into the container by the inversio'n of the casing, blast means carried by the casing and entering one side thereof and directed toward the other side, and a holder for a spark plug mounted in the side of the casing opposite the blast means and axially alined therewith to support a spark plug with the sparking end. toward the blast means and the other end of the spark plug exterior to the casing.

3. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising a casing for containing'loose abrasive material, blast means entering one side of the casing and communicating with that part of the casing for holding the abrasive material to direct a stream thereof toward the opposite side of the casing, and an interiorly threaded holder -extending through said opposite side of the casing and at all times accessible at the exterior of the casing for receiving thethreaded base of' a spark plug to hold the sparking end of the plug within the casing and presented toward the blastI means and the other end of the spark plug'exterior to the casing, and the blastnaeaeei g threaded sleeve extending through said-other sleeve and the threaded portion of an inside ofthe casing in axial alinement With serted spark plug.. the blast means for holding a spark plug in testimony that I claim the foregoing with the sparking end of the spark plug' as my own, have hereto afiixed my signa- 5 inteioi1 to he easing, th; holder for the ture in the presence of two witnesses.

spar p ug aving means or securing it to the easing and provided with means resis- FRANK CORNELUS MILLER' tant to the abrasive action of the abrasive Witness/es: material and located within the easing in H. C. MOORE, 1e covering freiation to the inner end of the JAMES H. ROBERTS.

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