US1303431A - Engine-starter - Google Patents

Description

W. H. WASHBURNE.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. 19111 1,303,481. Patented May 13, 1919.

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w. H. WASHBUHNE.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.Z3; n91? Patented May 13, 1919.

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ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23.' NHL 1,303,431 Patented May13, 1919. I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W W m WILLIAM HART WASHBUBNE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE STAlRiTER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed April 23', 1917. Serial No. 163,858.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HART WASH- BURNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to starters for in ternal-combustion engines, such for example, as are commonly used in automoblles, motorboats, and similar appllances. Its prime object is to provide a simple, inexpensive ful attention to maintain in proper Working order. In every engine or motor of this kind, which requires starting, there is always one or more cylindersand their pistons, in what may be called the power-cycle or stroke, although the regular ignition apparatus may have completed its operation or sparking for such cylinder or cylinders before the engine was stopped. These pistons may be in quite different points of their strokes. One purpose of the invention is to take advantage of such piston or pistons for giving the engine its initial movement. This is accomplished by injecting fuel or an ex plosive-mixture charge into all such power-,

cycle cylinders and igniting them by an ignition apparatus supplemental to the regular ignition device. In order to attain the maximum starting torque or turning movement of the motor-shaft, instead of igniting the plurality of mixture charges in the powercycle cylinders when the motor is still in succession, as would ordinarily occur in the usual operation of the motor, the charges are fired simultaneously to secure the cumulative eifect and momentary greater power. A further object of the invention is to pre pare all those cylinders which the stopped engine left in the compression cycle with a mixture charge so that when their pistons reach the explosive position their charges will be ignited and the work which these istons do. will supplement that accomplished by the previous explosions in the power-cycle cylinders. In addition tothe above, in order that those cylinders of the stopped engine whose pistons are in the intake stroke may receive a suitable charge,

the device also injects fuel into the intake manifold. It will be clear, therefore, that all of the cylinders aresuitably cared for to immediately take up successively the work of turning the engine shaft just as soon as its rotation has been initiated by the simultaneous explosions in the power-cycle cylinders; and in this way the engine is started effectively, efliciently, and easily.

In order that those; skilled in this art may have a full and complete understanding of this invention and its various advantages, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, preferred embodiments of the inven tion, and throughout the various views of these drawings, like reference characters refer to the same parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the whole appliance;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section of that porltion of the apparatus for feeding the ue i Fig. 3 shows in enlarged section one of the injection valves of an engine-cylinder and is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: shows the rotary electric contact member and is a section on line 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the cooperating stationary electric contact member, and is a section on line 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 represents the fuel distributer for the various cylinders and is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the electric connections; r

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic section through a twelve-cylinder engine equipped with the invention;

Fig. 9 shows the fuel distributer for such a motor;

Fig. 10 shows one member of the electrical contact device, and

Fig. 11 is a face view of the cooperating contact member.

For the sake of simplicity in illustration, my invention is shown in the drawings in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, and described below, in connection with a four-cylinder engine, but its applicability and advantages in use with motors of a greater or lesser number of cylinders will be obvious to those skilled in this art. It is deemed unnecessary to il1ustrate the appliance with a six, eight, or twinsix cylinder engine, except as shown in the remaining figures of the drawings.

Referring first to the appliance shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, it will be noted that the engine 10 has-the four cylinders 11, 1'2, 13, and 14, each with its customary piston 15, 16, 17, and 18, respectively, all in diifer ent phases of their strokes. As shown, the enginehas stopped with the cylinder 11 and its piston 15 in the power-cycle stroke, but the ignition point or time for such cylinder passes before the engine stopped with the parts in the positions illustrated. Advantage cannot, therefore, be taken of the ordinary ignition device to fire the charge to be injected into this cylinder, although its spark-plug maybe employed in part for this purpose. Cylinder 13 and its piston 17 are in the compression cycl and the piston stopped at the position shown during its upward compressionstroke. CylinderlQ and its associated piston 16 are in the intake cycle, and themovement of the piston was arrested in its downward travel during the stopping of theengine. Cylinder 14 and its contained piston 18 are in the exhaust cycle, the movement of the piston having been stopped during its upward travel.

On the dash-board 19 of the automobile, or on any other suitable support, within a housing 20, a foot-lever or pedal 21 is fulcrumed at 22 and is normally pressed in one direction, that is, toward the driver or operator, by a spring-pressed plunger 23 loosely connected to the lever at 24. At 25 the lever is likewise loosely connected to a rod 26 slidable through a bearing 27 of a cylinder-head 28 and carrying a plunger 29 on its inner end, such plunger sliding in the cylinder 30 of which the head 28 forms part. As is usual in constructions of this kind, the plunger is equipped with rings 31 to maintain a fluid-tight relation with the inner surface of the cylinder. The opposite cylinder head 32 is shaped with a central depression 33 for the accommodation inside of the cylinder of a rotary-valve 34, such depressed portion of the head hav ing four ports 35, 36, 37, and 38 connected by that it I always registers pipes or tubes 39, 40, 41, and 42, interior of the engine- cylinders 11, 12, 13, and 14 respectively. The rotary-valve has an arcuate or curved port 43 of sufiicient length to communicate with two 35, 36, 37, and 38, at the same time. Valve 34 is mounted on a suitably-supported revoluble shaft 44 extended centrally through the cylinder-head 32, such shaft being driven from the engine crank-shaft by a sprocketwheel 45,'a cooperating sprocket-chain 46, a sprocket-wheel 47 with a bearing 48, and a flexible shaft 49 of any desirable structure secured to the free end of the valve-shaft. Valve port 43 is so mounted on the shaft with those enginecylinders whose pistons are in the power-and compressioncycles. In the present instance by means of a 1n connection with the corresponding with the of theports the part is shown as establishing communication between the interior of cylinder 30 and the engine- cylinders 11 and 13.

Each pipe or tube 39, 40, 41, and 42, connected to its particular engine-cylinder check-valve 50 comprising a 51 fitted in the cylinder-wall P p 39, for instance. Member 51 has a curved ported valve-seat 52, a curved or cup-shaped valve 53 pulled upwardly by a spring 54 fastened to its central part and secured to a cross-pin 55. By this means I provide an outwardly-closing valve which permits the passage of the fuel-charge and in which the spring is adequately protected from the heat of the engine.

The cylinder-wall 32 is provided with an air-inlet check-valve and above the cylinder I provide a tube 61 containing a reciprocatory plunger 62 on a plunger-rod 63 extended through a stufling-box 64 and bearing 65 on the underside of the top-wall of housing 20 and loosely connected at 66 to the upper-end of lever 21 above its fulcrum, so that the two associated plungers29 and 62 will travel in opposite directions when the lever swings in one direction only. Cylinder or tube 61 intermediate its length has a pipeconnection 67 to the intake-manifold of the engine, (not shown), such connection having a spring-pressed valve 68 opening outwardly with respect to the tube. At one end tube 61 has a pipe connection 69 to the gasolene supply-tank, (not shown), this connection being equipped adjacent to the tube with a spring-pressed valve 70 closing outwardly with respect to the tube. At the same end tube 61 has a pipe connection 71 with the interior of cylinder 30, the pipe having a spring-pressed check-valve 72 closing outwardly with respect to cylinder 30, which, of course, is inwardly relatively to tube 61. The lower end of pipe 71 has a plurality of small perforations 73 so that the liquid fuel will be sprayed into cylinder 30.

This part of the apparatus operates practically as follows:

Valve 34 by its synchronous rotation with the engine-shaft always maintains communication with those cylinders whose pistons are in their power and compression strokes. Tube 61 was filled with gasolene drawn through pipe 69 and valve 70 when the foot of the operator was last released from the pedal lever, so that a charge of gasolene is always available from such tube. To start the engine, the driver merely depresses the pedal 21 against the action of the compression-spring opposing plunger 23. This causes a simultaneous movement of plunger 29 to the left and plunger 62 to the right, the latter plunger delivering a portion of the liquid fuel in tube 61 through valve 68 and pipe 67 into the intake-manifold and sprayhollow member ing the remainder into the air in cylinder 30 through pipe 71, valve 72, and perforations 73, such air at the same time undergoing compression by reason of the travel of plum ger 29 and, consequently, being somewhat heated. Obviously, this explosive gaseous mixture is delivered through pipes 39 and 41 into the cylinders 11 and 13, whose pistons 15- and 17 are in their power and compression cycles respectively. Of course, upon release of the pedal lever air is sucked into cylinder 30 through valve 60 and a new charge of liquid fuel is drawn into tube 61 ready for the next starting operation. It is now necessary to explain the ignition device.

On shaft 44 an insulation contact-member 80 is fixed to revolve therewith and carries a curved or arcuate contact 81 with a radial leg 82 and a radial contact 83. Mounted on shaft 44 and slidable thereon by a plurality of arms 84, 84, supported on rods 26 and bent to extend around cylinder 30, I provide an insulation contactanember 85 having four contacts 86, 87, 88 and 89, connected by wires 90 to the spark-plugs 91 of the cylinders 11, 12, 13, and 14, respectively. As is shown, these four contacts are spaced away from the axis of shaft 44 a distance equal to that of the curved contact 81. Member 85 carries also three concentric conducting ring contacts 92, 93, and 94, ring 92 being in register with contact 82 and rings 93 and 94 being in alinement with the ends of con tact 83.

An electric circuit 100 containing battery 101 and the primary 102 of a transformer has its terminals, as shown in Fig. 7, connected to the contact rings 93 and 94, whereas a second electric circuit 103 containing the secondary winding 104 of the transformer and grounded at 105, has its other terminal connected to the outer ring contact 92.

Both of these circuits are normally open because the two contact members 80 and 85 are ordinarily separated. At the end of the stroke the lever 21, the contacts of member 85 are slid into contact with the registering contacts of member 80 so that contact 83 completes the primary circuit 100 by enga ing rings 93 and 94 and the secondary circuit is closed through the spark-plug of cylinder 11 by the engagement of the duplex contact 8182 with the terminal 86 and ring 92. This causes a spark at the spark-plug of the power cycle cylinder 11, resulting in ignition and explosion of its injected charge, thus starting the engine.

As soon as the operation of the motor is initiated, in this way, it is continued by the regular ignition apparatus of the engine, which soon afterward ignites the injected charge in cylinder 13 as soon as its compression is completed. The injection of fuel into the intake-manifold in the manner specified insures that cylinder 12 will have a proper charge during the remainder of the admission stroke of its piston, and such charge will, of course, after compression, be ignited.

It should be obvious that by thus injecting these charges and starting the ignition by the auxiliary device, the engine is, so to speak, timed for immediate action, the ex plosion in the power-cycle cylinder starting the turning movement of the engine-shaft which work is at once taken up by the charges in the other cylinders then operating under the regular ignition apparatus of the engine.

Where the engine or motor has more than four cylinders, it is possible to secure simul taneous explosions in a plurality of cylinders to effect the first movement of the engine, the other cylinders being timed in substantially the same manner as described above. By way of illustration, I have shown in Fig. 8 a twelve-cylinder engine and for simplicity of illustration I have indicated all the cylinders in a line. This engine comprises the twelve cylinders 100 to 111 inclusive, together with their cooperating pistons 112 to 123 inclusive. The engine has stopped with the pistons in the positions shown in Fig. 8, the downward movements of the pistons 112, 121, and 123, having been arrested in their power-strokes at the angular positions shown. The upward movements of pistons 114, 116', and 118, werearrested in the compression strokes in the relations shown.

The downward movements of pistons 113.

and 120, and 122, were stopped during their intake strokes, the pistons being in the positions illustrated. The upward scavenging strokes of the pistons 115, 117, and 119 were stopped with the pistons in the relations indicated. It is necessary, therefore, to inject the explosive mixture into cylinders 100, 102, 104, 106, 109, and 111, the pistons of the cylinders 100, 109 and 111 being in the poyer stroke, whereas the pistons of the cylinders 102, 104, and 106 are in their compression strokes. Of course, at the same time, fuel would be injected into the intake manifold so that the pistons of cylinders 101, 108, and 110 would draw in charges during the remainder of their strokes. As is shown in Fig. 9, the distributer valve mechanism comprises the two cooperating parts 32 and 34, the former being stationary and the latter being rotatable as in the part 34 of the device shown in Fig. 1. The element 32 has twelve ports connected by a like number of pipes to the various cylinders, the pipes and ports being arranged in the order shown in Fig. 9. Pipe 124 communicates with cylinder 100, 126 with cylinder 102, 128 with cylinder 104, 130 with cylinder 106, 132 with cylinder 108, 134 with cylinder 110, 125 with cylinder 101, 127 with cylinder 103, 129 with cylinder 105, 131 with cylinder 107, with cylinder 111. The rotary valvemember 34 is provided with a curved port 136 which at all times establishes communication with six of the cylinders. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9the injection apparatus is in communication with cylinders .100, 102, 104, 106, 109, and 111, so that upon actuation of the appliance an explosive charge .will'not only be delivered into the intake manifold, but also into all cylinders in the powerwand compression cycles. The insulation electric contact member-85 has three contact rings 92, 93, and 94, as in the other construction, and itv also has twelvecontacts 140 to 151 inclusive. The spark plug of cylinderlOO is connected by wire 152 to contact 140; cylinder 101 by wire 153 to contact 146; cylinder 1 02 by'wire 154 to contact 141; cylinder 103 by wire 155 to contact 147; cylinder 104 by wire 156 to contact 142.; cylinder 105 by wire 157 to contact 158; cylinder 106 by wire 158 to contact 143; cylinder 107 by wire 159 to contact 149; cylinder 108 by wire 160 to contact 144; cylinder 109 by Wire 161 to contact 150; cylinder 110 by starter,'the combination of wire 162-t0 contact 145; wire 163 to contact 151. dotted lines'in Fig. 11, the arcuate cylinder 111 by As is indicated in 10 and in full lines in contact 81 is of sufficient length to cover three of thestationary contacts and as the pistons are stopped, Fig. 8, this portion would cover the three contacts 140, 151, and 150, thus establishing electrical communication with the pistons of cylinders 100, 1.09, and 111, the pistonsofwhich are all in the power cycle.

From this description and in the illustration, itwill be apparent that simultaneous explosions occur in all of the power cycle cylinders and that the remaining cylinders are prepared "for explosion soon afterward by the regular ignition apparatus-of the appliance.

To those skilled in this art it will be clear that many minor mechanical changes may be made in the structures presented'without departure from the substance of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of 1ts substantial benefits and advantages.

I claim: 1. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive-charge into the engine-cyl1nder whose piston is-in the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose piston is 1n the compression-cycle, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition deviceof the engine to explode said charge in the power cycle cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion-engine means to inject an explosive-charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the power- 133 with cylinder 109, and 185 cycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-cycle, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignitiondevice of engine to explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantially as described.

3. In an internalcombustion -engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive-charge into all of the engine cylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-eye]e, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantially as described.

4. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive-charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston is the engine-cylinder whose piston is in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into tlre intake manifold of the engine, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition de vice of the engine to explode said charge in the power-cycle cylinder, substantially as described. I

5. In an internal-combustion-enginc starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into all of the engine cylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the intake manifold of the engine, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of the engine to explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantially as described.

6. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in the compression-cycle, and means to inject fuel into the intake manifold of the engine substantially simultaneously with the injection of the explosive charges into the cylinders, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of the engine to explode said charge in'the power-cycle cylinder, substantially as described.

In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the intake manifold of the engine substantially simultaneously with the injection of the explosive in the power-cycle and into charges into the cylinders, and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantially as described.

8. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive-charge into the engine-cylinder Whose piston is in the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder Whose piston is in the compression-cycle, means supplemental to the regular ignition-device of the engine to explode said charge in the power-cycle cylinder, and a single common operating-means for said injection and ignition means, sub stantially as described.

9. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-cycle, means supplemental to the regular ignitiondevice of the engine to explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, and a single common operating-means for said injection and ignition means, substantially as described.

10. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression cycle,

topics of this patent may be obtained for means supplemental to the regular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, and a single operating-means common to said injection and ignition means, substantially as described.

11. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means to inject an explosive charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the intake-manifold, means supplemental t0 the regular ignition device of the engine to explode said charge in the power-cycle cylinder, and a single operating-means common to said charge injection, fuel injection, and ignition, substantially as described.

12. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of-means to inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistons are in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the engine intakemanifold substantially simultaneously with the injection of said explosive charges into said cylinders, means supplemental to the regular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, and a single operating-means common to said charge injection, fuel injection, and ignition, substantially as described.

WILLIAM HART WASHBURNE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents,

Washington, D. 0."

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