US3646922A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ignition system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-11-13
•
Granted: 1972-03-07
•
Expires: 1989-11-13
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed herein an ignition system of the capacitor discharge-type. The ignition system includes a source and cell, and a shutter therebetween driven from a suitable member of an internal combustion engine. The source and cell are included in a circuit arrangement for properly triggering an ignition coil. A new cap and rotor structure is disclosed for distributing voltage from the secondary of the ignition coil to the plugs of the engine. Additionally, a new centrifugal advance and a vacuum advance mechanism are disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas P Spalding
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:53
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02P; F02P7/00; F02P7/02; F02P7/021; F02P7/026; F02P7/027; F02P7/06; F02P7/073
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
279 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, said source means comprising a near infrared source and said cell means comprising a semiconductor responsive to near infrared radiation, and said near infrared source comprising a pair of incandescent lamps mounted in a predetermined apart relationship to provide a cone of light for impingement upon said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting said source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, said vacuum advance means comprising a fixture supporting said source and cell means, said fixture having an opening therein for receiving a peripheral portion of said shutter means to enable radiation from said source means directed toward said cell to be periodically interrupted, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
279 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, said source means comprising a near infrared source and said cell means comprising a semiconductor responsive to near infrared radiation, and said near infrared source comprising a pair of incandescent lamps mounted in a predetermined apart relationship to provide a cone of light for impingement upon said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting said source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, said vacuum advance means comprising a fixture supporting said source and cell means, said fixture having an opening therein for receiving a peripheral portion of said shutter means to enable radiation from said source means directed toward said cell to be periodically interrupted, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
264 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting said source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and said centrifugal advance means comprising a cup member coupled with said driving means and said weight means comprises a pair of weights pivotally coupled with said cup member, compression spring means disposed between said cup member and said weights for normally biasing said weights in said first direction, and adapter means coupled with said shutter means, said adapter means and weights having mating coupling means for enabling said adapter means to be rotated by said weights, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
264 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting said source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and said centrifugal advance means comprising a cup member coupled with said driving means and said weight means comprises a pair of weights pivotally coupled with said cup member, compression spring means disposed between said cup member and said weights for normally biasing said weights in said first direction, and adapter means coupled with said shutter means, said adapter means and weights having mating coupling means for enabling said adapter means to be rotated by said weights, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said vacuum advance means comprises a fixture supporting said source and cell means, said fixture having an opening therein for receiving a peripheral portion of said shutter means to enable radiation from said source means directed toward said cell to be periodically interrupted, housing means within which said fixture and said source and cell means are mounted, said housing means including a chamber having a piston therein responsive to pressure, said piston being coupled with said fixture for moving said fixture as a function of pressure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
257 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting sAid source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals, and said cap means of said distributor means comprising first and second caps with said rotor means disposed within said caps, one of said caps having an input voltage terminal and the other of said caps having a plurality of output voltage terminals, said conductor means of said rotor means being disposed to periodically align with respective output terminals for transferring voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
257 words
Ignition apparatus for engines and the like for supplying triggering pulses to an electrical ignition circuit and for distributing voltage pulses comprising rotatable shutter means, radiant source and cell means disposed adjacent said shutter means, said shutter means serving to periodically pass radiation from said source means to said cell means, vacuum advance means coupled with said source and cell means for relatively shifting sAid source and cell means and said shutter means as a function of pressure, driving means providing a source of rotary motion, centrifugal advance means coupled between said driving means and said shutter means for rotating said shutter means, the angular phase relationship of said shutter means with respect to said driving means being a function of the operation of said centrifugal advance means, said centrifugal advance means including pivoted weight means normally biased in one direction by compression spring means, and distributor means comprising a cap means having a plurality of output voltage terminals and rotor means driven with said shutter means, said rotor means having conductor means for receiving an input voltage and transferring said input voltage to said output terminals, and said cap means of said distributor means comprising first and second caps with said rotor means disposed within said caps, one of said caps having an input voltage terminal and the other of said caps having a plurality of output voltage terminals, said conductor means of said rotor means being disposed to periodically align with respective output terminals for transferring voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said second cap has four output terminals for use with a four cylinder internal combustion engine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said second cap has six output terminals for use with a six cylinder internal combustion engine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said second cap includes two output terminals, and said conductor means of said rotor means comprises a pair of conductors for periodically transferring voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said first cap includes said inlet terminal and further includes four outlet terminals, said second cap includes four outlet terminals, and said conductor means comprises a pair of conductors, one of which transfers voltage from said input terminal to the output terminals of said first cap and the second of which transfers voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals of said second cap.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
98 words
Ignition apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said output terminals of each of said caps are substantially equally angularly spaced, and the first of said pair of conductors has a plurality of voltage pickup members disposed to periodically align with said input terminal and an outlet terminal disposed to periodically align with said output terminals of said first cap, and the second of said pair of conductors has a plurality of voltage pickup members disposed to periodically align with said input terminal and an output terminal disposed to periodically align with said output terminals of said second cap.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
100 words
Distributor apparatus for engines and the like for receiving an input voltage and providing a plurality of output voltage pulses comprising cap means including first and second caps, one of said caps having an input voltage terminal and the other of said caps having a plurality of output voltage terminals, and rotor means disposed within said cap means, said rotor means having conductor means spaced from but alignable with said input and output terminals for receiving an input voltage and being disposed to periodically align with respective output terminals for transferring voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
100 words
Distributor apparatus for engines and the like for receiving an input voltage and providing a plurality of output voltage pulses comprising cap means including first and second caps, one of said caps having an input voltage terminal and the other of said caps having a plurality of output voltage terminals, and rotor means disposed within said cap means, said rotor means having conductor means spaced from but alignable with said input and output terminals for receiving an input voltage and being disposed to periodically align with respective output terminals for transferring voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
Distributor apparatus as in claim 10 wherein, said second cap has four output terminals for use with a four cylinder internal combustion engine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
Distributor apparatus as in claim 10 wherein, said second cap has six output terminals for use with a six cylinder internal combustion engine.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
76 words
Distributor apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said first cap includes said inlet terminal and four outlet terminals, said second cap includes four outlet terminals, anD said conductor means comprises a pair of conductors, one of said conductors serving to transfer voltage from said input terminal to the output terminals of said first cap and the second of said conductors serving to transfer voltage from said input terminal to said output terminals of said second cap.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
166 words
Distributor apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said first cap includes said inlet terminal and four outlet terminals, said second cap includes four outlet terminals, the outlet terminals of each cap respectively being substantially equally angularly spaced, and said inlet terminal projecting into the interior of said first cap, and said rotor means is mounted for rotation within said cap and includes a central member of insulating material having first and second surfaces and a peripheral surface, said conductor means comprises a pair of conductors in said central member with each of said pair of conductors having a plurality of voltage pickup members extending through said peripheral surface and disposed to periodically align with said input terminal, each of said pair of conductors having a respective output conductor extending through the respective first and second surfaces of said central member and disposed to periodically align with the output terminals of said respective caps, said pair of conductors being insulated from one another by said central member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein one of said caps has at least an opening therein through which contaminants within said caps may be exhausted.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-07 | 1975-09-06 | 1976-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-07 | 1979-09-06 | 1980-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-07 | 1983-09-06 | 1984-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |