Spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine

Claim 2

A spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine comprising a pair of rotor parts having mating peripheral face portions that cooperate to define peripheral rotor faces and also having mating interfaces, one of said rotor parts having a hub portion determining an axis about which said rotor parts rotate, said interfaces transverse to said axis, the other of said rotor parts having an internal toothed gear concentric with said hub portion, the interface of said one rotor part having a spark plug recess for and open to every face portion of said one rotor part, spark plug means for each said rotor face, each said spark plug means comprising a metal coated ceramic body received in and having a shape to fill one spark plug recess, a first electrode in each said ceramic body having a terminal at one end for receiving aN electrical ignition pulse and a spark end at the other end projecting out past the associated face portion, a second electrode in each said ceramic body operatively grounded to said rotor and having a spark end projecting out past the associated face portion and spaced a spark distance from said spark end of said first electrode, and means permanently joining said mating rotor parts and said spark plug means where they have metal-to-metal contact with said spark plug means mounted in the interface of said one rotor part.

Claim 3

A spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine comprising a pair of metal rotor parts having mating peripheral face portions that cooperate to define peripheral rotor faces and also having mating interfaces, one of said rotor parts having a hub portion determining an axis about which said rotor parts rotate, said interfaces perpendicular to said axis, said one rotor part having axially extending pasages therethrough for the passage of coolant when said rotor parts are joined, the other of said rotor parts having an internal toothed gear concentric with said hub portion, the interface of said one rotor part having a recess open to every face portion of said one rotor part, an opening through said hub portion for every face portion, spark plug means for each said rotor face, each said spark plug means comprising a metal coated ceramic body having a trunk with a base portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said openings in said hub portion and with a top portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said recesses open to one of said face portions, a first electrode in each said ceramic body extending through said trunk having a terminal for receiving an electrical ignition pulse and a spark end projecting out through said top portion, a second electrode in each said ceramic body operatively grounded to said rotor having a spark end projecting out through said top portion and spaced a spark distance from said spark end of said first electrode, and means permanently joining said mating rotor parts and said spark plug where they have metal-to-metal contact with said spark plug means mounted in the interface of said one rotor part.

Claim 4

A spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine comprising a pair of metal rotor parts having mating peripheral face portions that cooperate to define peripheral rotor faces and also having mating interfaces, one of said rotor parts having a hub portion determining an axis about which said rotor parts rotate, said interfaces perpendicular to said axis, said one rotor part having axially extending pasages therethrough for the passage of coolant when said rotor parts are joined, the other of said rotor parts having an internal toothed gear concentric with said hub portion, the interface of said one rotor part having a recess open to every face portion of said one rotor part, an opening through said hub portion for every face portion, spark plug means for each said rotor face, each said spark plug means comprising a metal coated ceramic body having a trunk with a base portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said openings in said hub portion and with a top portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said recesses open to one of said face portions, a first electrode in each said ceramic body extending through said trunk having a terminal for receiving an electrical ignition pulse and a spark end projecting out through said top portion, a second electrode in each said ceramic body operatively grounded to said rotor having a spark end projecting out through said top portion and spaced a spark distance from said spark end of said first electrode, and means permanently joining said mating rotor parts and said spark plug where they have metal-to-metal contact with said spark plug means mounted in the interface of said one rotor part.

Claim 5

A spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine comprising a pair of metal rotor parts having mating peripheral face portions that cooperate to define peripheral rotor faces and also having mating interfaces, one of said rotor parts having a hub portion determining an axis about which said rotor parts rotate, said interfaces perpendicular to said axis, said one rotor part having axially extending passages therethrough for the passage of coolant when said rotor parts are joined, the other of said rotor parts having an internal toothed gear concentric with said hub portion, the interface of said one rotor part having two recesses spaced angularly about said axis and open to every face portion of said one rotor part, an opening through said hub portion for every face portion, multielectrode spark plug means for each said rotor face, each said spark plug means comprising a metal coated ceramic body having a trunk with a base portion received in one of said openings in said hub portion and with a top portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said recesses open to one of said face portions, said trunk having a branch portion extending from between said base portion and said top portion with a tip portion received in and having a shape that fills another of said recesses open to said one face portion, a first electrode in each said ceramic body extending through said trunk having a terminal for receiving an electrical ignition pulse and a spark end projecting out through said top portion past the associated face portion, a second electrode in each said ceramic body extending from said trunk through said branch having one spark end projecting out through said top portion and spaced a spark distance from said spark end of said first electrode and having anotheR spark end projecting out through said tip portion past the associated face portion, a third electrode in each said ceramic body having a ground portion extending out through said branch grounded to said rotor and a spark end projecting out through said tip portion and spaced a spark distance from said other spark end of said second electrode, and means permanently joining said mating rotor parts and said spark plug means where they have metal-to-metal contact with said spark plug means mounted in the interface of said one rotor part.

Claim 6

A spark plug and rotor assembly for a rotary combustion engine comprising a pair of metal rotor parts having mating peripheral face portions that cooperate to define peripheral rotor faces and also having mating interfaces, one of said rotor parts having a hub portion determining an axis about which said rotor parts rotate, said interfaces perpendicular to said axis, said one rotor part having axially extending passages therethrough for the passage of coolant when said rotor parts are joined, the other of said rotor parts having an internal toothed gear concentric with said hub portion, the interface of said one rotor part having two recesses spaced angularly about said axis and open to every face portion of said one rotor part, an opening through said hub portion for every face portion, multielectrode spark plug means for each said rotor face, each said spark plug means comprising a metal coated ceramic body having a trunk with a base portion received in one of said openings in said hub portion and with a top portion received in and having a shape that fills one of said recesses open to one of said face portions, said trunk having a branch portion extending from between said base portion and said top portion with a tip portion received in and having a shape that fills another of said recesses open to said one face portion, a first electrode in each said ceramic body extending through said trunk having a terminal for receiving an electrical ignition pulse and a spark end projecting out through said top portion past the associated face portion, a second electrode in each said ceramic body extending from said trunk through said branch having one spark end projecting out through said top portion and spaced a spark distance from said spark end of said first electrode and having anotheR spark end projecting out through said tip portion past the associated face portion, a third electrode in each said ceramic body having a ground portion extending out through said branch grounded to said rotor and a spark end projecting out through said tip portion and spaced a spark distance from said other spark end of said second electrode, and means permanently joining said mating rotor parts and said spark plug means where they have metal-to-metal contact with said spark plug means mounted in the interface of said one rotor part.