Distributor adjusting mechanism

Claim 2

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing, a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, and actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, in which said actuating means comprises means responsive to engine speed for effecting an adjustment which is a function of engine speed.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 in which said speed responsive means comprises a centrifugally operated speed responsive device connected to the engine.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 1 in which said speed responsive means comprises means cOnnected to the throttle positioning mechanism of the engine.

Claim 5

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing, a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, and actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, in which said contacts are mounted on a sub-plate movable on said support plate, an arm pivoted to said sub-plate on which said movable contact ia mounted, said arm having cam-engaging means positioned in the path of a cam portion when the contacts are closed, and means mounting said sub-plate on said support plate for the aforesaid adjustment in a direction which moves said cam-engaging means generally radially of said rotary cam, in which said actuating means comprises means responsive to engine speed for effecting an adjustment which is a function of engine speed.

Claim 6

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing, a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, and actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, in which said contacts are mounted on a sub-plate movable on said support plate, an arm pivoted to said sub-plate on which said movable contact ia mounted, said arm having cam-engaging means positioned in the path of a cam portion when the contacts are closed, and means mounting said sub-plate on said support plate for the aforesaid adjustment in a direction which moves said cam-engaging means generally radially of said rotary cam, in which said actuating means comprises means responsive to engine speed for effecting an adjustment which is a function of engine speed.

Claim 7

In combination, a spark districtor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing, a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, and actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, in which said means within said housing for adjusting said contacts as aforesaid is rotary means and in which said actuating means comprises means movable generally in a straight line, and gearing operable to convert such motion to rotary motion, and means for applying such rotary motion to said rotary means.

Claim 8

In combination, a spark districtor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing, a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, and actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, in which said means within said housing for adjusting said contacts as aforesaid is rotary means and in which said actuating means comprises means movable generally in a straight line, and gearing operable to convert such motion to rotary motion, and means for applying such rotary motion to said rotary means.

Claim 9

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, and additional means for adjusting said contacts to provide the aforesaid adjustment thereof independent of the aforesaid means for making the aforesaid adjustment, in which said additional means comprises relatively adjustable clutch members located in said actuating means.

Claim 10

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising a housing a rotary cam within said housing, a support plate within said housing, a stationary contact on said plate, a movable contact on said plate movable toward and away from said stationary contact, a cam follower engageable with said cam and connected to said movable contact for moving said movable contact away from engagement with said stationary contact when engaged by said cam, means within said housing for adjusting said stationary and movable contacts as a unit in a direction to cause said cam follower to move generally radially of said rotary cam, actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle for operating said adjustment means, and additional means for adjusting said contacts to provide the aforesaid adjustment thereof independent of the aforesaid means for making the aforesaid adjustment, in which said additional means comprises relatively adjustable clutch members located in said actuating means.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 6 in which said first mentioned adjusting means within said housing is rotatable, and in which said clutch members are angularly adjustable and located in said first mentioned adjusting means.

Claim 12

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a rotary cam, a first support mounted for angular adjustment about the axis of rotation of said cam, a stationary contact on said support, a movable contact on said support movable into and out of contact with said stationary contact, a member movably carried by said support on which said movable contact is mounted, a cam follower on said member engageable with said rotary cam, resilient means connected to said member urging said member in a direction to cause said cam follower to engage said cam and said movable contact to engage said stationary contact, whereby said movable contact is moved away from said stationary contact as a result of engagement between said cam follower and said cam, actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle to effect an adjustment of at least one of said contacts independent of the adjustment resulting from angular adjustment of said first support to effect opposite variations in the intervals during which said contacts remain in closed and open condition, and a second support on which said stationary contact and said movable member are mounted, said second support being movably mounted on said first support for adjustment in a direction which moves said cam follower generally radially of said cam, in which said actuating means comprises means responsive to engine speed for effecting an adjustment which is a function of engine speed.

Claim 13

In combination, a spark distributor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a rotary cam, a first support mounted for angular adjustment about the axis of rotation of said cam, a stationary contact on said support, a movable contact on said support movable into and out of contact with said stationary contact, a member movably carried by said support on which said movable contact is mounted, a cam follower on said member engageable with said rotary cam, resilient means connected to said member urging said member in a direction to cause said cam follower to engage said cam and said movable contact to engage said stationary contact, whereby said movable contact is moved away from said stationary contact as a result of engagement between said cam follower and said cam, actuating means operable during operation of said vehicle to effect an adjustment of at least one of said contacts independent of the adjustment resulting from angular adjustment of said first support to effect opposite variations in the intervals during which said contacts remain in closed and open condition, and a second support on which said stationary contact and said movable member are mounted, said second support being movably mounted on said first support for adjustment in a direction which moves said cam follower generally radially of said cam, in which said actuating means comprises means responsive to engine speed for effecting an adjustment which is a function of engine speed.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 8 in which said speed responsive means comprises a centrifugally operated speed responsive device connected to the engine.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 8 in which said speed responsive means comprises means connected to the throttle positioning mechanism of the engine.