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Description: |
| Abstract:
My invention relates to mechanism for controlling the operation of explosive engines, such as gas and. gasolene engines and any object is to provide system of control wherein two or more engines, or cylinders, may be employed to drive the same load in such a way that the work will be evenly divided between them.
It is frequently of advantage to connect several small power units to drive a given load, but when this is done it has been found difficult to properly regulate the operation of the small units so that one or other would not do a disproportionately share of the work. For instance, if the governor of one engine happens to be adjusted to render the igniting device of that engine responsive at as lightly higher speed than the speed at which the igniter of the other engine becomes responsive, as the speed of both engines drops with an increasing load, the one which is adjusted to respond at the higher speed commences to do work before the other, and it may thus happen that, under certain conditions of load, one of the associated engines will do practically all of the work. Or, if the governor is common to both engines, it is entirely a matter of chance which engine will take the explosion when the work requires it; and it may thus happen that one engine or the other will be doing more than its share of work.
It the principal object of my invention to provide means for insuring an even distribution of the work when a number of engines are connected to drive the same load, and this, generally speaking I accomplish by the provision of mechanism which operates automatically upon the occurrence of an explosion in one engine, to shift the next explosion, whenever the work may require it, to the other engine. This renders it practicable to use number of small engines on a given piece work, instead of a single large one, with the result a more efficient operation, and a better speed regulation may be obtained.
Claims:
1. In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination with a plurality of cylinders and an igniter for each, a circuit including a source of current associated with said igniters, a switch in said circuit adapted to render said igniters operative alternately, an electro-magnet for operating said switch, a circuit for energizing said electro-magnet, and a switch controlling said last mentioned circuit actuated by explosion effects in one of said cylinders.
2. In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination with a plurality of cylinders and igniters therefor, of a circuit including a. source of current associated with said igniters, an electromagnetic switch in said circuit adapted to render said igniters operative alternately, a circuit for said electromagnetic switch, and pressure operated switch mechanism associated with each of said cylinders adapted to control the circuit of said electro-magnetic switch, whereby an explosion in one cylinder adapts the igniter of the other cylinder to be rendered operative.
3. In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination with a plurality of cylinders and igniters therefor, of a circuit for said igniters including a source of current, a switch for rendering said igniters operative alternately, two electro-magnets associated with said switch and arranged to more it from one side to the other, a device associated with each cylinder and adapted to be actuated by explosion effects therein, an electric switch associated with each explosion device and adapted to be operated thereby, and a circuit arranged to connect each of the aforesaid electro-magnets with one of the pressure operated switches.
4. In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination with a plurality of cylinders each having an igniter, of a circuit including a source of current associated with said igniters, a switch in said circuit adapted to render said igniters operative alternately, two electro-magnets associated with said switch and adapted to move the sums from one to the other of its alternate positions, a permanent magnet associated with said switch and adapted to maintain the switch in the positions to which it has been moved, an actuating circuit for said electro-magnets, and a pressure actuated switch associated with each of said cylinders, said switch being included in the circuit. of the electro-magnets and. being adapted to control the operation thereof.
5. In an ignition control system for explosive engines, the combination with a plurality of cylinders and an ignition circuit therefor, of an electro-magnetic switch for controlling said ignition circuit, said switch comprising a permanent magnet fulcrumed on a base, two electro-magnets arranged to present their poles to said permanent magnet on opposite sides thereof, said permanent magnet serving as the armature for said magnets, and being adapted to oscillate between them, and contact surfaces on said armature and the poles of said electro-magnets and being adapted to complete alternate branches on said ignition circuit as the armature oscillates from one set of poles to the other.
6. The combination, with a plurality of explosive engines and their cylinders, of igniters for said cylinders, an electrical circuit divided in a plurality of branches, one for each cylinder, a switch adapted to complete any one of the branch ignition circuits, pressure actuated mechanisms responsive to the explosions in said cylinders and adapted to control the operation of said switch, and a governor controlled by the speed of the engines and cooperating with said electrical circuit to break the same whenever the speed exceeds a predetermined maximum.
7. The combination, with a plurality of explosive engines and their cylinders, of igniters for said cylinders, an electrical circuit divided in a plurality of branches, one for each cylinder, a switch adapted to complete any one of the branch ignition circuits, pressure actuated mechanisms responsive to the explosions in said cylinders and adapted to control the operation of said switch, and a governor controlled by the speed of the engines and cooperating with said electrical circuit to break the same whenever the speed exceeds a predetermined maximum, said governor comprising a spring-pressed weight rotated by the engine and interposed in the igniter circuit, said Weight forming part of the circuit but arranged to open such circuit by its movement by centrifugal force through excessive rotation.
8. In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination, with a plurality of cylinders each having an igniter, of a circuit including a source of current and having branches associated respectively with said igniters, an electromagnetic switch adapted to complete the circuit through said branches F successively, a control circuit for said switch having a like number of branches associated with said switch to move it to its different positions, and pressure-controlled switch mechanism associated with each of said cylinders adapted to complete the circuit through the branches of said control circuit respectively to shift said magnetic switch, whereby an explosion in one cylinder will adapt the igniter of the succeeding cylinder to be rendered operative.
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