US Patent: 1,489,382
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Igniter
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Patentees:
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Phelps Brown (exact or similar names) - Springfield, Hampden County, MA |
Harold H. Clark (exact or similar names) - Springfield, Hampden County, MA |
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Patent Dates:
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Applied: |
Jun. 25, 1921 |
Granted: |
Apr. 08, 1924 |
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Joel Havens "Vintage Machinery" entry for Witherbee Igniter Co.; Wico Electric Co.
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Description: |
This patent covers what became known as the Wico Model EK magneto. The patent provides an alternate, and better, approach to solving the problem described in patent #1,488,975. Rather than trying to achieve a "practically instantaneous" movement of the armature to break the magnetic circuit, a more gradual movement is used; as soon as the magnetic circuit is broken the force increases rapidly to move the armature quickly to the other end of its travel. An electromagnet provides that moving force, and a pair of electrical contacts, the "breaker points". A capacitor, or condenser, is connected across the breaker points "in the usual manner". The points are alternately moved apart and together by an eccentric that is on, or directly driven by, the motor crankshaft. In short, this has all the components (except for the distributor as needed for a multi-cylinder engine) of an ignition system as used in virtually all gasoline engines from the 1920s until the development of the electronic ignition system. |
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