Jan. 24, 1933. V, L, HOWE 1,895,323 AUTOMATIC SPARK CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES _ Filed May '27, 1931 /7 _E_- 2;

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iZ f ‘VIL Han/ß Patented Jan. ,24, 1933 N 1,895,328

> UNITED s'rA TES" PATENT. C14-FICE 'y vICTon Il. Hown, or _i.«aisRNnAnnv MICHIGAN Í AUTOMATIC SPARK CoNTnoI. ron INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINES Y p

Application ñled. May 27, V1931. serial'nolämeáa Q Y " ' ` ` This invention relates to internal combus `means and fragmentary portionsof the >inr- . tion engines for automobiles, and more par take manifold and" carburetor, and ticularly to means for' controlling theigni Figure 4 is a sectional> view taken on the" tion distributor and consequently the spark plane indicated by the line 4"-4 of Figure 2. n, 5 of such engines. ‘ ’ ' Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 desig-V The invention has for one of its objects to­ nates the carburetor, 2 the i ltake manifold, provide means of the character stated through the medium of which the ignition `distributorthev throttle of valvev an internal shaft, andcombustion-engine. lthe ignition j » >distributor of an internal combustion engine 5 designates the throttlevvalve arm or lever,`ï. k .i 0 'may be' actuated by and as the result of'the and 6 the ignitionfdistributor arm or lever. actuation of the accelerator pedal connected. AIn accordance with the present ­`,practice the to the throttle valve of the engine, to the end ' throttle valve is under the control of a hand that the spark may -be automatically ad >lever and an `accelerator pedal connected to vanced »when the' accelerator pedal is de-` the arm or lever 5, and the ignition distribu pressed and automatically retarded when the tor 4 is under the control of a hand lever 65 accelerator pedal is released and thus permit connected to the arm or lever 6. As the the engine to be easily started and accelerat îthrottle valve, hand lever and the accelerator . ed and insure the smooth operation of the en# pedal, together with the means for connect- i' gine under all speeds. ` 1 ' ' ing them to the arm or levery 5, may befof 20 To attain the foregoing and other objects, any well-known or appropriate construction, 70 4" the nature of which will appear as the de 'it is `deemed unnecessary to illustrate the scription proceeds, the invention compie" same. The’ignition distributor hand lever lhends connecting the arm or lever of the igni `is supplanted by my invention which com tion distributor to the Varm or lever of the,­ prehends connecting the arm or lever 6 to 25 Athrottle valve. » ­ , the arm or lever 5to the 'end that the ignition The invention further comprehends the' distributor 4 may beautomatically loperated Y connecting of the ignition distributor arm or' to advance the spark as the accelerator lever ' lever and theV throttle valve arm or lever in is depressed and to automatically retard the ,a manner to permit the throttle valve to be spark as the accelerator lever isreleased and 30 so“ A'actuated in the direction of its fully opened moves upwardly. ` i ~ Y ` position ’after the ignition >distributor has ` Themeans by which the `arms or levers 5 been actuated to fully advance the spark and and 6 'areconnected comprises a bracket 7 thusrenable the engine to be operated‘at its 'whichis secured to and extends >upwardly VVmaximum speed which i operation thereof ‘ from the coupling flange 8l of the intake 85, ,_ 35 "takes place only after the spark has beenr fully i vmanifold 2, ' `The bracket 7 is secured ‘to the advanced. A, Acoupling flange 48 by one of the bolts 9 by The invention consists in the construction, which the coupling flange 10` of the carburetor , combination and arrangement of parts here “is secured to the coupling flange 8." 4An el- ‘ inafter described and claimed,‘and illustrated bow lever 11 is pivotally Connected at*v the 40 :90. in the accompanying drawing, wherein :»-` ` ‘ . l'uncture of its arms to the upperend 'of the Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illus­` bracket'7`by a bolt 12. Y f ~ __ , trating the applicationof the spark control i' A link 13 is `pivotally Connected, as at :14, v ` _ means to the throttle valve and ignition dis „to o-ne 'of the arms ofthe lever ‘11, and `is ` tributor of anlinternal> `combustion engine; pivotally connected, as at 15,`to aclamp ,16" " 45 ` ' Figure 2 is a4 view partly in horizontal sec-` engaged with the throttle valve armor leverH tion and partly in top plan of the spark con»` 5 at a point below the spherical bead of the ‘ trol means, the ignition distributor and the> latter. A rod 17 is pivotally'con'nected, as intake manifold of the engine. ' , at 18, to the other arm ofthe lever 11, and'is Figure. 3 is a view in side elevation of ay _connected to the armor lever 6 of the ignition ‘ï 50 fragmentary portion of the spark control distributor 4. The rod M17~is of tubular for~ 100 1,895,328 mation for the greater portion of its length, ator pedal is depressed, and being actuated and the tubular portion 17a thereof is pro to’ retard the spark when the accelerator vided with a slot 19 for the slidable reception pedal is released. When the engine is at of a pin 20 carried by the lever or arm 6 rest or when itis idling, the throttle valve and having a spherical head 21 located in the occupies its fully closed position, and the 70 tubular rod portion. The head 21 is posi ignition distributor 4 will be, due to its con tioned between bearing members 22 and 23 nection with the throttle valve, in full spark carried byl the' tubular rod portionv l’ZaÍ •Íï‘f The~ ".iretarding'v position, with:` the; result that vthe bearing member 22 is screw threadedl `en engine/may be easily‘started or accelerated. gaged with the tubularrod portion lgamto ' During the acceleration ofthe engine up 75 permit it to be adjusted longitudinally ‘rwîithzf> to a:predetermined'speed, the ignition'dis respect to such rod portion, and it is secured tributor 4 will be, due toits connection with in adjusted position by al’lockznutl24.1z.¿The ïthe.: throttle-valve, :actuated .to advance the bearingmember 23 is slidably mounted in the spark, and the advancing of the spark will 15 tubular rod portion 17 a, and’ "is constantlyV be 'in direct’proportion to the increase in 80 urged in the direction of the bearing mem-k speed of the engine, with the resultthat the., ber 22 by a­ compression spring :25 located` ,engine will performfeñiciently undeiïquick- ,A v within the tubularrod portion. or slow'acceleration.Y The :automaticf-con# 1;» Y The bracket ’2"V `s located rearwardlyíof the 1 trolv of theignition distributor 4 providedìbyY 20 throttle >valve arm or lever 5, the Vlever-11 ` my v’invention obviates lthe manual control of is pivoted to thefbracket»î at a point above «.thej the distributorI and the disadvantages inc_i; -, arm or leverö, and the clamp 16 extends rear ,dent thereto. 'The ignition distributor 4'may wardly from- theß arm for lever 5, tothe end v~be adjustedto direct the tensioning-_ of the-"ß . thatwhen vthe throttle' _valve ¿is moved in the» spark through the ïmedium ¿of the bearing 25 direction ’ of ~its fully ' vopened ­ positionf'the memberV 22.`I "~ . lever 11 will be A_rocked in oneëdiréction, and to vthe fend that» when the.. throttleîvalve‘ is lthe; invention, »together with the ­structure» moved in the direction .of its fullyclosed which I‘now consider fthe‘preferred einbodi- 4 position the levcrll will ybe >rocked in the ÀInent‘thereof, it is to be understoodithat the»V a 30 opposite direction; y structure _shown V‘is merely illustrative .and` _, The rod 17 extends from the ‘lever 11 ­to îsired,.thatfsuch' as fall‘within' changes-maybe the scope. j’made,.~lwhen• orf the inven-.f dc--w-V > the" arm "or lever 6fo`f the ignition distributor 4, and imparts the’move'ments of the lever tiony as claimed,>` ‘ 11 to thearm or lever 6, tothe end that the ' 2 Whatis claimed ist* ~ 35 ignition distributor will be actuated.l to ’ad-f- ` 1. In combination, the ,throttle-valveßandi. l'lIlOLfJ vancethe spark as the throttle valveV is opened ignition ­ distributori of .an internal- combus andf‘ret'arÍd the spark as thethrottle valve is tion-engine,andmeans connecting theïdis-i ; closed.A The spring 2_5 establishes aiyielding tributor- to the ­"valve: so that the distributor connection Vlïietw'een’ Vthe' arm or >lever 6' and Y will be moved >into-spark .retarding condire“, tion-uas-theîvalve is closed and intofsp'ark:` ` 40 the `rod '17,"and this; connection permits the 10551'. rod to movevvithï'respec't to the armA or lever ­ advancing condition as the valve Vis opened,V after' ‘the lignition ’ distributorvv ' ‘L has been .said> VVmeans V:being: :yieldable when `: the dis-` aot'uatedito ' fullyïadvance' the spark. The .tributorzis in position» to `:fully advanße they.;V spark 'ïwill' Jbe‘"ful'ly^ï'advanced before the sparkwhen the lvalve. is partly open so that*` ` 45 throttle valve >has been ‘moved into its fully 'y the avalve may be fully opened. .5 opened position and when the engine has at-> ' 2. Means> for. connecting-_ the _- arms ,of aglfloï" tained ' the >driving speed of approximately throttle valve and ignition distributor, coin,l thirty'miles per hour; The! yieldingVV con-I ‘prisingz a - pivoted , lever,; a link> connected to i i nectioii between the rod -17 4and the'ignition the E lever f and a adapted _to 'be connected'y tot( è 50 >distributor arm or »lever 6 ‘vvilll'permit »the ' çone of ~ said: arms,^,a rod- connected-.to ,thefle­­;._ throttle'nvalve to ï-be Vmoved `further in the »rodver, to >and­ the :means other of 1 yieldinglyY said arms. l connecting the _ dirleïction-'of its' opened position Whenvit is Idesired to increasethespeed oit' the'engine.. 3. Means ìliorconneeting- the armsof the From the- foregoing description, taken in throttle «valve-«and ignition distributorfof, 55 “an .internal ëcombustion engine, .comprising` . . . connection with the accompanying drawing, ,v a bracket adapted to besecuredto apart' of ’120 v it will be understood that,.as­theignition the-.- engine,` :anx elbow leverI pivoted Áto ,« the distributor arm­ _or •leversö is connected.I to bracket,` .a clamp-adapted‘to be-securedto,... ' thegthrottle »valve arm> or .lever '5, » and yas ,the ,. »the throttlevalve arm, al linkfconnected to,. throttle‘V-valve is actuated byy apedalzleverl 60 the leverïand clamp, a rod .connected to the.. ­. connected _tothe arm «or leverö, Ithe Aignition Jever, Aand Vmeans vcarried’the- rodl and ~125. i? distributor .4 ‘is'under ­the»\cont'rol of the radapted to -yieldíïl gly ¿connect itto thegdis- ; pedalj-lever-.and willfconsequently be actu-v 1 tributor arm.z , ated i automatically “,to'l` advance or» retard the Y 4. Means for connectingthe arms ‘.ofîvthe g spark, fthe ~ ignition f distributorV being, -. actuf » 65~ throttle valve and ignitiondistributorof an ated- to f advance - th’e ‘spark- when the..acceler•.„• "internal combustion `engine», comprising@ iso 1,895,328

bracket adapted to be secured to a part of the engine, Van elbow lever pivoted to the bracket, a clamp adapted to be secured to the throttle valve arm, a link connected to the lever and clamp, a rod connected to the lever, said rod having a tubular portion, bearing members carried by said rod portion and adapted for connection With the igni tion distributor arm, one of said bearing members being adjustably engaged with and the other slidably mounted in said arm por tion, and a spring mounted in said arm por tion and bearing against the slidable bear ing member to constantly urge it in the di rection of the other bearing member. In testimony whereof I hereunto aíiix my signature. VICTOR L. HOWE.

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