Oct. 9, 1956 L. G. ZOCCH 2,766,337 ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 9, 1953

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Le on G. INVENTOR.Zocchi eitrás-- -- 2,766,337 United States Patent Office Patented Oct. 9, 1956 2 the spark producing charge and thus provide a hotter and more intense spark and a more efficient operation of the engine at high speeds. Further objects will be ap 2,766,337 parent in the following disclosure. ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR AN In accordance with my invention, I decrease the maxi NTERNAL COMBUSTON ENGINE mum contact gap as the engine sped increases and so consume less time during which the contacts are being Leon G. Zocchi, Milford, Mass. opened and provide a greater relative time during which Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,127 they remain closed. To this end, mount the two rela 0 tively movable contacts on a plate which is moved relative 1 Claim. (C. 200-21) to the rotary , as the cam speed is increased by the engine, to reduce the gap distance and the time of con tact of the cam follower with the engine rotated cam and thereby increase the relative time during which the con This invention relates to the circuit breaker for the 5 tacts remain engaged. The movable plate which carries direct current primary of an induction coil in the spark the contacts or points may be moved either automatically generating system of an internal combustion engine. or by manually operated mechanism which serves to In the standard circuit breaker system, a rotary cam lessen the contact gap progressively as the motor speed or carried by the housing is arranged to move one rotation rate of the cam increases. electrical contact relative to another and make and break 20 Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention: the primary coil circuit in a batery and Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the primary circuit breaker thereby create a high voltage alternating current in the and associated parts, which shows the circuit gap at a secondary circuit which leads to the engine spark plugs maximum for a slow speed; arranged for igniting the fuel. One circuit breaker is Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical elevation of the hous held stationary on an adjustable contact plate carried 25 ing and circuit breaker, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. by the housing while the other contact is carried by a 1; and pivoted arm which is resiliently urged toward the station Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, correspond ary contact. That arm has a cam follower engaging the ing with Fig. 1 which shows the narrower gap provided engine rotated cam which serves to move the arm and for a high speed engine movement. break and make the primary circuit once per cam cycle 30 or follower movement past each high point of the cam. In the construction of Figs. 1 to 3, a vertical shaft 10 The contact plate is also mounted to be rotated through is rotatably mounted in the distributor and breaker hous a small angle relative to the cam so that for the higher ing ii, and a horizontal contact carrier plate 12 is engine speeds the spark may be advanced in its timing mounted for rotation about the shaft 10 located centrally cycle. of the plate. The shaft 10 carries a cam 14 having the required number of high points, such as six, correspond I have found that at high speeds there is not time ing with the number of engine cylinders or spark plugs enough to build up sufficient curent in the primary to in the Secondary circuit. The cam is arranged to con produce a satisfactory spark in the secondary system tact a cam follower 15 on an arm 16 pivoted to swing during the interval while the contacts are touching, with horizontally about a vertical post 18 carried by an ad the result that the engine does not run economically at the 40 justable contact plate 20 mounted on the rotary carrier higher speeds. In a six engine driving a at plate 12. An electrical contact or point 22 on the outer 80 miles per hour, the coil must furnish 12,000 sparks end of the swinging arm 16 is arranged to make and per minute or 200 every second. The contacts, however, break contact with a stationary contact member or point need to be held closed long enough to accumulate a suffi 23 carried by a lug 24 projecting vertically from the rela cient condenser charge for creating a heavy spark, and 45 tively fixed but adjustably mounted plate 20. The fol this requires that the contacts remain closed for at least lower 15 is so located that it is struck by the higher 0.001 to 0.0015 part of a second. The time of contact is parts of the cam and thus serves to swing the arm 16 determined primarily by the time during which the cam and separate the contacts 22 and 23. The contact 23 is not in contact with the follower which opens the con is grounded through the metal plates 12 and 20 and the tact gap. Also, the inertia in the outwardly flying contact 50 housing 11. The contact 22 is connected into the pri arm may cause it to travel too far and leave the contacts mary coil circuit through a wire 25 connected by a bolt separated more than the time allowed for breaking the or a binder post 26 and nut to a leaf spring 28 which is circuit. The breaker contacts in a standard six cylinder fixed at one end by the post 26 to the adjustable plate engine are customarily set at a spacing of 0.025 inch for 16. The other end of the spring 28 is suitably fixed to the all standard speeds, but the requirement for moving 55 swinging arm and so arranged that it resiliently urges the the contacts through even that short distance wastes so contacts 22 and 23 into engagement, when the follower much time in closing the circuit that the cam must is opposite a low portion of the multiple cam 14. When again separate the contacts before the required time for the follower is on a high point of the cam, as shown in building the spark has elapsed. Hence the time period Fig. 1, the contacts 22 and 23 have their maximum sepa of separation of the contacts is important and that pe 60 ration. riod should be decreased relative to the cam movement as the engine speed increases, or the relative percentage The swinging arm 6 cannot move outwardly to pro of time during which the cam follower is out of contact duce more than a predetermined maximum separation with the contact actuating cam should be increased. This of the contacts because of the engagement of a button or is a relative relationship in which the time of contact en 65 part 30 on the arm striking a lug 31 on the side of the gagement is a function of the angular distance of cam standard 32 which carries the spring connection and movement relative to the follower while the contacts are binder post 26. The lug 31 may be the head of the post closed. 26 which is suitably insulated from the plate 16 so that It is the primary object of my invention to overcome the electric current cannot be short circuited into the 70 plate. The button 30 and lug 31 are arranged to contact that problem and to provide adequate time, as the speed when the follower 15 is on a high point of the cam when of the engine driven cam is increased, for accumulating the engine is running at a comparatively slow speed, as 2,766,337 3 A. shown in Fig. 1. To this end, the plate 20 is pivoted on the contact points 22, 23 are touching as the speed of the rotary plate 12 by means of a set screw 34, and a engine movement increases. This gives the coil and con set Screw 35 carried by plate 2 rides in an elongated slot denser system of the primary induction circuit more time in the plate 29 and serves for adjustably clamping the to build up adequate capacity to create the spark in the plate 20 in such a position that the cam follower just 5 secondary circuit. This results in an economy of use of contacts the high point of the cam 4 when the required gasoline at the higher engine speeds and gives a more gap separation between the contacts is had, such as 0.025 efficient operation of the engine. inch for a slow speed of the engine. For that adjusted In its operation, plate 12 of Fig. 1 is normally rotated position, the parts 38 and 3 are substantially in engage by the increase of vacuum in the system as ment and prevent any overthrow of the pivoted arm 10 the engine speed increases and this serves to advance the 16, as is more fully described and claimed in my co timing of the spark in the engine cylinder. In the prior pending Patent No. 2,713,094 of July 12, 1955. art practice, the gap between the breaker contacts has A standard construction comprises mechanism for ad remained the same while advancing the spark, or in fact vancing the spark. As indicated in Fig. 1, this is effected it has even become accidentally increased due to the 5 momentum of the rapidly flying contact arm 36. The by means of a vacuum actuated diaphragm 40 which is eccentric bushing 48 is so oriented that the arm 16 and moved in accordance with an increase of vacuum applied contact 35 are automatically moved away from the can through the pipeline 4 from the carburetor. This moves by that same rotation of the plate 12 as the speed in a rod 42 which is pivotally connected to the carrier plate creases. This increases the percentage of the time of con 2 and thus rotates that plate counter-clockwise as the tact of points 22 and 23 in a single cam rotation, or it vacuum increases. This serves to advance the cam foll 20 decreases the angular distance during which the follower lower 15 counter to the direction of cam rotation and touches the cam during its movement between two high against the tension of a tension coil spring 43 connecting points of the cam. Thus the engine efficiency is increased a post 44 on the plate 2 and a post 45 on the housing not only by advancing the spark timing but by shortening base which projects through an elongated slot 46 in the the angular distance through which the follower 15 plate 2. This advancement of the spark by the relative 25 touches the can 14, thus increasing the relative time ovement of the cam follower and cam, however, does during which contacts 22 and 23 remain closed. This not affect the distance of separation of the contacts 22 reduction of movement of the contact arm also aids in and 23, since the cam follower 15 is advanced in a circle reducing the wear on the can and cam follower because concentric with the cam. of the cam follower being out of contact with the cam in accordance with my invention I propose to move 30 for an increasing time as the engine speed increases. the cam follower 5 away from the cam 4 as the engine It will now be appreciated that various modifications speed increases so as to shorten the contact gap at the may be made within the scope of my invention and that high point of the cam relative to the contact moving cam the above description of the principles and preferred shaft 42 by mechanism which serves to reduce the con embodiments of the invention are not to be interpreted tact gap progressively as the motor speed increases. This 35 as imposing limitations on the appended claim. plate movement, which may be caused by a manual adjust claim: ment of the position of plate 20, is preferably effected auto A distributor and circuit breaker for the electrical matically and by the same vacuum actuated diaphragm ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine com which advances the spark, or a similar device. To this prising a housing, a projecting into the housing end, mount the plate 12 (Fig. 2) on a cylindrical bear 40 which is rotated at an engine governed rate varying from ing or bushing 48 having its external surface eccentric to a normal low to a high speed, a timing can on the shaft, the camshaft (), so that when the plate 2 is rotated a bushing which bears on the shaft and is fixed on the to advance the spark, it turns on its eccentric bushing housing, said bushing having an external bearing surface 48 and moves the plate 20 and the cam follower 15 away eccentric to and surrounding the shaft, a rotary carrier from the rotating cam 4. Thus, the vacuum operated 45 plate having a sleeve bearing on said eccentric surface, a diaphragm serves the double function of advancing the contact plate, means for adjustably mounting the contact Spark and reducing the gap as the vacuum is increased. plate on the rotary carrier plate to vary its distance from That is, the vacuum operated diaphragm swings the plate the cann, a resiliently urged arm pivoted on the contact 2) about the eccentric bearing in a direction opposite to plate, a stationary contact on the contact plate and a that in which the contact moving cam is rotating and 50 Swinging contact on the arm arranged to provide a spark thereby moves the cam follower 5 away from the cam gap for making and breaking the circuit, a cam follower sufficiently to reduce the gap distance. The follower 15 for said cam on the arm, the contact plate adjustment does not engage the can A4 except near the high points serving to locate the follower relative to a high point of and this shortens the angular distance through which the the cam and provide a definite maximum width of spark Swinging follower 15 touches the cam 14 and so lengthens 55 gap for a slow engine Speed, a pressure actuated dia the time during which the contacts 22, 23 are in engage phragm responsive to an increase in the engine speed, ment. The eccentricity of the bushing 48 and the location and means connecting the diaphragm with the rotary of the thickest portion of this cylindrical body 48 is such carrier plate which revolves the contact plate about the that the maximum gap separation for a normal setting, camshaft as the engine speed increases so as to advance Such as 0.025 inch for the engine at slow speed, may be 60 the spark, the movement of the contact plate around the reduced by as much as 25 to 50% or more as the speed eccentric bushing Serving to move the cam follower away is increased. I have found that for a very high speed an from the cam axis and thus decrease the angular distance adequate spark is obtained when the gap is as little as of contact of the follower with the cam and decrease the 0.006 inch. The plate 2 is fixed to a depending sleeve maximum width of the spark gap, said eccentricity of the 49 having an inner cylindrical bearing rotatably mounted bushing providing for a decrease in the width of the spark on the outer cylindrical surface of the eccentrically posi gap of at least 25% to 50% of the gap employed for slow tioned Stationary sleeve 48 within which the camshaft speed rotation. 10 rotates. The inner sleeve 48 is suitably mounted in a recess in the housing base and secured in place, as by References Cited in the file of this patent friction. Thus, rotation of the plate 12 moves the cam 70 UNITED STATES PATENTS follower 5 away from the cam 4. Thus the distance of 1,074,984 Scheibe ------Oct. 7, 1913 movement of the movable contact 22 by the follower 15 1,438,002 Varley ------Dec. 5, 1922 becomes progressively less and the gap decreases like 1,869,814 Karkau ------Aug. 2, 1932 wise progressively. This serves to save time in moving 2,085,817 Melcher ------July 6, 1937 the contact 22 and increase the time interval during which 75 2,595,690 Montifret ------May 6, 1952