From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Reprint from 'The Autocar' magazine describing the Conner Battery Ignition System.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 37\1\ scan 082 | |
| Date | 25th September 1920 | |
| X. 3199- Reprinted from The Autocar Sept. 25th, 1920. THE CONNER BATTERY IGNITION SYSTEM. Two Units designed for Use in Conjunction with the Starting or Lighting Battery of the Car. DURING the last twelve months considerable attention has been directed to the design of battery ignition systems. It is sometimes contended that the very complete electrical installation of the modern car, and the high degree of reliability to which it has attained, render the provision of a high-tension magneto for ignition purposes unnecessary, and that this may be eliminated by providing a suitable coil and contact breaker and relying upon the accumulators for the supply of the necessary current. The pros and cons of this question have frequently been discussed without affecting the situation in any material manner, for the magneto continues to be highly popular, and at the same time many cars, including some of the highest class, continue to rely upon the battery system. It is natural, however, that magneto manufacturers should, in view of the dual demand, turn their attention to the battery system as well, and Messrs. Conner Magneto and Ignition, Ltd., Stoke, Coventry, have produced a very neat and simple battery ignition system which consists primarily of two units, the contact breaker and the coil. The wiring from coil to contact breaker is very simple, as shown by the wiring diagram. On Magneto Lines. The contact breaker runs at camshaft speed and is designed on the lines of the ordinary magneto contact breaker. It consists of an aluminium casing in which is mounted on ball bearings a spindle having at one end a cam with the same number of lobes as the engine has cylinders. In this casing is also mounted a rocking lever provided with an insulated wick-lubricated bearing, and carrying on its free end one of the platinum points, the second platinum point being mounted in a lug on the casing in the ordinary manner. This lever is operated by the cam, a fibre contact pad being interposed. A particular point of interest about this contact breaker is that the points are shunted by a condenser made on magneto lines and mounted in the aluminium casing. The purpose of placing the condenser in this position is to keep the length of the condenser leads as short as possible, as it has been found that this has a great effect on the absence of sparking at the contact points, and thus ensures their freedom from pitting. It is claimed that this construction ensures a total absence of contact trouble. With the contact breaker is combined a high-tension distributer, which consists of a stabilite moulding having embedded in it the correct number of segments for the number of cylinders in the engine. These segments are traversed by a carbon brush rotating with, and at the same speed as, the camshaft. The high-tension current comes from the coil, and is distributed to the various cylinders in their consecutive order; and the high-tension cables are firmly secured in the stabilite moulding by sharp-pointed screws, carried in holes at right angles to the housings of the wires, which pierce the cables and therefore secure them while at the same time making a good contact. Ease of Assembly. In assembling this combined contact breaker and distributer it is impossible for the novice to make any mistake. The carbon brush holder can only slip into the camshaft spindle in the correct position, and the stabilite moulding can only be secured to the aluminium casing of the contact breaker in the correct position, since a small dowel pin has to engage in a recess drilled for it. The high-tension lead from the coil to the distributer is brought in centrally, and a second carbon brush makes contact with the rotating distributer arm. A good feature is that the electrical part of the contact breaker, both primary and secondary, is entirely insulated from the frame, thus eliminating [Text on diagram] COIL CONTACT BREAKER SWITCH BATTERY EARTH [Caption below image] The contact breaker and distributer are designed on magneto lines, and the condenser is housed in the contact breaker casing. | ||