Engine electrical system test device

• US 4,424,489 A
• Filed: 09/15/1981
• Issued: 01/03/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard W. Gray
• Original Assignee: Richard W. Gray
• Inventors: Gray, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krawczewicz, Stanley T.
• Application Number:
  US06/302,272
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 324/396, 324/397, 324/388, 324/395
• US Class Current: 324/396
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/12 Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60

Abstract

A spark ignition engine tester for inserting between pairs of normally interconnected releasable connectors in the high voltage portion of the engine'"'"'s spark ignition system, as between a spark plug terminal and the corresponding wire from the distributor, and between the high voltage output terminal of the coil and the wire to the distributor. The tester includes first and second electrodes with adjacent ends separated by a visible spark gap and remote ends for connection to the ignition system high voltage portion. An insulator supports the two electrodes substantially at right angles to each other. A conductive coil spring sleeved over the remote end of an electrode inserts into or sleeves over the opposed releasable connector of the emission system high voltage portion.

Claims

1. In a spark ignition engine tester for inserting between normally interconnected pairs of releasable connectors in the high voltage portion of the engine'"'"'s spark ignition system, the combination comprising:

first and second electrodes having adjacent ends spaced by a visible spark gap and remote ends for temporary electrical interposition of said tester between a said pair of releasable ignition system connectors;

an insulator element fixedly carrying said electrodes intermediate the ends of each electrode, the length axes of said electrodes being at right angles to each other; and

a resilient conductive member releasably connectible with a said remote electrode end for in turn effecting temporary connection to one of said pair of releasable ignition system connectors, said insulator element being substantially L-shaped in profile with two legs substantially at right angles to each other, said electrodes extending through respective ones of said legs at right angles thereto, said legs and electrodes being substantially coplanar, said insulator element being a one-piece molded plastic element of T cross section intermediate the remote ends of said legs, the ends of said legs comprising substantially cylindrical bosses receiving said electrodes fixedly therethrough, wherein said spark gap is at the concave side of said L, said insulator element having a rib at the convex side of said L, said bosses extending beyond said rib, one said boss and its corresponding electrode remote end being longer than the other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which one remote electrode end is shorter than the other, the longer remote electrode end being receivable snugly in the conventional spark plug receiving socket of the spark plug wire for a given engine spark plug, the shorter remote electrode end having one end of said hollow spring received thereover, the other of said hollow spring being received on the terminal of said given spark plug.

3. In a spark ignition engine tester for inserting between normally interconnected pairs of releasable connectors in the high voltage portion of the engine'"'"'s spark ignition system, the combination comprising:

first and second electrodes having adjacent ends spaced by a visible spark gap and remote ends for temporary electrical interposition of said tester between a said pair of releasable ignition system connectors;

an insulator element fixedly carrying said electrodes intermediate the ends of each electrode, the length axes of said electrodes being at right angles to each other; and

a resilient conductive member releasably connectible with a said remote electrode end for in turn effecting temporary connection to one of said pair of releasable ignition system connectors, the adjacent ends of said electrodes being frustoconical in shape, at least one of said electrode remote ends being elongate and shaped substantially like a conventional spark plug terminal for receiving thereon a conventional spark plug wire, or the like, connector of the engine, the other said remote end being shorter, in which said shorter remote end has a head of diameter larger than its shank, said resilient conductive member being a coil spring snugly received on said head into abutting relation with said insulator element and with about one-half the length of said spring extending beyond said head.

4. In a spark ignition engine tester for inserting between normally interconnected pairs of releasable connectors in the high voltage portion of the engine'"'"'s spark ignition system, the combination comprising:

first and second electrodes having adjacent ends spaced by a visible spark gap and remote ends for temporary electrical interposition of said tester between a said pair of releasable ignition system connectors;

an insulator element fixedly carrying said electrodes intermediate the ends of each electrode, the length axes of said electrodes being at right angles to each other; and

a resilient conductive member releasably connectible with a said remote electrode end for in turn effecting temporary connection to one of said pair of releasable ignition system connectors, said resilient conductive member being a hollow elongate spring with one end snugly receivable over one said remote electrode end, in which the other end of said spring is enlarged in diameter to receive the end of the high voltage coil wire of the ignition system, and including a second spring of constant diameter sleeved snugly over the other remote electrode end and insertable into the high voltage socket of the ignition system coil.