Abstract: A resistance welding apparatus for welding a wire to a metallic pad of an integrated circuit. The welding apparatus has coaxial welding electrodes with the outer electrode being in the form of a tube. The inner electrode is a cylindrical rod and is located in the outer electrode. The end of the outer electrode has two opposed open-ended V-shaped slots. The slots receive and position the wire. With the wire located in the slots, the end of the outer electrode is engaged with the pad and the inner electrode pushes the wire against the pad. Welding current can now be applied to the electrodes. Each electrode is associated with a load cell that senses electrode force. Welding current is applied to the electrodes only after the electrode force of each electrode attains certain predetermined values.

Abstract: An electrical connection for connecting the interior of an alternating current generator to the exterior of the generator. The generator has a three phase full-wave bridge rectifier that has three AC input terminal studs. The ends of three power supply conductors are connected to the terminal studs by terminals. The conductors extend from the terminal studs to the exterior of the generator and they extend through an opening formed in a side wall of the frame. The conductors are supported and guided by a conductor support part that is formed of plastic material. This conductor support part has a clamping block portion and a U-shaped conductor support portion. Portions of the conductors are disposed between a clamping block and the clamping block portion of the conductor support part. A plurality of threaded fasteners extend through aligned openings in the clamping block and in the block portion and are threaded into threaded bores formed in a lug portion of the end frame.

Abstract: A lubricator for lubricating the drive shaft of engine starting apparatus. The lubricator has a housing that is comprised of two plastic parts that are secured together by means of locking arms that are integral with one of the parts and which engage the outer part. The housing contains a wick that is saturated with a lubricating oil. The lubricator is assembled to the driving member of an engine starter overrunning clutch by press-fitting it to an internal surface of a tubular portion of the driving member. The inner surface of the wick engages a starter drive shaft and as the overrunning clutch is shifted relative to the drive shaft, the wick deposits a thin film of oil to a length of the drive shaft.

Abstract: An electrical system for supplying power to an electrical resistive heater that heats the catalyst of a catalytic converter. The electrical system includes an alternating current generator that has an output winding and a field winding that is carried by the rotor of the generator. The rotor is driven by an engine on a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle loads, including a storage battery are supplied with current by a first bridge rectifier that is connected to the output winding of the generator. The resistive catalyst heater is supplied with current by a circuit that includes a step-up transformer connected between the output winding of the generator and a second bridge rectifier that feeds the heater. The system can be operated in a high power mode for supplying a higher level of power to the heater.

Abstract: A self-attaching protective cover that is attached to the end frame of an alternating current generator. The end frame of the generator has a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings. Each opening has an edge that is comprised of first and second frame surfaces that intersect. The first frame surface is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the end frame and the second frame surface is inclined or slanted so as to be located at an angle to the first frame surface. The cover is a one-piece part formed of plastic material and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending latch arms. The cover is attached to the end frame by pushing the latch arms into the openings in the end frame. As this occurs, the latch arms are sprung or forced radially outwardly and they subsequently spring back to cause slanted surfaces on the latch arms to tightly engage the slanted surfaces on the end frame and to cause other surfaces on the latch arms to tightly engage the first frame surfaces.

Abstract: An electric engine starter that has a motor frame and a planetary gear mechanism is provided with an internal shield that is operative to prevent brush dust from entering the planetary gear mechanism. The shield is formed of steel and has an outer annular flange that, prior to assembly to the starter, is located at an angle to a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis of the shield. When the shield is assembled to the starter, it is compressed between the motor frame and a support for the ring gear of the planetary gear mechanism. During this compression, the flange is deflected to develop a spring force. This spring force causes a gasket interposed between the flange and the motor frame to tightly seal against the motor frame. This spring force further causes the shield to tightly engage the ring gear support.

Abstract: An electric engine starter for cranking an internal combustion engine. The starter has a drive housing which is shaped to define a solenoid compartment and a starter drive compartment. The drive housing has a pair of spaced walls connecting the solenoid compartment to the starter drive compartment. A starter drive that includes a pinion gear and an overrunning clutch is located in the starter drive compartment. A shift lever retainer is located between the spaced walls of the drive housing and pivotally supports a shift lever. The retainer has outwardly projecting ribs and the spaced walls have inwardly projecting spaced ribs. These ribs impede the passage of water from the starter drive compartment to the solenoid compartment. The shift lever has a plate or flap which, in an at-rest position of the shift lever, forms a barrier for the passage of water from the starter drive compartment toward the retainer.

Abstract: An ignition distributor rotor that is formed of electrical insulating material. The rotor has a retainer portion that is adapted to be pressed onto the end of a distributor drive shaft. This retainer portion has an axially extending wall that has an undulated shape defined by circumferentially spaced undulated portions. The inner surfaces between the undulated portions tightly engage outer surface portions of the shaft. One of the undulated portions is located in a slot in the shaft to form a driving connection between the shaft and the rotor. The retainer portion has a plurality of flexible circumferentially spaced latch arms. The ends of the latch arms are shaped to enter an annular groove on the distributor shaft to thereby lock the rotor from a axial movement relative to the distributor shaft.

Abstract: A shift lever mechanism for an engine starter for translating axial movement of the plunger of a starter solenoid into axial movement of a starter drive pinion. The shift lever mechanism has a retainer that has two axially extending spaced arms. Each arm has an opening that is defined by a circular portion and a radially extending slot. A shut lever is pivotally supported by the retainer. The shift lever has opposed bosses that are respectively located in the openings in the arms. The bosses have radially extending ribs that are located in the slots. The slots and ribs allow the shift lever to be assembled to the retainer in only one proper orientation of the shift lever relative to the retainer.

Abstract: A ventilated brush holder for an alternating current generator. The brush holder has a tubular shield portion, a brush holding portion and a bearing retainer portion. The shield portion encloses the slip rings of the rotor of the generator. The brush holding portion has bores that are open to the interior of the shield portion. Brushes are located in the bores that project into the shield portion and engage the slip rings. The bearing retaining portion is disposed between and engages an internal surface of an opening in the frame of the generator and an outer surface of the outer race of a ball bearing for the rotor shaft. The bearing retainer portion has a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending slots that form air passages. A fan is driven by the rotor shaft and when it is rotated, air is caused to flow through the shield portion and then through the slots in the bearing retainer portion. This flow of air cools the brushes and the bearing and carries away brush dust.

Abstract: A digital spark timing control for an ignition system of a spark ignited internal combustion engine. Engine crankshaft position sensor, develops by way of example, three reference pulses and eighteen position pulses for each complete revolution of the crankshaft. The reference pulses are angularly spaced by 120.degree. and the position pulses by 20.degree.. A spark taming value is computed by a computer and its program is interrupted at the occurrence of a reference or position pulse. The system at the occurrence of each interrupt determines whether or not the spark is to occur in the next twenty degree period. If the spark should occcur in the next twenty degree period, the system utilizes the most recent twenty degree time period to determine how long it will take the engine crankshaft to rotate from its current position to the desired spark position. This compensates for spark timing errors that might otherwise occur due to changes in engine speed.

Abstract: A frame and magnet assembly for a dynamoelectric machine. The assembly includes an imperforate frame member formed of metallic magnetic material. A one-piece tubular imperforate stainless steel magnet supporting part is disposed within the frame. The magnet supporting part has pockets that contain permanent magnets. The opposite ends of the frame have annular chamfered or tapered surfaces which intersect a tubular inner surface of the frame to define annular ridges. Annular end portions of the magnet support are bent into engagement with the tapered surfaces on the frame to thereby provide ridges on the magnet support that are aligned with the ridges on the frame. The ridges on the frame are welded to the ridges on the magnet support by a welding current that is supplied to a pair of welding electrodes that respectively engage the ridges on the magnet support. The welding electrodes have annular tapered surfaces which have line contact with the ridges on the magnet support.

Abstract: A distributor cap for an ignition distributor. The cap is formed of electrical insulating material. A plurality of electrical connector and terminal assemblies are molded into the cap. Each assembly is comprised of a length of plastic moldable material that supports a metallic insert and a metallic terminal. The ends of the length of plastic material are molded respectively to the insert and the terminal. The length of plastic material is plated or coated with a metallic material such as aluminum and this material also coats portions of the terminal and insert. The metallic coating on the length of plastic material electrically connects the terminal to the insert.

Abstract: A brush holder and voltage regulator are secured to a metallic end frame of an alternating current generator by a metal screw that extends through aligned openings that extend respectively through the brush holder and voltage regulator. The brush holder has a pair of opposed metal terminals and the voltage regulator has a pair of opposed metal terminals. All of the terminals have openings that are aligned with the openings in the brush holder and voltage regulator. The screw extends through the openings in the terminals and has a threaded portion that is threaded into a threaded bore in the end frame. One of the terminals on the brush holder directly engages a surface on the end frame. The other terminal on the brush holder directly engages a terminal on the voltage regulator. The other terminal on the voltage regulator is electrically connected to the end frame by the screw.

Abstract: A motor vehicle power supply system for supplying current to the direct voltage loads on a motor vehicle. The system has two alternating generators which are driven by the engine of the motor vehicle. The output windings of the respective generators are connected to bridge rectifiers that supply current to a common motor vehicle direct current load. Each generator has a field winding and the current supplied to a respective field winding is controlled by a respective voltage regulator. The voltage regulators cause pulses of current to be supplied to the field windings. The system has a control circuit for controlling the pulse width of the current pulses supplied to the respective field windings such that the pulse width of the current pulses supplied to one field winding are substantially equal to the pulse width of the current pulses supplied to the other field winding.

Abstract: A rotor for an alternating current generator of a type that has two pole segments provided with interleaved pole teeth and a core disposed between the segments that carries a field coil. The shaft of the rotor carries a slip ring assembly having two metallic slip rings. A ball bearing is disposed between one of the pole segments and the slip ring assembly. A portion of the shaft that is located inside of the inner race of the ball bearing has a pair of slots and wires for connecting the field coil to the slip rings are located in the slots and inside the inner race of the bearing. The electrical connections between the ends of the field coil and the slip rings includes wires that are twisted together to form twisted wire portions. The twisted wire portions are locked or fixed to a fan that is formed of thermoplastic material by material of the fan that completely encircles portions of the twisted wire portions.

Abstract: A brush holder assembly for a dynamoelectric machine. The assembly comprises an annular metallic support plate that carries a plurality of metallic brush holders. Each brush holder slidably supports a brush. Two of the brush holders have tangs that extend from a respective brush holder. A bus bar formed of copper is welded to the tangs to thereby support the bus bar from the brush holders. The brushes that are associated with the two brush holders are each connected to a brush conductor. The brush conductors are welded to the bus bar. Another conductor or lead is welded to the bus bar to feed current to the bus bar.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for welding a platinum wire to a ground electrode of a spark plug to form a contact pad of platinum material that is welded to the ground electrode. The ground electrode is attached to and extends from a metallic spark plug shell. The apparatus includes a pivotally mounted nest for receiving and supporting the spark plug shell. A movable welding electrode can be moved into engagement with a lower surface of the ground electrode. The welding electrode has a spherical end surface that engages the ground electrode. The apparatus has opposed gripping fingers that can be moved toward or away from each other. The gripping fingers each have an inclined surface. When the gripping fingers are moved toward each other their inclined surfaces engage the ground electrode to force it into tight engagement with the spherical end surface of the welding electrode. A source of welding current is connected to the wire and to the welding electrode to weld an end portion of the wire to the ground electrode.

Abstract: A heat shield for shielding the solenoid of an engine starter from heat generated by an internal combustion engine. The shield is formed of metal and has a first pair of deflectable spring arms for securing the heat shield to a solenoid of an engine starter. The arms have arcuate portions that are adapted to engage the case of the solenoid and the arms are deflected apart when the shield is assembled to the solenoid. The arms then spring back toward each other to tightly grip the solenoid. The heat shield has another pair of deflectable arms the end portions of which are adapted to engage fasteners that secure the shield to the drive housing of an engine starter. The heat shield has a deflectable spring finger that is adapted to engage the solenoid to prevent vibration of the heat shield.

Abstract: A method of detecting a misfire condition in a spark ignited internal combustion engine where the idle speed of the engine is controlled by an idle speed control means which controls engine idle speed by varying the spark timing advance for the engine ignition system. With the engine running at idle speed, the instantaneous spark timing advance being developed is repeatedly sampled for a predetermined number of consecutively occurring data samples. The absolute difference in sampled spark timing advance values between each pair of data samples is calculated for all of the predetermined number of data samples. The absolute differences in spark timing values that occur between data samples are added together to provide a sum total. If the sum total exceeds a reference value, the engine is operating in a misfire condition.