Witherbee Igniter Co.; Wico Electric Co. - Assigned Patents

Manufacturers Index - Witherbee Igniter Co.; Wico Electric Co.

Witherbee Igniter Co.; Wico Electric Co.
New York, NY; West Springfield, MA, U.S.A.
Company Website: http://www.wipac.com/about-wipac/history.aspx
Manufacturer Class: Steam and Gas Engines

Patents

This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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Patent Number	Date	Title	Name	City	Description
748,534	Dec. 29, 1903	Electric generator for intermittent currents	Malcolm P. Ryder	White Plains, NY	This patent date was seen on a "Wico" brand igniter, Model O1, from Witherbee Igniter Co., and this patent is the closest match we have found. "My invention relates to an electric generator for intermittent currents capable of general use, but specially adapted for service upon locomobiles, gas-engines, &c., in which it is desirable to supply a powerful spark for the purpose of igniting an explosive charge."
793,117	Jun. 27, 1905	Storage-battery jar	Thomas S. Witherbee	Jersey City, NJ	This is the only patent we have found that was grnated to Thomas S. Witherbee, who has been credited as the inventor of the portable storage battery. This patent covers construction of an automotive-type lead-acid battery, with a box-shaped casing holding the plates and a gasketed lid preventing spillage. A cleverly designed vent is a key component of the patent. The patent specification is not explicit, but previous storage batteries usually used a glass container to hold the batteriesâ€”the acid electrolyte would eat holes through most other materials. Witherbee's batteries used vulcanized hard rubber for the "jar" (casing) and lid, with soft rubber for the gasket. So far as we know, Witherbee Igniter Co. was the first to use these materials in a storage battery.
880,974	Mar. 03, 1908	Gas-engine igniter	Albert N. Classon	Rutland Township, IL	Original application filed 20 Apr., 1906. Divided and this application filed 07 Oct., 1907. The patent date "March 6 1908" has been seen on a Wico igniter from Witherbee Igniter Co.; that is not a valid issue date. This patent and its companion, patent 881,058, are our best guess as to the patents used by the Wico igniter; the only other possibilies we have found are patents 880,650 and 881,009.
881,058	Mar. 03, 1908	Operating mechanism for magnetos	Albert N. Classon	Rutland Township, IL	The patent date "March 6 1908" has been seen on a Wico igniter from Witherbee Igniter Co.; that is not a valid issue date. This patent and its companion, patent 880,974, are our best guess as to the patents used by the Wico igniter; the only other possibilities we have found are patents 880,650 and 881,009.
888,195	May. 19, 1908	Timer	Walter W. Robinson	West New York, NJ	"My invention relates especially to electric contact breakers for sparking circuits of automobiles, and the like, and has for its object the provision of a simple and effective interrupter wherein the defects of the use wipe-contact circuit interrupters are obviated... my invention consists in the combination with a casing provided with one or more contact pieces, of a loose ring of less diameter than the chamber within the casing, and a roller carried by a rotatable member adapted and arranged to move the ring in an eccentric orbit, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described..."
1,160,491	Nov. 16, 1915	Battery	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,300,922	Apr. 15, 1919	Igniter	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,307,342	Jun. 24, 1919	Igniter	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	An igniter "of the reciprocatory armature type", which conventionally used an magnet a pair of armatures that alternately reciprocate between a pair of cores. One armature completes a magnetic circuit when it is at one particular end of its movement and the other one breaks that circuit. The reciprocating movement, and resulting collision with the core, was objectionably loud. The improvement is to use only one armature, replacing the other armature with a permanent shunt path that has an air gap that offers higher reluctance that the armature when it is at the end of its travel. Thus, the flux alternates between the shunt path and the armature.
1,307,343	Jun. 24, 1919	Igniter	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	A reciprocatory armature type igniter conventionally uses a cam that forces the armature into engagement with a magnetic core; the movement is independent of engine speed and thus the spark intensity is independent of speed, which is a major advantage of this type of igniter. This patent is a companion to patent 1,307,342, and aims to further reduce audio noise by providing resiliency at the end of the reciprocating motion by using springs.
1,335,119	Mar. 30, 1920	Holding means for magnets	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA	The assignee company, Witherbee Igniter Co., changed its name to Wico Electric Co.
1,427,718	Aug. 29, 1922	Actuating mechanism for magnetos	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Improvements to patent 1,307,343.
1,472,545	Oct. 30, 1923	Actuating mechanism for magnetos	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,472,546	Oct. 30, 1923	Trip finger for magnetos	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
		Trip finger for magnetos	Ira E. Hendrickson	Springfield, MA
1,488,975	Apr. 01, 1924	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	A reciprocatory armature type igniter needs a strong initial force to pull the reciprocatory armature away from contact with the magnet's poles, and this was conventionally done with a sudden high-speed movement using a hammer, which created objectionable noise. This improvement uses the igniter's own electromagnetism to force the armature away; as soon as the armature is not touching the poles the force drops. Choke coils are used to extend the time during which the armature accelerates so that it can attain the required speed.
1,489,382	Apr. 08, 1924	Igniter	Phelps Brown	Springfield, Hampden County, MA	This patent covers what became known as the Wico Model EK magneto. The patent provides an alternate, and better, approach to solving the problem described in patent #1,488,975. Rather than trying to achieve a "practically instantaneous" movement of the armature to break the magnetic circuit, a more gradual movement is used; as soon as the magnetic circuit is broken the force increases rapidly to move the armature quickly to the other end of its travel. An electromagnet provides that moving force, and a pair of electrical contacts, the "breaker points". A capacitor, or condenser, is connected across the breaker points "in the usual manner". The points are alternately moved apart and together by an eccentric that is on, or directly driven by, the motor crankshaft. In short, this has all the components (except for the distributor as needed for a multi-cylinder engine) of an ignition system as used in virtually all gasoline engines from the 1920s until the development of the electronic ignition system.
		Igniter	Harold H. Clark	Springfield, Hampden County, MA
1,490,171	Apr. 15, 1924	Magneto	Ira E. Hendrickson	Springfield, MA	This patent applies to "magnetos of the ethype wheeren a reciprocating armature moves into and out of engagement with magnetic poles to vary the flux in a magnetic circuit and by such variations to cause the generation of electricity in a suitable winding. The invention is particularly concerned with mechanism for actuating the armature..."
1,517,948	Dec. 02, 1924	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Ira E. Hendrickson	Springfield, MA
1,517,997	Dec. 02, 1924	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,532,799	Apr. 07, 1925	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA	Improvement to patent 1,517,948.
		Magneto	Harold H. Clark	Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Ira E. Hendrickson	Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,540,603	Jun. 02, 1925	Interrupter mechanism	Harold H. Clark	Springfield, MA
1,555,548	Sep. 29, 1925	Breaker-point mechanism and method of operating the same	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	This mechanism tackles the problem of sparking contact points fusing metal particles from one contact onto the other, which decreased contact surface and increases resistance, which leads to more sparking and the rapid deterioration of the points. This invention provides a "percussive blow" when the points are brought together in an attempt to peen the misplaced metal particles. The patents specification says that the force of the blow must be carefully judged to flatten the point surfaces without causes breakage or excessive wear.
		Breaker-point mechanism and method of operating the same	Harold H. Clark	Springfield, MA
		Breaker-point mechanism and method of operating the same	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
		Breaker-point mechanism and method of operating the same	Ira E. Hendrickson	Springfield, MA
1,557,976	Oct. 20, 1925	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	This patent provides an improved magneto housing, mounting, and lubrication.
		Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,576,439	Mar. 09, 1926	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,578,637	Mar. 30, 1926	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,579,331	Apr. 06, 1926	Magneto	Terence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,634,135	Jun. 28, 1927	Ignition apparatus	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,643,636	Sep. 27, 1927	Magneto-actuating mechanism	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
1,658,028	Feb. 07, 1928	Armature-actuating mechanism for magnetos	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Improvement to patents 1,489,382, 1,490,171, 1,517,948, 1,517,997, and 1,532,799. It is also an improvement to patent 1,488,975.
1,674,050	Jun. 19, 1928	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,674,094	Jun. 19, 1928	Armature-actuating mechanism	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Improvement to patent 1,517,948.
1,700,677	Jan. 29, 1929	Magneto	Ira E. Hendrickson	West Springfield, MA	Improvement to patent 1,634,135.
291,292	Jul. 09, 1929	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
1,722,703	Jul. 30, 1929	Distributor	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA	This distributor improvement is especially suitable for use in "distributors of the type in which the distributor arm moves back and forth between a pair of contacts." The improvement essentially consists in making the contact out of a coil spring, but in a manner different from that used in patent 1,411,787.
1,734,918	Nov. 05, 1929	Magneto	Walter S. Robinson Jr.	Springfield, MA
1,736,441	Nov. 19, 1929	Magneto	Ira E. Hendrickson	West Springfield, MA
1,746,378	Feb. 11, 1930	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Improvements to the magneto of patent 1,674,094.
		Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,763,098	Jun. 10, 1930	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	Springfield, MA
1,803,543	May. 05, 1931	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Ignition system for engines of the type shown in patent 1,736,441.
1,827,323	Oct. 13, 1931	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
317,498	Nov. 24, 1931	Magneto	Phelps Brown	Springfield, MA	Magneto for the engine of US patent 1,736,441.
1,858,404	May. 17, 1932	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
1,864,246	Jun. 21, 1932	Impulse coupling	Ira E. Hendrickson	West Springfield, MA
325,844	Sep. 06, 1932	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
1,904,308	Apr. 18, 1933	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Springfield, MA
1,932,978	Oct. 31, 1933	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
1,970,327	Aug. 14, 1934	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,016,982	Oct. 08, 1935	Magnetoelectric machine	William Bradford	, England
2,043,042	Jun. 02, 1936	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	West Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Ralph W. Crocker	West Springfield, MA
361,600	Nov. 03, 1936	Magneto	Kenneth Allen Harmon	West Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Ralph W. Crocker	West Springfield, MA
2,074,545	Mar. 23, 1937	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Springfield, MA
		Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
365,249	Apr. 06, 1937	Ignition apparatus	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Ignition apparatus	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
365,250	Apr. 06, 1937	Ignition apparatus	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
		Ignition apparatus	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
365,554	Apr. 20, 1937	Magneto	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,091,924	Aug. 31, 1937	Ignition timing means	Kenneth A. Harmon	Springfield, MA
2,101,392	Dec. 07, 1937	Electric generator	Kenneth A. Harmon	Springfield, MA
2,110,321	Mar. 08, 1938	Magneto	William F. Borgerd	Chicago, IL
		Magneto	William Otto Bechman	Chicago, IL
		Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
374,130	May. 31, 1938	Electric generator	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,137,875	Nov. 22, 1938	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,150,688	Mar. 14, 1939	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,189,003	Feb. 06, 1940	Humidifier	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
387,167	Feb. 27, 1940	Magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,232,451	Feb. 18, 1941	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Magneto	Ralph W. Crocker	West Springfield, MA
2,232,452	Feb. 18, 1941	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,233,946	Mar. 04, 1941	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,246,587	Jun. 24, 1941	Dynamoelectric machine	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
398,024	Jul. 15, 1941	Magneto	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,262,531	Nov. 11, 1941	Impulse coupling	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Impulse coupling	Orlo A. Powell	West Springfield, MA
2,262,532	Nov. 11, 1941	Dynamoelectric machine	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,282,581	May. 12, 1942	Ignition means for radial engines	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,300,117	Oct. 27, 1942	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,306,549	Dec. 29, 1942	Automatically adjustable cam-operated ignition circuit breaker	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
410,036	Jan. 12, 1943	Automatically adjustable cam-operated ignition circuit breaker	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
410,037	Jan. 12, 1943	Magneto	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA	Improvements to Canada patent 398,024.
2,318,659	May. 11, 1943	Distributor	Robert V. Atwood	Springfield, MA
		Distributor	Sidney K. Smart	Longmeadow, MA
2,352,894	Jul. 04, 1944	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Magneto	Sidney K. Smart	Longmeadow, MA
2,364,140	Dec. 05, 1944	Magneto	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,378,705	Jun. 19, 1945	Ignition system and magneto therefor	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Ignition system and magneto therefor	Robert V. Atwood	Springfield, MA
2,388,994	Nov. 13, 1945	Centrifugal spark control mechanism for flywheel magnetos	Russell E. Phelon	West Springfield, MA
2,392,500	Jan. 08, 1946	Magneto	Russell E. Phelon	West Springfield, MA
433,184	Feb. 19, 1946	Magneto	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Magneto	Sidney Kilbourn Smart	Longmeadow, MA
2,427,573	Sep. 16, 1947	Magneto	Russell E. Phelon	West Springfield, MA
2,431,547	Nov. 25, 1947	Magneto	Stanley R. Ellingham	Springfield, MA	This patent number was seen on the nameplate of a Wico Model X magneto.
		Magneto	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
445,656	Dec. 16, 1947	Ignition system	Kenneth Allen Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Ignition system	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,433,715	Dec. 30, 1947	Ignition apparatus	Sidney K. Smart	Agawwam, MA
		Ignition apparatus	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,433,757	Dec. 30, 1947	Distributor	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,433,881	Jan. 06, 1948	Stator mounting for flywheel magnetos	Albert I. Alstrom	Longmeadow, MA
2,433,887	Jan. 06, 1948	Ignition apparatus	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,433,888	Jan. 06, 1948	Distributor	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
446,455	Jan. 27, 1948	Flywheel magneto	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA	This magneto is primarily intended for outboard motors.
		Flywheel magneto	Albert Icilius Alstrom	Longmeadow, MA
2,446,761	Aug. 10, 1948	Combined magneto and alternator	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,447,727	Aug. 24, 1948	Flywheel magneto	Albert I. Aistrom	Longmeadow, MA
		Flywheel magneto	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,451,675	Oct. 19, 1948	Distributor	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,458,336	Jan. 04, 1949	Field magnet unit for flywheel magnetos	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
453,917	Jan. 04, 1949	Magneto	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA	The patent covers a modular structure for a magneto, in order to simplify manufacture.
		Magneto	Stanley Robert Ellingham	Springfield, MA
454,896	Mar. 01, 1949	Magneto	Russell Eastmen Phelon	West Springfield, MA
2,464,779	Mar. 15, 1949	Breaker point mechanism	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
		Breaker point mechanism	Albert I. Alstrom	Longmeadow, MA
2,470,467	May. 17, 1949	Stator unit for flywheel magnetos	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,487,095	Nov. 08, 1949	Mounting for Stators of Flywheel Magnetos	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, Hampden County, MA	This patent was improved by patent #2,528,700.
		Mounting for Stators of Flywheel Magnetos	George F. McGrevy	West Springfield, Hampden County, MA
2,528,687	Nov. 07, 1950	Arrangement of stator-platemounted elements of a flywheel magneto	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
		Arrangement of stator-platemounted elements of a flywheel magneto	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,528,698	Nov. 07, 1950	Centrifugal governor, particularly for varying the timing of ignition	Terrence G. Louis	West Springfield, MA
2,528,700	Nov. 07, 1950	Fastening means for the stator plates of flywheel magnetos	George F. McGrevy	West Springfield, MA	Improvements to patent 2,487,095.
477,526	Oct. 02, 1951	Field magnet units for flywheel magnetos	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,573,196	Oct. 30, 1951	Brake-holder control mechanism	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,577,680	Dec. 04, 1951	Control mechanism for the brake holders of automotive vehicles	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
		Control mechanism for the brake holders of automotive vehicles	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,583,466	Jan. 22, 1952	Flywheel magneto	Allen L. Brownlee	West Springfield, MA
2,583,485	Jan. 22, 1952	Control mechanism for brake holders	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
		Control mechanism for brake holders	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
481,142	Feb. 12, 1952	Stator units for flywheel magnetos	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA	Flywheel magneto for small engines, e.g., for scooters and bicycles or small outboard motors, where space within the flywheel is very limited.
2,591,353	Apr. 01, 1952	Electrical switch	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
		Electrical switch	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
2,594,155	Apr. 22, 1952	Brake-holder control mechanism	Kenneth A. Harmon	Longmeadow, MA
		Brake-holder control mechanism	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
487,500	Oct. 21, 1952	Combined magnetos and alternators	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA	Flywheel magneto with alternator for small engines, e.g., for scooters and bicycles or small outboard motors, where space within the flywheel is very limited; the alternator is for powering a lamp.
		Combined magnetos and alternators	Glen Alan Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
2,622,215	Dec. 16, 1952	Impulse coupling	Joseph J. Piekarski	Westfield, MA
		Impulse coupling	John L. Baillargeon	Springfield, MA
2,637,416	May. 05, 1953	Control mechanism for brake holders	Arthur H. Green	East Longmeadow, MA
		Control mechanism for brake holders	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
495,799	Sep. 01, 1953	Flywheel magnetos	Allen Lester Brownlee	West Springfield, MA	Flywheel magneto for high-speed engines as in outboard motors, lawn mowers, mopeds, scooters, and chainsaws. The patent is an improvement on Canada patent 374,130; that patent's design was found to be suitable only at 3000 RPM or less, due to extra sparks, called "maverick" sparks, which that design emits at high speeds.
2,727,410	Dec. 20, 1955	Motor-generator gearing	Albert I. Alstrom	Longmeadow, MA
2,731,540	Jan. 17, 1956	Electric cigarette lighter	Arthur H. Green	East Longmeadow, MA
		Electric cigarette lighter	Glen A. Guernsey	West Springfield, MA
2,756,356	Jul. 24, 1956	Field magnet unit for flywheel magnetos	Allen L. Brownlee	Westfield, MA
		Field magnet unit for flywheel magnetos	Terrence G. Louis	North Haven, CT