1,693,696

Dec. 4, 1928.
c. a. FRANKLIN
GENERATOR ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR CYCLE ENGINES

Filed March 6, 1926

2 Sheets-Sheet

'

INVENTOR.

M Z. #M

BY (Zm $7406
A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 4. 1928.

1,693,696
\

c. B. FRANKLIN

GENERATOR ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR CYCLE ENGINES

Filed March?, 1926

/A

15

2 SheetSL-Sheet

f?/

INVENTOR.

_ ATTORNEYS.

1,693,696

Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES

PATENT OFFICE."

CHARLES B. FRANKLIN, 0F SPRINGFIELD,-MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO INDIAN

MOTORCYCLE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

GENERATOR ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR-CYCLE ENGINES.

Application ?led March 6, 1928. _8eria1 No. 92,825.

This invention relates tonan electrical gen;

erating and."distributingsystem forinternal

combustion engines and more particularly to

more particularly described and pointedout .

in the appended claim.
In thg drawings:

'
>

Fig.1 is a motorcycle engineof a two cylin

,7 the provision of'means iii-connection with a
a motorcycle engine for interchangeably emf der roar, cycle type showing in a cut away 00
ploying__magneto' or generator and battery portion of the view a train of gears from the
ignition.

It has been customary practice with motor

cycle engines equipped with magneto ignition

10 to operate the magneto shaft from the engine

engine shaft to a magnetoor generator-shaft '

, Fig, 2 is ,a view 'in longitudinal section o

the generator assembly; and i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sec

through a train. of! gears permanently tion of the generator assembly taken at right
'
~
' .
mounted on some part of the engine frame. angles to F ig. 2. ,7

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of

neto shaft is necessarily rotated at one-ha f the drawings, a standard ty c of a two cylin~

In a four cycle engine so equipped, the mag

15 engine speed. . Likewise, a distributor when

der engine more especially adapted for motor

used with battery ig'nition- would have its dis cycles is shown. The engine as a whole is

tributor _ shaft rotated at one half en ' ne indicated at l with its motor shaft at 2 in driv
speed. A generator on the other hand, w en ing connection with _a driven shaft 3 through
employed in connection with battery ignition, a trainof'intermediate gears 4, 5 and 6. The
20 must have its armature shaft rotated'at high driven shaft 3, in the view illustrated, is the 75
or speed than engine speed for effective oper direct operating shaft of a magneto enclosed
ation. Accordingly a generator vcan not be within the casing 7. It will he understood
operated successfully from the same train that this magneto is detachably mounted on I,

of gearing ordinarily employed to drive the a bracket (not shown) of the engine frame

25 magneto and the alternate use of such equip~ by bolts 8. As will be hereinafter described,
ment or replacement of one for the other is a: generator assembly of approximatelythe

usually attended witlnthe expense and dii? same sizeas casing 7 may be mounted in place

cnlty of providing aseparate train of gearing of the magneto and on the same bracket and
a shaft for operating the armature shaft of
for each separate form of installation,

30

It- is to make such an exchange of equip; the generator will he in the same position as
ment possible with a minimum of labor and shaft 3. The intermediate gears 11, 5 and 6

expense and more especially to ~ avoid any serve as, idlers for the transmission of power

necessity of changing the train of gearing and are permanently mounted in suitable

from the engine shaft that forms one of the bearings upon the frame of'tlie engine. ' The
intermediate gear 4 in'the ,usual construction
35 prime objects ot'the present invention. _
- For the accomplishment of this object, the is employed as a camv gear for the valve 0 -

invention in its present embodiment contem ' eration of the engine. The ratio between e_
plates the adaptation to the standard con-l gear on shaft 2 and gear on shaft 3 obviously
struction of a-motorcycle engine having mag determines the driving speed of the latter
40 neto ignition of a special form of generator with respect to the former, and in the em 96
assembly which ma replace the magneto bodiment shown, this ratio is. one to two so
upon the same brac et or mounting of the that the shaft 3 rotates at one half the speed
latter and designed for operation through the of the engincshaft 2. Such a speed ratio
same permanent train of gearing as for the is required for-the usual magneto o eration
45 magneto, all without any further change or and the gears, as shown, are suite to this
alteration of other parts. To this end also,
Referring to. Fig. 2, I will now describe
vthe'generator assembly is designed with an
especial view t6 its compactness for occupy the preferred form of generator assembly
ing small space and ruggedness of construc which is designed for interchangeability
50 tion for withstanding the hard usage in fdent with that of the magneto on the engine just 103
described. This assembly comprises a cy
to motorcycle operation.
,
'_
For the accomplishment of these and other lindrical housing 9 within which is mounted
objects as will presently appear, the present an armature shaft 10 having its armature 11,
' invention comprises the features of construc said shaft being carried in bearings one at
need.

'

155 tion and arrangement of .parts'hereinafter the right (not showii) and one at the left 110

2,,

1,693,696

at 13; The bearing 13 is providedin a gear shaft of the generator to rotate for instance,
of the housing ,9. The gear case 12 has generally fast enough for eflicient operation
mounted therein on suitable bearings 14 and ofvsuch generators. The distributor shaft
case'12 which serves as a closure for one end -at one and one half engine speed, which is

15, a .countersliaft 16 which has fixed to one 21 may, however,'be driven at one half en-.>

end thereof alarge internal gear 17 in mesh gine speed by direct operation from the coun-_
with a smallwpinion 18 ?xed to the armature tershaft 16, as shown. '
shaft 10. The countersliaft 16 extends exi
The advantages of the arrangement- de
teriorly of the gearcasing and has ?xed on scribed will-be obvious both as regards com
its outer end a gear 22 for receiving driving pactness ~ in construction, the simplicity of

power. "Also ?xed on the countershaft 16 is partsand the ease by which the change of ,
a small pinion 19 which may serve to drive equipment may be effected. The invention,
through pinion 20 a distributor shaft 21 at however, is not to be confined to theexact

.' the same speed of rotation as said shaft 16. arrangement shown, for obviously various 60

The gears 17 and 18 form a step-up gear .slight changes in detail and equivalent re
ing arrangement between countershaft _ 16 arrangements may be resorted to within the '
and armature shaft 10 whereby the latter is purview and" scope of the following claim.

rotated approximately three times as fastas '

the former, and by virtue of employing the

-In an electrical generating and distribut-v

gear 17 for meshing with and driv ing system for internal combustion engines
ing the enclosed pinion 18, it is possible to of the type wherein a train ofv-geari-ng is
locate the'parallel shafts 10 and 16 closely provided to enable said engine shaft to ro

20 internal

adjacent to one another and thus provide a

very compact structure taking up small space.
25
In Fig. 1, the shaft 3 is that of a magneto
enclosed within a casing 7 and the gear 2:2a
thereon may be identical with the gear :22
\shown on countershaft 16 in Fig. 2. For
replacing this magneto with a generator as
30

of a generator assembly comprising a hous

ing having contained therein an armature

and its shaft, said slow speed driven shaft

for operation by said engine shaft, and step

up gearing between said driven shaft and

shown in Fig. 2, the'generator is designed said
armature shaft to rotate the latter at
as a unitary assembl and so as to be mount higher speed than said engine shaft, said
ed on the same brac 'ets as that ofthe mag

neto and with-its countershaft 16 assum

ing the same'position as that of shaft 3 'of

the magnetoi The gear 22 of said genera~
tor being identical with gear 22 (the same
gear may be employed in either installation
.if desired) will thus receive power from
' the same train of gears 4, 5' and 6 without
40

tate a driven shaft at a slower speed than

said engine shaft, the combination therewith

step-up gearing comprising a relatively large

internal gear on said driven shaft and a rela

tively small intermeshing pinion on said ar

mature shaft, said driven shaft extending

exteriorly of said housing and having ?xed

80

thereto a gear for meshing with said train

of gearing fromsaid engine shaft, a pinion

?xed on said driven shaft adjacent said in

any further alteration of. parts. The pur ternal gear within saidhousing and a distrib
pose and function of the step-up gearing in
shaft extending to Within said housing
the generator assembly are now apparent for utor
and having a gear for operation by said
since in the embodiment of the invention pinion.
.
shown the 9' untershaft 16 is rotated from
In
testimony
whereof'I'
have a?ixed my
the motorsnaft at one half engine speed, signature.
'
.
'the-stepmp gearing will cause the armature
'
CHARLES B. FRANKLIN.

85

90

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.
Patent No. 1,693,696.

Granted December 4, I928, to

, CHARLES B. FRANKLIN.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered
patent was erroneously written and printed as "Indian Motorcycle Company",
whereas said name should have been written and printed as "Indian Motocycle
Company", as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the
said Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the same
may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of January. A. D. I929.

(Seal)

M. J. Moore.
Acting Conunissioner of Patents.