Spark plug cleaner and method

A spark plug cleaner for directing particulate against the electrodes of a spark plug including in combination:

• a blower casing having a bottom wall and sidewall therearound,
• first and second self-sealing spark plug holders mouned in said sidewall, each of said holders adapted to receive and mount a spark plug to present the electrodes of the spark plug to the interior of said blower casing,
• a cover plate mounted to said casing,
• a motor mounted on said cover plate, said motor having a vertical drive shaft extending below said cover plate,
• a closed impeller mounted to said vertical drive shaft, said closed impeller having a bottom plate with a central inlet opening and having blades adapted to engage and project particulate into contact with the exposed electrodes of the spark plug held in said first and said second holders, and
• first and second spiral vanes each mounted to said sidewall and extending inwardly in an arc an equal distance from the center line of each of said first and said second holders along the bottom wall of said blower casing to a position below said central inlet opening of said closed impeller to an overlapping position, such that upon rotation of said impeller, said impeller directs particulate particles and air along each of said first and second spiral vanes and into said closed impeller to be directed into contact with the electrodes of the spark plugs to clean the same.

A method of cleaning the electrodes of a spark plug, including the steps of:

• producing a circulating flow of air and particulate length a closed impeller,
• directing said air and particulate against the electrodes of a spark plug,
• dropping said air and spent particulate to a level lower than said closed impeller,
• forming particulate into a spiral pile of increasing height which terminates at a point below said closed impeller, and
• circulating said air and particulate along said spiral pile of particulate and into the interior of said closed impeller so that said air and said particulate may be directed against the electrodes of a spark plug.