GB643727A - Engine starting means - Google Patents

Abstract

643,727. Turning gear. BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION. July 30, 1947, No. 20652. Convention date, Aug. 28, 1946. [Class 7 (v)] In an engine starter comprising a starter clutch-jaw member 16, a motor 36 having a shaft 38 for rotating the member 16 and a reduction gear train for transmitting the rotation of the shaft to the member 16 at a reduced speed, a rotative gear member 32 meshes with a gear 28 at the higher speed end of the train and is rotatable by driving-element receiving means 52 when the motor is de-energized and disconhected therefrom when the motor is energized, the means 52 being located at a position spaced from member 16 and operatively connected with the gear member 32 through a flexible shaft 54. A rotatable barrel 2, supports planet gears 26 operating between a stationary orbitalgear 24 and a sun gear 30, the latter being fixed to the internal gear 28 the teeth of which are engaged by a pinion 34 that is part of gear 32. The gear 32 is in mesh with another pinion 40 on the shaft 38 which shaft has attached thereto a flywheel 42. The barrel 20 is connected by a multi-plate, friction clutch 22 to an axially-stationary nut 12 threaded to a screwshaft 14 to which is splined the jaw-member 16, whilst a spring 18 is interposed between the shaft 14 and the jaw-member 16, the spring surrounding the front end of a mesh rod 122 and a shoulder on the rod being in engagement with the rear of the screwshaft. A hollow pinion 48 is in permanent engagement with the gear 32 and an overrunning free-wheel clutch 50 is located inside the pinion 48, the clutch being connected by the flexible shaft 54 to the receiving means 52. The hollow pinion and clutch 50 could be replaced by a screw-and-nut mechanism such as that described above for operating the jaw-member 16. The element 52 is connected to a step-up gear-train 172 which is either operated manually or by a portable electric motor (not shown). The mesh rod is either moved manually by a ring 178, cable 182 and lever 128 or by a solenoid (not shown), whilst another ring 186 and cable 188 is used to lift the motor brushes 102 when the alternative drive through clutch 50 is to be used. A ball 126 is provided on the cable 188 to lock the brushes in the lifted position. When the motor 36 is operated and the flywheel 42 is brought up to speed, the ring 178 is pulled to move the mesh rod 122 axially until the shoulder of the latter pushes against the screwshaft 14 and causes it to turn in the nut 12 and so through the spring 18 to move the member 16 into engagement with the engine jaw-clutch 46 whereupon the shoulders 116 and 118 on the shaft and nut respectively abut so that member 16 is rotated and cranks the engine. To effect starting independently of the motor 36 the ring 186 is pulled to lift the brushes, and the gear train 172 is operated to rotate the flywheel through clutch 50. Oil seals 130 and 126' are provided, respectively, at the rear of the screwshaft and the member 16 whilst the latter has a seal 112 around its periphery.