GB704395A - Inertia starter for an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

704,395. Turning gear. SILBERSTEIN, V. June 1, 1951, No. 13088/51. Class 7(5) In an inertia starter of the kind having a flywheel 4 adapted to be rotated and then clutched to an engine crankshaft (not shown) and comprising a variable gear means, such as a friction roller 8, between the flywheel 4 and the crankshaft, or a member, for example a pinion 14 for coupling thereto, which means is adapted, when clutching is initially effected, to give a flywheel to crankshaft speed ratio substantially exceeding 1:1, and to progressively be adjusted to reduce this ratio preferably to a value substantially less than 1:1 prior to declutching, it is arranged that the clutching, gear adjusting and declutching operations are effected by progressive adjustment of the gear means. The starter is housed in a casing 1 in which are journalled shafts 2, 3 the former having the pinion 14 threaded on the outer end thereof for axial movement into and out of mesh with a gear 12 on the engine crankshaft; the inner end of shaft 2 has a disc 5 secured thereto, the disc incorporating a toroidal groove 7 in one end face. The shaft 3 is provided with a dog clutch 16 on its outer end by means of which the shaft and the flywheel 4 also having a toroidal groove 6 in one end face at one point is opposite a portion of the other groove 7. The roller is mounted in a slot in a shaft 9 which shaft may be rotated either to disengage the roller from the grooves 6 and 7 or to change the radius of its point of contact in each groove. The shaft 2 may be an extension of the engine crankshaft and the flywheel may be driven by an electric motor.