US1017453A - Gas-engine starter. - Google Patents

Description

J. J. OLEARY. GAS ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25,.1911 v 1,01 7,453. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. J. O'LEARYw GAS ENGINE STARTER. I

APPLICATION FILED PEB.25, 1911. 1,01 7,453. Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

2 BHEETSBHEET 2.

UNITED STATES- Gas-Enema srnnrnn; 7

'ToaZZ whom-it may-concern: I y I Be it known that I, J OHN J. OLnrunncitizen of the United States, residing-at Healdsi .burg, inthe county of Sonoma and State, of.

Improvements in GasEngine Starters, of which the following is a specification.

--This invention relates to starting. devices and particularly to a means for startingthe engine shaft of self-propelledvehicles:o

'It is the object of thepresentinvention to provide a power conserving apparatus which may be mechanically energized by the driven 1 shaft of the engine when the latter is run- 115 ning; which; will automatically uncouple itself, from a controlling device when .thepower conserving elements have been sufe ficiently wound or energized; which is siniple, reliable and effective in operation and 2a which may be readily mounted or: dismounted in position upon the shaft. o g

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of as hereinafter more full described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the starting-devicawith some of the parts in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan ao view partly broken" away, of the" device, showing the releasing pawls, Fig. '3 .isa side viewv partly broken away toshow the roller, clutch. Fig. 4, is a perspective detail of the dogging hook; Fig. 5 isa detail cross-section at thestop' latch. Fig. 6 is a is attached. v

- In the present embodiment of my -invention 2 represents 'a shaft adapted to be driven by any suitable source of power, as a gas engine, not shown, but such, for in stance, as vis commonly employed in thepropulsion of vehicles.

In self-propelled vehicles employing intern'al combustion, engines the common pro-i endure in starting upthe engine is to man ually crank it by means, usually provided for that purpose, andin thisinvention there isiconnec'ted to the shaft 2-1m automatic starting de'vice, indicated asat 3'," and which comprises ashiftable collar 4' mounted upon theshaft 2 and havingradial teeth 5 formedupon onaof its fgijees,- These teeth-5 are adapted to engage. with complementary 5'5 vteeth 6 formed upon an. adjacent end of a fixed clutch member 7 on the shaft 2.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patefited 4 1 1191111 1 filed ama, 1911. Serial no. 610,839.

California, have. invented new and useful,

parts,

detail of the ring towhich the drive spring being connected to 'one ,end of a rod 22, by

ameter than the fixed clutch member 7 and normally thrust into engagement with the teeth 6 by an expansion spring 8 reactive upon a disk 9, forming one side othehous'- ing of the starting device 3:,

Feb. 13, 1912,.

rnrnnrorrion collar 4 is .of somewhat larger di- 7 The slidabl'e clutch collar 4 ma be -pro videdwith a flange, as at 10,'wn1ch:fmaybe pressed outwardly by the spring 8 againsta- J wall 11 of the starting device. Secured to ,the periphery of the clutch collar 4. is a spring or appropriate device 12, the outer end of 'WhiQh is connected to a ring 13 having a chamber 14, which is semi-circular in cross-sectional. area, and which is mountedwith a limited amount of play upon atrans- 7 verse pin 15 preferably made triangular in cross-section at the portion embraced by't he' member 13'. The pin 15 is provided at suit ing and there is also fixed upon the pin 15 a latch or bolt member 18 adapted to be Pmlected circumferentially through the 1 sol lindrical drum'19, which is attached to the disk 910i the. casing.,

If desi fed, a removable plate 20 maybe securedto the drum 19 fort-he protection of i the mechanism. a I v When the spring 12- is unwound, or in other words, released from tension, it. allows the connection'l l to move the pin 15 in its bearings androck the latching member-18 so.

that its outer end-will project through the;

drum 19 and come into engagementwith a movable: detent 21, which is here shown as teeth 5 and 6 intermesh, and if the engineshaft 2 is being driven, power will be transmitted through :the fixed member 7 toturn' collar; 4' and thus wind the spring 12' with sufficient force to carry the drum 19 and its associated pins around simultaneously with,

.' andizn the direction'of rotation'of, the shaft. I

' 2 until the locking bolt 18 encounters the external abutment 21. When th'ebolt 18 has engaged'the abutment member 21, the rotae tion ofthe drumflWfi-interruptedhnd the continued rotation of the shaft 2with {it-s "r, m ber"; .f therwindsthe-spring 12 inthrough the periphery faces 28 of the hub 26..

has been wound to a predetermined tension,

it will draw down the upper end of the spring and its connection 14, thus rocking the pin 15 and pulling the bolt 18 out of engagement with the restraining abutment 21. Having thus placed the spring 12 under tension and its release having been automatic by the withdrawal of the locking bolt 18 tension of the spring 12 will be exerted to pull the drum. l9 circumferentially about the shaft 2; and in order to prevent this premature unwinding ofthe spring 12 after it has been wound by its shaft 2, there is formed upon one side of the casing disk 9 a cylindrical flange 24 having a smooth concentric interior wall 25,. Upon the shaft 2 is keyed a fixed hub 26, upon the exterior periphery of which is mounted a plurality of friction devices, here shown as rollers 27 adapted to ride upon the eccentric cam sur- Spaces 29 are thus formed around the periphery of the hub 26.

which will allow the rollers 27 to be disen' gaged from the surfaces of the adjacent members 26-24, but the eccentric surfaces 28 of the hub 26 are such that when the drum 19' tends to move in the same direction about the hub,26 as the rotation of the shaft 2, the anti-friction members 27 will become effective to cause the two and thereafter to travel After the starting device has been in "stalled in position on'the shaft 2, the latter is given its initial rotation, 4

by any suitable means, as by cranking or otherwise, to first start the engine, and after this has been accomplished the spring 12 of the starting device can be automatically wound during the rotation of the engine shaft 2, as has been hereinbefore stated.

When the operator wishes to automatically start the rotation of the shaft 2 from the idle position, he shifts the collar 4 inwardly by'means of an appropriate lever 30 fulcrumed at 31 upon suitable hearings in the vehicle. The lower end of the lever 30 is forked and provided with oppositely disposed abutment faces 32, which will swing in and encounter the teeth 5 of the collar4 and thus prevent its reverse revolution-about the shaft 2, as it is disengagedfrom the re: straining teeth 6 of. the fixed member 7. When the lever 30 is rocked sufficiently to carry the teeth 5 of the shiftable collar 4 clear of the member 7, the force of the spring 12 exerted upon the pin 15 will pull the easing or drum 19 in the direction of the normal rotation of the shaft 2, causing the friction rollers 27 to automatically embrace the hub portion 26 and thus mechanically and autoof the drum 19, the

elementsto interlock uniformly to gether.-

. housing secured to other end of the spring,

clutch member secured upon the shaft, havi As before stated, the spring 12 is designed" to be wound to :a suflicient tension to give the shaft 2 a sufiici'ent number of rotations, as three or more, to start the engine. Thelever gagement with the collar 4 by means of the spring or other suitable device 33.

The band brake 23 is provided as an auxiliary means for preventing the rotation of the shaft 19 in the event that the locking elements should become temporarily'inoper: ative; the brake 23 enabling the operator to manually control the rotation of the drum 19 when the spring 12 is wound by connection to the shaft 2.

An import-ant feature ofthe present invention is the provision of means whereby be readily and easily conthe device can 30 is normally withdrawn from enbeing mechanically nected and disconnected to a shaft, and to p accomplish this I have shown these means in the present instance as comprising a short section of shaft 34 which is threaded at 35 on each endand also transversely slotted, as at 36, The adjacentend of the engine shaft 2 is provided with an interlocking portion,

36 adapted to be inserted into a slotted part of the sectional shaft 34 and the two contiguous or abutting ends of shafts 2 and 36 safely locked by means of internally threaded sleeves 37 adapted to be threaded on the portions 35. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a 1. The combination of a driven shaft, a

clutch hub keyed upon said shaft, a flanged disk adapted to drive said hub in one direc tion, friction'rollers interposed between the periphery of said hub and the inner surface of the flange of the disk, a casing removably attached to the flanged side of the disk, a the other side of said disk, a spring inclosed in said housing, a

pin supported adjacent the periphery of the.

housing and to which one end of said spring is connected, a collar having radial teeth upon one of its faces slidably mounted upon said shaft and proj ecting inwardly into the aforesaid housing and having attached the a complementary 2. The combination of a driven shaft, a

clutch hub keyed upon said shaft, a flanged disk adapted-to drive said hub in one direcperiphery of said hub andfthe'inner' surface of the flange of-thedisk, a casing remov-x ably attached to the flanged side of the toffmss tion, frictionroller's interposed betweenthe disk, a housing secured to the other side of said disk, a spring-inclosed insaid housing,

a pin supported adjacent the periphery of" the hous ng and-to which one end-of said,

spring is connected, a collar having. radial teethupon one of its faces slidably'mounted the shaft, having teeth adaptedto engage with the teeth of said'collar a spring hear ing against-one si'de'bf the" flanged-disk and normally e'fiective'to thrust the toothed col-i lar intoengagement with the clutch mnm ber, means for restraining the housing while 7 the mainspring is being wound, and means for disengaging the slidableclutch collar.

' 3. The combination of a driven shaft, a

clutch hubkeyedupon said shaft, a flanged disk adapted todrive said hub in one direce t'ion, friction rollers interposed between the:

Y periphery of said hub andthe inner. surface of -the.flange of the disk,-a -casing remov-' ably" attached to the;- flanged side of the disk, a housing secured to the other side of said disk, a brake operative upon said housing, a spring-inclosed in said housing,- .a

p111 supported adjacent the peripherygofn the. housing and towhich one end of said spring connected, a collar. having radial teeth upon one of its faces slidably mounted upon said shaft and projecting inwardly into, the aforesaidYhousing and having at-' tached theother'end ofthe spring, a corn- 'plementaryclutch member secured 'upon the shaft, having teeth adapted to engagewith the teeth of said collar, a spring hear? ing against one side of the flanged disk and normally effective to-thrust the toothed 001- having projections adapted to -engage the teeth of said collar "to prevent its rotation when disengaged from its complementary clutch.

4. A device comprising a driven shaft and a power conserving instrumentality 'com prising a toothed shiftable collar slidable upon said shaft, a-restrai'ning lever engageable with said collar, a flexible member secured to. said collar,.a housing for said member to whichit is also connected, means for imparting power to said 1nstrumentality, saidmeans including a toothed member fixed upon said driving shaft cotiperativewith the shiftable collar, a brake operative upon the housing, and an automatic re-v when said member is sufiiciently tensioned;

member, said device comprising a rockable pin secured toone end of the flexible member. andcarrying a tiltable pawl engageable with an abutment and releasable therefrom 'when lsaid member is sufliciently tena power conserving instrumenta-lity com-. prising-a toothed 's-hiftable collarloose upon said shaft, a flexible member secured to said collar, and a housing-forsaid member to which it. :is also-fconnected, means for'impartmg power to said instrumentality, said means including a toothed member fixed upon said driving shaft cooperative with thefshiftajblecollar, means whereby the stored energy of the flexible member may be transmitted to -initially turn the shaft- I 'froma'position of rest andan automatic releasing device, connected to said flexible rnember, said device comprising a'rockable .pin secured to one end of the flexible mem-- her and carrying a tiltable pawl engageable with an abutment and'releasable therefrom 6. A device comprising a driven shaft anda power conservlng lnstrumentality able with saidlcollar, a flexible member secured tosaidlcoll'ar, anda housing for said member to which it is also connected, means for imparting powerto said instrumental v Yity, saidmeans including a toothed member "fixed upon said driving shaft cooperative with the shiftable collar, and means whereby hub; secured upon said shaft, friction de- 'comprising a toothed shiftable collar loose uponsaid shaft, a restraining lever engage:

the stored energy of the flexible memberp vices interposed between the inner surface of said'flange Land the peripherypf said hub, said friction devices being normally lar into engagementwith the clutch member, vand-means for disengagingthe slidable clutch collar, said means including a lever able with said collar, a flexible member secured to said collar, and a housing for said .member to which it is also'connected, meansfor imparting power to said instrumentality, said means including a toothed mem-' b'er' fixed upon said driving shaft cooperativewith the shiftable collar, means whe'reby the stbred energy of the flexible member may be transmitted to initially turn the shaft'from a position of rest, said means in: eluding a clutch comprising a flange formed on a part of the housing, a clutch hub se-' 65 leasing device connected to said .flexible' curedupon said shaft, andfriction devices interposed between the inner surface of said flange and the periphery of said hub, said friction devices being normally ineffective when the shaft is turned independently of the housing, a spring interposed between a part of the housingand the shiftable collar normally effective to shift the latter into' said means including a toothed member fixed upon said driving shaft cooperative with the shiftable collar, means whereby the stored energy of the flexible member may be transmitted to initially turn the shaft from a position of rest, said means includ-.

ing a clutch comprising a flange formed on a part of the housing, a clutch hub secured upon said shaft, and friction devices interposed between the inner surface of said flange and the peripheryof said hub, said friction devices being normally ineffective when the shaft is turned independently of the housing, a spring interposed between a part of the housing and the shiftable collar normally effective to shift the latter into engagement with the fixed clutch member, said fixed clutch member being adapted to rotate the shiftable collar when the shaft is power driven to place the flexible member under tension, means, for'preventing the housing from rotating in the direction of rotation of the shaft when the winding members are intermeshed and a lever engageable with the collar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my lllndij'i the presence of two subscribing witnesses:

JOHN-J. OLEARY.

Witnesses: I

F. A. PETRAY, F. E. MAYNA D.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Batents, I

Washington, D. G.

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