US1072187A - Automatic starting device for motors. - Google Patents

Description

J. P. SMITHERS, DECD.

H. & w. SMITHERS, BXEOUTORS.

AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1008.

1,072,187, Patented Sept. 2,1913.

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2V8 26 I LA 5 ATTORNEYS J. P. SMITHERS, DECD. H. A; W. SMITHERS, EXEOUTQRS. AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1908. 1 072 181 Patented Sept Z, 1913.

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luvs/v10 u L'ypau ZSG/JA mzf {ekg r r 7 BY ATTORNEYS.

J. P. SMITHERS, DBGD.

H. in w. SMITHBRS, EXEOUTORS. AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 100a.

1,07%,1 87. Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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WIT/VESSE INVENTOH wise 9 PFSrr IY AGLQ iini'rnn 's'rnrns rninnr onnicn.

JOSEPH P. siurrnnns, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; HERBERT sm'rnnns AND WALTER SMITHERS nxncn'rons or SAID J SEPH P. SMITHERS, nncnasnn.

AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21913.

Application filed July 8, 1908. Serial No. 442,515.

' a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Automatic Starting Devices for Motors, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic starting devices for internal combustion engines and has for its object to provide means for starting explosive engines operated by gas, gasolene or the like without the necessity of cranking or turning the engine over by hand in. order to give the engine its first impulse.

A further object of my invention is to provide a starting device which will be free from the crank-shaft of the engine at all times except when it is desired to automatically start the engine or to rewind the starter after it has caused the engine to revolve by its own power.

To these ends my invention consists in providing an automatic starting. device for motors with means whereby it can be coupled to and uncoupled from the crankshaft of an engine when the crank-shaft is idle or rotating.

My invention also consists in an automatic starting device for motors in which in the first step the starter is coupled to the engine shaft, in a further step a spring is released to rotate the engine shaft, in a further step the spring is held from further unwinding but the starter still remains coupled to the engine shaft and in a final step, the starter is uncoupled from the engine shaft, all the steps being under the control of a single operating lover or pedal.

My invention also consists in the novel means for re-winding the spring of the starter and holding the same against unwinding.

My invention consists further in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claim.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section and partial elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sec tion taken on the line A, A, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line B, B,

Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top view'of a detail.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line C, C, Fig. 1 and illustrates the ratchet connection. Fig. 6 is a plan of a modification of the detail illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section through a starting device constructed as a modification of my invention. Fig. 8 is a plan of a de tail of construction as used in the modification illustrated in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a detail. Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line E, E, Fig.

7. Fig. 11 is a similar section taken on the line F, F, Fig. 7. Fig. 12 is a similar section taken on the line G, G, Fig. 7. Fig. 13 is a similar section through the rollerratchet connection and taken on the line D, D, Fig. 7.

1 indicates the usualcrank shaft of an internal combustion engine as usedin automobiles, motor boats, and the like and is provided at its end with a clutch member 2 fixed thereto. i

In the preferred form of carrying out my invention, a casing, consisting of front and back plates or covers 3 and'side walls 1, entirely surrounds and protects the various; parts of the device. Suitably journalcd in the end plates 3 of the casing is a shaft 5 preferably in line with the crankshaft It so as to form a continuation thereof and is provided at its end adjacent to the crank shaft with a clutch member '6 secured thereto against rotation independent of the shaft but capable of sliding longitudinally thereon to cause it to engage with or be disengaged from its, corresponding member 2. The clutch member 6 is moved longitudinally on the shaft 5 by means of a lever 7 provided with laterally projecting pins 8 which work in a suitable groove in the member (3, the lever being suitably mounted on the casing 3 and Operated in a mannerto be presently described. While I have shown and prefer to use a crab-clutch to couple the crank shaft and the starter, it will be obvious that other suitable forms of clutches might be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

An internal gear wheel 9 is loosely mounted on the shaft 5'and provided with an elongated hub 9' concentric with the shaft 5.

Intcrposed between the shaft 5 and the hub 9 are roller ratchcls 10 working in eccentric slots 11, (see Fig. I) and which couple thagear wheel 9 to the shaft 5 and gear 9 to the shaft might be employed :as

and rewind the mechanism.

will readily suggest themselves to anyone skilled in theflart and more especially as the "shaft 5 only rotates during the very short space of. time necessary to start the engine I 12 indicates a coiled spring secured at one end to the hub 9 and atthe other end to the casing 4, said spring'being normally held under tension,- so that upon freeing the spring itjwill unwind from the center and rotate the hub. 9 and the gear 9', it 'being'rewound from the center by a reverse rotation of the gear wheel 9, the outer end of the spring being rigidly-heldto the casing;

, Integral with or fastened to the gear wheel 9 so as to rotate therewith is a pinion 13 which meshes'with a gear wheel 14 to which is secured a pinion 15 which is itself in'mesh-with a gear wheel 16. all of said gears being suitably mounted to run freely in engaging a boss 18 on the gear 16.

journals formed in the end plate of the easlng.

The'spring 12 when under tension, acts to rotate the gear-wheel 16 in the direction of the arrow, but is prevented from rotation by means of an eccentrically mounted roller 17 A link 19, secured to the stud to which the roller 17 is keyed, is pivot-ally connected to a lever 20 provided with a lug-or projection 21 at the end thereof. The eccentric roller 17 is normally held pressed against the boss 18 by the action of a spring '22.

23 indicates a pivotally mounted lever, preferably in the form of a foot-pedal and to which is pivoted a bar 24 provided with a depending lip 25 said lip being adapted to hit the projection 21 on the lever 20. The

.- bar 24 passes loosely through the lever 7 and the spring to unwind to start the engine,

interposed between the lever 7 and lip 25 is a compression spring 26. Upon drawing over the bar 24 the s rin 26 is com )IOSSQCl and forces the two members of the clutch 2 and 6 together and couples the starter to the crank-shaft. Upon further movement of the bar in the same direction the lip hits the projection 21 and rotates the eccentric roller 17 which frees the gear 16 and allows The lever 23 reciprocates between stops 27 and 28 secured to a segment 29 and so an ranged that when the lever strikes the stop 27 the lip 25 has hit the projection 21. The lever 23 is then freed and flies back due to the action of a sprin 50, but is prevented from returning to its original position against the stop 28 by means of a detent 31. whlch enters a notch 30 in the segment 29.

When the lever 23 comes to a stop at the ta-ting by its own' power, to rewind the spring as will be presently described. Upon freeing the 'detent 31 from the notch 30 the bar 24 makes a further backward. movement which causes a collar 32 secured to the bar 24 to strike the lever 7 and force the members of the clutch apart and uncouple the starter from the now rotating crank-shaft.

Obviously in order to normally hold the gear 16 from rotating a rack and detent might be employed, as illustrated in Fig. 6 instead of the eccentric roller or cam 17 and its attendant boss on the gear. 16.

33 indicates a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft 5 and provided with a number of laterallyprojecting lugs 84, said pinion meshing with a gear wheel 60 having a pinion 35 fixed thereto, which pinion meshes with the internal gear 9. It will thus be seen that when the spring unwinds the pin ion 33 will rotate freely upon the shaft A laterally projecting lug 36 extending from the gear 16 at or near the outer edge rotates with the gear 16 when the spring is released and comes around and strikes the under side of an arm 37 secured to a rock shaft 38.

The rocjkshaft also carries a forked lever 39 t which engages a collar 40 on the shaft 5. The collar 40 is keyed to the shaft. 5 but capable of longitudinal movement thereon and is provided with a numberof lateral projections or lugs 41 corresponding to the lugs on the pinion 33, so that when the projection strikes the under side of the arm 37, the collar 40 is locked to the pinion 33, thereby coupling said pinion to the shaft. This mechanism constitutes the meansfor winding up the spring. The forked lever is preferably constructed with a flexible or spring yielding shank as at 39 so .that

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should the lugs on the collar 40 not coincide exactly with the notches on the pinion 33 when it is desired to couple the two together, the shank 39 will yield and store up energy to force the two members together when the lugs and notches do coincide which will take place upon a further revolution 0" the collar 40. l

In the operation of the device, assuming that the spring has been previously wound up and held under tension by the eccentric roller or cam 17 the operator ,forces the lever 23 against the stop 27 which action first throws in the clutch members 2 and 6 and couples the shaft 5 to the crank shaft 1 and then releases the gear wheel 16 as previously described by turning the cam 17 in the direction of the arrow 42. The spring unwinding rotates the internal gear wheel9 and its hub 9 which automatically couples to the shaft 5 by means of roller ratchets l0 and causes the engine shaft 1 to be turned over when the usual cycle of the engine takes place and-the shaft 1 is caused. to rotate by power generated in the engine itself as is usual in the art. As soon as the winding of the spring, the gear 16 revolves in the direction of the arrow until the lug 36 strikes the under side of the arm 37 which couples the collar 40, which is revolving with the shaft 5, to the pinion 33, free on the'shaft, which rotates the internal gear 9 in the reverse direction through gear and pinion 35 and winds the spring, the gear 9 being free to rotate in the oppo site direction to the direction ofrotation of the shaft owing to the roller ratchet connection. When the collar 40 is coupled to the pinion 33, the gear 16 is also caused to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction when unwinding the spring and the 111 I 36 comes around and strikes the top 0 the arm 37 and draws apart the collar 40 and pinion 33 which causes the winding up operationto cease. At the same time that the lug 36 throws out the winding mechanism, the rise or boss 18 is engaged by the cam '17 and the gear 16 is held against the action" of the spring. After the spring has been re-wound, which is after the engine has been running for a minute or so, the operator releases the lever 23 from the notch 30 and the starter is uncoupled and remains free from the engine until it is desired to again use it. This is a valuable feature as it prevents wear on the parts of th starting device due to its continued running with the engine, as'is the case where the starter is se curely fixed to the engine shaft.

Should the engine not take up under its own power after being given the initial impulse by the starting device, the starter can be rewound by ,merel turning the shaft 5 by means of an or inary starting crank placed on the exposed end of the shaft as vusual, after which the starter can again be coupled to; the crank-shaft-and the spring released. Or, ifdesircd to turn the engine over by hand, the shaft 5 can be coupledto the crank shaft and turned over by a crankhandle on the end of the shaft 5, the spring 12 and attendant gearing not being afiected by this hand-cranking.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. '1 and the following figures, the device operates in the same manner as the preferred form illustrated in Fig. 1. In this modification a spiral spring 51 is utilized to give the initial im ulse to the crank shaft and is preferably ocated in a separate casing 52 which may be mounted at a distance from the rest of the starting device. The spring is secured at one end to the casing 52 and at the other to a shaft 53 which is connected by means of suitable sprocket wheels and a chain 54: to the internal gear wheel 9. In this modification the ratio of the train of gearing is different from that in the form shown in Fig. 1 but the operation remains the same. The main advantages of a device constructed in accordance with the modification are that the starting device as a whole is cheaper to manufacture, the starter-box proper is much smaller, and an extremely powerful spring can be utilized without having to excessively increase the size.

What I claim as my invention is In an automatic starting device for motors, the combination of a shaft, a carwheel loosely mounted on said sha t, a spring normally held under tension, adapted to rotate said gear-wheel, means adapted to couple said gear wheel to said shaft when.

said spring is released and means actuated by the unwinding of said sprin to automaticaly couple said gear-whee to said shaft to cause said gear-wheel to rotate in the reverse direction to wind said spring to start said shaft.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 3rd day of July A. I). 1 908.

JOSEPH P. SMITHERS.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN BLoNn, LAWRENCE P. Rummy.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

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