US1098344A - Starting-gearing for automobiles. - Google Patents

Description

P 0. DAY.

STARTING GEABING FOB AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DOT. 22, 1912.

Patentd May 26, 1914- Wrltneqded: .F JZ, W MW Invent-o r; ZiZVM eflttornegqofl PERCY 0. DAY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

STARTING-GEARING FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 26, 1914...

Application filed October 22, 1912. Serial No. 727,181.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PERCY C. DAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting-Gearing for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates more particularly to apparatus designed for use in connection with electric starters for automobiles of the class in which a pinion on a countershaft driven from the starting motor drives a gear wheel on the engine fiy-wheel or shaft. In the usual form of construction the pinion and gear are provided with straight spur teeth and the pinion is arranged to slide alon the countershaft under control of the starting pedal, so as to be engaged with or disengaged from the gear. It is usual to provide a ratchet clutch or similar mechanism between the starting motor and the pinion so that power can only be transmitted from the starting motor to the pinion and not from the pinion to the starting motor. In starting gearing constructed according to the present invention, for the aforementioned spur pinion and gear, a pinion and gear with single spiral or helical teeth are substituted.

- In its simplest form the invention consists of a single helical pinion mounted so as to be'free to slide along the countershaft of the starting motor but provided with a feather key or other suitable means to cause it to be revolved by the countershaft. The single helical gear which works in mesh with the aforesaid single helical pinion is mounted on the engine fly-wheel or crank shaft. The motion of the single helical pinion along the countershaft is controlled by the starting pedal in one direction only, namely, that direction required to shift the pinion into mesh with the gear on the enginefly-wheel or crank shaft. The pinion is pushed or shifted in one direction into mesh with the gear, and when in this position its further spiral angle and in such direction that the unbalanced axial thrust which occurs between the spiral pinion teeth and spiral gear teeth, when the pinion drives the gear, will act in such direction as to hold the pinion in engaging position or in mesh with said gear. When the engine begins to work, the Q gear on the fiy-wheel or crank shaft will drive the pinion on the motor countersha-ft and the direction of axial thrust between the engaging spiral teeth will be reversed, causing the pinion to slide along the countershaft and become disengaged from the gear on the engine fly-wheel or crank shaft.

In a modification of the invention, the single helical pinion is free to revolve on the countershaft and is attached to one member of a multiple jaw or other suitable clutch. The other member of the clutch is attached to the countershaft in such manner that the two members of the clutch engage each other when the pinion is in complete mesh with the gear. With this arrangement the clutch may be designed so that a relatively small axial movement of the spiral pinion will disengage it from the countershaft and disconnect the engine from the starting motor before the single helical pinion has moved out of mesh with the gear. This arrangement provides for a quick re lease of the starting motor after the engine commences to work, and has the advantage that the pinion does not commence to drive the gear until the teeth are almost in full mesh and the starting motor is released when the pinion has moved back a relatively short distance.

If the clutchis of type, the jaws may be shaped to exert end pressure on the pinion in the reverse direction to the forward or driving pressure and in the same direction as the backward or releasing pressure in such a manner as to cause a quick release when the engine starts. y

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate like or similar parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view or elevation of one form of starting gear embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, l is the engine crank shaft, 2 the fly-wheel and 3 a single helical gear ring mounted on and secured to flywheel 2. The single helical pinion 4 is carried on the motor countershaft 5 and caused to rotate with it by the feather key 6, but is free to slide on this shaft in one direction until the hub of the pinion is arrested by the end of the bearing 7. The pinion remains in the position shown by the dotted lines 4 when the starter is not in use, and may be pushed forward into mesh with the gear by the rollers or jaws 11 actuated by the starting pedal, which is not shown.

is The rollers or jaws actuated by .the starting pedal, move forward to the position indicated by dotted lines 11 when the pedal is depressed, andreturn to position shown by full lines at 11 when the pedal is released, leaving the inion free to slide back out of mesh with the gear when the engine starts. The second bearing for the countershaft is indicated at 8.

9 shows the usual train of reduction gears between the starting motor 10 and countershaft 5. These gears may be of any number or type and form no part of the presentinvention. I

When the starting motor is inactive, the.

pinion 4 is held in the position indicated by dotted lines 4, out of contact with the gear 3, by any suitable'means, such for example, as a groove 14 in the hub of the pinion which is engaged by a spring catch 15 attached to the bearing 8, when the engine is started and the pinion is thrust by the driving action of the gear 3 out of mesh therewithtoward the bearing 8. I

The directions of rotation of the spiral gear and pinion are shown by arrows and the relative directions of the spiral teeth are also shown for the particular arrangement illustrated. The teeth of the pinion and gear may be chamfered or otherwise formed at the ends which first come into engagement, in the same manner asspur gears in sliding gear transmissions. If the gears are pushed into engagement and the starting motor switched on, the pinion 4 will drive the gear 3 and the axial thrust on the spiral teeth will hold the pinion in the position shown by full lines, with its hub against the bearing 7. As soon as the engine commences to work, the gear 3 will drive the pinion 4 and the axial pressure'on the pinion teeth will be reversed and will cause the pinion to slide back out of mesh with the gear and so release itself.

Referring to Fig. 2, showing a modification of the method of mounting the pinion 4 on countershaft 5, instead of the feather 6, the pinion carries one member of a jaw clutch 12 and is free to revolve as well as slide on the shaft 5 when the clutch is dis- The clutch may be of the friction, electromagnetic, or any other suitable type. The disengaging action may be supplemented by springs or otherwise, as may be found convenient.

In the modified arrangement of the gearing shown in Fig. 2, the pinion 4 is shifted into engagement with the gear 3 and one member of the clutch 12 is thrust into engagement with the other member at will by rollers or jaws 11, as shown in Fig.1.

The helical .gear 3 on the fly-wheel or crank shaft of the engine might be made shiftable axially into and out of operative position instead of the helical pinion or gear 4 on the motor countershaft. In short, various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of the gearing may be made without materially affecting a its mode of operation or departing from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In starting gearing for automobiles the combination of helical gears adapted to mesh with each other and transmit motion from a starting motor to the automobile engine, one of said gears-being shiftable axially out of operative osition by the end thrust caused by the helical form of the gear teeth when the engine is working, and means for shifting the axially movable gear into operative position at will.

2. In starting gearing for automobiles the combination of helical gears adapted to mesh with each other and transmit motion from a starting motor to the automobile engine, one of said gears being shiftable axially into and out of operative position and the gear teeth being inclined so that the axial thrust thereon will tend to hold the shiftable gear in operative position when it is'rotated by the starting motor and will shift it into inoperative position when it is rotated by the engine, and means for shifting the movable gear into operative position at will.

3. In starting gearing for automobiles the combination of helical gears adapted to mesh with each other and transmit motion from a starting motor to the automobile engine, one of said gears being movable axially, and a clutch for .operatively connecting the axially movable gear with the shaft on which it is mounted, the inclination of the gear teeth being such as to shift the axially movable gear when it is rotated by the engine into position to disengage the clutch, and meansrfor shifting the axially movable gear into position to engage the clutch.

4. In starting gearing for automobiles the combination of helical gears adapted to mesh with each other and transmit motion from a starting'motor to the automobile engine, one of said gears being movable axially relative to the other into and out of engagement therewith and the inclination of the gear teeth being such that the end thrust thereon tends to hold the axially movable gear when it is rotated by the startingmotor in engagement with the other ear 'and will shift it out of engagement t erewith when it is rotated by the engine, and means for shifting said axially movable gear into engagement with the other gear at will.

5. In starting gearing for automobiles the combination of helical gears adapted to mesh with each other and to transmit motion from a starting motor ,to the automobile engine, one of said gears being movable axially relative to the other and a clutch for operatively connecting sa1d axially movable gear with the shaft on which it is mounted,

that the end thrust thereon tends to hold the axially movable gear in clutch engaging and operative position when it is rotated by the starting motor and will shift said gear out of clutch engagin and operative position when it is rotate by said engine.

In witnesswhereof I hereto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PERCY 0. DAY. Witnesses:

I. H. PHELPS, J. K. SIMMONS.

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