US1176908A - Safety cranking device for engines. - Google Patents

Description

G. A. KUNTZ.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. m5.

1,176,908. v. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 5:0, WASHINGTON, D. C.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

appneatidnifiiedtiiamh 12,1915. serialna-iagaaa To riZZw-hom z'ztmayconcern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. KUNTZ, a citizen --of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county-of Polk and State oflowa, have invented new-and useful Improvements in Safety Granking Devices for Engines, of which the following is a specificati'on. r

This invention rel-ates to safety 'oranking devices for engines 'theobject in view being to provide a devicefc-apable of being at tached to an automobileor motorcar for the purposerof eliminatingthe danger to the operator in cranking an internal combustion engine with the ordinary lrand'crank which has been in use for so many years.

More specifically statedfthe object of the invention is to providea device which is controlledby theirsual sp'arkleadlever and which is arranged to be interposed between the cranking shaft and the shaft of the engine so that it is impossible tobring said shafts into cooperative relation to each other while the commutator or timer is in a position to advance the spark of the ignition apparatus. Consequently, the operator, before he is enabled to crank the engine, is first required to move the commutator to spark retarding position, under which condition there is no liability of the engine to kick back or start revolving in the wrong direction, the same frequently resulting in the arm of the operator being broken or otherwise seriously injured.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the device of this invention applied to an internal combustion engine with the shield interposed between the clutch elements of the cranking shaft and engine shaft. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the shield when the commutator has been moved to spark retarding position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism, showing the relation of the shield to the engine shaft and cranking shaft.

The mechanism of this invention comprises a comparatively small number of parts, A designating the shield operating arm, 0 the shield, D the shield retaining spring, and E the shield supporting bracket.

F designates the ordinary oscillatory commutator or f timer provided with the 1 operatln-g arm *7" from which a rod oro'ther connection g extends to a rock shaft leading along T the steering columnof an automobile and having attachedthereto what is termed the spark lead lever operating in conjunctlon with the usual quadrant, the means rjust described enabling thc commutator F'to be oscillated in one direction or a the other for the purpose of retarding or advancing "the spark. r

Theshiel d actuating arm A comprises a substantrally annular or circularen'd portion a of proper si'ze toiit aroundthe hubjf of the commutator or timer F, the said annular portion of the arm being clamped tightly "aroun'd'the hub f by means of a clamplngscrew or boltf The end portion or extremity of'the arm A'is offset at subst'antmlly a right angle to form an operating tongue h which extends through an openmg h in the shield C the purpose of which Wlll presently appear. The main body of the shield C is substantially in the form of a disk of sufficient size to be interposed between the clutch face or element at the inner end of the cranking shaft H and the complemental clutch element H on the adjacent extremity of the engine shaft thereby preventing said clutch elements from being brought into cooperative relation to each other. The shield C is pivotally mounted on astub shaft 2' carried by an L-shaped supporting arm or bracket I bolted or otherwise secured at z" to the frame or body of the engine. The supporting bracket is provided with an ofistanding extension 70 to which is attached one extremity of a contractile spring D the other extremity of which is connected at m to the shield C at such a point that when the shield is shifted to the upper limit of its movement, the spring serves to hold the shield temporarily at such point while the operator is cranking the engine and when the shield is moved to its position between the clutch elements, said spring serves to temporarily and yieldingly hold the shield in the last named position. It will be observed that the shield operating arm A is adjustable relatively to and around the hub of the commutator ortimer F so that the relative range of movement of said parts may be 'varied in accordance with the requirement in each case.

The spring and the arm A are adjusted so as to throw the shield C downwardly be- Patented lifiar. 2-8, 1916. j

'tween the starting crank and the engine shaft just before the sparklead lever reaches a point where the commutator is set to advance the spark, thus making it necessary for the operator to retardthe spark before the starting crank may be operated in conjunction with the engine shaft. The opening h allows the spark lead lever to be any reason, the spark is left too far ad-,

moved from a full retarding position to a fully advanced position on the quadrant without interfering in any way with the other parts of the motor. Therefore, if for vanced, the starting crank cannot beennecting said shield and commutator operat ing to interpose the shield between said clutch elements when the commutator is moved to advance the spark, and to displace Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing, the Commissioner of Patents,

the shield from such position when the 0on1 v mutator is moved to spark retarding position, and a spring attachedto said shield and acting to yieldingly hold the same at.

either limit of its throw.

2. In a safety cranking device for engines, 7 the combination with the cranking shaft 7 and the engineshaft having coacting clutch elements, of a shield movable between said clutch elements, a commutator, and a shield operating arm on the latterpositively engag- Whenthe commutator ismoved to advance the spark, and to displace the shield. from such position when the commutator ismoved' mg said shield and operatingto interpose. the shield between said clutch elements to spark retarding position, said arm being adjustable on the commutator to admit of a variation in the relative range of movement of the shield and commutator. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: V r p B. FRANK PRENL JENNY, S. SAYLER.

Washington, D; 0. r V

GEORGE A. K NTZQ

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