US1251711A - Starter for internal-combustion engines. - Google Patents

Description

G. R. WADSWORTH.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. I912.

1,251,71 1. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1912.

1 ,25 1 ,7 1 1 Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WADSWORTH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEERLESS MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 24, 1912. Serial No. 699,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. WADS- WOR'IH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county. of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Starters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to starters for internal combustion engines, adapted particularly for use with motor vehicles. The object of the invention is to provide a starter of the electric type, which is efiicient and at the same time extremely simple in its construction and operation.

More specifically the invention aims to rovide a starter of the electric type wherein y simply depressing a starting pedal or equivalent operating member, the motor is first started at slow speed; thence is connected to the engine by shifting a motor driven gear into mesh with the gear on the engine shaft, and thence is caused to operate at full speed so as to turn over the engine for starting purposes, the motor being started, and the gear being shifted during the start of the pedal movement, and the motor speed being thence accelerated during the further pedal movement.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have shown' the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile chassis provided with my improved starter, parts eing broken away and other arts being in section; Fi 2 is a longitu inal sectional view thereo Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation, the section being taken substantiall along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in tiie direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View with parts removed, the section being taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections between the switch, battery, motor and startingfiresistance.

.. eferring now to the figures of the drawing, represents a portion of the chassis which is provided w th an internal combust1on engine, said engme, a portion of which 'is shown at 11 in Fig. 1 being provided with a fly wheel 11*. Supported in any suitable manner from the frame is a low voltage electrio motor 12, whichis employed only when the engine is being turned over and at other times 1s inactive. The armature shaft of the motor is provided with a small gear 13 which at all times meshes with a larger gearv 14., which is mounted upon a countershaft provlded with a starting inion 15, which is adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with a large gear 16 sup orted in some manner from the crank sha t of the engine, and in this case mounted directly upon the fly wheel of the engine.

The pinion is connected to the countershaft by a clutch 17 of the well known type which elfects drivin connection betweenthe p1nion and counters aft when the pinion is turned in one direction but allows the pinion to turn freely on the countershaft when the pinion is turned in the opposite'direction. The pinion 15 is adapted to be shifted by a yoke 18 operated in a manner subsequently to be described.

At the right of the motor 12 is a shaft 19 on which is mounted, in addition to the brake pedal 20, and clutch pedal 21, a starter pedal 22. The starter pedal is keyed or plnned to the shaft 19, as is likewise a downwardly projecting arm 23, see articularly Flgs'. 3 and 4. The lower end 0 the arm 23 is connected by a link 24 to the lower "arm 25 of a double crank mounted on a short shaft or stud 26, which isarranged at the rear of the pedal shaft 19, and somewhat below the same as clearly shown in the drawings. This double crank has an upwardly projectin arm 27 provided with a roller 28. A thir crank arm 29, supported upon the shaft 26, is connected by a rearwardly extending link 30 to'the movable member of a switch 31, this switch being shown in outline in Fig. 1, and conventionallyor diagrammatioil arm 27, The shaft 32 is provided near the opposite side of the chassis from the cam 33 with a downwardly extending arm 34, to which is connected the rear end of a link 35, which extends forwardly and is connected at its forward end to the yoke 18 which shifts the pinion 15. 1

By reference to Fig. 5, wherein the electric connections are shown diagrammatically, it will be seen that the switch 31 which is adapted to connect and disconnect the motor 12, and battery 36, includes a movable contact 31 and three stationary contacts 31", 31, and 31 This switch has two operative positions in the first of which the movable contact 31 bridges the contacts 31 and 31?, and in the second of which the movable contact'bridges the contacts 31 and 31 One terminal of the battery is shown connected to stationary contact 31, and the other terminal of the battery is shown connected through the motor to stationary contact 31 The latter is connected by a resistance 37 to the contact 31". lit will be seen therefore that when the switch is in its first operative position, the motor and battery are connected together and in circuit with the resistance 37. This will cause the motor to be operated at slow speed. It will be seen also that when the switch is in the second operative position, the resistance is cut out of the circuit so as to allow the motor to operate at a much higher speed.

While I have described one form of switch, it is to be understood that this particular type of switch' is unnecessary, and that any other suitable form of switch which answers the requirements may be employed.

The operation of the starting mechanism is as follows: The pedal 22 is depressed by the operator when occupying the seat of the vehicle and through the link 24, the pedal movement is transmitted to the three crank armsmounted upon the shaft 26. During the initial movement of the pedal, the roller does not shift the cam 33, but the switch 30 is shifted to its first operative position so as to cause the motor to operate at slow speed.

A further movement of the pedal causes the roller to engage and shift the cam 33 and hence to rock the ,shaft 32, and through the mechanism connected therewith and to the pinion clutch, to shift the pinion into engagement with the gear on the fly wheel. After this takes place, the final downward movement of the pedal moves the switch to a second operative position so as to cause the resistance 37 to be cut out and the motor to be speeded up and attain the speed and power necessary to turn over the engine.

After the engine picks up and operates under its own power, the operator will release the pedal 22, and after the release of this pedal, a spring 38 on the link 30 (see Fig. 1) returns the switch to of? position,

and a spring 39 on the link 35 causes the pinion to be moved out of engagement with the fly wheel gear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter comprising a motor, a battery, a switch having two operative positions and adapted to connect the battery tothe motor so that the motor will be operated first at low speed and then at high speed, power transmitting mechanism between the motor and engine comprising two members, one adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with the other, a starter controlling member connected to said switch so as to move the latter to its first, and then to its second operative position, said controlling member having a loose connection with the shiftable part of the power transmitting mechanism whereby, when said controlling member is moved, the switch is moved to its first operative position beforedriving relationship is established between the motor and engine.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter comprising an electric motor adapted to operate first at low speed and then at higher speed, a battery, a switch adapted to connect the battery and motor and to cause the latter to operate first at low speed and then at higher speed, a power transmitting mechanism between the motor and the engine including a member adapted to be shifted intoand out of engagement with another member to render the transmission mechanism operative and inoperative, and a starter controlling member having a permanent connection with the switch, and'having a loose connection with said shiftable member of the power transmitting mechanism whereby, when said started controlling member is operated, the shiftable member of the power transmitting mechanism will be operated after the switch has been moved a predetermined amount,

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter comprising an electric motor for starting purposes, a battery, a switch for connecting the battery and motor, and for causing the latter to operate first at low speed and then at higher speed, power transmitting gearing between the motor and engine comprising a gear adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with another gear, a starter controlling 'member, mechanism intermediate said member and movable part of the switch, mechanism connected to said shiftable gear, said last named mechanism being operated by the first named mechanism, when the motor is operating at low speed;

4. lln combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter comprising a motor, a battery, a switch for connecting the bataaemn motor, mechanism for shifting said gear, in-

cluding a rock shaft and an arm adapted to be rocked by said first named mechanism when the motor is operating at low speed.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter including an electric motor, a battery, a switch comprising a movable member having two operative positions, and serving when in one position to start the motor and when in another position to accelerate the speed of the motor, gearing between the motor and engine, comprising a gear adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with another gear, and starter operating mechanism comprising a starter controlling member having a connection with said movable member of the switch, a rock shaft havin a connection with said movable gear, an having a lost motion connection with said mechanism, whereby the rock shaft is rocked after a predetermined movement of said mechanism.

6. In combination with an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, a starter comprising an electric motor, a battery, a switch including a movable switch member having two operative positions adapted to connect the battery and motor so that the latter is operated first at low speed and then at higher speed, gearing between the motor and engine comprising two gears, one

adapted to be shifted intoand out of engagement with the other, a starter pedal, mechanism connecting said starter pedal and the movable member of the switch, a rock shaft connected to said shiftable gear, and means whereby said mechanism between the starter pedal and switch causes the actuation of said rock shaft after a predetermined movement of the pedal. 7

7. In combination with the internal com bustion engine of a motor vehicle, a starter comprising an electric motor, a battery,- a

switch having a movable member adapted to be placed in one operative position to start the motor, and in another operative position to accelerate the speed of the motor, and

gearing between the motor engine, including one gear adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with another gear, and mechanism for starting the motor, for shifting said gear into engagement with the companion gear, and thence for accelerating the speed of the motor comprising a starting pedal, a plurality of rocking lever arms, means connecting said pedal with one of said lever arms, means connecting said movable switch member with another of said lever arms, a rock shaft connected to said shiftable gear and having a lever arm in position to be engaged and moved by a third lever arm operated by the pedal, after a predetermined movement of said third lever arm.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto'aflix my I signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. WADSWORTI-I.

Witnesses:

A. F. KWIS,

A. J. HUDSON.

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