US1327303A - Ehgihe-stakter - Google Patents

Description

V. BENDIX.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1919.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

tmrrn VINCENT BENDIX, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Application filed March 31, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ViNcnN'r BENDIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Engine- Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to a starter for an engine such as an internal combustion engine and the object thereof is to produce an automatic drive or transmission therefor of novel and eflicient construction andmode of o eration.

l y new construction of drive belongs to that general type as exemplified by patents heretofore issued to me such as Patent No. 1,125,935 dated January 26, 1915, and No. 1,274,370 dated August 6, 1918, according to which a driving member, whether the pinion itself which engages the engine member such as the fly wheel or a separate member which controls such a pinion, is mounted on a rotatable shaft such as a screw shaft and automatically causes engagement of the drive with and its disengagement from the engine member after the engine has started on its own power.

One of the main objects of my invention is to relieve the rotatable member or screw shaft of the driving load and to place such load upon a separate shaft which may be directly or indirectly driven by the starting motor or other source of power, and on which the driving pinion may be rather closely fitted instead of the necessarily loose fit if such pinion were mounted upon a screw shaft. Moreover my construction enables the shifting mechanism to be made comparatively small and light and the ac tual driving parts to be made of any size according to the particular requirements as to load or location.

My present invention relates more particularly to the construction of the driving member which is provided with yielding driving means capable of absorbing the shock of impact of the teeth of such member with. the fly wheel in case of end to endengagement and also capable of yieldingly driving the engine member or fly wheel dur ing; the starting operation.

n the drawing the figure thereof is a sectional elevation of a starter embodying my invention.

Referring to the particular embodiment of my invention, the same is selected as one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 288,386.

of various forms of which my invention may partake. Moreover, while I have shown the drive as direct-driven by the extended armature shaft of a motor, it will be understood that it may be be indirectly driven and also while I have shown the so-called inboard type of drive, the other or outboard type may be employed.

As shown, the driving shaft 1 is the eX- tended armature shaft of a starting motor indicated at A. To this shaft there is se cured as by means of the key 2 a gear 3, the same being in the present instance located adjacent the motor. Upon this driving shaft is mounted for longitudinal move ment thereof and rotary movement there with, a driving member of novel construction and constitutin the subject matter of this invention. As shown, the driving member is composed of two main parts, to wit, a driving sleeve 4 fitting rather loosely upon the driving shaft and adapted to slide thereon. The outer or right hand end of this sleeve is enlarged to form a driving head,

and the same is provided at its extreme outer end with a gear 5. This gear which is formed separate or integral with the sleeve (but here formed separate) is a shroud gear inasmuch as the flanges 6 and 7 encompass the gear, the flange 7 being here an annulus secured to the sleeve by the screws 8 which also serve to hold the gear 5 in place.

Upon the sleeve 4 the driving member proper is mounted, the same being here in the form of a pinion 9 adapted to engage with the enginemember such as with the teeth 10 of the fly wheel 10. This pinion is operatively connected with the sleeve by a yielding driving connection which as shown consists of a coiled drivin spring 11 connected at one end to the s eeve head P by the stud 12 and at the other end to the pinion by the stud 13. By reason of this construction the power or torque is transmitted from the sleeve to the pinion in a yielding manner inasmuch. as the drive is through the spring 11 and the pinion is capable of a rotary movement with respect to the sleeve, besides whlch 1t 1S capable of an lndependent longitudinal motion with respect thereto which is yieldingly resisted by the spring, as hereinafter explained.

Suitable clutch means are provided for the purpose of transmitting the power or torque from the driving shaft 1 to the sleeve 4 when the driving member is moved longitudinally tothe left into driving position. In the present instance such clutch means consists of clutch jaws 142 on the inner end of the sleeve 4 and complementary clutch jaws 15 on the outer end of the hub 3 of the gear 3. As a result of this construction the torque or load is transmitted from the driving shaft 1, indirectly therefrom through the gear hub 3 to the sleeve 1, thence through the driving spring 11 to the pinion 9, and finally to the fly wheel.

Means for automatically controlling the driving member in its longitudinal movement for meshing with and demeshing from the fly wheel. is mounted entirely extraneous of the driving shaft and the driving member, and the same does not carry any of the driving load. In the present, instance this shifting means is mounted on an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the driving shaft 1.

As shown, the shifting means comprises essentially a rotatable shaft 16 and a control member. or gear 17 mounted thereon. The shaft 16. is. mounted in suitable manner as in thebearings 18 and 19 supporting its outer ends and located in a casing or bracket 20. To the inner end of the shaft 16 there is secured in suitable manner, as by means of the pin 21, a gear 22 in constant mesh with the gear 3, whereby the shafts 1 and 16 always rotatevtogether. The shaft 16 has a screw-threaded portion 16 on which the gear 17 is threaded, whereby when the shaft is rotated this gear will be automatically ad vanced longitudinally to the left and also will be automatically retracted to its normal or disengaged position shown in the drawing when the engine starts on its own power as hereinafter explained. This gear 17 is in constant mesh with the gear of the driving member and is operatively connected therewith in such mannerthat its longitudinal movements will be communicated to the driving member in order to shift or slide the latter along the driving shaft 1.

Describing a cycle of operation and beginning with the parts in their normal position shown, the rotation of the motor and the driving shaft will cause a rotation of the parallel or countershaft 16. As a result the gear 17 will be advanced longitudinally to the left carrying with it the driving member. The pinion thereof will now be brought into mesh with the fly wheel and upon full mesh being obtained the clutch jaws 14 and 15 will engage and the driving member will thereupon be driven positively by the driving shaft through said clutch, the driving sleeve, drive spring and pinion 9. When the engine starts on its own power the excess speed of rotation resulting therefrom will cause the automatic retracting movement of the gear 17 to the right along the screw shaft, carrying the driving member in the same direction and demeshing the pinion 9 from the fly wheel.

In the described driving operation the pinion 9 is adapted to yield rotarily according to the varying resistances presented by the fly wheel, especially when the engine goes over the compression points. This yielding is due to the presence of the drive spring 1.1 which not only has the function of transmitting torque but the function of yielding for the purpose stated.

In the event that the pinion teeth and the fly wheel teeth should abut end to end the pinion will become momentarily stopped in its longitudinal movement but the sleeve 1 will continue in its longitudinal movement against the compression action of the drive spring 11 which yields and permits of said relative movement between the pinion and the sleeve and thereby absorbs the shock of this abutting condition. The pinion will thereupon rotate slightly so that its teeth will come into register with the fly wheel teeth, whereupon full mesh will be obtained.

The two sets of gearing represented by the gears 3 and 22 in one set and 5 and 17 in the other set, have a certain relationship. These gears must be of the same diameter and number of teeth or else present the same gear reduction between their individual members.

If desired suitable means may be employed for holding said longitudinally movable parts in their normal or disengaged position at the time when the shafts are still rotating. In the present instance such means cooperate directly with the gear 17, the same consisting of a spring-pressed pin or rod 23 sliding transversely through the screw shaft and having a pair of lateral arms 24 and 25 in which slides a latch 26. The pin is spring-pressed by means of the sprino' 27 and the latch by the spring 28. This device is speed-controlled inasmuch as when the screw shaft is rotating the pin 23 and its latch 26 will be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force in such position that said latch will engage behind the flange 29 of a shell 29 secured to the gear 17. The purpose of this catch device is to hold the gear 17 and consequently the driving member in retracted position during the time when the shafts may be still rotating so that the driving member will not tend to move toward or clash with the rotating fly wheel. When the shafts and their associated parts come to rest the catch device will assume its normal position shown in the drawing in which the latch is disengaged from the shell.

I claim:

1. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a yielding driving element, and shifting means mounted eX- traneous of such shaft and cooperating with the driving means to control the engaging and disengaging movements thereof.

2. lln an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, and also mounted for rotary movement with respect thereto, such driving means including a yielding driving element, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and cooperating with the drivingmeans to control the engaging and disengaging movements thereof.

3. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including in its structure a spring driving connection, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and cooperating with the driving means to control the engaging and disengaging movements thereof.

4. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal move-- ment of the sleeve, a driving connection between the sleeve and the driving member, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and cooperating with the driving means to control the engaging and disengaging movements thereof.

5. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivcnly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal move ment of the sleeve, a spring driving connection between the sleeve and the driving member, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and cooperating with the driving means to control the engaging and disengaging movements thereof.

6. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal movement of the sleeve, a spring coiled around such sleeve and interposed between it and the driving member to drive the latter and also yieldingly resist its sliding movement on the sleeve, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and cooperating with the sleeve to control the engaging and disengaging movements of the shifting means.

7. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal movement of the sleeve, a driving connection between the sleeve and the driving member, such sleeve having a gear portion, and shift ing means mounted extraneous of such shaft, and including a longitudinally shifting gear in constant mesh with the gear portion of the sleeve and adapted to control the longitudinal movements thereof.

8. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudi nal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal move ment of the sleeve, a driving connection between the sleeve and the driving member, such sleeve having a gear portion, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft, and including a second shaft parallel with the driving shaft and driven thereby, and a gear longitudinally and automatically shiftable thereon by reason of their relative movements, subh gear being arranged to mesh With said gear portion of the sleeve.

9; In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine member on such advance longitudinal movement of the sleeve, a driving connec tion between the sleeve and the driving member, such sleeve having a gear portion, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft, and including a second shaft parallel With the driving shaft and driven thereby, such second shaft having a screW- threaded portion, and a gear threaded on suchscreW-threaded portion and arranged to mesh with said gear portion of the sleeve.

10. In an engine starter, a drive comprising a driving shaft, driving means mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof to engage a member of the engine to be started and for rotary movement therewith for rotating such engine member, such driving means including a sleeve slidable on the shaft and adapted to be drivenly connected therewith upon its advance longitudinal movement, a driving member slidable on the sleeve and adapted to engage the engine memher on such advance longitudinal movement of the sleeve, such sleeve having an enlarged end forming a driving head and a gear portion, a drive spring connected at its ends respectively With the driving head and the driving member, and shifting means mounted extraneous of such shaft and including a longitudinally shifting gear in constant mesh With said gear portion and adapted to control the longitudinal movements thereof.

VINCENT BENDIX.

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