US1327942A - Mechanical starter - Google Patents

Description

T. c.-cHR|sT|E ANDE. A. EDMoN.

MECHANICAL STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUIY 24| 1917.

l QW l E11/@9% A TT ORNE Y tirar TAT 'nien THOMAS c. CHRISTIE, or LEBANON, AND Emana A. EDMON, or DAYTON, oIIIKo.`

MECHANICAL STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1917. Serial No. 182,559.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, THOMAS C. CHRISTIE and ELMEP. A. EDMON, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Lebanon and Dayton, in the counties of Narren and `Montgomery and State of Ohio, have inventec certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Starters, of which the following is a specification.

Gui' invention relates to starting or cranking devices for explosive engines, commonly known as self starters when applied to motor vehicles for which purpose the present device is particularly adapted.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means and mode of operation of such devices, whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more efficient in use, positive in action, reliable in operation, easily manipulated and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary device capable of being easily and quickly installed upon existing automobiles or to other explosive engines, without materially changing or modifying any of the existing parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will impart to the crank shaft of the motor a quick initial movement with minimum eiit'ort of the op erator.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for disconnecting the actuating member from the motor shaft at the limit of its stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will be mounted wholly upon the enginel shaft thereby obviating necessity of accurate alinement of the operative parts at the installation of the device and avoiding the possible disarrangement of interconnecting parts after a period of use.

Nith the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings in which one of severalpossible embodiments of the invention has been disclosed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a motor vehicle to the motor of which the starting device forming the subject hereof has been applied. Fig. 2 is a frontl elevation of the starting device removed from the motor. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the reverse side of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 'is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembled starting apparatus.

Like parts are indicated by similar lchar-` Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

acters of reference throughout the several views.

In the drawings, the vehicle has been illustrated by dotted lines in F ig, l, in which l is the body of the vehicle, 2 the hood, 3 the radiator, and 4C the chassis frame bars. These portions of the vehicle have been illustrated as broken away to disclose within the starting apparatus forming the subject matter hereof. This starting apparatus is operated entirely independent of the usual starting crank or handle 5 which, however, is left mounted in its usual bearing 6 in an operable position ready for use in any emergency.

lThe starting apparatus comprises a unitary structure mounted directly upon the crank shaft 8 of the motor or engine. It has not been unusual heretofore in such apparatus to mount the driving or actuating member of the mechanism rupon'the-shaftof the handle or crank 5 and the driven mein- 4ber upon the engine shaft 8. However in such constructions more or less difficulty has heretofore been experienced through the tendency of said parts to be thrown out of alinement after an extended period of use and also in the initial installation of the apparatus diiiiculty is experienced in properly alining the parts for instant and positive engagement. in the present instance by mounting the apparatus entirely upon the engine shaft and independent of the starting crank 5. Moreover the embodiment of the apparatus ina unitary structure enables it to be fully and completely assembled before leaving the fac- Y Such dificu-lties are overcome iin tor crank shaft 8 and on its outer face a projecting screw threaded trunnion stud 12. This substitute fan pulley 10 is rigidly secured upon the shaft 8 by any suitable means as for instance by a transverse pin 13 passing through said parts. Loosely mounted for revoluble movement upon the trunnion stud 12 is a segmental sprocket gear 14 having a projecting hub or pulley flange 15. This segmental sprocket member is retained upon the trunnion stud 12 by the clutch head 16 screw threaded thereon. This clutch head 16 is complementary to the manual starting crank 5. The purpose of the clutch head 16 is to enable the motor to be started by manual effort through the instrumentality of the starting crank 5 in the event that it is desired to do so. Aside from this, the member 16 as a clutch element has no function. A retaining nut or collar might be substituted therefor to retain the segmental gear 14 upon the trunnion stud 12 Without interfering with the operation of the mechanism. Secured to the hub or pulley flange 15 and passing partially therearound is a flexible connection preferably a chain 17 but Which may be a cable or a strap, which at its outer end is connected to a retractile spring 18 one end of which is attached to the frame of the vehicle. The flexible connection 17 under the retractory infiuence of the spring 18 tends to rotate the segmental sprocket 14 to its initial or starting position or toward the left in Figs. 1 and 2. FiXedly connected to the segmental sprocket 14 at one end and engaging the succession of teeth of said sprocket member is a sprocket chain 19 Which passes about the larger pulley of a stepped pulley 2O mounted upon the chassis frame 4. After being passed around said pulley member, the end of the chain 19 is fixedly secured thereto. l

Attached to and passing around the smaller head of the double or stepped sheave or pulley 20, is a flexible cable 21 passing over an idler pulley 22 also mounted upon the chassis frame 4 and connected at its rear end to the quadrant 28 of a foot pedal or operating lever 24. This foot pedal or lever 24 is mounted upon a suitable bracket 25 secured to the chassis frame 4 and is capable of a fore and aft operation. The rapidity of movement is multiplied by the double or stepped sheave or pulley 20 thereby transmitting` to the segmental sprocket 14 a quick, sharp movement which has been found most effective in starting such a motor. This movement of the segmental sprocket 14 is effected against the tension of the retracting spring 18. During this movement of the sprocket 14 under the influence of the actuating lever 24 the chain 19 is unvvound from the periphery of the sprocket While the chain 17 is Wound about the hub or pulley flange 15. Upon the release of the actu-ating lever 24 the retracting spring 18 by the pull eX- erted upon the chain 17 reverses the movement of the segmental sprocket 14 thereby unwinding the chain 17 from the hub or flange 15 and simultaneously revvinding the chain 19 upon the periphery of said sprocket. The spring 18 thus returns the segmental sprocket 14 to normal or starting position after each operation.

To transmit the oscillatory movement of the segmental sprocket 14 to the motor shaft 8 there is rigidly attached to the fan pulley 10 intermediate the face of said pulley and the sprocket 14 a ratchet Wheel 26. Pivoted to the inner side of the segmental sprocket 14 in a position to engage the ratchet Wheel 26 is a pavvl 27 pivoted at 28. This pavvl 27 is substantially U-shape in form and in the bight of said U-shaped paWl is engaged ,one end of a releasing lever 29 pivoted at 30. The release arm 29 and the actuating paivl 27 operate under the influence of a common spring 31 Which tends to move the pavvl 27 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 26. The outer or free end of the release arm 29 carries a laterally eX- tendng stud or finger 32 which projects beneath the chain 19. As the segmental sprocket 14 approaches the limit of its stroke under the influence of the retracting spring 18 the finger or stud 32 of the release arm 29 is brought into engagement With the under side of the chain 19 and as the sprocket 14 continues to move, carrying With it the paWl 27 and release arm 29, the release arm is oscillated, thereby in turn oscillating the pavvl 27 against the tension of the spring 31 to disengage the pavvl from the ratchet wheel 26. Tt' will be understood that the paths of the chain 19 and the finger 32 of the release arm intersect in such Way that the chain forms a stop for and limits the concentric movement of the stud or linger 32 before the sprocket 14 has reached the limit of its movement. The further movement of the sprocket tends to drag the pin or finger 32 along the under side of the chain, the differential movement being sufficient to rock the pavv'l 27 out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel 26.

The paWl 27 is so held out of engagement so long as the segmental sprocket 14 remains at rest. However, upon the initial operation of 'the apparatus, the sprocket 14 will move independent of the ratchet Wheel and motor shaft 8 until the releasing arm 29 has passed beyond the Zone of influence of the chain 19. When the segmental sprocket has initially rotated sufficiently to disengage the free end of the release arm from the chain, the spring 31 will cause the pawl 27 to engage with the ratchet Wheel 26, causing the ratchet Wheel, together with the fan pulley and motor shaft to thereafter 14. This initial freedom of movement facilitates the operation of the device by overcoming the inertia of the parts before picking up the motor shaft. The result is that the motor shaft is given a more violent or sudden rotation which is found to be the movement most effective in starting the motor.

At the forward limit of its oscillating movement the tail 33 of the actuating pawl 27 may be brought into engagement with the edge of the motor dust pan or with a suitable stop 34: mounted upon the chassis frame which by arresting the protruding end of the pawl 27 while the segmental sprocket 14 continues to move, will effect the disengagement of said pawl from the ratchet wheel 26. However, such stop is not essential. If the charge in the motor cylinder has been ignited and the motor has properly picked up speed, the rotation of the ratchet wheel 26 beneath the pawl will be an idle movement and will merely cause a chattering of the pawl until the parts have been restored to normal position under the influence of the retracting spring 18 upon the release of the actuating lever 24.

vWhile the member la has been herein referred to and is shown in the drawings, as a segmental sprocket, and the flexible connection 19 is shown and described as a sprocket chain, it will be understood that the member 14 may be a grooved pulley and the connection 19 may be a flexible cable, or other mechanically equivalent parts may be substituted for these and other elements of the construction.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts, without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statutes, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to certain structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific details, but that the means and construction herein described comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possible forms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with the shaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, an actuating member mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the actuating member and adapted to be intermittently eng-aged with the ratchet Wheel to turn the same in unison with the actuator, a reciprocatory operating link for the actuator, and an operating arm for the pawl moving in a path intersecting that of the operating link as the actuator approaches the limit of its retrograde or idle stroke whereby the interengagement of the link and arm will disengage the pawl from the ratchet Wheel.

2. In starting device for explosive engines, the `combination with thev shaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, an actuating member mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the actuating member and adapted to be intermittently engaged `with the ratchet wheel to turn the same in unison with the actuator, operating means for the actuator, an operating arm pivoted upon the actuator independent of the said pawland having operative engagement with said pawl, said operating means for the actuator being ada ted upon the retrograde movement of t e yactuator to operate said arm to effect the disengagement of the pawl.

3. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with the shaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, an actuating member mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawl car# ried Iby the actu-ating member adapted tov engage the ratchet wheel to turn the same in unison with the actuator, operating means for the actuator, and pawl disengaging means, said actuator operating means and pawl disengaging means being relatively movable in intersecting paths of travel, whereby said operating means and disengaging means will interengage during the retrograde movement of the actuator, to effect the disengagement of the pawl from the ratchet wheel.

4:. In a starting device for an explosive engine, the combination with the shaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel iixedly mounted upon the shaft, an actuating segment loosely mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a flexible actuating cable engaging the periphery of the segment, a hub upon said segment, va flexible retracting cable engaging the periphery of said hub and hence operating through a radius less than that of the actuating cable, an actuating pawl carried by the segment, a fixed stop engaged by the pawl at the limit of the actuating stroke of the segment under the influence of the actuating cable to disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel, and an operating arm for said pawl brought into engagement With the actuating cable upon the retrograde movement of the segment under the influence of the retracting cable to eHect the disengagement o1" the pawl at the limit of the return stroke of the segment.

In a starter for internal combustion motors, a pulley secured to the crank shaft of said motor, a ratchet secured to the said pulley, a sprocket rotatably mounted upon said pulley and `adjacent to said ratchet, a pawl carried by said sprocket and in aline ment with said ratchet, and arranged to engage the teeth or' said ratchet, a chain engaging said sprocket and means for operating said chain to rotate the sprocket in the direction to start 'the motor, a pivoted lever carried by the sprocket having one end engaging the said paWl,-a pin secured through the opposite end of said lever, the said pin being designed to engage the said chain to hold the pawl from engagement' With the ratchet until said chain is moved to rotate the sprocket to start the motor.

6. ln a starter for internal combustion motors of that character embodying a ratchet operatively connected With the crank shaft of the motor, an oscillatory pawl carrier loosely mounted adjacent to the ratchet, a pavvl `carried thereby and arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchet and an operating element for the paWl carrier, characterized by a. pivoted lever mounted on the paivl carrier one end of Which engages the pawl, the other end being extended into position to engage With the operat ing element for the paWl carrier to hold the pawl from engagement. with the ratchet un til the pawl carrier is initially oscillated in the direction to start the motor.

7. In a starter for internal combustion motors, a pulley secured to the crank shaft ot said motor, a. ratchet secured to the said pulley, a sprocket rotatably mounted upon said pulley and adjacent said ratchet, a pawl carried by said sprocket and in alinement with said ratchet and arranged to engage the teeth of said ratchet, a chain engaging said sprocket and means for operating said chain to rotate the sprocket in the direction to start the motor, a pivoted lever carried by said sprocket having one end engaging said pawl, pin secured through the opposite end of said lever the said pin being designed to engage the said chain to hold the pa il trom engagement with the ratchet until said chain is moved to rotate the sprocket to start the motor.

ln testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 19th and 21st days of July, A. D. 1917.

THOMAS C. CHRSTIE. ELMER A. EDMON. litnesses to signature oit Thomas C. Christie:

ALFRED MGCRAY, MARVEL HOAGLAND. Witnesses to signature of Elmer A. Edmon:

E. E. DUNCAN, GLADYS SPRAIN.

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