US1406018A - Mechanical starter for gas motors or internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

E. C. HOWARD. I

MECHANICAL STARTER FOR GAS MOTORS 0R INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATlON FILED MAR. 17. 1920.

1,406,() 1 Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

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m S: Q n 0 v I '3 [l as a; s n gl I Q Q Q 51mm lilafloward wi bvwoo a E. C. HOWARD. MECHANICAL STARTER FOR GAS MOTORS 0R INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, I920.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

M o I, d I a L M r I W m 3 a v 3 Q N 3 G 1 Q Q\ Q QN I a nu mm mm ww m w w G RON A E. c. HOWARD. MECHANICAL STARTER FOR GAS MOTORS 0R INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 17, 1920. 1,406,018.

EIWMM E.6.'.Howard- Patented Feb. 7 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCZE.

ELDON o. HOWARD, on Tim PLAINS, oHIo, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To JOHN HAMER, or THE PLAINS, oHio.

MECHANICAL STARTER roR GAS MOTORS on INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed March 17,

with the electric starters operated from storage batteries or current generated by the operation of the motor, and whichcan be conveniently controlled from the chauffeurs or drivers seat after being wound either manually or from the motor shaft, all of the parts being housed beneath the hood or bonnet of the motor and carried by the frame whereby to fairly protect it and to prevent an unsightly appearance to the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical starter of the class decribed which is operated by a spring, having novel means for winding the same manually or from the motor shaft, and novel means for holding the spring out of gear and againstmovement or rotation until it is desired torelease the same for turning the crank shaft of the motor when it is desired to start the latter, the device also. including novel means whereby the spring may, be wound or operatively connected to the motor shaftfor starting the latter under the tension and by the unwinding of the spring, which parts are capable of convenient'control and manipulation without the necessity'of leaving the drivers seat. r

,Vith the above and other objects .in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the-invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understoodthat within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

Inaccompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front por- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 7,1922.

1920. Serial No. 366,470.

tion of the frame or chassis of an automobile having the improved. starter applied thereto; I

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sec tional view;

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing diagrammatically, the gearing arrangement employed for winding and starting the spring and motor respectively; A

F iguree is a sectional view taken centrally Referring to the drawings in detail, in

which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown the front portion 10 of the frame or' chassis of an automobile having the usual dash 11, hood or bonnet 12 and dash cowl 13, beneath which isarranged the flooring or foot board 14, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction. The frame is preferably provided with the ordinary'side'portions and with the front portion 15, while intermediately, there is arranged a cross member 16, both the front portion and the cross member being preferably vertically arranged as shown. The motor shaft is designated at 1 7 and is rotatably mounted in the usual manner in association with the motor, this shaft being the crank shaft of the engine which is provided with a fly wheel 18 in the ordinary way and which may be rotatably mountedin a bearing '19 carried by across member 20 arranged between the sides of the frame. The

forward end of the crank or motor shaft is provided with a clutchhead or other suitable device 21 for the application of a crank for starting the motor by hand or manually by turning over the crank shaft of the engine in the usual way.

Arranged in the rear of the front portion 1 5 is a cross member 22 designed to slidably support, for transverse movement, a bearing 23 having an upright portion which rotatably carries the pinion 25 movable into mesh with a pinion 24 on the shaft 29. The

portion 23 constitutes the base of the bearing which is movable transversely of the frame and longitudinally of the cross mem ber 22, while said bearing also includes a Vertical portion 26 carrying the stub shaft and disposed at the front portion of the bearing or bearing block 23 as clearly shown in the drawings. The vertical portion 26 is adapted for movement longitudinally of the frame or forwardly'and rearwardly toward and away from the bearing proper at the front face thereof, and for'this purpose, is

provided with a pair of apertures 27 engaged by pins 28 projecting forwardly at right angles from the bearing block so that the vertical portion may slide thereon. Of course, it is to be understood that the vertical portion may be otherwise suitably mounted fol-sliding movement in a horizontal plane independently of or simultaneously with the bearing block proper and carried thereby or otherwise, as will be hereinafter.

more particularly specified.

/ The engine or crank shaft 17 extends longitudinally of the frame, intermediately between the sides thereof, while positioned at one side thereof and parallel thereto, is an auxiliary or winding shaft 29 which is rotatably mounted in the bearing sleeve 30 of the bearing portion 26 and a bearing 31 carried bythe cross member 20, there being a collar or enlargement 32 on the shaft 29 between said bearing 31 and an inwardly extending bracket secured to the ad acent i the frame and the outer end of the bearing block 23. On the projecting portion of the shaft 29 is a pinion 36 which has formed therewith, a clutch member 37 forming a friction clutch in cooperation-with the wall of a recess 38 in the rear face of a mutilated gear 39 which is keyed to slide on the shaft and to rotate therewith, as indicated at 40.

The gear is held rearwardly displaced to. normally hold the clutch in engagement and the gear in mesh with the pinion 24 as by means of an expansible spring 41 positioned between the gear and aremovable enlarge- ,ment or screw head 42 the shank ofwhich threadedly engages an aperture in the forward end of the shaft 29 as indicated at 43 whereby adjustment of the tension of the spring 41 can be obtained. 7 As shown, the

mutilated gear has diametrically opposite cut-out portions or recesses 44 so that the intermediate gear teeth will engage the pinion.24 to turn the motor shaft upon the spring 34 actuating the gear as will be here- 7 moved out of mesh with respect thereto against the action of'the spring 41, the

pinions 25 and 36 remaining in mesh at all times. In order to accomplish this, there is connected to the bearing, the forward end of an operating rod 44, the rear end' thereof extending to the dash for slidable movement as indicated at 45 where it is provided with an adjustable enlargement 46 between which and the dash is disposed an expansible spring 47 serving to normally shift the bearing rearwardly but adapted when compressed by pressure on the enlargement, to permit the rod 44 to lfae 1moved forwardly for the purpose speciiec.

At the rear end of the shaft 29 there is mounted a ratchet. wheel 48 having a pair of ratchet teeth 49 diametrically opposite and adjacent laterally projecting pins 50 at the rear face thereof slightly spaced from the shoulders of the teeth, and the shaft 29 also engages a bearing 51.' Pivotally mounted on the cross-member 16 of the framevis a pawl 52 preferably of channel-shaped cross-section, the pivot thereof being designated at 53 and having mounted thereon,

a spring 54, the ends of which are engaged "with the cross member 16 and with the arm 55 of the pawl, as indicated at 56 and 57, so that the operative end of the pawl will be held toward the ratchet wheel. The pawl is provided with theprojectio'n 58, the top of which is adapted to engage the shoulders of the ratchet teeth while the projection 58 has an inclined or beveled portion 59 and a 1 recess 60 open to permit movement of the pins 50 therethrough but adapted to raisethe pawl by engagement with said beveled portion inthe revers direction of rotation of the ratchet wheel; As before stated, the

pawl is normally held into engagement with i I 1 the teeth of the ratchet wheel'to prevent rotation of the shaft 29 under the tension of' the spring 34 and in order to release the;

pawl, there'is provided a depressible mem ber 61 which operates vertically throughthe floor or foot board 14 and is heldupwardly displaced by an expansible spring 62 mounted between said foot board and an enlargemesh with the pinion 24, first starting the motor by the crank in the usual way. The operation of the motor will therefore rotate the pinions 24, 25 and 36, the shaft 29, and the ratchet wheel, and during this operation the pawl will prevent reverse rotation, thus holding the spring 34 wound. When the spring has been wound to the desiredextent, the clutch will slip, and then the rod 44 is released whereby the springs 41 and 47 will act to return the gears to normal positions. To start the motor after the spring 34 has been wound, it is only necessary to depress the pawl to disengage the operative end thereof from the ratchet wheel, thus permitting the shaft 29 to rotate under the action of the spring 34 whereby the gear 39 will be rotated in mesh with the pinion 24 to turn the motor shaft and start the motor. This movement is intermittent, and may be accomplished quickly by depressing. and releasing the rod 61 through the medium of the threaded adjustable head or button 63 thereof, the pawl acting to limit the rotation of the shaft under the action of the winding spring. 7 One partial rotation of the shaft 29 while the half portion of the gear 39 is in mesh with the pinion 24 will ordinarily be sufficient to start the motor but this operation may be continued if starting is a little difficult as in cold weather. Thus, it will be seen that sufficient power may be stored up in the spring to start the motor a number of times with little expense and upkeep cost. Also, by reason of the spring 35, the gears will be prevented from being mutilated, thereby acting as a safety device providing the cogs or pinions become locked or centered with one tooth engaging the other. Of course, when the gear 39 is partially rotated, one of'the recesses 44 will be disposed adjacent to the pinion 24, thereby preventing further rotation and conserving the power of the spring 34 of the starting device. If however, the teeth of the gear 39 should be in mesh with the pinion 34 when the motor is started, the clutch will give sufiiciently to permit the gear to slip thereby preventing mutilation or stripping of the gears.

Having thus described the invention what i claim is:

i. A mechanical starter for internal combustion engines, comprising the combination with the shaft thereof and a pinion mounted thereon, of a spring shaft, a spring on said shaft adapted to be wound for causing rotation of the shaft in one direction, a shiftable bearing cooperable with the spring shaft, a gear carried by thespring shaft adapted to be brought into engagement with the pinion for rotating the latter when the spring is permitted to act, a pinion on the spring shaft and clutched to the gear, another pinion rotatably carried by the bearing between holding means.

the first and secondnamed pinions for operatlvely connecting the same, sald bearing being adapted to be shifted for bringing I 2. A starter for gas engines, comprising a shaft, a spring wound on said shaft and having one end connected to the shaft and the other end held against movement, a gear carried by the spring shaft and having mutilated portions adapted to cause intermittent engagement of the gear with the pinion when the spring shaft is permitted to act under the tension of the spring, said gear being slidable on the shaft, means to slide said gear, a pair of meshing pinions one of which is mounted on the spring shaft and the other of which is adapted to be brought in mesh with the first-named pinion whereby the spring shaft may be rotated when the motor shaft is operating to wind the spring, a clutch member connecting the pinion on the spring shaft with the gear on the spring shaft and permitting one to slip with respect to the other, a ratchet device associated with the spring shaft for permitting intermittent partial rotation thereof,

and means for releasing said ratchet device and permittingthe return thereof to operative position after the spring. shaft has partially rotated.

3. A starter of the class described comprising the combination with the frame of an automobile and its motor shaft; of a bearing mounted for transverse slidable movement and normally held inwardl displaced with respect to one side of the rame, a longitudinally movable bearing portion carried by said bearing, means for shifting the same and returning the same to a normal position, a gear having mutilated portions, a shaft mounted for rotation parallelto the motor shaft, a spring wound thereon and tending to turn said second shaft in one direction, said gear being keyed on said spring shaft, a pinion free on said spring shaft and having a clutch member cooperating with a clutch member on the gear whereby both will turn together under friction between the clutch members, spring means capable of adjustment to hold said clutch members in engagement and the gear wheel in mesh with the pinion first-named, a ratchet wheel on the spring shaft, a pawl cooperating therewith to hold the spring shaft against turning, foot-operated means for releasingthe last-named means to permit the shaft to turn under the action of the spring, and a pinion rotatably carried by the longitudinally movable bearing portion between and in mesh with the second-named pinion and the first-named pinion whereby upon the bearing portion being shifted to dispose the last-named pinion in mesh with the first-named pinion, said spring shaft may be rotated from the motor.

4. The combination with an engine shaft; of an auxiliary shaft journaled parallel thereto at one side of the same, a spring connected with said auxiliary shaft and adapted to be wound by rotation of the lat-- ter in one direction and thereafter acting to drive said shaft in the opposite direction, a pluralityof gear connections between the shafts and slidably supported to be alternately thrown into and out of operation whereby the second-shaft may be rotated continuously from the first-shaft, said gear connections including a mutilated gear for intermittently and partially rotating the first-shaft from the second shaft, means normally holding the gear means in one position whereby the spring shaft may be permitting partial rotation thereof only,

and means operable from the drivers seat to release the pawl from the ratchet wheel whereby the engine shaft maybepartially rotated from the spring shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

lVitnesses JoHN J. WooLLnY, FFA. BIEHL.

ELDON o. HOWARD. j

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