US1466945A

US1466945A - Engine starter

Info

Publication number: US1466945A
Application number: US307458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bendix Vincent
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-12-17
Filing date: 1917-12-17
Publication date: 1923-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1940-09-04

Description

Sept. 4, 1923.- I',466,945

. v. BENDIX v ENGINE STARTER Original Filed Dec. 17. 1917 2 Shests-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES VINCENT BENDIX. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE sfrarvrna.

Application led December 17, 1917, Serial No.

T all wlmi/ it 'may concern Be it known that l` VINCENT Brxxnix, a citizen ot the `United States, residing at'Chicago, in the county ot' Cook und State ot' Illinois, have invented certain new and .use-

ful Improvements in Engine lStarters, ot which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates t'o that tvpe ot en gine starter and to the transmission or flrive Vportion thereof a's exemplified in patents heretofore issued to me, for instance, Patent No. Lll), dated November l0, 1914, and 1,144,097, dated June i915, which starter is characterized by a prime mover, such yas an electric motor, and a transmission or drive foi transmitting` the power of the motor by means ot a screw shaft and driving member thereonto a. member ot' the engine, such as the ily wheel, to be started. `his transmission or drive coinpriscsaserevv `shaft operated either directly or indirectly by the motor and a pinion mounted on the shat for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therew'ith.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple and etiicient Jform of construction characterized more particularly by a ball and groove arrangement as between the pinion and the sha-ft as compared with screwthreading the pinion'upon a screw-threaded shaft.

" Inthe drawing, Fig. l is an elevation, partly in section, of a drive embodying my invention and attached directly to the armature of an electric motor;4 Fig.. 2 a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3. a

plan view of the pinion and a portion of the shaft, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation ot a modified form of construction.

Referring to the' particular embodiment of my invention as Ashown herein, this drive may be operated either directly or indi; 'rectly by theI e'lectric motor and while I havev herein shown the same as driven directlythereby, it will be understood that it may be driven indirectly in suitable manner. The rotatable member is'\ in the form of a shaft 1 which, in the present instance, is secured to the extended end of the armature shaft. 2 o an lectric motor indicated at A.

207,458. Renewed January 31, 192,3..`

This Sima ig erm-idea with a par of Spa-a1.

grooves la terminating in more or rupt shoulders l".

less nb- @n the outer end of this shaft a stop nut 3 is secured by screwi threading thereon. v

The driving member which is mounted on the screw shatt and capable of longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith and also adapted to'engage a part of. the engineto. be started is here inthe form of a pinion et adapted to be advanced into meshing engagementwith the engine member such as the teeth 5 of the engine ily wheel This pinion is provided with an axial extension G and such pinion extension has a central longitudinal bore. to receive the shaft.

The pinion extension .has a pair or pairs ot balls 7 mounted therein and adapted to project into the bore and to cooperate with the groovein the shaft. By preference and as licrein shown I prefer to provide two sets or pairs of these balls arranged diametrically opposite each other and adapted to be held in place by removable plugs S screwing into radial sockets communicating at their inner ends with said bore. ot' these plugs have recesses to receive the sides of the balls presented thereon.

To loclrthe plugs in their proper adjusted position l provide locking means which here consists of a removable plate or plates 9, the number thereof depending of course upon the particular 4. construction-` In the present instance there are two of these plates on opposite sides of the extension 6, and the same are secured thereto by the screwsv 10. Each plate has angular end recesses adapted toy fit the angular outer ends 8a ot the plugs.

Describing the operation ot my device as herein shown, when the motor is started and the shaft thereby rotated, the pinion Will be advanced longitudinally thereon and into mesh with the fly wheel. When the pinion is in full mesh it will contactthe nut 3 and be stopped thereby whereupon it will rotate in unison with the shaft and rotate the fly wheel and, thereby start 'the eng'me.' When the engine is started pn its own power The inner ends y Umovement thereon and fof the engine to be started,

the pinion will be demeshed automatically end returnedto normal or home position. This return movement of the pinion is stopped by the contact of one oi" the balls against the-abrupt shoulder-ib at the end of the groove. This construction will efiectually prevent anyl binding of the pinion on the shaft at the-end of this return movement.

If desired a spring il may be interposed between the' shoulder l@ towards the inner end of the screw shaft and the pinion in order to cushion the return'movement of the pinion after being demeshed from the ilywheel.

in Figf have shown a modified form construction in' which the corresponding are given the saine reference characters. According to this construction the grooves on the screw shaft runin the opposite direction as compared with those shown in Fig. l' and as a result the normal or home position of the pinion is at the outer end of the shaft, as Ashown in Fig. e. In operation the pinion is advanced longitudinally and inwardly towards the motor in the meshing operation. A spring 12 is interposed between the shoulder lc of the shaft and the pinion and is compressed by the latter during the time of meshing engagement with the Ey-wheel, With the result that such movementof the pinion is cushioned and a yielding driving connection 'afforded at thetime of the initial rotary movement of the pinion,

" inasmuch. as the rotary driving movement may take place after considerable compression ofthis spring and before the pinion has been stopped in its longitudinal movement to the left (F by contact of the balls with the abrupt shoulders at the inner ends of the. grooves. i

I claim:

l. A transmission mechanism for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a spiral groove thereon, and a driving member mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, and comprising a body portion having means :for engagement with a part of the engine to be started, and alsoan end extension provided with a bore to receive the shaft und carrying a series oi' balls prcu'ecting.;r ,into suclibore and cooperating with said groove; I

2. A transmission mechanism for engine starters comprisingv a rotatable shaft having a spiral groove thereon, and a driving member mounted onthe shaft for longitudinal rotary movement therewith, and colfnprising,T a body portion having means for engagement with a part and also an end extension provided with a bore to receive/ the shaft 'and with radial sockets'communieatingv with the bore, removable plugs for incasso the sockets and balls in the sockets projecting into said bore and cooperating' with said groove.

3. Al transmission mechanism for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a spiral groeve thereon, and a driving` member mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, said member comprising a pinion body with teeth to mesh with a part fof the engineto be started, and alsoan end extension provided With a bore to receive the shaft and With radial sockets communicating with the bore, removable plugs for the sockets and balls in the sockets projecting into said bore and cooperating with said groove, the inner ends of the plugs having recesses to receive the balls.

4. A transmission mechanism for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a spiral groove thereon, and a. driving member mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, said member comprising a pinion body 'with teeth to mesh With a part of the engine to be started, and also an end eXtension provided with a bore to receive the shaft and with radial sockets communicating with the bore, removable. plugs for the sockets and balls in the sockets projecting into said bore and cooperating with said groove, and means for locking said plugs in place.

A transmission mechanism for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a spiral groovethereon, and a driving member mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, said member comprising 'a pinion body with teeth to mesh with a part of the engine to be started, and also an end extension provided with a bore to receive the shaft and with radial sockets communicating with the bore, removable plugs for the sockets and balls in the sockets projecting into said bore and cooperatingV with said groove, said Soekets and plugs being arranged in two pairs diametrically opposite each other.

6. A transmission mechanism for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a spiral groove thercon,and a driving member mounted on the shaft for lor itudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, and adapted to engage a part of the engine to be started, said member having an extension provided with a bore toreceive the shaft and with radial sockets communieating with the bore. removable plugs for the sockets and balls in the. sockets projectf ing into said bore and cooperating with said groove, said sockets and plugs being arranged in t-Wo pairs diametrically opposite each other, and two locking plates secured to said member and each cooperating with the two 'adjacent members of each pair of plugs.

lie

7. A ,transmission mechanism for engine series of balls projecting into such bore and starters comprising a rotatable shaft having `cooperating with said groove, the end of. the 10 a spiral groove thereon, and a driving memgroove being made 'abrupt and adapted to be ber mounted on the shaft for" longitudinal contacted by one of the balls to Stop longitu- 5 movement` thereon and rotary movement dinal movement of the said member on the therewith and-adapted-to engage a part of shaft. the engine to be started, said member having -a bore toreceivethe shaft and carrying a VINCNT-BENDIX.