US1514223A

US1514223A - Safety crank

Info

Publication number: US1514223A
Application number: US601501A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward E Neldner; Neldner Vincent
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-11-17
Filing date: 1922-11-17
Publication date: 1924-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1941-11-04

Description

E. E. NELDNER ET AL SAFETY CRANK 7 Filed Nov. 17, 1922 2 cJ a/a/aw Eljwarfi ELNEI dn E1" VInEEnLJ NEI [in E Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED star EDWARD E. NELDNER AND VINCENT NELDNER, O1? MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN.

sarnrv Gianna;

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD E. lflnnnnnn and VINCENT NELDNER, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Milwaukee,

in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Cranks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to safety cranks for internal combustion engines and is particularly directed to a safety crank for automobile engines. I

Objects of this invention are to provide a crank which may be used for starting internal combustion engines in the usual man ner, but which will, upon back firing of the engine, release automatically without damage to the operator.

Further objects are to provide a crank which is of substantially the same size as the usual cranks employed for starting automobile engines, which is sturdy in design, effective in operation and simple in construe tion.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the cover removed, certain of the parts being in sec tion.

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation of the d vice.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the crank comprises a hollow casing 1 provided with a removable top 2 secured in place by means of bolts or screws passed thru the apertured lugs 3. The lower portion of the crank is provided with a ratchet member 4 having peripheral teeth 5 and a central hub 6 projecting from opposite sides of the body portion of the member 4. This hub is provided with a square hole 7 'therethrough for the reception of the correspondingly shaped portion of the engine shaft.

The outer end of the crank is provided with a handle 8 which is pinned. to a stub shaft- 9, such shaft being journalled in the casing and top, 1 and 2, of the crank. The 50 central portion of the stub shaft is enlarged and is cut out, as indicated at 10, and re cessed as indicated at 11. A helical spring 12 is mounted within the recess.

A pawl-member, or lever, 13 extends from the handle end of the crank to the ratchet end of the crank, and is guided by means of a pair of lugs lt and 15 carried by the body portion of the crank. It is provided with a pin 16 against which a helical spring 17- bears, a second pin 18 being provided beneath.

the lugs 14 and 15 to limit the upward mo tion of the pawl member 13. Its lower end is provided with a pawl, or tooth, 19 adapted to interlock with the teeth 5 under certain conditions, and is further provided with a cam face 20 adapted to cooperate with the pin 21 carried by the body portion of the crank. The upper portion of the lever 13 is slotted, as indicated at 22, and receives a pin 23. such pin spanning the cut out portion 10 the shaft 9. Normally the crank handle 8 rotated by the spring 12 to a slight ex tent to rock the upper portion of the lever 13 to the right (see Figure 1), and thereby cause the disenga ement of the pawl 19 from the teeth 5 of the ratchet member. However, when the crank handle is grasped by the operator and the crank is rotated to start the engine, the crank handle is given a slight rotary motion which causes the pawl 19 to engage the teeth 5 and thereby operatively lock the ratchet member to the remaining portion of the apparatus and allow the cranking of the engine. Should the engine back fire, however. the lever '13 is slid downwardly as indicated in dotted lines, and its cam face 20 contacts withthe pin 21 and moves the lever into the dotted line position, thereby allowingthe ratchet member to freely rotate and preventing damage to the operator. In addition to this automatic release, there is a further tendency to automatically release. due to the fact that when the crank is forced backwardly, slightly by the back firing of the engine, the crank handle 8 will be auto-mati cally. slightly rotatedas it moves from the operators hands, thereby causing the pin 23 to rock the upper end of the lever 13 to the right. as shown in Figure 1, thereby aiding in this disengaging action.

It will thus be seen that a safety crank has been provided for internal combustion engines. which will permit the ready starting of the engine by the usual manipulating that is given a starting crank. which is sturdy in design and efficient in operation, and which is relatively simple in construction.

Although one form of the invention has beenv described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific disclosure, but is to be limited only as set forth in the appended claim.

W e claim A safety crank for internal combustion engines having a crank receiving shaft, said crank comprising an arm provided with a handle, a ratchet member adapted to engage the shaft, a rod carried by said arm and adapted to reciprocate and rock relatively to said arm, a spring urging said rod in one direction, a pawl integral With said rod and r adapted to engage said ratchet, said pawl having a cam face, and means carried by said arm and adapted toengage said cam face to throw said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet when the engine back fires.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

EDWARD E. NELDNER. VINCENT NELDNER.