US1683280A

US1683280A - Variable-resistance switch

Info

Publication number: US1683280A
Application number: US65670A
Authority: US
Inventors: James L Arthur
Original assignee: Delco Remy Corp
Current assignee: Delco Remy Corp
Priority date: 1925-10-29
Filing date: 1925-10-29
Publication date: 1928-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1945-09-04

Description

" S pt. 4, 1928. 1,683,280

J. L. ARTHUR VARIABLE RESISTANCE SWITCH Filed 001:.29, 1925 Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,280 J. L. ARTHUR I VARIABLE RESISTANCE SWITCH Fil 2 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

J'AIES L. ARTHUR, OI ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO DELOO-BEIY CORPORATION, 01 DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01? DELAWARE.

VARIABLE-RESISTANCE SWITCH.

Application filed October 29. 1925. Serial No. 85.670.

This invention relates to electrical starting apparatus for internaleombustwn engines and particularly to the type of apparatus which comprises an electric motor, a

spirally-splined shaft driven by the motor, and a pinion screw-threaded upon said shaft and adapted to move endwise along' the shaft into engagement with a gear of an'engme to be started. The inion is moved 1nto partial engagement wlththe engine gear by manual operation and then the motor turns the splined shaft in a direction to cause the pinion to be threaded into full engagement with the engine gear and into contact with a stop whereu on the pinion drives the eng ne gear to cran the engine. After the engine becomes self-operative the pinion is automatically disconnected from the engine. In

devices of this sort it is desirable that the motor be operated only with partial ower until the pinion is substantially fu ly in mesh with the engine gear at which time the full power of. the motor may be applied to crank the engine. Such an arrangement practically eliminates breakage of gear. teeth due to full power operation of the motor while the gears are being meshed. I

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide for. this type of apparatus an improved motor-controlling switch which willv cooperate with the apparatus, so that the pinion will be operated first with low speed and power to facilitate gear meshing by manual operation, and further and more complete engagement of the pinion withthe engine gear by motor operation, sald controller being adapted to apply the full power of the motor after the meshing of the gears is substantially completed.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, wherein-a preferred form of the present invention 1s clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side views partly in section of a starting apparatus embodying I the present invention and showing the appa- 50 ratus in three different positions of opera' tion.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Referring to the drawings, 20 designates afield frame of an electric motor which is supported by a gear housing 21 which is. adapted to be attached to the frame of an engine to be started. The housing 21 provldes a bearing 22 for the armature shaft of the motor, the otherbearing being provided with an end frame (not shown), secured to the other end of the motor frame 20. The shaft 23 supports an armature-24 and is provided with a shouldered portion 25 and with a spirally-splined portion 26. A thrust collar 27 is secured to a shaft by pin 28 and bears against a thrust washer 29. This in turn bears against a finished surface 30 of the gear housing 21. A pinion 31 is thread edly connected with the spline 26 so as to move endwise along the shaft 23 and turn with the shaft after the pinion has been moved against the collar 27. In order to move the pinion endwise, the 'inion is provided with a hub 32 provided with spaced flanges 33 defining an annular groove 34. The groove 34 receives the arms 35 of.a bifurcated pinion-shifting lever 36 having a yoke 37. The arms 35 are provided .with rectangular openings 38 for receiving and guiding the ends of a latch plate 39. The latch plate 39 is connected with studs 40 which pass freely through openings in the yoke 37 and carry at their outer ends washers 41. Springs 42 are located between the washers 41 and yoke 37; thus, it will be seen that if the latch plate 39 is moved to the right, motion will be transmitted through the spring 42 throu h theyoke 37.

The mechanism or moving the yoke 37. and latch plate 39, includes a pedal 43 connected by pedal rod 44 with a pedal lever 45 which carries at its lower end a rod 46 providing a ivot for a latch 47 which is provided wit a hook 48 for engaging the latch plate 39. The yoke 37 is rovided with an 100 opening 49 for receiving t e hook 48. The latch 47 is held normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a sprmg 50 having one end connected by screw 51 with the-housing 21 and having the other end bent, as indi- .cated in Fig. 6 by numeral 51., so as to ex- (ill demesh tend through a hole in latch 47 located below the pivot rod 46. The spring 50 is biased so that, normally, it will urge the latch in a counterclockwise direction when the pedal is in the position shown in Fig. 1. By moving the pedal downwardly, so that the pinion 31 is brought into partial engagement with the engine gear 52, the spring 50 will be reconditioned so that it will tend to urge the latch in a clockwise direction relative to its pivot rod46. The latch does not start to move into a counterclockwise direction as soon as the spring 50 is reconditioned to produce this result, since the spring is resisted by pressure between the hook of the latch and the latch plate, due to pressure upon the pedal 43. However, when the pinion 31 is moved endwise into mesh with the gear 52 due to the operation of the motor independent of the pedal 43, this pressure will be released, so that when the pinion is in full engagement with the engine gear, as shown in Fig. 3, the latch will be entirely disengaged from the latch plate. This mechanism has been provided in order that the pinion may be demeshed automatically regardless of failure of the operator to release the pedal 43.

' By a controlling apparatus associated with the pedal lever 45, themotor is caused to turn slowly at firs; to facilitate meshing the inion 31 with the gear 52, and o operate witlow torque but which is sufiicient to cause the pinion to he threaded ii the position in Fig. 2 to the full-mesh position shown in n the moved to (251139618. mo to oper power, in order to the engine becomes so shown in Fig. 1 althoc lull may remain. ie po A spring 5 ving c.

coiled upon the rod levers 45 hearing respectively st the hon indicated at 55, and a a 39, as indicated 565, causes the he urged in clockwise direction as pinion huh 32 will he maintained against the shoulder After the pecla is re leased a spring located between the pedal 43 and a cup-shaped rnernher 6Z1 to the fioorhoard 62 of the vehicle causes the 21, l. och plate pedal 43 and lever 45 to return to the position shown in Fig. During re return n 4'? moves the lever 36 and .e latch plate 89 as movement of the lever 45, the late through the yoke 37 snaps into position ovei shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The controller for controlling the motor circuits comprises main and auxiliary switches which are housed within a case mounted upon the frame 26 of the motor. The main switch it. .ee contact provided the pinion along by the head 71 of a main switch terminal bolt 72 which is insulatingly supported by the case 70, and a movable contact 73 which is adapted to connect the contact 71- with a stationary contact 74 attached to the terminal screw 75 of the motor. The auxiliary switch includes a stationary contact 76 connected with the bolt 72 and insulated from the case 7 0, a movable contact 77 and a stationary contact 7 8 which is integral with the part which forms the cont-act 74. The contact 7 3 is made of a low resistance material such as copper, and the contact 77 is made of a relatively high resistance material such as carbon. These contacts are insulatingly supported upon a plunger 79 which is supported and guided by a. sleeve 80 carried by the switch case. The contact 73 is located loosely on the reduced lower end 81 of the plunger 79 and is free to move sidewise between a nut 82, attached to the plunger 79,

and a shoulder 83 of the plunger. In this way the contact 73 is free to accommodate itself to the surface of the contacts 71 and 74. The carbon contact 7 7 is swingingly supported by the plunger 7 9 so that contact 7 7 may tilt slightly to accommodate itself to the contacts 7 6 and 78. A spring 84, located hetween the case 70 and a flangeor button. 85 attached to the plunger 7'9, yieldingly maintains the contact 73 in engagement withnonconducting washers 86 in turn hear against the carbon contac 77 and causeit to hear against insulati e lower end of the sleeve 80.

opposed by a weaker n the washer 87 and a in.

a tube which receives and en :te 1e sleeve 86.. e spri 88 yieldinglyv es contact 77 aid the contact 7 3.

Th 4 J.

non o e pedal lever 45 to cause the move into a zeo. with the motor ce contact 77. The te with relatively to facilitate engine gear and i to o te with no more Jed. on oi; the threading it into engage- 27.

will cause the s time the gears ned. Then the .ll power to crank of breaking gear lOW of the L cause the power than.

with the the engine without dan e: teeth.

As stamd before failure to release the pedal 43 when engine becomes self operative does not prevent demesliing of the ears since the latch is disconnected irom the atch plate and the pinion shifting lever is free to move toward the left. v

washer 87 which Continued v Release of the pedal 43 causes the spring 60 to restore the pedal lever 45 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and release of the plunger 79 allows the spring 80 to return the movable switch parts into the position shown in Fig. 1.

In case the engine should fail to star after the gears have been meshed and the switches have been closed, the pedal 43 may be released and s ring 60 will cause the pedal to move upwardly first to permit the opening of the main switch and then to cause the pedal lever 45 to push the latch 47 and hence the lever 36 to the left (in the drawings) to demesh the gears and to open the auxiliary switch.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope ofthe claims 'which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An electric switch comprising a rod, a case supporting and guiding the rod, a relatively low total resistance contact mounted adjacent one end of the rod, a relatively high total resistance contact slidable upon the rod, a pair of contacts located in the path of movement of the high resistance in a direction for separating the movablecontacts from the stationary switch contacts.

2. An electric switch comprising pairs of stationary contacts, a rigid, high total resistance-contact for bridging one air of stationary contacts, a low total resistance contact for bridging the other pair of contacts, a spring urging the high resistance contact toward switch-closing position,- an operating member movable in one direction for retaining the high resistance contact in switchopen position and movable in the other direction first to permit said high resistance contact to be moved 'by said spring into switchclosing position and then to move the low resistance contact into switch-closing position, and a spring for resisting the last described movement of the operating member.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature. 7

JAMES LpARTHUR.