US1749320A - Engine starter - Google Patents

Description

March 4, 1930. w, CHRYST 1,749,320

ENGINE STARTER 2 Sheets-Sheet" 1 Original Filed April 11,'192 7 w. A. CHRYST 1,749,320

ENGINE STARTER March 4, 1930.

Original Filed April 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Shut 2 IIIII! I II IIIII l'i ntecl Mae-i930 it i, y i 5 f ff; -UN1TED "STAT P T OFFICE [WILLIA AncHRYs'r, or. DAYTON," OHIO, AssIGNo TO DELCO-REMY CORFORATION, I or DA ON; OHIO, A coRPoRATI oNo'F DELAWARE I I I ENGINE STARTER Y Application nieii' epril 11, 7, Serial No. 182,604. Renewed m 2, 1929.

' This invention. relates I to apparatus for. attached by any suitablemeans not'shown to I making aninternal-combustion engine; and a housing 21. 'The field frame 20. and the more particularly to that type of apparatus l1ousingf2l support'a shaft 22 which is operwhichincludes an'electric motor operating a 'ated by the electric motor said shaft 22 shaft which is normally disconnected from usually being an extension of the motor arthe engine, but may be connected"therewith mature shaft; The shaft 22 is provided with 'by mea-nsincludinga pinion movable along spiral splines 23 and that portion of the theshaft into engagementwitli the 'gear'and splines 23 which is located between the lines L engineto be started and to rotate with the 23 and 23 in Fig. 1 is slightly smaller in 'm shaft,"said connecting means including prodiameter than the'diameter of the remain:

.visions wherebythepinionwill be automatiing spirally spline'd portion. The shaft 22 cally demeshed from. the engine gear when is provided with an'annular groove 24;, which the engine becomes self-operative. receives the'wire split ring 25. The shaft 22 V -One object of the present invention is to cooperates withthrust washer 26 bearing r minimize wear and breakage Lof the gear against a machined surface 27 provided by" I teeth by providing'tmanu ally"operable means the housing 21'. I I

I ofsimple and economical construction for j A pinion 30, which is provided internally Inoving'the' pinion axially-into engagement with spiral splines, is mounted to slide lon- 'withlthe engine gear and for'rotating the gitudinally along the shaft 22 into engage pinion in case of gear tooth abutment in Inent withthe flywheel gear 31 of anengine order that the pinion may be nearly fully to be started. Normally the pinion 30 is out fme shed with .the engine gear before the mo of mesh with engine gear3l and is supported tor is operated. i i I I by that portion of the splines 23 which is of IN "Further objects and advantages. ofthe smaller diameter, namely that portion 10- 4 present invention will be apparent-from the cated between the lines 23 and 23 The following descriptionpreference being had splined portion of smaller diameter is conto theaccompan'ying drawings, wherein a nected with the splined portion of larger preferred embodiment of oneform of the diameter by shoulder portions 32, which I present invention is clearly shown. I serveas obstructions tending to prevent I 30 I I th drawings; i drifting of the pinion into engagement with 30 F'ggl is afragmentary-view partly 111110 11 engine gear while the engine is running. 7 .gitudinalsection' showinga form of engine When. the pinionis in full mesh with theenj starting apparatus embodyingthe present] gine gear, the wire split ring 25 will be reinvention, the apparatus being shown in norceived by an annular groove 33 provided on 'mal position in which the motor pinion is the interior of the pinion hub. As the pinion disconnected from 'the engine gear I 3O ismoved toward the right of the drawings r Fig. 2 is a sectionaliview on thelinef2 2j into engagement with the ring 25, said ring of Fig. 1; I I I is first engaged by an annular abutment 34 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 showing. of smaller internal diameter than the nor I a modified form oftheinventionqi I mal'external diameter of the ring 25. As the Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig, lfshowing pinion is forced against the ring,,the ring the ap aratus in condition for starting the will be contracted slightly in order that the enginiejand I I I I obstruction 34'may pass over it. Then the 1 Fig. 5 is a viewsi milarto Fig. 1 showing ringwill 'expand'into'the groove 33. When the apparatus after theengine has become the engine becomes self-operative and the slf-operativeQbut before the manually Lop" pinion isautomatically demeshed from the erable member which controls the starter has engine gear, the ring 25 will contract again to beenreturned-to'normal position. Tr I permit the obstruction 34 to pass beyond it. y Referring to the drawings,20, designates In this way the pinion is yieldingly mainithe field frame of an electric: motor which is tained in substantially full mesh with the endrawings and also as, a member for yield ingly maintaining the pinion'in full mesh with the engine gear. i

The housingo21supports a bolt; or stub shaft 40 which provides a journal for the hub 41 of a manually operable'le'ver 42.1 The arm 42 of thelever 42 is so locatedlas to engage the plunger 43 of'a. starting motor switch 44, the casing 45 of which is secured to the field frame 20 by screws 46. :The lever arm 42 is connected with a pedal 47,'wlhich extends through a cup-shaped member 48 carried by the floor board 49 ofthe ammo, bile, 'A spring 50, which is locatedbetween the member 48 and the head of the rod 47, tends tomaintain the lever 42 in the position shown in Fig. 1. 7

, In order that the pinion 30 may be moved into mesh with the engine gear 31 before the motor switch is closed,- means arelprovided for transmitting motion from the lever 42't0 the pinion 30 so that the pinionwill be moved endwise into mesh with gear 31 and willbe rotated in case the teeth of the pinioncollide with the end faces of the teeth of the gear 31, said means being so constructedand arran edthat the motor switch cannot be closed until the pinion has been substantially meshed with the engine gear and that there will be no interference with denieshing of the'pinion fromthe engine gear after? the engine starts although the lever 42 may still be maintainedflinoperating position.

The motion transmitting means comprise chiefly two members which are connected for movement together longitudinally of the shaft so that one of the members. mayengage thepinion 30 to move it into mesh with the gear 31, the connection between said members being such that in case motion of the pinion is: arrested by the engine gear; one of the members will impart rotary motionto the other-member which engages the pinion.

The pinion engaging member andv pinion" provide ax1ally= engaging clutching dev ces so that the rotary motion produced by the motion transmitting means will be imparted tothe' pinion. One of the motion transmit ting members is a pin or stud 51 which isattached to the armfl42 of the lever 42, and, the otherv member is a. sleeve or pinion-pushing element 52 which is provided with a slot 53 located obliquely to the axis of the shaft 42 and adapted to receive the pin 51. 1 v

The sleeve 52 is provided with teeth 54 which function as a driving clutch member for axially engaging a driven clutch member provided by beveling, as shown at 55in Fig.

order to provide clutch teeth 56.- In the par:

'ticular form of the invention shown in. the

drawings the pinion is a nine tooth pinion and hence is provided with nine clutch teeth "56. i Th'esleeve 52 maybe provided with nine teeth 54, b nt if it'is/desirablefto reduce the maximum of lost rotary motion between the clutch members, the sleeve may have a mul tiple of the number ofteeth 56, for example The sleeve 52vis formed preferably from a blank or punching of flatsheet material which is providedinitially with the teeth 54 and the/slot 53 The blank is formed into a cylinder to provide the sleeve. 52 which is s'upportedby a hub 60, having spaced flanges 61 and 62 so as to define an annular space 63 which imayfreceive one end 'ofthe pin 51. f

Theflange 62 ispro'vided with an annular groove 64 and the wall of thesleeve 5-2 is forced into the groove 64 asindicated by the annulargroove 65in the sleeve. This con- 7 j structio'n tends to stiffen the sleeve, to pre% vent it'unfolding from cylindrical form and to prevent relative long tudinal I movement between. the hub and the sleeve. 7 o I .o

The metho'dnof using "the invention is as 2 follows a @Normally the starting apparatus isoin the positionshown in Fig. '1 in which the. pinion 30;is,deme shed from the engine gear and themotor switch is open.i, To start the enginethe pedal 47 is depressed thereby cansing the lever '42 to rotatecounterclockwise in order to move the pin 51vand, thesleeve 52 longitudinallyof the shaft and to the right 7 i of the drawings. The slot 53 is a spiral of variable pitch and the pin 51 engages 7 that portion ofthe slot wall which is the'lesser in pitch so that, initially; thetendencyof the pinto movegthe sleeve 52longitudinally is greaterjthan the tendency to rotate the sleeve; therefgrethe sleeve 52'willmove toward the right and the clutch teeth 54 will engage the" clutch teeth 56 provided by'the pinion 30. In; case thepinion teeth abut the ends of the. gear teeth, motion: of the "sleeve 52 will be arrested; but, the operator. continues to; press the pedal 47; the pinion 30 will :be rotated due to the o cooperationiof the pin 51*withfthe spiralslot 53 of the sleeve.

When the pinion teethregister with the gear tooth space. of the gear the pinion 30" will moveintomesh withthe gear 31. After the pinion 30 has been: nearly fully meshed with the gear 31, the lever arml42 will engage the switch plunger 43 and the motor switch '44 will be closed. ilVhen this occurs, the shaft 22 will'be rotated, in a clockwise direction as viewed from the rightlof the drawings and as indicated by'the arrows 7O in'Figs. 1 and 4, thereby causing the 131111011130iJO'fbGfIllOVGCl away from the sleeve thenithe pinion 30will rotate with the shaft 22 and the engine gear 31 will be rotated to crank the engine. I i i {.IVhen the engine becomes self-operative the. pinion will beautomatically demeshed. Demeshing'will occur althoughthe operator .ma'ymaintain pressure upon thepedal 47, as it isapparent from Figs. 4: and that the sleeve 52 is free to move toward the leftin order not to interfere with thedenieshing of thezpinionf While the pin and slot connections between the .sleeve'and' the lever permit movement of tlie sleeve the pinion v 1 when the pinion is demeshed from the engine i gear, this operation does not always'occur.

It happens more frequently that the sleeve 521151'6t111116d to normal positionbefore' the engine becomes.self-operative. This feature of the invention is' due to the fact that there is always some friction between the sleeve hub and the shaft 22; therefore when the ishaft 22 isoperated'by the motor, the hub toand the sleeve 52 ,iiiill be rotated in the directionof thearrow while the pin'51 is maintained in the position shown iirFig. 4; Consequentlythe rotation of the .shaft .22 3 before theengine becomes self-operative I will cause the sleeve 52 to be threaded along the pin 51 anew be moved into the normal or non-operating position shown in Fig. 5. Therefore demeshing ofthe' pinion 32 will ytake place without any engagement between the clutch teeth. '54 and .56. h

After the operator releases the pedal 47,

" the spring 50' will be released to. move the j pedal upwardly and to return the lever 42 to the position show'n'in Fig.1. During this operation a'spring-43 jfwill be released to *moverthe switch plunger' l3 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig.

Iin ordertoopen the motor switch.

, Means cooperatingw'ith the sleeve 52 and theshaft 22 are provided for resisting the "tendency of the sleeve to rotate at the be- 7 ginning of its movement from non-operating position, or'tow'ard the right from the position shown in Fig. 1. This means comprises a metal brake disc 80.fiXed to the shaft.

J22, a floating disc 81 of yieldable material,

such as cork, and a brake disc 82 attached tothe sleeve hub 60. Disc 82is provided with a hole for receiving a tang 83 provided by thesleeve 52,-in order driving ly to con- 'nect said disc and sleeve. The parts 80,81

and 82are maintained normally in engagement by thespring 50 which urges the lever arm42 t0ward the left as viewed in'Fig.

1. Hence, normally, the brake members80, '81'and 82 tend to maintain thesleeve 52 fixedrelative to the shaft 22. IVhen the lever arm42 begins its movement toward the right, the brake members are apparently not instantly disengaged, but tend to resist rotation of the sleeve 52 after the sleeve has 7 begun tomove'toward jthe right. Apparfor the sleeve to rotate.

ently the cork disc 81 expands axially suffioiently to maintain friction between. the brake members after mot-ion of the sleeve has begun.- Since resistance to endwise movement of the sleeve is overcome before 1;. removing resistance to rotation of the sleeve, I

the tendency of the sleeve to move endwise will be greater, initially, than the tendency Hence the possibility of the sleeve rotating without moving endwise has been minimized. I

The brake members 80, 81 and 82 cooperate with the pinion shifting mechanism for the further purpose of bringing the motor shaft 22 quickly to rest after the operator releases the pedal 47. It is apparent that the spring 50 will urge the brake member 82 toward the brake members 81 and 80. Since the brake member 82 is prevented from rotating freely with the shaft 22 by reason of engagement of the pin51 with the sleeve 52, the brake disc 82 will function as a stationary brake member cooperatingwith the movable brake discs quickly, to arrest motion of the shaft 22. In case the engine should make a false start, that is, if the engine should become self-operative for a time sufficient to demesh the pinion 30 fromthe gear 31 but should not continue to Y means comprises a resilient leaf spring arm 7 attached by rivets 91 to the lever arm 42" and adjacentits free end with a stud 92' engageable with a groove or slot 93, formed in the sleeve 52. The groove 93 is'so shaped that, during movement of the sleeve 52 toward theright until the pinion 30 engages the fiywheel gear 31, the end of the stud 92 will remain in the slot 93. In this way the stud 92 of the arin 9O cooperates to resist rotation of the sleeve. f This is a'desirable feature because there is a tendency for the sleeve 52 to rotate due to the cooperation between the pin 51 and the helical slot 53; Although the slot 53 is shaped so that, initially, the tendency of the sleeve to move longitudinally is greater than its tendency to rotate as it begins its movement toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 1, itstill remains a fact that the tendency to rotate exists during the counterclockwise movement of the lever 4L2. The more this tendency is resisted the more 1 device.

reliable will be In Fig. 3 there is shown a modifiedform of the device just described. "In this form of the invention the stud 51 is provided with a centralbore for receiving a plunger 95and with a recess 96 for receiving a spring 97 which urges the plunger 95 into a groove 98 provided by the hub 60. The spring 97 is retainedby a block 99 screw-threaded within therecess 96 of the stud 51. The groove 98 cooperates with the plunger 95 in aomanner similar to the cooperation of the pin 92 with the groove 93 in Fig. 1.

. In case of back-fire duringthe gear meshing 1 operation, the p1n1o n will be moved toward,

the right from the position shown in Fig. l, and out of engagement with the sleeve clutch teeth. a

From the foregoing descriptionof the construction and'mode of operation of the present invention it will be apparentthat the invention possesses the advantages'of simplicity and durability of construction and reliability of operation. ."The number of parts required for the starter drive is very small and they may be constructed and assembled at very low cost. Owing to the simplicity of construction the parts may be made relatively rugged and substantial and therefore very durable. VVith this form of invention the starter pinion ismeshed with the engine gear before the motor is operated, hence liability-of danger to the gear teeth has been substantially reduced. The pinion may be demeshed fromthe engine gear automatically, should the operator forget to release the starter pedal when theengine becomes self-operative. Since the starter drive provides no obstruction'to the -demeshing movement of the pinion the apparatus will be relatively quiet in operation.

7 While the form of embodiment of the presentinvention as herein disclosed, constitutes a 1. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion'mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movenient'thereof and rotary movement therewithand provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically deme shed from the engine gear when the engine starts; means for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion case the pinion teeth collide with the engine .gear teeth said means including a sleeve elementmovable'along the shaft :and provided with a slot obliqueto the shaft and a manually operable element carrying a pin movable longitudinally of the shaft and engaging the slot whereby the pin theoperation of the starting" v V i .mesh with theengine gear whereby the sleeve and sleeve element'may'. move the pinion into n resist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft, one of said elements (the manually operable element or thesleeve element) being provided with a projection extending towardthe other element and normally re ccived by a recess provided in the ctherelement, and resilient means for retaining said projection in said recess; j. i

2. Engine starting'apparatus according to claim 1, in which the means. tending to resist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft comprises a projection carried by the manually operable element and normally ext nding into a recess provided by the sleeve',

and a --spring carried by themanually oper-. able element for resiliently reta ning the pm j ection in the recess. I v,

Engine startingapparatus according to clann 1,111 wlnchthemeans tend'mgjto re sist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft comprises a plunger guided by the pin andmovable toward the sleeve into'engagement with a recess providedbiy the sleeve,

and a spring carried by the manually operable element foru'rglng the plungertoward the sleeve. I

4. Engine startingapparatus according to claim 1,"1n which the means tending to-resist rotation of the sleeve element relativeto the 1 shaft comprises a plunger guided by the pin and a. spring located within a recess provided by said pin for urging the plunger. toward the pin for. retaining the spring.

5. Enginestarting apparatus comprl the motor; means for. connecting the shaft withthe gear of an engine to be startedjand i including a pinion mounted on the shaftffor longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and provisions whereby the pinion will be'automatically demeshed the pinionincase the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said means in" cluding a'sl-eeve element movable along the shaft, including a manually operated element moving substantially longitudinallyof the shaft, and including means for connecting the sleeve element and the 'man 1 ally operated element, said means belng constructed and arranged so as to lmpart endwise. motion from the manually op'eratedelement to the sleeve and to cause rotation of the sleeve int,

case its endwise motionis obstructed, said sleeve element and pinion having clutching means for impart ng rotation tothe pinion;

and means tending to resist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft, one i of said elements (the I manually operable element 'orthe sleeve element) being provided with aprojection extending toward the other element and normally received by a recess provided in the other element, and resilient means for retainingsaid projection in said i ,recess;

10. I v. g

in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by 6. Engine starting apparatus Comprising,

the motor; a pinion drivingly connected with s the shaft and movable axially into driving connection with a gear'connected with an engine to .be startedymeans for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear; and for rotating the pinion in'case the movable'along the shaftandprovided with operable element carying a pin movable longitudinally ofthe'shaft and engaging the 1 slot whereby the pin and sleeve element may move the'pinio'n into mesh with the engine ,igear whereby the sleeve element may be rotated in case movement thereof is obstructed, f i "said sleeve elementand pinion having clutching means for imparting; rotation to the pinion andtmeans tending to resist rotation "of the sleeve element relative to the shaft,

one of said elements (the manually "operable element or the sleeve element)- being prov p I] vided with a projection extending toward the I l 7 recess provided in the other element, and reother' element and normally received by a silient means for retaining said projection in -said recess. g V v V I 7.-En 1ne'startm1 ;a paratus accordin to b b r 'claim'fi, in which the meanstending to resist rotation of the sleeve element relativeto the shaft comprises a projection carried by the manually operable-elementand normally ex- V tending intoga'recess provided byithe sleeve,

f j I 7 f element for resiliently retaining the projecand a'spring carried by the'manually operable tion in the recess. v I g y 8. Enginestarting'apparatus according to claim 6, in which themeans tending to resist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft comprises a plunger guidedby the pin and movable toward the sleeve into engagel mentgwith a recess provided by the sleeve, and

ajsp'r'ing carriedgby the manually operable ..element for urging theqplunger toward the #sleve; s 7 i I i i I 9. Engine starting apparatus according to claimj6, in which themeans tendingto resist rotationof the sleeveelement relative to the shaft comprises a plunger guided by the pin and a spring located within arecess provided t by said pin for urging the plunger toward the sleeve and a plug closing said recess in the pin for retainingthe spring.

" -10. Engine startingapparatus comprising,

I signature.

in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; a pinion drivingly connected with the shaft and movable axially into driving connection with a gear connected with an engine to be started; means for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said means including a sleeve element movable along the shaft, including a manual- 1y operated element moving substantially longitudinally of the shaft, and including means for connecting the sleeve element and the manually operated element, said means being constructed and arranged so as to impart endwise motion from the manually operatedelement to the sleeve and to cause rotation ofthe sleeve in case its endwise motion is obstructed, said sleeve element and pinion having clutching means for imparting rotation to the pinion; and means tending to resist rotation of the sleeve element relative to the shaft, one of said elements (the manually operable element or the sleeve elesaid projection in said recess.

- v11. Engine starting apparatus comprising in combination, a motor; a pinion drivingly connected with the motor and movable end-- wise intomesh with a gear connected with an engine to be started; means for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the gear teeth, said means including a pusher element mounted for rotary and axial movements coaxially with respect to the pinion, and a manually operated element having connections with the pusher element such that the manually operated element tends to impart rotary and axial movements to the pus'herelement; means for transmitting rotary movements from the pusher element to the pinion; and means tending to j resist rotations ofthe pusher element and comprising a part supported by one of said elements (the pusher element or the manually operated element) and yieldingly engageable with the other element.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my WILLIAM A. CHRYST.

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