US1846766A

US1846766A - Starter for engines

Info

Publication number: US1846766A
Application number: US256954A
Authority: US
Inventors: Starkey William Carleton; Brownlee Dalmar Templeton
Original assignee: LGS Devices Corp
Current assignee: LGS Devices Corp
Priority date: 1928-02-25
Filing date: 1928-02-25
Publication date: 1932-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1949-02-23

Description

STARTER FOR ENGINES Filed Feb. 25, 1928 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 WILLIAM cAELE'roN STARKEY AND DALMAR TEMPLETON BRowNLEE, OF INDIAN- AroLIs, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR-S T L. G. s. DEVICES CORPORATION, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA s'rAEIEn, FOR ENGINES Application filed February 25, 1928. Serial No. $6,954.

This invention relates'to apparatus that is suitable for application to an electric starter motor for controlling a shiftable pinion or wheel whereby to start rotation of a wheel of an internal combustion engine or other machine requiring initial starting, the invention having reference more particularly to control devices of such apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a manual-shift starter of simple and inexpensive construction that will be unlikely to be damaged or contribute to the damage of parts but rather will be durable and economical in use and not cause excessive or damaging wear on the teeth of engine gear wheels.

.With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists mainly in the novel application of a spring-clutch to a starter structure and to novel means for con trolling the'spring-clutch and elements associated therewith, whereby to control the shifting and rotation of a starter pinion or wheel; and further, the invention consists in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the .claims appended hereto.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a side view of the improved starter in which parts are in section, a conventional electric starter motor being shown in connection therewith Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in longitudinal section, of the starter unit separate from the motor shaft, being on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the starter unit. Fig. 4 is a transverse section approximately on the line IVIV on Fig. 2, and Fig. 5-is a view sim- -The larger orbody portion of the ilar to the preceding figure showing slight modification of structure. 7

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

In-the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a machine wheel required to be started rotatively, the fragment of the wheel shown being readily recognized as the toothed gear wheel of an internal combustion engine, to be initially started by means of a suitable electric starter motor 2, to the housing of which a.

gear housing 3 is connected which has a proecting portion or arm 4 thereon provided with a bearing box 5 assisting to support the armature shaft 6 of the motor, the shaft having splines 7 thereon in proximity to the motor housing. A suitable electric switch is required for controlling the operation of the motor and comprises a plunger 8 suitably mounted in a switch box 9 fixed on the motor housing, the plunger having a switch bar 10 connected thereto to be moved into connection with electric contact devices or poles 11 and 12 appropriately supported in the switch The starter unit has a driving element or part which comprises an annular drive portion 13 suitably larger" in diameter than the armature shaft and a relatively smaller control portion in which is a circumferential groove 14 to receive a shifter fork, the smaller portion having a bearing bore 15 slidingly guided on the armature shaft, the bore having splines 16 therein to co-operate with the splines 7. That portion -of the armature shaft that is adjacent to the motor is preferably larger diametrically than the remaining portion that extends to the bearing box 5.

rivingpart has a bore 17 therein in which is a groove 18, and a recess or counter-bore 19 extending from the bottom of the bore and in the bottom of which is a small pocket 20.

The starter unit has a substantially cylindrical controlling sleeve 21 having a bearing bore 22 equal diametrically to the bore. 15 and a smaller bore 23 corresponding to the's'maller portion of the armature shaft, one end of the sleeve being guided on the bottom of the counter bore 19. Preferably the sleeve has a clutch collar 24 thereon adjacent to its opposite end, the collar having a circumferential clutch groove 25 therein. A coiled clutch spring 26 is loosely arranged on the sleeve 21 and tightly in the counter bore 19 and has a lug 27 on one end thereof that extends into the pocket 20, the opposite end of the clutch spring having a lug 28 thereon that extends into a pocket 29 cut into one side of the collar 24.

The unit includes also a driven part which comprises a body ortion 30 having a clutch bore 31 that is slightly greater in diameter than the outside diameter of the clutch spring and is guided against the bottom of the bore 17, being rotatative in the latter, the bore 31 receiving the major portion of the clutch spring and also the collar 24. The driven part has a bearing bore 32 that is movably guidedon the shaft 6, this bearing portion bemg in the form of a neck 33 having a pinion 34 fixed thereon adapted to engage the wheel 1. The neck is connected with the body or main portion 30 by a head formation 35 that has guiding contact with the adjacent end of the sleeve. The opposite or inner portion of the main part 30 has a collar 36 thereon providing a shoulder that isengaged by asplit ring 37 sprung into the groove 18, whereby the driven part is connected with the driving part and enabling the two parts to retain the sleeve between them and to move the sleeve along the armature shaft. The arrangement is such that when the clutch spring 26 is slightly expanded diametrically it engages the wall of the body or clutch portion 30 to rotate the driven part. The clutch portion 30 has a circumferential enlargement to constitute a clutch box 38 in which is a circumferential groove 39 and a pocket 40 radially intersecting the groove, and a clutch block 41 is movably guided in the pocket, the block having a tapered end contact portion 42 projecting into the clutch groove 25 and normall retained in clutching contact by means 0 a curved spring 43 engaging the block and having a lug 44 on one end that is anchored in a socket 45 in the wall of the clutch box, preferably opposite to the pocket. A retaining band 46 is secured on the portion 38 to prevent displacement of the clutch block by centrifugal force but permitting slight outward movement of the clutch block.

The pinion 34 and parts associated therewith may be manually moved along the armature shaft by any suitable or conventional means, as a shifter fork 47 operating in the groove 14 and connected to a pivot device 48 supported by the housin 3 and a lever arm 49 connected also to the plvot device and havin a short arm 50 thereon adjacent to the shifter fork, the latter having a pivot .pin

551 to which an eye-bolt 52 is connected that extends through a member 53 of the arm 50 and has a nut 54 thereon engaging acoil spring 55 seated on the member 53, the arm 49 being provided with an adjustable stud 56 to be moved into contact with the switch plunger 8. This operating apparatus permits further movement of the arm 49 to operate the electric switch in case the movement of the fork 47 is arrested because of stoppage of the pinion 34 against the wheel 1 when shifting the pinion to the wheel.

In a slight modification of structure, instead of the friction clutch above-described a member 21 corresponding to the member 21 in other respects has a ratchet wheel thereon provided with a suitable number of

teeth

57, 57 and the block 41 has a tooth 58 arranged to be forced into engagement successively with the ratchet teeth by the action of thespring 43 having engagement with the block 41.

In practical use, when it is desired to start the engine wheel 1, the lever arm 49 is operated by suitable means, not shown, to push the starter unit along the armature shaft to bring the pinion 34 into mesh with the wheel 1, the starter motor being at rest, but is started upon operation of the electric switch when the pinion is in mesh. Upon movement of the pinion to the gear wheel, in case the pinion is stopped against the wheel without meshing with its teeth, while the movement of the fork 47 is momentarily arrested, the arm 49 continues to move until the switch is operated and the motor started so as to cause rotation of the pinion which is immediately moved by the action of the spring 55 into ing part, resulting in the rotative movement of the pinion which, being primarily driven by the armature shaft causes starting of the gear wheel 1, which enables the engine to begin normal operation. Usually the engine at first develops high speed so that centrifugal force causes action of the clutch block a 41 to releasethe clutch spring 26 at a speed only slightly exceeding the free running speed of the electric starting motor, practically releasing the pinion from the motor armature so that the pinion is free to spin' on its bearing and attain very high speed in case it is so driven by the engine gear without materiallyincreasing the rotative speed of the motor armature. This occurs because'the friction of the armature bearings plus that of the brushes on the motor commutator exceeds the friction of the pinion bearing. Obviously the starter unit is shifted to carry the pinion away from the engine gear wheel when the larger arm 49 is reversely moved. The amount of wear on the starter gear is small because of the light weight and small amount of friction of the pinion member.

In the operation of the modified form of clutch, the centrifugal force causes outward movement of the block 41 to release it from the ratchet tooth with which it may be engaged, the after results being as above-mentioned.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A starter having a driving part and a driven part and also a clutch sleeve, a pinion fixed to the driven part, a diametrically changeable clutch device operated by, the driving part to rotate the driven part, and spring actuated clutch means, co-operating with thesleeve and the driven part temporarily to hold the clutch device to enable automatic operation thereof.

2. A starter for engines having a driving part and a driven part, a coiled spring clutch connected at one end to the driving art and engageable with the driven part, an springactuated clutch means co-operating with the driven part to hold the opposite end of the spring clutch for engaging it with the driven part upon action of the driving part.

3. A manual shift starter for-engines characterized by a wound clutch spring, a driven part and clutch means to hold one end of the clutch spring, a pinion fixed on the driven part for engagement with the engine at rest, and a driving part connected to the opposite end of the clutch spring to unwind it into connection with the driven part.

4. A starter having a hollow driving part, a. hollow driven part rotatively connected with the driving part and having a pinion thereon, a clutch sleeve within the driving and the driven part and provided with means for clutching the sleeve to the driven part, and a diametrically changeable clutch device connected to the driving part and to the sleeve to engage and clutch to the driven part.

5. A starter having a rotary driven part and a rotary sleeve provided with automatic clutch means to connect the sleeve to the driven part, the clutch means being subject to centrifugal action to counteract operation thereof, a rotary driving part, and a diametrically changeable clutch device connected to the driving part and to the sleeve to automatically clutch to the driven part upon operation of the clutch means. R

6. A starter for engines characterized by a driving part, a driven part with a pinion thereon, the driven part having a hollow cylindrical clutch member, a sleeve in the. clutch member, a wound clutch spring in the clutch member and connected at one end to thedrivtion of a driving part having a the driven part to enable the driving part to.

unwind the clutch spring into contact with the cylindrical clutch member.

7. An engine starter unit comprising a bored driving part with a spline therein to I rotate the part, a hollow and bored driven part with a pinion on one end thereof and its opposite end contacting with the driving part, a bored sleeve part arranged in the driving part and the driven part and contacting at its opposite ends therewith for synchronous shifting movements thereof, a coil spring clutch 'for driving the driven part connected at one end to the driving part and at its opposite end to the sleeve part, and clutch means releasable by centrifugal force and normally clutching the sleeve to the driven part to enable the spring clutch to act to drive the driven part.

8. In a starter for engines, the combination of a driven part-and a pinion thereon, a driving part, a diametrically expansible wound 1 spring clutch associated with said parts to be partially unwound to clutch the parts together, and positive non-frictional means to connect the spring clutch initially to one of said parts.

I 9. In a starter for engines,the combination of a sleeve provided with a collar having a' circumferential groove, a drivenpart havlng a clutch member extending about the body of the sleeve and provided with a clutch head extending about said collar, said head having a radial pocket, a clutch block in said pocket to operate in said groove, a spring anchored in said head and tensioned on said block, a band secured to said head to guard said block, a driving part, and a spring clutch connected to the drivin part and also with said collar to operate wlth said clutch member.

10. In a starter for engines, the combination of a driving part having a bore, a'driven part rotatively connected with the driving part and provided with a radial clutch box,

the driven part having an annular clutch member, a pinion fixed to the driven part, a wound spring clutch arranged in said clutch member and said bore and connected to the driving part, a sleeve within the driving part and the driven part and connected to the spring clutch, and a clutch block movable in said box and spring-pressed into clutching engagement with the sleeve.

11. In a starter for engines, the combinabore and a recess in the bottom of the bore said part having a groove in the bore, a. driven part having an annular clutch member extending into said bore, said member having a shoul der on its periphery, a retaining ring seated in said groove in engagement with said shoulder, a coil spring clutch secured at one end 111 said recess and extending into said clutch member,the opposite end of the clutch having a lug thereon, a clutch sleeve extending loosely into the spring clutch and having a pocket receiving said lug, clutching means co-operating with the driven part and with the sleeve initially to clutch the sleeve to the driven member for expanding the spring clutch into contact with said clutch member, the clutching means being affected to automatically release the sleeve upon abnormally high speed movement of the driven part, and a pinion fixed to the driven part.

12. In a starter for an internal combustion engine with a starter wheel, the combination of a rotary starter shaft and a pinion thereon to turn the starter wheel, an operating driving means on the shaft to rotate therewith, manual shifting means to longitudinally shift the driving means, and a driven element and clutch connecting means on the shaft to be operated by the driving means provided with controlling means to compel operation of the driving means, the controllin means automatically acting under centri gal impulse to render the connecting means inoperative upon the attainment by the driven element of a higher speed than the driving means under power of the engine, the pinion being directly rotated and also shifted by the driven element in co-operation with the driving means to or from the starter' wheel.

13. A starter for an internal combustion engine havinga driving part and a driven part and an intervening diametrically changeable cylindrical clutch device secured to the driving part, a pinion fixed to the driven part, a sleeve loose within the clutch device and secured to the sleeve, and a controlling means including a s ring-actuated clutch element carried by the riven part and normally cooperating with -the sleeve for compelling operation of the clutch device to rotate the driven part, the controlling means operating automatically by centrifu al force for disengaging the driven part rom the driving part upon increase of speed of the driven part in excess of the speed of the driving part.

'14. In a starter, the combination of a driv ing part and a driven part, a coil, spring clutch permanently secured to one of said parts to be operated to clutch and drive the other part and automatic clutch means between said spring and the driven part for operating at a predetermined speed of the driven part when overrunning the driving part for declutching the clutch spring from the driven part.

In' testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures on the 21st day of-February, (1928., WILLIAM CARLETON STARKEY.

DALMAR TEMPLETON BROWNLEE.