US1960967A - Motor starter - Google Patents

Description

M y 9, 1934. H. P. CHANDLER El AL 1,960,967

MOTOR STARTER Fild Sept. 9, 1932 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 I mmir - Inventors [2 0M519 P CHANDL SAMUEL 5f [[44 y 1934? H. P. CHANDLER El AL ,960,967

MOTOR STARTER Filed Sept. 9, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors H OM51? P CHANDL Attorney Patented May 29, 1934 PATIENT OFFICE 1,960,967 MOTOR STARTER Homer P. Chandler and Samuel s. Matthes,

Mansfield, Ohio Application September 9, 1932, Serial No. 632,350

12 Claims.

Our invention relates to starters for engines The object of'our invention is to provide a starter which is silent in operation; which is simple in construction; which throws into operative relation with the engine through torque in the starter; which is thrown out of operative engagement with the engine automatically and instantly upon the starting of the engine and which if thrown into mesh with the engine accidentally while the engine is running no harm will result.

Other objects will be disclosed later in our description.

Our invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:-- I

Fig. 1 is an end view of an engine showing the flywheel housing broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1 with a portion of the housing broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end view opposite to that in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view suiiicient to show the relation of the motor starter to the flywheel and its housing in detail. 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the armature pinion and its relation to the engine flywheel.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the armature shaft and its pinion.

Fig. '7 is a front end view of the motor starter.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8--8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the motor starter.

Fig. 10 shows the relation of the starter pinion to the engine flywheel when in normal or out position.

The invention disclosed in this application is an improvement over that shown in our co-pending cases Serial No. 565,150, filed September 25, 1931 and Serial No. 602,710, filed April 2, 1932.

Our invention depends for its operation upon the torque set up in an armature motor between the field and the armature when energized.

Instantly upon energization of a motor field and armature a force is set up between the two mature and field is destroyed or sufliciently reduced the parts will not rotate relative to each other but one part, as for instance the armature, may continue to rotate relative to the other. We depend upon this principle of operation to throw the motor automatically outof operative relation with the engine.

This latter operation may be brought about by increasing the rapidity of rotation of one of the parts, as for instance the motor, through external means which will destroy the attractive force set up between the parts as, for instance, as soon as the starter has caused the engine to rotate under its own power it will do so at a greater rate than the armature has been driving the engine and the engine in turn will for an instant rotate the armature at such speed that the torque set up between the armature and field will be destroyed or materially reduced thus permitting the starter to move out of mesh with the engine flywheel.

In our preferred embodiment we mount the starter M directly upon some part of the engine E and in position so that the starting pinion 1 on the starter will mesh with the flywheel or starter gear 2 on the engine. The members 1 and 2 are not provided with the ordinary type of transverse tooth but are provided with circumferential projections and grooves therebetween such that the projections on one member will enter the grooves on the other member and when the faces of the projections on the two members engage suflicient friction will be set up for one member to drive the others. The engaging faces of the projections on both members 1 and 2 are angularly disposed in order to increase the friction as the pressure between the members increases. For convenience we term the member 1 a pinion and the member 2 a gear.

The member 1 is made to slide longitudinally upon the armature shaft 3 and the armature shaft 3 is provided with longitudinal slots 4 in which are positioned projections 5 on the pinion 1. Thus the pinion and shaft are interlocked against relative rotation but the pinion is free to move longitudinally on the shaft 3 thus adjusting itself to properly engage with the flywheel or starter gear 2.

The projections 6 on the pinion are always en- 1 5 tered to a greater or less extent in the grooves 7 on the member 2 thus preventing the complete displacement of the pinion 1 with respect to the shaft 3.

a commutator (not shown).

The field of the motor is usually held stationary and the armature is free to rotate upon its axis A-A. In our case we also mount the field to rotate in fixed bearings about an axis BB parallel to the axis A-A but spaced therefrom. Thus it will be seen that the armature and field are free to rotate independently of each other about spaced axes and since the armature is contained within the field and mounted in bearings in the field frame the armature will revolve about the axis BB when the field rotates upon its axis.

We depend upon this oifsetting of the axis AA with respect to the axis BB for moving the pinion 1 into operative engagement with the engine flywheel or gear 2 when it is desired to start the engine.

The field 8 is provided at each end with end plates 10 secured thereto by bolts 11 and projecting longitudinally and in alignment from each plate 10 are trunnions 12 and 12' upon which the field rotates and in which trunnions the armature shaft 3 is mounted to rotate relative to the trunnions. If desired the shaft 3 may be provided with ball bearings 13.

It will be apparent that if the field rotates upon its axis B-B that the armature shaft 3 will revolve about the axis BB and at the same time the armature will revolve upon its own axis AA when the field and armature are energized.

In Fig. 2 we have shown a starter mounted upon the engine E and particularly upon the vertical flange 14 forming a part of the engine frame and also part of the flywheel housing 15. The members 14 and 15 may be constructed in various ways to meet requirements, our main object being to securely mount the engine starter on the frame in convenient and operative relation to the flywheel 2.

In the mounting we have shown a bearing 16 formed in the upright 14 in which the trunnion 12 of the starter is rotatably mounted.

To support the opposite end of the motor M we provide a bracket-bearing 17 detachably secured to the engine E by means of the bolts 18. The trunnion 12' is rotatably mounted in the bracket-bearing 17.

From Fig. 9 it will be noted that the center of gravity is below the axis BB hence the tendency for the motor will be to rotate on the axis BB and to seek its equilibrium, that is, with the axes A-A and BB in a common vertical plane and with the axis A-A below the axis BB (see Fig. 8) which is the normal out position of the starter.

To assist in moving the starter to its out position we employ the spring 19 which is constantly acting to rotate the field to its normal out position and with the stop lug 20 on the end plate of the motor in engagement with the bracketbearing 17.

The tension of the spring 19 is made quite light and when the starter has been operated to place the pinion in operative engagement with the engine flywheel the field will have rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 and the attachment point of the spring 19 will have moved to the left but the axis of the spring will still be angularly disposed to the vertical and on the same side of the vertical as shown in Fig. 3 thus still tending to rotate the motor pinion out of engagement with the engine. The upper end of the spring 19 is secured to the bracket-bearing 17 and the lower end to the trunnion 12'.

1,oeo,ee7

8, armature 9, the already mentioned shaft 3 and In order to assemble the motor to the engine frame the bracket-bearing 17 is removed and the workman grasps the starter and with the axis A--A positioned to the extreme right (referring to Fig. 3) the pinion 1 is passed through the opening in the bearing 16 and the.trunnion 12 positioned therein. With the axes A-A and B-B in a substantially horizontal plane and the axis A-A away from the engine flywheel the projections 6 of the pinion will pass the projections 21 on the flywheel 2. Having positioned the trunnion 12 in its bearing 16 and with the pinion 1 in proper aligmnent with the flywheel 2, the motor may be rotated into the position shown in Fig. 3 with the A-A and BB axes in a vertical plane which is the normal out position of the starter. This having been done, the bracket bearing 17 is now positioned upon the trunnion 12' and secured in place by the bolts 18 thus completing installation of the starter when the spring 19 has been installed.

The member 1 is preferably made of a nonmetallic material such as fiber, lignum vitae, bakelized fiber or other materials treated with synthetic resin and has a considerable co-eflicient of friction with the gear which is preferably metal.

Mounted on the frame 8 is a binding post 22 insulated from the field frame and having one end connected to either the armature lead or field winding while the other end of the motor circuit is usually grounded to the frame.

When a battery 23 is connected to the post 22 and to some part of the engine frame and the circuit closed by a switch 24 the field and armature will be energized and a torque set up between the two rotating the field in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 while the armature will rotate opposite thereto. The rotation of the field about its axis BB will rotate the armature and its pinion 1 toward and into operative relation with the flywheel 2.

As soon as this engagement takes place the torque between the parts will increase and the tendency for the field to rotate upon its axis BB will be materially increased and the pressure therefore between the members 1 and 2 will be materially and automatically increased and friction between the parts will become sufiicient to set up a rotation of the flywheel 2.

This rotation will continue until the engine rotates of its own power when in place of being driven by the motor it will drive the motor armature, thus destroying or reducing sufiiciently the torque which is holding the pinion in operative relation to the flywheel and the motor will then return to its normal out position either through gravity or the action of the spring 19 or both.

It will be apparent from the disclosure that our invention is of the simplest form and is mounted to the engine frame in the simplest and most substantial manner and that its operation is simple and that it is automatically thrown to the "out position upon the starting of the engine and further that with the engine running and the starting circuit accidentally closed that the motor will throw into operative relation with the engine without doing any harm but will be immediately returned to its out" position and that it will remain in the out position even though the circuit may remain closed and the armature rotating.

It will be apparent that our invention is adapted for use with an automobile engine. Also that with the construction disclosed, the motor may be mounted directly on the gear casing or housing and rotate relative thereto and the pinion can move laterally to the gear to engage the same and such mounting leaves no open passage through the housing for the entrance of dirt.

Having described our invention, we claim:-

1. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a starter gear and a housing for the gear, the housing having an upright wall with an opening therethrough forming a bearing for one end of a starter, the gear having spaced circumferential projections with tapered sides forming therebetween circumferential grooves with tapering faces, a starter having a rotatable field and a rotatable armature and each hav-' ing spaced and parallel axes upon which they rotate when energized and the armature also revolvable about the axis of-the field, the field provided at its ends with trunnions upon which the field rotates and the axis of the armature falling within the periphery of the trunnions and a pinion slidably mounted on the projecting end of the armature shaft to rotate therewith within the housing and having circumferential projections and grooves corresponding to those on the gear and inter-meshing therewith for friction driving, a detachable bracket secured to the engine frame and having an opening therein and a trunnion mounted therein and another trunnion mounted in the first said opening, means tending to-rotate the field to its out position, the motor operating to rotate the field and move the pinion into operative engagement with the starter gear and the armature simultaneously rotating on its. axis when the field and armature are energized.

2. In combination, an engine having a starter gear and a housing therefor, a starting motor rotatably mounted at one end in a bearing mounted in the housing wall with the axis of the motor parallel to the axis of the starter gear, a motor driven member adapted to engage and drive the starter gear in one direction when the motor is in its in position, the motor driven member being free to rotate about its axis in two directions when the motor is in its out position, the motor being operable to its in position when energized and means to return the motor to its out position when deenergized.

3. In combination, an engine having a starter gear and a housing enclosing the gear, the housing wall provided with a bearing having a passage extending through the bearing and opening into the housing, a bearing mounted on the engine frame and having an opening therethrough and axially aligned with the first said bearing, a starter motor having a field with end projecting trunnions mounted in the hearings to rotate therein about its axis, an armature mounted within the field with a shaft projecting into said housing and a starter pinion mounted on the shaft to engage the starter gear, the axis of the armature being parallel to but spaced from the field axis and the field and armature free to rotate relatively to each other when energized and to move the starter pinion through an arc of a circle and into engagement with the starter gear when energized, the motor mounted in the bearings such that it is free to return to its disengaged position when deenergized.

4. The combination with an automobile engine having a starter gear and a housing therefor of a starting motor mounted on the housing adjacent the gear and having a starting pinion to be moved into engagement with the gear, an opening through the housing wall, an/endwise projecting trunnion on the motor positioned in said opening to rotate relative to the housing, a second bearing in the engine frame to receive a second trunnion on the motor, the motor rotatable about the common axis of the trunnions, the motor having an armature to rotate upon its'axis which is parallel to but spaced from the axis of the trunnions, the starting pinion slidably mounted on the armature shaft but rotatable therewith to engage the gear when the motor is energized. I

5. Apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine having an engine driven memher, a motor to start the engine and having a rotatable field and a rotatable armature, a shaft for the armature, a motor driven member longitudinally movable on the shaft but rotatable there with, means for rotating the axis of said shaft towards the axis of theengine driven member to engage the members, an engine casing on the engine to enclose the members, means on the easing and means on the engine frame to receive the field in rotatable relation to the casing.

6. The combination of an engine and frame having a starter gear and a housing for the gear, a starting motor for the engine, a starting pinion on the motor movable into and out of engagement with the gear,- an eccentric mounting for the pinion, resilient means for holding the pinion at a distance from the gear and a stop to limit the movement by said resilient means and means to energize the motor to engage the pinion with the gear, the motor mounted on the engine with the pinion positioned within the housing, the motor rotatable relative to the engine about an axis parallel to the axis of the starter gear and the pinion rotatable about its axis parallel to the aforesaid axes and spaced therefrom and simultaneously revolvable about the axis of the motor and in the plane of the starter gear to engage the gear to rotate the engine.

7. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a starter gear and a housing therefor, a starting motor having a field and an armature, a starting pinion on the armature shaft, means to mount the pinion end of the field directly on the housing with the pinion within the housing and the pinion to swing through an arc of a circle towards and into operative relation with the gear when the motor is energized, means to mount the other end of the field on the engine, means adapted to return the pinion to its out position upon the engine starting under its own power.

8. In combiantion, an engine and frame having a starter gear and a housing to enclose the gear; a bearing formed in one wall of the housing, a starting motor having a field and an armature in rotatable relation to each other when energized, a trunnion on the end of the field and mounted in said bearing and to rotate about the axis of said bearing relative to the housing, a starting pinion on the armature and positioned on the armature shaft extending through the said housing wall and within the walls of said bearing, the pinion engageable with the gear, means to support the other end of the field on the engine frame, the pinion rotatable on an axis spaced from that of the said bearing and movable about the axis of said bearing into engagement with the gear.

9. In apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, an engine, an engine starting gear, a housing on the engine frame for the gear, a starting motor, a motor starting pinion to engage the engine starting gear to drive the engine, an eccentric mounting for the motor at each end of the motor, the housing provided with means to receive the eccentric mounting at one end of the motor with the motor positioned without the housing and the pinion within the housing.

10. In combination, an engine having a starting gear and a housing for the gear, an annular flange projecting from the housing wall and forming a passage into said housing interior and forming a bearing for a starting motor, a starting motor having a field and an armature mounted on a shaft extending into the housing through the passage, a bearing mounted on the engine frame at a distance from the housing and having a passage aligned with that in the housing, the field having spaced and aligned trunnions mounted in the passages and to rotate therein and the field to rotate therewith, a starting pinion mounted on the shaft to move into engagement with the gear and movable longitudinally on the shaft and rotate therewith and at all times in partial mesh with the gear to prevent the pinion being displaced relative to the gear,

the field rotatable about the axis of the trunnions relative to the housing and the armature rotatable upon its axis spaced from the trunnion axis and the pinion movableinto engagement with the gear when the field rotates and a source of power connected to the motor to energize the field and armature.

11. An electric engine starter comprising in combination, a field having enclosed ends and a trunnion projecting from each end upon which the starter is mounted and having a common axis and upon which the starter rotates, an armature mounted within the field and having a projecting shaft the axis of which is spaced from the said axis of the starter, a driving pinion mounted on the armature shaft and having a driven connection therewih to rotate the pinion and permit the pinion to move longitudinally on the shaft to adjust its position with a gear with which it may mesh.

12. The combination with an engine frame and housing containing a starting gear to start the engine of a starting motor having projecting aligned bearings at each end of the motor upon the axis of which the motor may rotate, a projecting flange from one wall of the housing to cooperate with the projecting bearing on the one end of the motor to support that end of the motor, a second bearing secured to the engine frame to support the hearing at the second end of the motor, an armature shaft projecting from one end of the motor and into the housing and a pinion mounted on the shaft within the housing to rotate with the shaft, the axis of the motor and the axis of the shaft being spaced apart.

. HOMER P. CHANDLER. SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

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