US2064358A - Automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1936. cs. B. SAYRE 2,064,358

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE STARTERS Filed April 5, 1932 O 0 0101 6. Wrmss BY a? 127 A'rmRNErs Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES,

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE STARTERS Gordon B. Sayre, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira Heights, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 5, 1932, Serial No. 603,408

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic controllers for internal combustion engine starters and particularly to automatic controllers that are connected in circuit with the ignition circuit of the internal combustion engine. I

In starters of this type, closing the ignition circuit switch also energizes the starting motor control circuit. Starting motor controller circuits may vary widely since alarge number of ways may be employed in rendering the starter motor inoperative as soon as the engine starts. For instance, a sub-atmospheric pressure relay operating in conjunction with the engine intake manifold may be used in controlling the starting motor circuit as soon as the engine starts to rotate, or a voltage relay operating in conjunction with the battery-charging generator may be used in the controller circuit of the starting system.

Either of these systems or other arrangements for accomplishing the same result are at times, due to engine conditions, not satisfactory. For instance, at extremely low engine speeds with the throttle of the carburetor wide open or nearly so, the vacuum within the engine intake manifold may be so low as to cause the relay to operate which would energize the controller circuit to effect closing of the starting motor circuit.

This same condition may exist in the voltagecontrol relay types connected to the charging generator.

The main object of this invention is to provide an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters that will prevent the automatic closing of the starting motor circuit while the engine is running.

A further object of the invention is to provid an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters with additional means for energizing the controller circuit in the event that the automatic means fails to make the starting circuit operative.

Other objects and advantages relate to details of the circuits and to the arrangement and relation of the various parts thereof, all as will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modified form of my invention.

The system, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1, comprises a battery I, one terminal of which is grounded by connection 2 in the usual manner. The other terminal of battery I is connected by wire 3 to the usual ignition circuit consisting of an ammeter 4, connecting wire 5, ignition switch 6, connecting wire 1, ignition coil 8 from which wires 9 make connection to the usual distributor of the internal combustion engine. As'tarting motor circuit is provided comprising wire 10 connected to the ungrounded side of battery I, as shown at II, to contact I2 of electromagnetic starter switch generally designated as l3 through switch member l5, contact 14, wire 16, holding coil 11, Wire 18, starting motor l9, wire to ground; through ground and back to battery I by Wire 2.

An armature 2 l'may be secured to switch member 15 which normally holds the same out of electrical contact with contacts 12 and I4. Switch 13 is closed by the energization of coil 22 placed in operative relation with respect to armature 2|. Switch 13 is, in this instance, controlled by means of a primary and a secondary energizing circuit. The primary circuit comprises wire 23 connected to wire 1 at 24, coil 22, wire 25, wire 26 to switch 21; wire 28, contacts 29 and 30 of sub-atmospheric pressure relay 31 which, in this instance, may be connected to the intake manifold 32 of the internal combustionengine and grounded through wire 33. In the stationary condition of the internal combustion engine or when the pressure within manifold 32 and within relay 3| is substantially atmospheric, coil spring 36 within relay 3i urges diaphragm 35 against spring contact arm 34 to which is secured contact 30, thereby maintaining contacts 29 and 30 closed. Upon the creation of a partial vacuum in manifold 32 due to the rotation of the internal combustion engine, diaphragm 35 will be drawn against the tension of spring 36, allowing contact arm 34 to carry contact 30 away from contact 29, thereby breaking the circuit.

Switch 21 may comprise a contact plate 31 connected to wire 26 and a contact arm 38 in circuit with wire 28. Contact arm 38 may be connected to an operating rod 39 which, in turn, is connected to throttle-actuating arm 40 of carburetor 41. Y

It is to be understood that operating rod 39 is not in electrical contact with any of the energized parts of switch 21. Switch 21 is adapted to be'opened and closed by the movement of throttle lever 42 connected in the usual manner to the foot accelerator and throttle-actuating arm 40.

Switch 21 is sodesigned that during movement of throttle arm 40 from the closed to substantially the half-open position, contact plate 31 and contact arm 38 will be in electrical contact. Upon further opening of the throttle, contact arm 38 breaks contact with contact plate 31, as shown in the dotted position of the drawing, thereby opening switch 21 and the primary energizing circuit for electro-magnetic switch l3.

The secondary energizing circuit for switch 13 utilizes in part the primary circuit as wire 23, coil 22 and wire and then continues from junction 43 to contact 44, armature 45 and wire 46 to ground. Contact 44, armature 45 and hold ing coil comprise a current-controlled relay normally held in the open position by the action of spring 41'.

In the event that either the primary or the secondary energizing circuits fail, electro-magnetic switch |3 may be energized through a circuit including wire 23, coil 22, wire 48 connected to wire 26, manually operated switch 49 and wire 50 to ground.

The operation of the system is as follows: Upon the closing of ignition switch 6, current flows from battery through wire 3, ammeter 4, wire 5, switch 6, wire I, ignition coil 8 and back to the battery through ground. Current will also flow from battery I through wire 3, ammeter 4, wire 5, switch 6, junction point 24, wire 23, coil 22, wire 25, wire 26, switch 21, wire 28, contacts 25 and 30, wire 33 to ground and back to the battery. For starting purposes, the throttle of the internal combustion engine is usually opened only a small amount and should never be opened more than half way.

Under these conditions, switch 21 being controlled, as previously described, by rod 39 connected to the throttle-actuating arm 40, will be closed, allowing current to flow, as above described, in the primary circuit. The energization of coil 22 will cause switch member 5 to contact with contacts 52 and H, thus completing the starting motor circuit from battery I, wire l0, contacts 2 and i4, wire l6, holding coil wire 88, starting motor |9, wire to ground and thence back to the battery. Starting motor i9 then proceeds to crank the engine in the usual way. As soon as current starts flowing in the starting motor circuit through holding coil l1, armature 45 will be attracted, overcoming the tension of spring 4'i to effect a contact of armature 45 with contact 44, thus closing the secondary energizing circuit of switch l3. However, as soon as the engine begins to rotate, a partial vacuum is created in the intake manifold '32 which withdraws diaphragm 35 of vacuum relay 3| to effect the opening of contacts 29 and 30, thereby breaking the primary circuit. Coil 22, however, is not de-energized since current now flows through the coil by way of junction 43, contact 44, armature 45, wire 46 to ground, or in other words, through the secondary circuit. Thus switch I3 is held closed and the starting motor continues to crank the engine until the latter starts. 7

After the engine has started, the current demand of starting motor l9 drops ofi to such an extent that holding coil ll loses its pull over armature 45, and spring 41 separates the armature and contact 44, thus tie-energizing coil 22 which allows starting motor switch |3 to open. Now, starting motor switch I3 is prevented from closing again as long as sufiicient vacuum exists in manifold 32 to maintain contacts 25 and open.

It is readily seen that should the engine stall for any reason, contacts 29 and would close upon the loss of vacuum from the intake manifold. The cranking cycle would then be repeated, as previously described. W 7

Conditions of vacuum within the intake manifold often vary. For instance; with the throttle nearly wide open under heavily loaded engine conditions under which the motor is running very slowly and very little vacuum is created within the manifold the vacuum may become 80 low that relay 3| will operate to close contacts 29 and 30. v

The primary energizing circuit through coil 22 cannot be closed, however, since in the wide-open throttle position, switch 21 has been opened, as shown in the dotted position in the drawings. Thus, the starting motor is prevented from being put into operation while the engine is running. Upon closing the throttle to approximately the half-way position, switch 21 is again closed, but

troller system will be lost and the starting motor will continue to operate until switch 48 is opened or the ignition switch 5 is opened.

In the modified form illustrated in Figure 2, a voltage-control relay is used in place of the vacuum relay described in connection with Figure 1. The ignition circuit, in this instance, is identical with that of Figure 1, and is given the same characters of reference. The starting motor circuit is also the same with the exception that holding coil IT has been omitted from the connection from contact H to starting motor N. This energizing circuit for starting switch I3 is the same as the primary circuit previously described, to and including switch 21 which is operated in the above-described manner by rod 39 connected to throttle-actuating arm of carburetor 4|.

From switch 21, the energizing circuit continues by way of wire 5|, contact 52, armature 53 and wire 54 to ground. A coil spring 55 normally maintains armature 52 in contact with contact 52. 7

Holding coil- 55, one end of which is grounded through wire 51 and the other end connected by wire 55 to the ungrounded terminal of batterycharginggenerator 53 in conjunction with contact 52 and armature 55, constitutes the voltagecontrol relay of the energizing circuit for switch |3. A secondary energizing circuit for switch I! is not required in the modified -i'onn.

The manually controlled switch 49 is again shown connected in circuit with coil 22 by means of wire 48 and wire 55 for energizing coil 22 in the event of failure of the automatic energizing circuit. The usual battery-charging circuit is illustrated, starting from generator 59 through wire 55, the usual charging current control relay generally designated at 5|, wire 52 terminating at junction 53 with wire 5, from which point the circuit continues through meter 4, wire I to battery I through wire 2 to ground and back to generator 55.

The operation of the modified system is as follows: Upon the closing of ignition switch 5, the ignition circuit is energized, as previously described. Current will also flow from battery I through wire 3, ammeter 4, wire 5, switch 5, junction 24, wire 23, coil 22, wire 25, switch 21, wire 5|, contact 52, armature 52, wire 54 to ground and return to battery I through wire 2.

As in the previous illustration, it is assumed that switch 21 is closed, due to the particular throttle position. Coil 22 is thus energized, causing armature 2! to bring switch member l5 in contact with contacts 12 and I4, thus closing the starting motor circuit from battery i, junction point Ii, wire I0, contacts i2 and I4, wire l8 to starting motor I9, wire to ground and return through wire 2 to battery I. Starting motor I9 then proceeds to crank the internal combustion engine in the usual way.

As soon as the engine begins to rotate, generator 59 starts building up in voltage. The building up process, however, is slow enough that the engine will have started before sufiicient voltage is generated to produce an appreciable current flow through wire 58, coil 55 and wire 51 to ground. As soon as the engine is well under way, the voltage rises in generator 59, producing a current through coil 56 sufilcient to attract armature 53 and to counteract the tension of spring 55 upon which armature 53 and contact 52 are separated and coil 22 is deenergized, allowing starting motor switch l3 to open.

In the event that the engine stalls, the voltage of generator 59 will drop to zero, causing spring 55 to bring armature 53 in engagement with contact 52, thereby again closing the energizing circuit of coil 22, and the engine is cranked, as above described, until it starts.

Now, as long as the engine is operating at a speed to generate a voltage sumcient to cause enough current to flow through holding coil 56 to overcome the pull of spring 55, the starting motor switch will not be energized and the starting motor circuit will remain open. There are, however, conditions of engine operation when the generated voltage of generator 59 drops below that required to maintain contact 52 and armature 53 open. This condition is more likely to exist during extremely low speeds when the engine is heavily loaded.

In order to increase his speed, the operator usually increases the throttle opening to the maximum. The engine, due to this sudden increase of fueling and the persistent heavily loaded condition, may not respond immediately, but may even drop to a lower speed, thereby decreasing the generated voltage to a point where contact 52 and armature 53 will close.

Coil 22 of switch I3 is not energized under these conditions, since switch 21 is controlled, as previously described, by the position of the throttle and is, at this time, open. The throttle will, of course, be allowed to remain in an open position for a time sufficient to allow the engine to gain speed, and, incidentally, the generator to build up its voltage, whereupon armature 53 is withdrawn from contact 52 and the energizing circuit for starting switch i3 is broken.

Thus it is seen that switch 21 prevents the starting motor from being energized while the engine is running, even if such conditions exist that would normally bring the automatic controller into action for starting the engine. In the event that the automatic energizing circuit for switch I3 fails, coil 22 may be energized, as previously described, by Closing the ually operated switch 49. The starting motor circuit is thereby closed and remains so until switch 49 is opened or the ignition switch 6 is turned oif.

It will be apparent that switch 27 operated in accordance with engine-throttle positions, may

be utilized for the purpose described, in circuit with various types of relays operated by and in accordance with engine conditions other than those described for the purpose of illustration, and although I have shown and described particular circuit arrangements with specific relays, I do not wish to limit myself to details of structure and arrangement, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters, the combination with a throttle control mechanism of a starting motor, a normally broken starting motor circuit, an electro-magnetic switch for closing the starting motor circuit and including a coil, a primary circuit for said coil, means actuated in accordance with engine conditions for making and breaking sa'id primary circuit, additional means actuated in accordance with engine-throttle positions for making and breaking said primary circuit, a secondary circuit for said coil, and means actuated in accordance with the current flowing in the starting motor circuit for making and breaking" said secondary circuit.

2. In an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters, the combination with a throttle control mechanism of a starting motor, a normally broken starting motor circuit, an electro-magnetic switch for closing the starting motor circuit and including a coil, a primary circuit for said coil, means for breaking said primary circuit when the engine starts rotating, additional means for breaking said primary circuit in the event said first-named means close said primary circuit while the engine is running, a secondary circuit for said coil, and means actuated in accordance with the current flowing in the starting motor circuit for making and breaking said secondary circuit.

3. In an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters, the combination with a throttle control mechanism of a starting motor, a normally broken starting motor circuit, an electro-magnetic switch for closing the starting motor circuit and including a coil, an energizing circuit for said coil, means actuated in accordance with engine conditions for making and breaking said energizing circuit, additional means actuated in accordance with the enginethrottle position for making and breaking said energizing circuit, a secondenergizing circuit for said coil, and means for making and breaking said second energizing circuit.

4. In an automatic controller for internal combustion engine starters, the combination with a throttle control mechanism of a starting motor, a normally broken starting motor circuit, an electro-magnetic switch for closing the starting motor circuit and including a coil, an energizing circuit for said coil, means actuated in accordance with engine conditions for making and breaking said energizing circuit, additional means actuated in accordance with the enginethrottle position for making and breaking said energizing circuit, a second energizing circuit for said coil, and manually controlled means for making and breaking said second energizing circuit.

GORDON B. SAYRE.

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