US2099804A

US2099804A - Engine starting mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2099804A
Application number: US79202A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin J Finnegan
Original assignee: Eclipse Aviation Corp
Current assignee: Eclipse Aviation Corp
Priority date: 1936-05-11
Filing date: 1936-05-11
Publication date: 1937-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1954-11-23

Description

NOV. 23, 1937. J FlNNEGAN 2,099,804

. ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed May 11, 1936 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 23, 1 937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Eclipse Aviation Corporation,

East Orange,

N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 11, 1936, Serial No. 79,202

'IClaims.

This invention relates to engine starting mechanisms, and more particularly to starters for engines of the internal combustion type.

An object is toprovide supplemental electrical I means for rendering starting of the engine by a I A further object is to provide means of the foregoing character which shall continue to operate, for a predetermined interval after rotation 20 producing means has terminated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel inter-connected electrical means for operating both the ignition facilitating means and the rotation producing means.

25 Another object is to produce apparatus of the foregoing character which is of relatively simple construction, easily manipulable, and positive in its operation.

In the drawing:

, Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrams, partly schematic and partly mechanical, of two embodiments of the invention.

In Fig. 1 the mechanical cranking means is shown as including a flywheel constituting an 35 inertia element, an electric motor 5 directly connectable to the flywheel shaft 1 to accelerate the flywheel, and an engine engaging member 8 automaticalLv meshable with the engine member 9 by a time-delay screw mechanism I lrotatable with 40 shaft l2 and preferably identical in structure, and

method of operation, with that illustrated in Patent No. 2,038,181 granted to Raymond P. Lansing on April 21, 1936, and particularly in Fig. 2 of said patent. The reduction gm train between flywheel 5 and screw II is indicated diagrammatically at l3.

In both Figs. 1 and 2 there is indicated a circuit interrupting device commonly known as a vibrator, and means for actuating the said vibra- 50 tor. Such yibrator, as shown in Fig. 1, contains a core or plunger I6 adapted to be actuated by the creation of magnetic forces in the coil H, such coil consisting of the usual primary and secondary windings II and Is, the construction 55 being such that upon each interruption of the circuit at the contacts 2| and 22, the resulting break-down of the magnetic field of the primary winding l8 causes the passage by induction of a relatively high potential current through the secondary winding l9, thereby creating a jump-over 5 spark at the ignition points in the engine cylinder represented at 23 in the schematic drawing, such spark being repeated at each vibration of the arm 24. The result is a series of rapidly repeated sparks, the vibrations being so rapid that the 10 efl'ect is practically a. continuous spark for a length of time suflicient to produce combustion of the charge in the engine cylinder and hence a. starting of the engine under its own power.

The novel means for causing the operation of the foregoing ignition facilitating means as a direct consequence of the operation of the motor energizing means comprises an electric circuit to the vibrator, adapted'to be closed only in the event of, and in response to, energization of the inertia starter motor 6. As shown in Fig. 1 this condition of dependency, or cause and eifect, is achieved by interposing a pair of normally separated contacts 26 and'21 in the circuit from the source to the vibrator coil II, the said

contacts

26, 21 being bridgable by contact plate 28 only in the event of, and in response to, flow of current through the windings of inertia starting motor 6. The current flowing through said motor 6 will also flow through solenoid winding 29 on its way to w ground 3| and such flow is initiated by closure of contact plate 32 against

contacts

33 and 34 of the motor circuit from battery 20. Thiscontact plate 32 is insulatedly mounted on plunger 36 within solenoid winding l4, and is normally held out of engagement-as is also contact plate 28-by a spring 31 interposed between the adjacent ends of plungers and 38, the latter being the movable core of switchsolenoid winding 28, previously described. A manually closable switch 41 connects winding l4 with battery 20, when moved to engage

contacts

42, 43, from which it is'normally separated by spring 44.

Solenoid plunger 38 of Fig. 2 corresponds to plunger 3. of Fig. 1, and in each case it terminates in a piston 39 movable at a' slow rate within a dash-pot cylinder 4|, the rate of retardation being regulable by adjustment of valve 42'- in by-pass 43', connecting the two chambers, of which the piston 39 constitutes the movable wall. A suitable retarding fluid occupies the chambers of the dash-pot, and its restricted flow back and forth retards movement of plunger 3!, and hence retards closure of

contacts

26 and 21. Thus the moment of energization of vibrator coil H is adjustably delayed beyond the moment of first flow of current through motor windings t (Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) and solenoid windings 29 (Fig. 1 or Fig. 2); likewise (and due to the dash-pot action) the re-opening of the switch (29 in Fig. 1; at in Fig. 2) is correspondingly delayed beyond the moment of termination of flow of current through the motor 6.

In Fig. 2 such current flow occurs directly in response to closure 'of switch 5i, actuated by operating means which are preferably identical with those illustrated at 56, and dd to 6d inclusive, in the drawings of Patent No. 15186 118 granted to Raymond P. Lansing on December 23, 1930, the said means also controlling the time of movement of the engine engaging member 3 into engagement with engine member a. The inertia starter indicated diagrammatically at 4B in Fig. 2 may be identical with that shown in detail in Fig. 1 of said Lansing Patent No. 1,786,118. A tension spring v l'l normally holds contact plate it out of contact with members it and 27 in Fig. 2.

The operation of the embodiment of Fig. 1-wi1l be apparent from the following description of the Fig. 2 embodiment:

Describing a cycle of operation of the Fig. 2 I

embodiment, and beginning with the parts in the normal position shown in Fig. 2, the operator will first thrust the plunger M inwardly, whereupon the switch 5! is operated and the motor 6 and coil 29 are energized.

Energization of the motor 6 produces acceleration of the flywheel 5, while energization of the coil 29 (preferably of the type indicated at ii in the Maurer Patent No. 1,909,415) produces a retarded descent of the bridging member dd into engagement with

contact plates

26 and 21. When such engagement occurs current flows from the source 2i) through the bridging plate W to the ignition coils it and i9 and results in production of a plurality of sparks within the combustion chamber or chambers of the engine, to facilitate starting thereof as soon as the engine crankshaft begins to turn over; but this turning over, of course, does not begin until the operator draws the plunger Bl outwardly whereupon the switch 5! will be permitted to open and the lever 63 which had heretofore remained in its normal position notwithstanding the movement of the plunger 6! inwardly, due to the pin and slot construction shown at 62 and 56 in the said Patent No. 1,786,118) will be actuated against the tension of the spring til. As a result, the rod 56 will be shifted longitudinally, thereby bringing the clutch jaws t and 9 into engagement. The engine member will thereby be rotated by the energy stored in flywheel 5 and the engine will be cranked. When the engine operates under its own power, the driving member will be automatically disengaged through the conventional screw action between the screw shaft and nut (not shown) as in Patent No. 1,786,118.

During this cranking operation (with either the embodiment of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) booster coil it remains energized, due to the carry-over effect of dash-pot M upon the switch 48, which effect delays the re-opening of the switch for a predetermined interval after termination of current flow through motor 6, the

switch contacts

26 and 21 being elongated, as indicated, to permit this prolongation of the closed circuit condition.

It will be seen that, in each embodiment, energization of the vibration coil is a direct (alaoeaeoa though delayed) consequence of flow or" current through motor windings ii.

What is claimed is.:

1. The'combination with an inertia starting mechanism and clutch for starting an engine by kinetic energy stored in said mechanism, of ignition current supply means including a source of current and an induction coil for supplying ignition current to the engine, an electric motor for energizing said inertia starting mechanism, an electromagnet controlling energization of said induction coil, and means for causing current to how from said source to said motor and electromagnet in sequence, prior to movement of said clutch to operative engine-starting position.

2. The combination with an inertia starting mechanism and ignition current supply means including a source of current and an induction coil for supplying ignition current to the engine, an electric motor for energizing said inertia starting mechanism, an electromagnet controlling energization of said induction coil, and means for causing current to flow from said source to said. motor and electromagnet in sequence.

3. The combination with an inertia starting mechanism and ignition current supply means including a source of current for supplying ignition current to the engine, an electric motor for energizing said inertia starting mechanism, an electromagnet controlling operation of said ignition current supply means, and means for causing current to how from said source to said motor and electromagnet in sequence.

4. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel and rotating means therefor including an electric motor, a source'of current, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuit including a normally open switch, and means responsive to closure of said switch to cause current to fiow from said source to said ignition current generator said last named means including an electromagnetically actuated switch in series with said ignition current generator and closable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current through said motor.

5. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel and rotating means therefor including an electric motor, a source of current, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuit including a. normally open switch, and

means responsive to closure of said switch to cause current to flow from said source to said ignition current generator said last named means including an electromagnetically actuated switch in series with said ignition current generator and closable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current through said motor and means for retarding the effectiveness of said magnetic action to a predetermined degree.

6. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel and rotating means therefor including an electric motor, a source of current, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuit including a normally open switch, and means responsive to closure of said switch to cause current to flow from said source to said ignition current generator said last named means including an electromagnetically actuated switch in series with said ignition current generator and closable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current through said motor and means acting upon said second-named switch to open it after cessation of saidcurrent flow.

7. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel and rotating means therefor including an electric motor, a. source of current, a circuit from said source to said motor, saidcircuit including a normally open switch, and means responsive to closure of said switch to cause current to flow from said source to said ignition current generator said last named means including an electromagnetically actuated switch in series with said ignition current generator and closable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current through said motor and means acting upon said second-named switch to open it after cessationof said current flow and means for delaying the eflfectiveness of said lastnamed means for an interval of predetermined length.

MARTIN J. FINNEGAN.