US2156602A - Engine starting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

My 2, 1939. R. M NARDNE 2,156,602

ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM 2V 0 A6 6 5 l 2 R. M. NARDONE ENGINE STARTING MEGHANISM May 2, 1939.

Fle'd April 22, 19735 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvENToR. Romeo M. /V fdo/7e Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES a v2,156,602 ENGINE STARTING MEcnANisM Romeo M. Nardone, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey l Application April 22, 1935, Serial No. 17,710

' (ci. 19a-54) 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to starting apparatus. for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to engine starters of the inertia type embodying an inertia 'member adapted for high speed rotation.l

One of the objects of the invention is tor provide in an engine starting mechanism of the inertia type, novel means whereby the acceleration of the inertia member and the imparting of the energy stored in said member to a mem ber-of the engine to be started may, be con- I 2 A further'object is lto provide an vignition curcontrolling the same.

A still further object-is to provide novel means for controlling the torque transmitting capacity of ,the elements which connect the driving and driven parts of the starter.

The above and other objects and advantages will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed descriptionwhich iollows with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for .the purpose of illustration only, and are'not to be con- 4 Strued as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, with parts broken away and parts in section, of starting mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the friction clutch shown in Fig. 1, but on a larger scale, and with the clutch shown in a different position; E

Fig. 3 indicates an alternative arrangement for the magneto of Fig. 1; and

Fig. i is an alternative arrangement for the control linkage.

rent supply device embodying novel means for Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the starter mechy anism comprises a housing including a flanged inner portion 4 adapted to be attached to the engine casing 5. Similarly attached to the outer face of flanged member 4 is a houslngmember 5 6, having an annular face 1 which constitute the means for attaching in any desired angular position, a handcrank housing 8, in parallelism with a motor housing 9. E

Rotatably mounted in the handcrank housing 10 8 is a shaft I0 which carries on the end thereof E that projects outwardly from said housing a sleeve adapted to be engaged by the usual handcrank (not shown).

Fixedly secured to the inner end of shaft I0 15 is a bevel gear I3 which meshes with a bevel gear I4 that is preferably splined to the hub extension I5 of a spurgear I6, the gears I4 and I6 being held against movement with respect to the housing member 6 by engagement with 20 oppositely facing annular surfaces of the doubly counter-bored boss I1 of the housing member 6. A retaining nut I8, threaded onto'extension I5, holds gears I4 and I6 against bearings I8 and 2|, respectively, located in the counter- 25 bored portions ofl the boss I1. A pinion 22 and hollow shaft 23 connect gear I6 with a barrel 24 which is rotatably mounted, as by means of ball bearings 26 and 21, in the flanged' housing member V4. The closed end of barrel 24 is pro- 30 vided with a flange 28 from which extend three tubular sleeves 29 one of which is shown in section in Fig. l. Each of these sleeves whichare spaced at intervals of 120 'around the inner face of flange 28 is pressed into a counter-bore in 35 said flange, and is secured to a retaining ring 3l. Screws 32 pass through the sleeves and are threaded into flange 28. Ball bearings 33 are mounted on these sleeves and rotatably support three planetary gears 34, one of which is shown in section, and one in elevation.

Rigidly secured to the face` of the flanged housing member 4 is a double annular gear 35` which surrounds and meshes with the-twin sets of planetary gears 34. Each of the latters gears is in mesh with a sun gear 38 both of which are rotatably mounted on the hollow shaft 23, and one of said sun gears is formed integrally with `a iiange fastened to a spur gear 39 which is like- Wise rotatably mounted about the shaft 23, concentric therewith.

vided with a hub 43 concentric with the longi- 55 tudinal axis of shaft 42 and positioned in said hub are ball bearings 44 which rotatably support the hub of a flywheel 46 adapted to be drivably connected with the shaft 42.

A booster magneto having a rotor 43 -is mounted in the housing 49 connecting through an intermediate gear housing 5| with the housing portion 6 of the starter and novel means are provided for drivingsaid magneto and rotor 48 from the flywheel 48.

This drive `includesclutch elements 53 and 54, a sleeve 55 integral with clutch element 54, a second sleeve 51 concentric therewithand terminating in a splined portion 58, and a bevel gear 58 splined to the splined portion 58 of sleeve 51, and meshing with bevel gear I3.

l A spring 6| normally holds clutch elements 53 and 54 disengaged, butl yields when engaging pressure is applied through a yoke 62 held fast to a sleeve 63 slidable through housing 5| to a limited extent by means to be described'.

The energy of therctating ilywheel 46 'is imparted to the usual starter jaw or drivingl mem- Aber adapted vto mesh with, bt normally out' of engagement with, a similar jaw formed on the end portion 41 of the crankshaft of the engine to be started, or an extension thereof. A

' yieldable clutch is interposed between the starter jaw 40 and barrel 24, which latter, during the starting operation, is driven by the flywheel through the train of gearing described above.

In the'form shown, the clutch mechanism comprises a plurality of plates |39 in interleaving and frictionalengagemen-t one with the other.

One half of said plates are splined to the inner surface of the surrounding barrel 24, closely adjacent the closed end of the latter. Alternating with the discs that are splined to the barrel, are the remaining half of the discs which have splined' engagement at their inner peripheries with the outer surface of a nut |38. A rimmed annular plate |4| operatively engages the outer disc of plates |39. An annular spacer |42 bears against plate |4| and. transmits to the latter the pressure of a plurality of coil springs |43 which have operative engagement at their outer ends with a clutch adjusting nut |54 threaded into the outer end of barrel 24. Preferably springs |43 are maintained in spaced relation by means of suitable posts |55 which project inwardly from a disc |53, contacting with the inner face of said nut I 54. Threaded within nut |38 and adapted for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement relative thereto, is a shaft |56 provided with splines at its outer end to receive the interiorly splined tubular portion y 35 of starter jaw 40.

It is a known fact that the torque transmitvting capacity of the friction disc clutch in starters of this character is subject to variation due -to change in temperature, change in amount '.of lubricant between discs, and also depends on the smoothness or roughness of disc surfaces. The present device tends to correct for these variables and retain a given clutch capacity substantially constant, in that the value of the clutch torque is made to depend not only on the force exerted on the pack by springs |43, but also on the angle of the screw thread on shaft |56 and nut |38. When torque is applied tobarrel 24, this torque is transmitted to nut |38 through discs |39 and forces screw shaft |56 to the left until the shoulder |45 contacts split -Washer |46. This same torque between |56 and |38 tends to separate the two members, urging latter is Iprovided with a recess nut |38 to the right against washer |40 backed up by barrel 24 and tending to force spacer |42 to the left through washer |43 against the force of the clutch springs. The resultant spring force o'n the pack |33 gives the required clutch capacity.

Under certain given conditions, the above resultant spring force on the clutch will give a definite torque capacity. If, say, the discs are dryfthe same force will tend to increase the torque capacity. When such a tendency to increase occurs, the jacking action between the screw and nut increases, thus relieving the pack of more of the spring force, and thus offsetting the tendency. The opposite also holds true. If torque capacity tends to4 decrease, screw action diminishes, thus offsetting the latter tendency. In other words, any tendency toward departure from the originally established capacity is promptly counteracted.

The usual meshingrod |51 slidably extends lthrough shaft |56, and jaw 40, said rod being provided intermediate its ends with a shoulder which normally engages the inner end of shaft |56. Surrounding the end of rod |51 is a spring |58 which bears at one end against the inner face of starter jaw 40 and at its opposite end against the threaded shaft |56. Preferably the into which a portion of spring |58 extends. .The starter jaw is maintained on meshing rod |51 by means of a nut |59 threaded onto the outer end of said rod. To the opposite end of meshing rod |51 there is pivotally connected a lever arm |60 which is preferably constructed in two parts movable in relation one to the other and corresponding respectively' to the parts indicated by reference characters |22 and 4 in the drawings of the Lansing Patent No. 1,952,263, granted March 27, 1934, one of said parts being keyed to a rock shaft |6| corresponding to rock shaft ||6 of said Patent No. 1,952,263. One end of shaft 6| projects exteriorly of housing 6 and carries a bell crank |62. A coil spring |63 surrounds rod |6|, Within the housing 6, and one end of said spring is connected to lever arm |60 while the opposite end (not shown) is anchored in a boss of the housing, the spring being so disposed as to act through rod |51 and nut |59 to maintain starter jaw 40 out of mesh with the engine jaw 45.

It is intended to control both the energization of motor 9 and the engagement of clutch elements 54 and 53 from a single point, and to this end the sleeve 63 receives a rod or link 20| pivoted at one end to bell crank |62 and at the other end to one arm of bell crank 203, and also having a. flange 204 normally engaging one end of sleeve 63. A second link 206 is connected at one end to the second arm of bell crank 203 and passes into the housing 201 containing the normally open switch which controls flow of current to motor 9.

The operation is as follows: The cockpit-controlled rod 200 is actuated to swing bell crank |62 and rock shaft in a direction to pull link 20| to the left, vas viewed in Fig. 1. This action has no effect upon clutch rod |51 for the reason that only one of the elements of the twopart lever |60 is keyed to the shaft |6|, the mounting of the parts being such as to permit this relative movement in one direction as in Patent No. 1,952,263 above referred to. Likewise, this 'first movement of rod 20| has no Yeifect on clutch yoke 62, but it does affect the switch actuating parts 203 and 206; in fact, it pulls link 206 downward sufficiently to close the circuit to motor 9 through the switch 201, whereby flywheel 46 is caused to turn with motor shaft due to the connecting one-way clutch |2. The links 200, 20|. and 206 are retained in the switch closing position. just described, until such time as the flywheel 46 has acquired the necessary speed, whereupon the movement is reversed, causing three results substantially simultaneously: rst, the reopening of switch 201 (deenergizing motor 9i secondly, closure of clutch 53, 54; and thirdly closure of clutch 40. 45, the former by action of flange 204 on sleeve 63, and the latter by action of shifter fork |60 on rod |51.

When the engine starts (i. e., engine mem.

ber 45 overruns member 40) springs |6| and 6l become effective to return rods |51 and 20| to the normal positions shown in Fig. 1, the clutch elements 40 and 53 being disengaged by the same action. Switch 201 remains unaffected by this latter movement of rod 20|, due to the lostmotion clearance indicated at 2|0.

There is thus provided novel starting apparatus and control means therefor. whereby the acceleration of the inertia member or flywheel, the transfer of the energy stored in said flywheel to the engine to be started, and the supply of ignition current to said engine may be controlled in proper sequence from a single point.

The apparatus is simple in construction and arrangement of parts, vwhich are relatively few, and requires only a single mechanical control. adapted to be` mounted within ready access of the operator.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, various changes in construction, arrangement and substitution of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, if the motor drive is not needed in certain installations, the magneto may be transferred to a position of alignment with iiywheel 46. as shown in Fig. 3, and driven through the speed reducing gears 224,` 226, 221 and 228,l

and the shafts 229 and 230 connected to the gears 224, and 228 respectively. The drive as shown also includes cone clutch elements 232 and 233 normally held apart by a spring 234 and engageable by actuation of yoke 236, shifter rail 231 and actuator 238, the latter on a rock shaft 239 movable by linkage in the manner heretofore indicated in describing Fig. l. In place of the linkage shown in Fig. 1, that illustrated in Fig. 4, may be employed and is in fact preferred. In this preferred construction the rod 20|' is directly in line with the meshing rod |51 and connects therewith through one end, through a lostmotion connection 2|I, and the outer end of the rod passes through the switch housing 201 containing the switch mechanism corresponding to that within the housing 201 of Fig. 1 and including a pair of stationary current conducting terminals 2|2 and 2|3 controlling the fiow of current to the motor 9, the circuit being nor-- mally open at this point due to the action of compression spring 2|5 in holding the movable switchplate 2|4 in the open circuit position. Also mounted on rod 20|'y is a sleeve 63' and a clutch actuating yoke 62 corresponding respectively to the elements 63 and B2 of Fig. 1, except that the yoke 62 contacts the clutch element 54' and moves said element to the left to complete the drive from shaft 48 to the magneto 49; the clutch elements 53 and 54 being normally held apart by the spring 6|' just as the corresponding elements 53 and 54 of Fig. l are lield apart by the spring 6|. A third compression spring |63 abuts the housing 6 ai one end, and a collar on rod |51 at the other end. and

'has a function similar to that of the spring |63 of Fig. 1, namely. that ol tending to main-A tain the engine engaging member 40 in the nondriving position indicated. In addition to this function spring |63' acts upon the pin 2|1 of the lost-motion connection 2|| to maintain the rod 20| in the neutral position indicated, and in this function it cooperates with the spring 2|5. The Vrod 20|' has a means 2|8 at its outer end for manual or other operation by direct engagement therewith or through a connection from this element 2|8 to the cockpit of the plane. In operation this rod is first pulled to the right to compress spring 2|5 and close switch 2|4 1o cause energization of the motor 9 and acceleration of the flywheel 46. This movement of the rod to the right has no effect upon the meshing rod |51 due to the lost-motion connection 2||. Likewise it has no effect upon the clutch 53', 54 as the rod slides freely within the sleeve 63'. When the iiywheel 46 has acquired the necessary speed, rod 20| is moved to the left a suicient distance to cause three results substantially simultaneously, the said three results being the same as previously described in connection with the arrangement shown in Fig. l. In producing these three results, namely, the opening of switch 2|4, engagement of clutch members 53, 54 and also the engagement of clutch members 40 and 45, spring 2|5 facilitates reopening of the switch 2|4, collar 204' actuates sleeve 63 and yoke 62', and pin 2|1 engages and actuates meshing rod |51 which in turn actuates member 40 through the connections indicated in Fig. 1 but omitted in Fig. 4. When the engine starts, the operator releases the pressure exerted on the rod 20| and the parts return to the relative positions indicated heretofore.

What I claim is:

l. In a starter drive having a preset friction clutch controlling the amount of torque transferable to the part to be driven, means for regulating the clutch setting comprising a set of clutch engaging springs` a threaded element having splined engagement with a part of said clutch,

a thrust element for transmitting the thrust of said springs to the clutch, and a second threaded element coacting with the rst to vary the effectiveness of said thrust element with respect to said clutch.

2. In a starter drive having a preset friction clutch controlling the amount of torque transferable to the part to be driven, means for regulating the clutch setting comprising a set of clutch engaging springs. a thrust element for transmitting the thrust of said springs to the clutch, an internally threaded sleeve rotatable with said clutch and means threaded within said sleeve to vary the distance between said sleeve and thrust element and thereby vary the effectiveness of said thrust element with respect to said clutch.

- ROMEO M. NARDONE.

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