US2244220A

US2244220A - Engine starter

Info

Publication number: US2244220A
Application number: US194404A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry A Schauer
Original assignee: WILLIAM H SCHMIDT
Current assignee: WILLIAM H SCHMIDT
Priority date: 1938-03-07
Filing date: 1938-03-07
Publication date: 1941-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1958-06-03

Description

Jun 3, 4 H. A. SCHAUERI ENGINE STARTER Filed March 7, 1938 INVENTOR.

Ha rrg H.5chauer BY V JWZ .f/

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 3, 1941 ENGINE STARTER Harry A. Schauer, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignmof one-half to William H. Schmidt, Milwaukee,

Wis.

Application March 7, 11938, Serial No. 194,404

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to engine starters, and more particularly to starters for automobile engines of the type shown in Patent No. 2,070,277, issued to Alex Johnson, on February 9, 1937.

This patented structure successfully took care of driving torque through resilient members formed of rubber, and eliminated the use of metal springs.

The present invention has for one of its primary objects the provision of means whereby desired endwise or longitudinal resiliency is obtained in the starter to the further end of decreasing objectionable shock and noise incidental to the engagement of the starter pinion with the ring gear of the engine to be started, and the stopping of the pinion on the screw pinion shaft, and to facilitate the driving engagement of the pinion with the ring gear. 7

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a resilient member of rubber or the like disposed directly on the electric motor drive shaft and interposed between a part of the electric motor and the means employed for obtaining torsional resiliency, whereby shock due to endwise thrust placed upon such means will be absorbed by the resilient member, said member also forming resilient frictional contact between the motor and said means, whereby to hold the means on the shaft and to resist turning movement of said means on the shaft.

A further object of my invention is to provide an elastic rubber member interposed between the starter motor and the means employed for obtaining torsional resiliency, said member being placed under compression when said means is assembled upon the drive shaft to securely lock or hold said means upon said shaft by frictional contact, said member also functioning to quickly urge the starter pinion into proper engagement with the engine ring gear when said member is placed under compression by the teeth of the pinion striking the teeth of the ring gear.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of means for obtaining longitudinal and torsional resiliency in an engine starter drive without the employance of moving parts.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device which, while exceptionally adaptable as an engine starter, can be successfully used between any drive and driven parts where longitudinal or torsional resiliency or both is desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my improved starter attachment, with parts thereof broken away and in section to illustrate structural details.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View through my improved device taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the starter on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter S generally indicates my engine starter, which includes the longitudinally extending drive shaft 5. This drive shaft 5 can be considered as the armature shaft of an electric starter motor, the armature of which is shown at 6.

Rotatably mounted upon the drive shaft 5 is the screw shaft 1 for the starter pinion 8. The starter pinion 8 is in the form of a nut and travels upon the screw shaft 1 for movement into engagement with and out of engagement with the ring gear (not shown) of the engine to be started. Not only is the screw shaft I mounted for rotary movement on the shaft 5, but the same also has a limited longitudinal movement on said drive shaft.

Disposed on the shaft 5 is a pair of spaced end caps 9 and Ill, and these end caps are rigidly united together and carry the longitudinally ex tending abutment rib H. The end cap it is mounted over the screw shaft 1 and is connected thereto by means which will be later set forth.

Between the end caps 9 and ID, the shaft 5 has mounted thereon a sleeve I2, which carries thereon the radially extending abutment rib I3. This rib I3 is of the same character as the rib H and is normally disposed diametrically opposite the same. The inner face of the sleeve l2 has formed therein a longitudinally extending keyway M, in which is received a key 15 carried by the drive shaft 5.

Substantially semicylindrical-shaped resilient blocks 16 and I! are placed around the sleeve 12 between the ribs II and I3, and these resilient members are employed for taking up torsional strains, as will be also more fully set forth,

A protecting housing can be employed for enclosing the resilient blocks l6 and I1, and this housing is in the nature of a cylindrical sleeve l8 placed over the caps 9 and |0. By this arrangement, the resilient blocks are held in place and protected against oil, grease, and road and engine debris.

A screw l9 can be employed for uniting the housing sleeve IS, the cap l0, and the screw shaft 1 together, and, if desired, a filler ring 20 can be interposed between the cap Ill and the screw shaft I. The fastening screw l9 also extends through this filler ring.

To obtain longitudinal resiliency and frictional contact, a resilient member 2|, which is shovm in the form of a rubber block, is placed on the drive shaft 5 between the cap 9 and a part of the electric motor. Thus, this resilient member 2| can engage the end wall of the casing of the motor or can engage a direct part of the armature 6 itself. As is clearly shown in Figure 1, the resilient member 2| can be of a cylindrical form and is adapted to be slid on the shaft 5 before the assembling of the various other parts of the starter on the shaft 5. The block 2| is preferably formed from live rubber, but other resilient means can be utilized, which has the characteristics of rubber.

In assembling the starter, the sleeve I2 is ini- 'tially placed between the end caps 9 and Ill, after which the sleeve l2 and the end caps are placed on the drive shaft as a unit. The end cap 9 is provided with a notch 22, and the end caps 9 and it] are turned on the shaft and on the sleeve I2, so as to permit the notch 22 to'receive the key l5, and the cap is pushed firmly back against the resilient block 2| to place the same under compression or tension.

After the key |5 slides into the keyway M of the sleeve l2, the end cap 9 is rotated, so as to move the notch 22 out of alinement with the key i5, which locks the elements mentioned on the shaft 6 against outward longitudinal movement. As the resilient member 2| is now placed under tension, the same acts to hold the mentioned parts assembled. The semicylindrical cushioning blocks |6 and I1 are now placed on the sleeve l2 with the terminals of the blocks abutting the ribs H and I3. The screw shaft 1 with its pinion 8 and the filler ring 20 are now placed in position, and the fastening element I9 is threaded into place to hold the screw shaft 1 and the cap I together.

When the circuit is closed through the electric motor for starting the engine, rotary movement will be imparted to the screw shaft 1, and the pinion 8 will be threaded out on the screw shaft 1. As the cushion blocks I6 and Hare interposed between the starter shaft and the screw shaft 1, these cushion blocks will effectively take care of torsional strains, and when the pinion '8 has its movement stopped on the screw shaft 1 through engagement with the engine ring gear or other abutment, rearward or endwise thrust placed on the pinion and screw shaft will be effectively taken care of by the resilient member 2|, which will be compressed. This compression or tension of the resilient member 2| will assist in quickly propelling the pinion forward into proper engagement with the ring gear. Obviously, rearward or endwise thrust on the pinion 8 and the shaft 1 will be transmitted through the fastening element [9, caps 9 and I0, and their connecting rib H, to said resilient member 2 I.

By this construction and arrangement, an exceptionally simple and durable structure is had, in which both longitudinal and torsional movement is effectively taken care of by resilient or cushioning members.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In an engine starting device, a starting motor having a drive shaft, a screw shaft having a pinion thereon mounted upon the drive shaft forrotary and endwise movement, a driving connection between the drive shaft and screw shaft including, a sleeve feathered on the drive shaft having a longitudinally extending abutment rib, end caps on the drive shaft having a connecting rib, means connecting one of the end caps with the screw shaft, resilient driving members on the sleeve having their terminals engaging the ribs, and a resilient member on the drive shaft disposed between the starting motor and the cap remote from the cap connected to the screw shaft.

2. In an engine starting device, a starting motor having a drive shaft provided with a radially extending key, a screw shaft having a pinion thereon rotatably and slidably mounted upon the drive shaft, a pair of spaced end caps, and a longitudinally extending rib longitudinally connecting said caps, the innermost cap having a notch for receiving the key, whereby said end cap can be placed on the drive shaft over the key and with the notch out of alinement with thekey, a sleeve on said drive shaft between the end caps having a longitudinally extending radially disposed rib on the sleeve, resilient driving members disposed between the last mentioned rib and the rib carried'by the end caps, means connecting the outermost end cap to the screw shaft, and a cylindrical resilient member disposed on the drive shaft between the starting motor and'the innermost end cap placed under tension by the assembling of the innermost end cap on the drive shaft to hold the parts against movement, said cylindrical resilient member setting up frictional driving contact between the drive shaft and the innermost end cap, and resisting endwise movement.

HARRY A. SCI-IAUER.