US2293322A

US2293322A - Starter

Info

Publication number: US2293322A
Application number: US330123A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Veach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-04-17
Filing date: 1940-04-17
Publication date: 1942-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1959-08-18

Description

Aug. 18, 1942. w. A. V-EACH 2 v STARTER Filed April 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WZZZ 122m 4 Keacz Mm; ORNEY.

Aug. 18,1942. w. A. VEACH STARTER 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR. 4 Veda?) ATTORNEY.

M /z'ZZz'am i Filed April 17, 1940 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STARTER William A. Veach, Detroit, Mich. Application April 17, 1940, Serial No. 330,123

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in starters for internal combustion engines, and refers particularly to starters for airplane engines.

It is an object of the invention to provide a starter which is light in weight, and which is intended to be operated manually in order to obviate the necessity for providing an electric motor and a battery or other means for supplying current therefor, and thus to eliminate the weight which the carrying of such parts would necessitate, particularly on small airplanes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manually operable starter including a spring which automatically returns the operating means to its initial position immediately the latter is released.v

A further object of the invention is to provide a starter including means for automatically disengaging the operating means in the event that the engine, which it is intended to start, backfires.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a starter which is simple to construct, easy to operate by hand, and which can be readily installed to start any conventional type of engine.

Having thus briefly and broadly stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention, I will now proceed to describe a preferred form of construction in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the starter mounted in position relative to an engine, and the manually operable means for actuating the starter.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the starter showing a section on the line 202 of Figure 4, and with the pawl engaged with the ratchet wheel.

Figure 3 is a similar partial sectional view showing the pawl released from the ratchet.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the starter taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail showing the attachment of one extremity of the cable to the pulley, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figurefi is a detail showing the pawl mounted on the pulley.

Referring to the drawings, l and 3 designate two integral and coaxial housings open at their outer extremities and connectedby an integral bearing la. A shaft 2 supported for rotation in the bearing and extending into both housings has a clutch part 4 thereon in the housing 3 and projecting outwardly therefrom, The housings l and 3 are preferably connected by a neck 21:.

The inner portion of th clutch part 4 is'a free running fit on the shaft 2, and the bore of its outer portion is enlarged to provide an annular space between it and the said shaft 2 to receive a helical spring I. The housing 3 is a portion of the engine and is preferably concentrically disposed relative to an engine shaft 6. The spring 1 extends between th disc 8 and a shoulder 9 formed within the said clutch part 4 at the inner extremity of its enlarged bore portion. The disc 8 is held in position by a bolt H! which extends axially through the said shaft 2 and is in threaded engagement with a nut H upon its opposite extremity. The clutch part 4 is in axial alignment with a corresponding clutch part 5 which it is adapted to engage, and the said part 5 is secured to an engine shaft 6 or otherwise suitably arranged so that its rotation causes rotation of the shaft of an internal combustion engine 6a. Formed in the periphery of the shaft 2 are two angularly inclined opposedslots 12. Pins l3 carried by the clutch part 4 project into the slots l2 of the shaft 2 to form a driving connection between the shaft 2 and the clutch part 4. Formed in the recess 3 is an annular groove l4 in which a packing ring I5 is provided to frictionally contact th periphery of the clutch part 4 and retard or prevent its rotation when the shaft 2 is turned so that the said part 4 is then moved rearwardly towards the engine 6a, when the shaft is rotated in one direction, to enga e the clutch part 5. The pins 13 move in the slots 12 of the shaft to permit relative axial movement of the clutch part 4 and the shaft 2. The spring 1 tends to return the clutch part 4 to its initial position shown in Figure 4.

Formed at the outer extremity of the housing I is an annular chamber 3a the outer extremity of which is closed by a cover 20 suitably secured thereon, as by screws 2|, and formed in the said cover is a circular bearing 20a to support the outer extremity of the nut Il., Mounted upon upon the portion 2a of the shaft 2 and engage corresponding flat surfaces Ila formed both internally and externally upon the inner extremity of the nut II. The external flat surfaces pro- 55 vide engaging means to permit tightening of the nut upon the bolt ID. The opposed flat portions 2b in the present instance also coact with corresponding flat surfaces formed in the bore of the ratchet wheel I! to lock the ratchet wheel to the shaft 2. The inner face of the nut ll holds the ratchet wheel I! against axial movement in one direction.

Extending laterally from the pulley I3 is a shouldered pin 25 the outer extremity of which engages one end of a spiral spring 26 the opposite end of which is engaged by a pin 21 which projects inwardly from the cover 23. The pawl 18 carried by the pulley I6 is normally urged into engagement with the ratchet wheel I! by a spring 28 which intermediately of its length passes around a projection I9a on the inner extremity of the pivot pin l9. At one end this spring 28 is held by a stop 29-extending from the said pawl and at its other end by a pin 39 which projects from the pulley l6.

Extending inwardly from the cover 23 is a releasing member 3l, which, in'theevent that the engine backfires, or if the shaft 2 for any other cause turns in the direction opposite to that intended, cams the pawl 13 from its ratchet engaging position shown in Figure '2 to the released position shown in Figure 3, against the tension of the spring 28.

Formed in the periphery of the pulley I6 is an aperture 33 into which one extremity of a cable 34, having a ferrule 35 soldered or otherwise secured around it, is inserted. The ferrule is held in its aperture by a bifurcated anchor plate 36 which is fastened upon the pulley l6 as by a screw 31. Mounted upon the housing I are two spaced guide rollers 38 between which the cable 34 passes, and at its opposite extremity the latter is suitably secured to a lever 39 pivotally mounted at 40.

The operation ofthe starter is briefly as follows: When the lever 39 is moved pivotally from its position shown in 'Figure 1 in the direction of the arrow A, the pulley 16 is rotated by the unwindin of thecable 34 and carries the pawl l8 with it. The latter normally engages the ratchet wheel l1 and turns it and the shaft 2. Then, as previouslystated, due to the -frictional braking resistance of the packing ring l rotation of the clutch part 4 is retarded-until the slots l2 with which they are in engagement have forced the pins [3 axially towards the engine 6a and moved the-said clutch part into engagement with the clutch part 5 of the engine Ba. Should the enginebackfire rotation of the ratchet wheel in the reverse direction would cause the pawl l8 to strike the releasing member 3! by which the said'pawl would be cammed out of engagement with the said ratchet. As the pulley I6 is turned by movement of the lever 39 in the direction of the arrow A thespiral spring 28 is tightened so that immediately the lever is released-the said spring returns the pulley and lever to their initial positions shown. It will also be noted that thereleasing member 3i limits the rotary movement of the pulley l6 through contact of thesaid member with one end or" the pawl l8 and thus functions as a stop when the pulley is turned'by the spring 28. At that time the opposite end of thepawl 18 also strikes the pin 30.

While in the foregoing-the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that the invention is susceptible to such alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A starter comprising a housing, a shaft supported for rotation therein, a pulley freely mounted on the shaft, a cable having one extremity secured to the pulley, said cable being wound around said pulley and its opposite extremity projecting through an opening formed in the housing for turning the pulley in one direction, a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft, a pawl pivotally supported by the pulley, spring means tending to retain the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, a cover on the housing, a spring having one extremity secured to the cover and its other extremity connected to the pulley to turn the latter in the other direction to rewind the cable thereon, a bearing in the cover supporting the shaft, and a rigid releasing member projecting from the cover to disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel when the shaft is turned in the other direction, said releasing member also acting as a stop to limit the'rotation of the pulley in both directions.

2. A starter comprising two opposed coaxial housings connected by an integral bearing, a cover on the outer extremity of one housing having a bearing therein, a shaft supported in said integral bearing and projecting into both housings, a nut supported for rotation in the cover bearing, a screw extending axially through the shaft in engagement with saidnut, a pulley freely mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft, said ratchet wheel and pulley being axially supported between the nut and the integral bearing, a spring tending to rotate the pulley in one direction, means for turning the pulley in the opposite direction, a pawl carried by the pulley, a spring for holding the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel when the pulley is turned in said opposite direction, a releasing member for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet wheel when the shaft is turned in said one direction, a clutch part around the shaft in the other housing, coacting means onthe clutch part and housing for moving the former axially outward when the shaft is turned through the pulley rotation in said opposite direction, whereby said clutch part is adapted to be moved into engagement with a, corresponding clutch part on another shaft, and spring means held in position by said screw and coacting with the first named clutch part tending to return the latter axially to its inward position.

3. A manually operable starter for an aircraft engine having a shaft comprising a housing, a starter shaft in the housing and aligned with the engine shaft, a pulley concentrically mounted on the starter shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the starter shaft, a pawl pivotally mounted on the pulley, yielding means urging the pawl into e'ngagement with the ratchet wheel, motion transmitting means carried by the pulley to rotate it, manually operable means to actuate the -'motion transmitting means, force multiplying means between the manual means and the starter'shaft, clutching means to operably connect the'starter shaft to the engine shaft when the pulley is rotated in one direction, camming means operated by reverse rotation of the starter shaft to disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel, and yielding means energized by rotation of the pulley in the direction to rotate the startershaft to return the pulley to an inoperative position upon release of the manually operable means.

4. In a starting mechanism for an engine ineluding an engine shaft, a housing, a starter shaft aligned with the engine shaft, a rotatable ratchet wheel operably connected to the starter shaft, a rotatable pulley, connecting means between the pulley and ratchet wheel including a pawl pivotally mounted on the pulley and yieldingly urged into engagement with the ratchet Wheel, manually operable means including a flexible cable to actuate the pulley, axially movable clutching means between the starter shaft and the engine shaft, means responsive to rotational movement of the starter shaft to actuate the axially movable clutching means, camming means carried by the housing and operable by reverse rotation of the engine shaft to disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel, and yielding means carried by the housing to return the pulley to a substantially predetermined inoperative position.

5. In a manually operable starter for an aircraft engine having a shaft, a housing, a starter shaft aligned with the engine shaft, a pulley rotatably mounted on a starter shaft, a ratchet Wheel fixed to said starter shaft, a pawl pivotally mounted on the pulley, yielding means urging the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel, motion transmitting means carried by the pulley to rotate it, manually operable means to actuate the motion transmitting means, axially movable clutching means between said starter and engine shafts and operable by rotatable movement of the starter shaft in one direction to operably connect said starter shaft to the engine shaft when the ratchet wheel is rotated by the pulley, camming means positioned to engage said pawl and operated by reverse rotation of said starter shaft to disengage the pulley from the ratchet wheel, and yielding means energized by rotation of the pulley in the direction to rotate the shaft to return the pulley to an inoperative position upon release of the manually operable means.

WILLIAM A. VEACH.