US2662189A

US2662189A - Engine starter control

Info

Publication number: US2662189A
Application number: US216588A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E Brown
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1951-03-20
Filing date: 1951-03-20
Publication date: 1953-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1970-12-08

Description

Dec. 8, 1953 w. E. BROWN ENGINE STARTER CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1951 I l/vmvrm BZZ/w M Dec. 8. 1953 w. E. BROWN 2,662,139

ENGINE STARTER CONTROL Filed March 20, 195]. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V sw/rax/ l' ]N VENTOH Patented Dec. 8, 1953 ENGINE STARTER CONTROL William E. Brown, Anderson, IncL, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 20, 1951, Serial No. 216,588

7 Claims.

This invention relates to engine starter control apparatus, more particularly for use with an automobile having an automatic transmission which is controlled by a selecting lever supported by the steering mast. This lever, for ex-- ample, has five positions in the following order: R (reverse), L (low speed), D (drive), N (neutral) and P (park). It has been the practice to permit engine starting to be initiated by a separate manually operated switch only when the selecting lever is in N or P position.

An object of the invention is to cause engine starting to take place by moving the selecting lever to a sixth position S, denoting engine starting position. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the object is accomplished by causing a switch to be closed in response to movement of the selecting lever to position S. This switch and the ignition switch, if closed, complete a circuit between the storage battery and the coil of a solenoid. which operates to connect the battery with the engine cranking motor. A spring, which adds substantial resistance to movement of the selecting lever from P to S position to effects-tarting, returns the selecting lever to P position when the driver releases the selecting lever after starting.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a combined back-up light and starter switch included in the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view in the direction of arrow 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the switch.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views on lines 5-5, 6-4: and I'I of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a geometrical diagram.

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram.

The selector lever operated switch which is diagrammatically represented in Fig. 9 includes fixed contacts I, 2, 3 and 4. Contact I is connected with a backup lamp 8 and contact 2 and lamp 8 are connected with ground. Contact 3 is connected with ignition switch contact 9. Contact 4 isconnected with solenoid coil I!) also con nected with contact 9. Ignition switch movable contact II connects con-tact 9 with battery 12.

lumine the path of the backing car.

Solenoid armature I3 is connected with a contact I4 which, when the coil it is energized, bridges contacts I5 and I6 and thus connects the battery I2 with a starting motor Il. Contacts I and 3 are bridged by a movable contact 5 when, in a manner to be described, a transmission selecting lever is moved to R position. ihe ignition switch II being closed, lamp 8 burns to i1- When the selecting lever is in S position, contact 5 bridges contacts 2 and 4 and ignition switch I I is closed, coil I {l is energized and the starting motor I'I operates to crank the engine. Contact 3 may be connected with the battery I2 through a lighting switch I8 instead of through the ignition switch I I when closed. Therefore lamp 8 will burn when the automobile lights are turned on and contact 5 bridges contacts I and 3.

Contact 5 is connected with a shaft 6 turned by a lever I. As shown in Fig. 8, lever i has six positions R, L, D, N, P and S corresponding to six positions R, L, D, N, P and S of a transmission selecting lever 2!] connected with a shaft 2|. In Fig. 8', lever 29 and lever I are indicated in the D position by full lines and the other positions by dot and dash lines. Lever 2!! is connected by its shaft ZI with a lever 22 which a link 23 connects with lever 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, contacts i, 2, 3 and 4 are provided by the heads of rivets 3|, 32, 33 and 34 respectively, which extend through switch back members35 and 36 and are staked against terminals 4|, 42, 43 and 44 respectively. Terminal 42 is a strap by which contact 2 is connected to ground. The contact 5 of the diagram, Fig. 9, is a metal ring 45 (Figs. 4 and 5), having elongated contact bosses 46 and tangs 4'! received by notches 48 in a non-conducting disc 48 in which the shaft 6 is embedded. The back member 35 provides a cover for a case 50 which together with a plate5l are attached to a mounting bracket 52 which can be attached to a grounded metal support not shown. For purpose of adjusting the bracket 52 angularly relative to the axis of the shaft 2| (Fig. 8) of selecting lever 20, the bracket 52 has arcuate flanges 53 whose curvature center is the center of circle ZI. These flanges 53 are each slotted at 53c (Fig. 2) to receive a screw 53b (Fig. 4), which clamps the bracket 52 to a support 530 in the required position so that .lever I will be properly related to lever 20. Case .50, plate BI and bracket 52 are attached together by a bushing 54 which, after. assembling these tween disc 49 and ring 45 urges contact bosses 46 toward contacts I, 2, 3 and 4.

A torsion spring 51 which surrounds bushing 54 has a hook 58 received by a hole 59 in disc 49 and a hook 60 adapted to be received by a flange 6| of plate Spring 51 resists rotation of shaft 6 (Fig. 6) counterclockwise and rotation of selecting lever 20 from position P toward position R. Spring 51 takes up lost motion in one direction between levers 20 and 1 and thereby prevents rattling.

When lever 1 i in P position, spring 51 urges an arm 65 of lever 1 against a stop provided by the hook 66 of a spring 61, said hook 56 being normally located at 66' in Fig. 3 and biased against a stop lug 6B of bracket 52. Spring 61, which surrounds a spring locator 69 pressed over the case 50, has a hook 111 received in a hole of the left flange 53 of bracket 52. When selecting lever 20 is moved from P position toward S position, lever 1 (Fig. 3), moves from P position toward S position against the action of spring 51 whose hook 66 is moved by lever arm 65 clockwise away from position 66 in which it engaged lug 68. The spring 61 offers such resistance that the driver is required to hold lever 20 in the position S for engine starting. After the engin is started, the driver releases lever 20 and the spring 61 returns it to P position corresponding to which, the hook 66 of spring 61 engages the lug 68. Therefore if the engine stalls with the engine switch closed, engine start ng is effected simply by moving the selecting lever 20 to S position and holding it there until the engine is started after which the lever 2|], when released, returns to P position automatically.

Because spring 61 adds substantal resistance to movement of selecting lever 20 from P position toward S position, the driver is not likely to move the lever 20 to S position inadvertently while the engine is running.

The contact bosses 46 of ring 45 (Fig. 5) have angular width such that make contact with contacts I and 3 or with contacts 2 and 4 for substantial ranges of angular movement of lever 1 as indicated by angles A in Fig. 8. The exact R and S positions of lever 1 are within the range of contact bridging by the ring 45. This feature permits some latitude for the location of the bracket 52 upon its support thus allowing for Variations in manufacture and facilitating assembly because exactness of angular location of the bracket 52 relative to the axis 2! of lever 20 is not required.

Contact rivets 3| and 33 are longer than

contact rivets

32 and 34. Each of the rivets 3| and 33 secure to the back member 35 a block which spaces the terminal connected with the rivet outwardly from the plane of the

other terminals

42 and 44 to locate the terminal wire attaching screws 16 in more accessible positions. Each block 15 which is somewhat like a keystone in shape, is received by alike shaped hole in back member 36. Each block 15 has a hole 11 (Fig. 4) which receive a tang 18 of the terminal which engages the block.

Reference is made to application S. N. 198,358 of Paul L. Schneider et a1., filed November 30, 1950, which is owned by the same assignee as this application and which relates to the same 7 general subject matter as this application, the latter being in the nature of an improvement on the device disclosed in said earlier application.

While theembodiment of the present invention a herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred 4 form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In engine starter control apparatus, the combination comprising a transmission selecting lever movable to different position for transmission control and to a position beyond its normal range of movement for engine starting, a control switch having a movable contact connected with said lever and stationary contacts which are bridged when the lever is moved into position for engine starting, a spring which substantially resist movement of said lever only when it is moved from the range of transmission control positions to the position for engine starting thus requiring the driver to hold the lever in engine starting position, said spring returning the lever to the range of transmission control positions when released, and an electric circuit including a current source, the aforesaid control switch, an ignition switch in series with the control switch and the coil of a relay energized upon closing of said control and ignition switches and which, when energized effects connection between the current source and an engine cranking electric motor.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 further characterized by the provision of a second switch including two additional fixed contacts and said movable contact, which is moved into engagement therewith when the transmission selecting lever is in position for transmission reverse, and an electric circuit including the current source, said second switch and an electric lamp in series with said second switch.

3. In an engine starter control apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission controlled by a manually operated lever movable to different positions within a control range to control the operation of said transmission and to a position outside of said control range to efiect starting of the engine; a starter control switch having two fixed contacts, a rotary bridging contact movable to a position to engage the fixed contacts, a shaft for operating the bridging contact, a lever for operating the shaft, said lever being operatively connected with the transmission control lever so that when the lastnamed lever is moved to its engine starting position the bridging contact is moved to engage the fixed contacts, and a spring which resists movement of the switch operating lever into switch closing position, said spring being effective to open the switch when the control lever is released.

4. In an engine starter control apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission controlled by a manually operated lever movable to different positions within a control range to control the operation of said transmission and to a position outside of said control range to eifect starting of the engine; a starter lighter, anti-rattle spring resisting movement of the switch operating lever in the reverse direction.

5. In an engine starter control apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission controlled by a manually operated lever movable to different positions within a control range to control the operation of said transmission and to a position outside of said control range to efiect starting of the engine; a starter control switch having two fixed contacts, a rotary bridging contact movable to a position to engage the fixed contacts, a shaft for operating the bridging contact, a lever for operating the shaft, said lever being operatively connected with the transmission control lever so that when the last-named lever is moved to its engine starting position the bridging contact is moved to engage the fixed contacts, a relatively strong spring opposing the movement of the switch operating lever into its switch closing position, a lighter, anti-rattle spring resisting movement of the switch operating lever in the reverse direction, said stronger spring having an end portion toward which the lighter spring biases the switch operating lever, and a fixed stop against which said end is biased by the stronger spring.

6. In an engine starter control system for an automotive vehicle having an electric starting motor operable when energized to start the engine and an automatic transmission controlled by a manually operable control lever movable to different positions within a control range to control the operation of said transmission and to positions outside said control range to effect operation of a control switch; a control switch operated by said control lever for controlling the operation of said starting motor and having two sets of fixed contacts and a movable contact engageable with either set of fixed contacts, a shaft for operating said movable contact and effective when moved in one direction to engage the movable contact with one pair of fixed contacts in order to cause the starting motor to become operative and effect starting of the engine, a lever for operating the shaft, said lever being operatively connected with the transmission control lever for operation thereby, a relatively strong torsion spring surrounding said operating shaft, said spring having one end fixed and the other end shaped to lie in the path of movement of the switch operating lever when moved in a direction to effect engine starting, a fixed member normally engaged by the movable end of said torsion spring and from which it is disengaged upon movement of the switch operating lever to effect engine starting, and a lighter, anti-rattle spring for resisting movement of the switch operating lever in the reverse direction to effect engagement of the movable contact with the second pair of fixed contacts.

7. In an engine starter control system for an automotive vehicle having an electric starting motor operable when energized to start the engine and an automatic transmission controlled by a manually operable control lever movable to different positions within a control range to control the operation of said transmission and to positions outside said control range to effect operation of a control switch; a control switch operated by said control lever for controlling the operation of said starting motor and having two sets of fixed contacts and a movable contact engageable with either set of fixed contacts, a shaft for operating said movable contact and effective when moved in one direction to engage the movable contact with one pair of fixed contacts in order to cause the starting motor to become operative and effect starting of the engine, a lever for operating the shaft, said lever being operatively connected with the transmission control lever for operation thereby, a switch case surrounding the movable switch contact, a case cover supporting the fixed contacts, a switch mounting bracket attached to the case,- a shaft bearing member supported by said bracket and in which the switch operating shaft is rotatably mounted, a relatively strong torsion spring surrounding said case, said spring having one end fixed to the bracket and the other end in position to be engaged by and oppose the movement of the switch operating lever when moved to a position to effect starting of the engine, a lighter torsion spring within the case and surrounding the shaft, one end of said spring being fixed and the other end. operatively connected with the shaftso as to oppose movement of the switch op erating lever to engage the second pair of fixed contacts, and a lug carried by the bracket and is in' its inoperative position.

WILLIAM E. BROWN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,853,513 Douglas Apr. 12, 1932 1,979,836 Kryzer Nov. 6, 1934 2,094,177 Linemnuth Sept. 28, 1937