US1343020A - Engine-starting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

L. M. WOOLSON.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, I919- Patented June 8, 1920..

INVENTOR LIONEL M. WOOLSON UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'LIONEL M. WOOLSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BLT UR MOTOR APPLIANCE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J line 8, 1920.

Application filed June 20,1919. Serial No. 305,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIONEL M. WooLsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to starting apparatus, and'with regard to its more specific features, to means for starting internal combustion engines.

One of'the objects is to provide practical, dependable and compact means for starting a source of power.

Another object is to provide efficient means of the above type which shall automatically effect proper application of the starting torque, under all conditions of. operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of this invention, Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of my apparatus in idle position, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the device about to relieve a butting condition of the teeth, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pinion, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4'of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to sim-' ilar parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings 1 have shown a motor 1 of any suitable construction, having an armature 2, the shaft 3 of which is lodged in a pair of bearings 5 only one of which is shown. The shaft preferably is provided with a threaded extension 6, upon which is threaded a pinion 7, adapted to cooperate with a fly-wheel or other gear 8 connected to the engine, said pinion being normally to one side of said gear, as shown in Fig. 1. The enter ng ends of the pinion teeth are preferably chamfered as at 24 to facilitate meshing. A nut 9 at the end of the threaded shaft portion 6 limits the pinion 7 against removal from the shaft. 1

Between the threaded portion 6 and the bearings 5 I form the shaft, non-circular in cross section, preferably approximately square as at 10.

Upon shaft portion 10 I mount a butt relieving member 11, which I designate for brevity in the claims as a relieving member. This member, preferably, as shown in Fig. 1 is normally to the side of gear 8, opposing pinion 7. Member 11 has an axial squared opening 12 fitting over the shaft portion 10, so that said relieving member must rotate with the shaft. ,A dished leaf-spring annular washer 14, is disposed between a shoulder 15 on the shaft 2 and the adjacent face of the relieving member 11. A pin 16 extending transversely of the shaft as shown at 17, and having its projecting ends 18 fittinginto a corresponding slot 19 in the face of the relieving member, limits the movement of the latter away from the leafspring 14. For proper coaction with gear 8, the relieving member 11 is preferably provided with pinion teeth 13 adapted to mesh v are preferably so disposed with respect to each other that when each of said members is brought into contact with that face of gear 8 adjoining it, the pinion teeth will be staggered with respect to the teeth 13 of the relieving member.

In operation, the starting switch, preferably of the single contact type, (not shown), is connected to a source of power such as a storage battery, (not shown), thus setting the armature into rapid rotation. Pinion 7 by reason of its inertia does not at once take up the rotation of the threaded shaft and consequently said pinion will travel longitudinally of the shaft, in the well known manner, and by reason of the chamfered tooth ends 24, the pinion will t ll ordinarily readily enter into mesh with the fly-wheel gear 8. Near the end of its travel toward full mesh the pinion contacts face 23 of relieving member 11, and further movement takes place against the compression of spring 14;, thus easing the shoclrof impact. Thereupon rotation is imparted to the pinion, to crank the engine and after.

the engine runs under its own power, the pinion is caused to overrun the threaded shaft in the well known manner, returning to the out-of-mesh or home position shown in Fig. 1.

When, notwithstanding the chamfer 24, teeth of pinion 7 abut against the, ends of teeth 8 instead of entering between them, thepinion is limited by the said gear against moving toward the right in the drawings. Asa consequence the shaft end 6 will rotate within pinion 7, and by means of the threads the entire shaft 3 with armature 2 will travel toward the left, pushing the relieving member through the annular spring-- washer 14 toward the gear 8. leeth 13 of the relieving member 11 ordinarily will readily mesh with gear 8. Continued rotation of the armature will thereupon cause said relieving member to move gear 8, and

after a slight rotation of said gear, the butting condition is overcome whereupon the expansion of spring 20 restores the shaft to the original position shown in Fig. 1, bringing about initial mesh of pinion 7 with gear teeth 8. At the same time the pin 18 through shaft portion 10 moves with the shaft to draw the relieving member 11 to the original position shown in Fig. 1. Further movement toward full mesh, cranking and demeshing proceed as heretofore described. During the short interval that relieving member 11 operates to rotate gear 8, annular spring 14 may yield somewhat to allow a further slight longitudinal travel of the shaft through pinion 7.

Should teeth of the relieving member butt against those of the fly-wheel; the shaft will continue to thread its way through pinion 7 thus sliding through and rotating the arrested relieving member 13 compressing dished spring 14 by the sliding movement. Bdy reason of the rotary component imparte to the shaft the teeth of the relieving member will become properly alined with.

respect to those of the fly-wheel, whereupon expansion of compressed spring 1%, will bring said relieving member into incipient mesh with the fly-wheel as shown in Fig. 2. The preferred staggered relation of the pinion teeth and relieving member teeth when in contact with the flywheel, as above set forth, minimizes the likelihood of. butting of the relieving member, but this relation. is not essential to the operation of my apparatus. The relieving member having become alined with fly wheel teeth for mesh.-

invention may be employed to advantage innumerous relations, other than that disclosed.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an engine-starter, in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a pinion connected thereto, adapted to mesh with said gear but normally out of engagement therewith, and means responsive to a butting engagement of said pinion with said gear, operative to move said gear to relieve said butt.

2. In an engine-starter, in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, a pinion threaded on saidshaft, adapted to mesh with said gear but normally out of engagement therewith, and means actuated by said motor, in case of a butt to grip and rotate said gear.

3. In an engine-starter, in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, a pinion on said shaft adapted to be moved toward said gear, responsive to starting of said motor, and a relieving member mounted on said shaft, and responsive to a butting engagement of said pinion with said gear, to engage with and to rotate said gear for relieving said butt.

i. in engine-starter, in combination. a gear connected to an engine, a motor, shaft driven thereby, an inertia pinion on said shaft, and normally to one side of said gear, a relieving mem connected to said motor normally to the ether side of said gear, and means responsive to abutting engagement of said,pinion with said gear,

, to move said relieving member into engagement with said gear for rotating the latter, in order to relieve said butt.

5. In an engine-starter, in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a pinion connected thereto, adapted to mesh with said gear but normally out of engagement therewith, a toothed relieving member adapted,- to mesh with said gear, and normally out of engagement therewith, and means responsive to a butting engagement 'of said pinion against said gear, to move said relieving member into mesh with said gear, for transmitting a buttrelieving torque thereto.

6. In an engine-starter, in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a pinion and a toothed relieving member both connected to said motor, both adapted to mesh with said gear and both normally out of engagement therewith, means responsive to startingpf said motor, to move said pinion toward mesh with said gear, and means responsive to a butting engagement of said pinion with said gear, to cause meshing'of said relieving member and said gear, for transmitting a butt relieving torque from said motor.

7. An engine-starter, comprising in com- .bination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a shaft driven thereb a driving pinion threaded. onto said shaft, and normally to one side of said gear, a toothed relieving member mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, and normally to the other side of said gear, and adapted to mesh therewith, a spring to one side of said member, and means for limiting movement of said member away from said sprin 8. An engine-starter, comprising in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, an inertia-controlled driving pinion connected thereto, normally to one side of said gear, a non-circular shaft driven by{ said motor, a toothed relieving member fitted thereon, and normally to one side of said gear, an annular leaf spring, permitting some displacement of said relieving member along said shaft, and means limiting movement of said relieving member away from said spring. 7

9. An engine-starter, comprising in combination, a gear connected 'to' an engine, a motor, an inertia-controlled driving pinion connected thereto, normally to one slde of said gear, a toothed relieving memb'er'rotatable with said motor and to the other side of said gear, said pinion and relieving members being so arranged that when a tooth of the former abuts a tooth of said gear, said relieving member has its teeth staggered with respect to those'of said gear, to permit meshing of said latter members.

10. An engine-starter comprising in combination, a gear connected to anengme, a motor, an inertla-controlled pinion connected thereto, a relieving member, connected to a said motor, and normally out of engagement with said gear, and means connecting said pinion to said relieving member to draw the latter into engagement with said gear upon buttingengagementof said pinion and said I upon butting engagement between said pinion and said gear, for the purpose of moving said relieving member into engagement with said gear, to obviate said butt, and a spring for retracting said shaft to its ori inal position, and said pinion into partlal mesh with said gear.

12. An engine-starter, comprising in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, a pinion threaded thereon, a relieving member mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a spring permitting a longitudinal movement of said shaft upon butting engagement of said pinion and said gear, and a second spring yieldingly transmitting said longitudinal movement to said relieving member.

13. An engine-starter, comprising in combination, a gear connected to an engine, a motor, a shaft driven' thereby, a pinion threaded thereon, and normally to one side of said gear, a toothed relieving member mounted upon said shaft for rotation therewith, and normally to the other side of said gear, and a coil spring permitting longitudinal movement of said shaft upon butting engagement of said pinion and said gear, thereby drawing said relieving member into mesh with said gear, as and for the purpose described.

14. An engine-starter, comprising in combination, a gear connected to .an engine, a

motor, an extended shaft therefor, a pinionof said gear, a toothed relieving member mounted upon said shaft for rotatiorn-therewith, and normally to the other, side said gear, a coil sprin permitting longitudinal movement of sai shaft upon butting engagement of said'pinion and said gear, and a leaf spring for yieldingly transmitting the longitudinal movement of said shaft to said, relieving member,

as and for the purpose described.

In'testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 27th day of May, 1919.

LIONEL M. WOOLSON.

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