US1985182A - Starter gearing - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1934. w, MCGRATH 1,985,182

- STARTER GEARING Filed March 3, 1934 A TOR/VB) INVENTOR Patented flee. I8, 1934 A 'Ihis invention relates to starter gearing for internal combustion engines of thetype in which the driving connection is established automatic l! w en ihe s art l mbtbr is ns ah is disrupted when the engine" becomes self -op.era-

tive, and more particularly toIanautomatic starter gearingoitheso-calledside meshing type in which the meshing movement of the engaging gearmember is transverseto its'axis. 1

. It is an object of thepresent' inventionto pro vide a starter gearing of the above type which is .simplein construction and e'fiicient and reliable in operation.. I I v I Q I It is another object to provide. such a device embodying special provisions't'o insure" continu .ous cranking until'theengine starts.

Isis aiurthe'fobject toprovide such'a device in which the disengagement of the gearingmay be arranged to take place many. desired speed of th d in literv l I It is another object to provide suc'hadevice in which engagement of the driving parts is prevented except-when. the startingimotorjis operated.

. Fu ther b ts nd d an be animent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing in which:.. f v

Fig. 1 is an end elevationof a preferred. embodiment of the present invention showing the parts in normal or idle position; I

Fig.2 is a si milar view showing crankingposition; and 1 I v Fig. 3 is aside elevationpartly in sectionof .thedevice as illustrated in -Fig.1.. f I

Referring first to Fig.13: of the rawin'g, there is illustrated a starting motor 1 having an. eittended armature shaft 2. A driving member in the te m ,the formof a pinion 3 is freelyjournalled on a I spending approximately to the free spinning speed of the startingmotor 1. here shown this rereducedportion 4 oi' the armature shaft and is yieldably connected for rotation therewith'b'y suitable means suchas a coil spring 5 anchoredat oneendasindicated at 6 to a driving head' 7 .flxedto the armature shaft, and anchored-at its other end as indicatedfat 8to a flange or driven head 9onthe pinion 3. I I An intermediate transmission member in the form of apinion 1 1 is arranged to-mesh with the driving pinion 3 and to move bodily transverse toits, axis into and ,out of driving engagement with a member 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the engine to be started. For this purpose a swinging bracket or cradle 'is provided comprising side members 13 and 14 journalled on extended smooth portions of the pinion 3, and carrying a bearing memberdfi "formingaf' journal for the {:13

intermediate pinion 11; ,The journal member 15 may be retained in the bracket in any suitable manner asjfby means of a threaded connection such as indicated ,at 16.

Referringmo'w'more particularly to Figs. 1 and ,2, it will be seen that according to the; present invention thereis' provided a; locking means for positively. holding theinte'rmediate pinion 11 in driving engagement with theeng'inemember 12 during the1 jcrankingj operationfjAs here illustrated this eking means is in the t rm ofat'oggle device" comprising the toggle memberlf? 'pivoted at 18. to a stationary part'such as a bracket 19 mounted on the iramej'ofthe motorjl, and a second toggle memberZFpiv Qted at 2 2 to a toggle member. 17 'pjivoted at 23 to the journal member. 15 onJthefSwinging bracket 13, 1'4. Stop means in the form" or shoulders 25 and 26 on the toggle memberjs l 'T andizlg; respectively are pmvided; tolimit" the pivotal movement about the pivot 22 to'a' straight line position as shown in Fig. 2, and yielding means in the form of a spring 2'? is provided tending to straighten the toggle to its idle position 'so as, to maintain the inter-' mediate pinion l'l'out of engagement with the engine "member '12. -It will be understood that the spring 28 is stronger than thespring 27 so""' that the spring 2'7 cannotstraightenthe toggle 1'7, 21, except when the spring 28 is overcome by thetorque of the driving'pinion 3 when the cranking operation is initiated. Means, are provided .for releasing the. locking" device for the intermediate pinion 11 by breaking the toggle'l'l, 21 when the driving pinion '3 has attained a predetermined rotational speed correlea'sing or tripping means comprises a pair of centrifugal elements 29, 31 mounted on the armatur'e. shaftfof the starting motor adjacent the driving .pinion 3 with freedom for limited radial,

action of springs 34 and35. The toggle member 21 is provided with an arm 36 carrying at its free end an adjustable. abutment member 37which is arrangedadjacent thefperiphery, or the cenvmovement asindicated at 32 and 33 against the trifugal elements 29531 when the toggle is in its" i ra dfb rne or.

means, 1415 31 will engage the abutment and break the toggle at the preselected speed of the starting motor at which it is desired to break the starting connection.

In the operation of this device and starting with the elements in the positions shown in Fig. 1, energization of the starting motor 1 causes rapid acceleration dffthe driving pinion 3 the direction o'f the arrow a. The rotational inertia of the intermediate pinion 11 causes the torque of the driving pinion 3 to swing the bracket 13-, "I4 until the intermediate pinion 11 engages thee-ngine member 12. Further rotation of thedriving pinion causes the intermediate pinion '11 to come into full mesh with the engine gear, whereupon the spring 27 straightens the toggle 1'7, 21 thus locking the gearing in operative positiqn as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the cranking operation of the engine is initiated. During the cranking 6p s i n. 1 th a mature sha a 1' 3"is ihs'uilicient to iaffect the denmen in, thes Z-e motor, whereupon the cheese: and. ylpt ofspringsfi andBjof' proper strength and' by the adjustment lof fstop BIT'theflduration or the positive locked condition of thestarter gearing maybe regulated"inaccordance with -'anydesired condit Thus, in installati'onswhere false starts arefprevalejnt the centrifugal device may if deemed f desirable 'befso" adjusted'as torelease only. at; 1 a] rotational j speed of the" motor v v l'1 ich is well above, its free spinning speed, thusfassurling continuous crankingfuntiratrue start-is secured.

'A1though butfo'n e mbodiment 'of the invention has'beensh described; it will be under- W stood that other embodiments are possible and "'mans for releasing said holding means.

2. In an engine starter drive a driving member,

"a tralx'isr'ri'ission member bodily movable transverse to'itsakis into engagement with a member of the engine to be started,' means for biasing the transmission member reward idle position, means for the "driving gear and mounted "forbodily movem ent 'transvrse to its-axisdntoand cater mesh with the drivengearfmeans for po'sfitivelylocking the intermediate gear :in rnes'h with the driven gear and speed "controlled means-for "releasing the lock'ing means. V I

4. In an'enginefstarterdrive,adriving geana driven gear, "an "intermediate gear meshing with ft'h'e driving gear and mounted forfbodily move- 'ment transverse to its axis into' "and-but of m'esh with the driven gear, means includin'g atoggle "structure f or positively locking the intermediate gearinmeshwith the qriven'gearana nie'a'ns controlled by, the speed of the drivinggear 'for breakj ingsaid t'oggletofallow the intermediate gear to return to demeshed position.

5. In an erig'ine starter "-a*dri'vingi"-rnember, a transmission member bodily moy ble t eb'y into driving engagementwith a "r'x'i be of -the' eng-ine to 'bestar'ted, means includinga t'og'g'le structure for-"holding thetransm' is's'i'o'n'm "em' 'b'erinengagin position and means including a centrifugal 'device resp' onsive" o thefspedbf'the driving m' em' ber 'forbrak'ing' said toggle. I

6. In "an engine starter,"a drivingfmeiiiber, -a transmission member bodily movable thereby :t'ran'sverse 1 to itsf axis into 1 driving engagement with a member of the-engin'e to be'startedQmeanS including a toggle structurefor holding-the transmission member engaging-position,"means normally maintaining the transmission member-in idleposition, yielding *rneans teriding' tostraighten the toggle when the transmission members "moved to driving position and means for breakfing said-toggle at a predetermined speed -'of the 'drivirigm'ember. e

" 7 In an engine starter; a driving meinben-a transmission member bodilymovable thereby transverse "to its axis into "driving "engagement 'jwith a member of fthe engineto be tartedg nieans including a toggle'structur'i" I h v blding the tr'a nsmission "member in engaging position? means ineludingacentrifugal devic mountedto rotate .wi nl h drivin me b determined speedto break-said "toggle nd 'y ieldperative t a 'premission'mmbertoidle position. I

'-VVITJLIAIVI- LQ" -MOGRATH.

g nieans thereupon operative remove the trans-

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