US2731005A - Electric starters for outboard motors - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1956 F. w. LAUSEN 2,731,005

ELECTRIC STARTERS FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Aug. 14, 1952 INVENTOR Frederick W. Lausen ATTORNEYS United States Patent ELECTRIC STARTERS FOR OUTBOARD IHOTORS Frederick W. Lausen, Gainesville, Tex.

Application August 14, 1952, Serial No. 304,309

3 Claims. (Cl. 123 179 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric starters for outboard motors.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved electric starter of such construction as to be mountable upon motors of different manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved starter which is so constructed that it is capable of being mounted beneath the protective shroud of an outboard motor so as to be concealed from View and shielded from the weather, whereby the appearance of the motor is unaltered.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved starter of simple economical design and construction whereby the cost of installation and maintenance is kept to a minimum.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an outboard motor having its shroud in section and having an electric starter, constructed in accordance with the invention, mounted thereon,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the motor and starter,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the clutch engaged,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detailed sectional view, showing one of the cam rollers in its disengaged position.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a conventional outboard motor of the internal combustion engine type which includes cylinders 11, a crankcase 12, a drive shaft 13 and a flywheel 14. A protective and decorative shroud 15 substantially encloses the motor 10, its cylinders, crankcase and flywheel, and an electric starter motor 16 is adapted to be mounted uprightly within the shroud forwardly of said crankcase and flywheel. The starter 16, which has its armature shaft 17 in parallel relation to the drive shaft 13, is fastened to the crankcase 12 by a generally triangular bracket 18 and suitable bolts 19. An upright flange 20 for attachment to the starter by the bolts is formed on the forward, upper portion of the mounting bracket 18 by bending said bracket outwardly upon itself. The starter is additionally secured to the crankcase by a horizontal arm or brace 21 and an extension 22 of said crankcase (Fig. 2). It is noted that the mounting bracket is merely substituted for a bracket (not shown) with which the motor is equipped.

The starter is provided with the usual electrical controls including a ground switch 23 connected to a solenoid 24 which delivers electrical current from a storage battery 2,731,005 Patented Jan. 17, 1956 (not shown) through cables 25 and 26 to said starter. A drive sprocket 27 is fixed to the upper end of the armature shaft 17 of the starter and is connected by an endless chain 28 to a driven sprocket 29 carried by the drive shaft 13. For drivingly connecting the sprocket 29 to the drive shaft, an overrunning clutch 30 is provided and said sprocket underlies and is fastened to the underside of its annular case or outer clutch member 31 by suitable countersunk screws 32 (Fig. 3). An inner, circular clutch member 33, having a depending tubular spindle 34, supports the outer clutch member or case 31 by having its spindle screw-threaded upon the upper end of the drive shaft above the flywheel 14. The inner clutch member 33 preferably is provided with an angular socket 35 in its upper end to facilitate its disconnection from the drive shaft. A ball bearing 36 encircles the spindle 34 and the outer clutch member 31 has a cylindrical bore 37 snugly engaging the bearing, whereby said outer clutch member and the driven sprocket 29 may remain stationary upon rotation of the inner clutch member and its spindle with the drive shaft. Above the bearing 36, the bore 37 is enlarged to provide a counterbore 38 and an upset, radial shoulder 39 between the bore portions for receiving and supporting an annular cam element or balk ring 40. The external and internal diameters of the ring 40 are substantially equal to the respective internal and external diameters of the clutch members whereby said ring has a snug rotatable fit with said members. A cir cular cover plate 41 overlies and is secured to the outer clutch member by suitable countersunk screws 42.

For connecting the cam ring to the outer clutch member, a plurality of set screws 43 are engaged in screwthreaded openings 44 extending radially through said member. Tangential ports or openings 45 are formed in the cam ring and their outer ends receive the inner ends of the screws 43, whereby said ring is held against movement relative to the outer clutch member. The inner ends of the openings 45 terminate in transverse cam slots or recesses 46 provided in the inner periphery of the cam ring and have upright, arcuate bottom Walls 47. An upright, cylindrical roller 48 is disposed in each cam recess 46 and is urged counter-clockwise thereof by a coiled spring 49 and pin or thimble 50 which are confined in the communicating opening 45 by the set screw 43 engaged therein (Figs. 4 and 5). Thus, the rollers 47 are resiliently urged into frictional engagement with the periphery of the inner clutch member and the counterclockwise end portions of the arcuate bottom walls 47 of the cam recesses, whereby clockwise rotation of the outer clutch member and cam ring with the sprocket 29 drives said inner clutch member and drive shaft in the cam directions.

Although the major portion of the arcuate bottom wall of each cam recess may be swung in an are about the axis of the clutch 30, its clockwise end portion is swung upon a greater radius so as to be spaced a greater distance from the periphery of the inner clutch member as shown by the numeral 51 (Fig. 6). Due to this increased width of each cam recess, the rollers move clockwise and out of frictional engagement with the inner clutch member periphery upon clockwise rotation of said member with the drive shaft. Thus, the inner clutch member overruns the outer clutch member and cam ring after starting of the motor so that said outer member and ring remain stationary when actuation of the starter 16 ceases.

It is readily apparent that a starter of economical efficient construction has been provided and that the same may be readily mounted upon outboard motors of several difierent manufacturers without altering the appearance, operation or use of such motors. Due to its compact construction, the starter may be mounted beneath the shroud of a motor so as to be concealed from view and protected from the Weather. The starter is readily installed by removing the flywheel nut (not shown) and connecting the clutch 3%} directly to the drive shaft 13 above its flywheel. With the exception of this nut and the shroud, it is unnecessary to remove or replace any parts of the motor. Of course, the clutch is one of the major factors contributing to the compactness of the starter and its ease of installation.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as Well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an outboard motor having a drive shaft, an in ternal combustion engine for driving the shaft, a flywheel on the shaft overlying the engine and a shroud enclosing the engine and flywheel, the improvement which includes, an electric starter motor mounted on the engine adjacent the flywheel and Within the shroud, an overrunning clutch overlying and securing the flywheel to the drive shaft and disposed within the shroud, a drive sprocket carried by the motor, a driven sprocket attached to the underside of the clutch above the flywheel, and an endless chain conneeting the sprockets.

2, The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein the clutch includes inner and outer members, the inner clutch member being fixed to the drive shaft and securing the flywheel thereto, the outer clutch member having the l. driven sprocket attached thereto, an annular element interposed between the clutch members and connected to said outer member, the element having cam recesses in its inner periphery, a roller in each recess, and spring-pressed means for urging the rollers into frictional engagement with said inner member to transmit rotation from said outer to said inner member and permit rotation of said inner member relative to said outer member,

3. In an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine provided with an extending drive shaft, a bracket mounted on the engine, an electric starter motor mounted on the bracket adjacent one side of the engine, a brace extending from the starter motor to the engine, and a driving connection between the starter motor and the drive shaft including an overrunning clutch, in combinatlon with a housing shroud overlying and surrounding the engine, the driving connection and the starter motor, and an electrical switch electrically connected with the starter motor and mounted on the shroud.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,142,574 Huck June 8, 1915 1,727,086 Vastano Sept. 3, 1929 2,373,507 Smith Apr. 10, 1945 2,677,360 Maurer et al. May 4, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,675 Norway July 8, 1946

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