US2987057A - Starter mechanism - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1961 P E KOPP STARTER MECHANISM Filed Aug, 28, 1959 3 Sheets-s l INVENTOR,

June 1961 P. E. KOPP STARTER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed Aug. 28, 1959 INVENTOR.

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June 6, 1961 P. E. KOPP STARTER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 28, 1959 Patented June 6, 1961 2,987,057 STARTER MECHANISM h Philip Kopp, Springfield, 111., assignor to Alfred H. Greening, trustee in bankruptcy for Richey Mfg. Co. Filed Aug. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 836,790 15 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) The present invention relates to a novel starter mechanism, and more particularly to a novel starter mechanism for internal combustion engines.

While it will be apparent that starter mechanisms of the type contemplated herein may be utilized in combination with internal combustion engines in various installations, the present disclosure will be facilitated by describing the starter mechanism in combination with an outboard motor boat engine. In general, presently available outboard motors must either be manually started or an electric motor starter system is provided. It will be appreciated that manual starting is frequently difficult and inconvenient and electric starter systems are expensive and often require considerable maintenance particularly in connection with the batteries thereof or utilize a significant amount of power created by the motor for driving a generator. Mechanical rather than electrical starter mechanisms have also been proposed, but such proposals have not provided sufiicient advantages to gain wide acceptance. v

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanical starter mechanism for outboard motors or other internal combustion engines, which starter mechanism may be actuated easily in a manner which compares, for example, with ease of operation of presently available electric starters.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanical starter mechanism for internal combustion engines and the like, which mechanism is constructed so that it will be automatically energized or rewound by the motor after the motor is started and which mechanism is constructed so that it is effectively disengaged from the motor upon completion of the rewincling operation and so that it may be easily re-engaged with the motor in order to accomplish a subsequent starting operation. 7 n

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanical starting mechanism of the above d scribed type which is constructed so that manual pull rope starting means may also be applied to a motor in combination with the mechanism for auxiliary starting purposes, said mechanism being constructed so that the pull rope starting means may be utilized without material interference from the mechanism.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel starter mechanism of the above described type which includes means for substantially disengaging the mechanism from a motor upon the completion of a rewinding operation, which means is constructed so that it may be actuated to re-engage the mechanism with the motor at the same time an operator manipulates the mechanism to initiate a starting operation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanical starter mechanism of the above described type which may be easily manually Wound or energized prior to an initial starting operation or in the event of failure of the engine to start.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanical starter mechanism which is of simple and efiicient construction and which may be relatively economically produced. 7 H

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel starter mechanism of the above described type which may be readily applied to outboard motors and the like presently being manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apaprent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical partial sectional view showing a a starter mechanism incorporating features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and partially broken away in order to show certain features in greater detail;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 33 in Fig. 1;

FIG 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but shows parts of a clutch mechanism shifted so as to disengage the starter from a motor;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 but shows the parts manipulated so as to reset the clutch mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing a motor including a starter mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals through out the various figures, a starter mechanism 1%) constructed in accordance with the present invention is adapted to be mounted above and in association with the fly wheel 12 or similar component of an internal combustion engine or outboard motor 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. The motor 14 is known construction and therefore need not be described in detail. As will be understood, the motor 14 may be started by rotating the fly wheel 12 or the shaft 16 to which it is secured.

The starter mechanism 10 comprises a base plate or member 18 mounted by means of a plurality of studs or the like 20 on the frame of the motor 14. An intermediate annular frame member or plate 22 is mounted above the base plate 1 8 by a cylindrical frame member 24 or other suitable means, and an upper frame member or annular plate 26 is mounted on the upper end of a cylindrical frame member 28 which in turn is supported on and secured to the intermediate annular plate member 22. Concentric bearings 30 and 32 are respectively supported by the intermediate and upper frame members or plates 22 and 26 and serve rotatably to support an assembly comprising a hollow arbor 34 and a hollow shaft 36. As shown best in FIG. 1, the upper end portion of the hollow shaft 36 is rotatably supported in the bearing means 32 and the lower end portion of the shaft extends into and is rotatably supported by the arbor 34 which in turn is rotatably supported by the bearing means 39. The arbor and the shaft are free to rotate relative to each other. Another shaft 38 extends through the hollow shaft 36 and is freely rotatable therein. A cap 4t} or other suitable member is secured to the upper end of the shaft 3 8 for retaining the shaft 38 against downward movement. The cap 40 may be in the form of a knurled knob to permit turning of the shaft 38 for the purpose described below.

The arbor 34 is drivingly connectable with the fly wheel 12 of the motor in the manner described below, and the starter mechanism 10 is provided with spring means 42 for driving the arbor and thus starting the inotor. A brake andreleasable latch unit 44 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is provided for normally locking the arbor against rotation. v

The spring means 42 comprises a spiral spring 46 having an inner end secured to the arbor by a fastener 48 and an outer end secured by fastener 50 or other suitable means to a cylindrical wall 52 of a spring casing member 54. A radially extending end wall of the casing member 54 is welded or otherwise secured to a hub member 56 which is rotatably mounted around a hollow shaft 36 on a bearing 58. An open end of the spring housing member 54 is closed by an annular plate 60 which is rotatably mounted around the arbor 34 on a bearing member 62. A ratchet wheel 64 is welded or otherwise fixed to the lower side of the spring housing member 60 for the purpose described below.

In order to wind or energize the spring 46 which provides the power for driving the arbor during a motor starting operation, means is provided for rotating the spring casing member 54 relative to the arbor 34. This means comprises the above mentioned hollow shaft 36 on which there is keyed or otherwise fixed a pinion 66. The shaft 36 is adapted to be manually turned by the means described below and also to be turned by the motor by additional means which will be described. Upon such rotation of the hollow shaft 36, the pinion 66 drives gears 68 and 70 which are rotatably supported by stub shafts 72 and 74 depending from the frame member or plate 26. The gears 68 and 70 are respectively connected with or formed integrally with pinions 76 and 78 which mesh with gear teeth formed on the hub member 56 for driving the hub member or gear 56 and thus the spring casing to tighten the spring.

In order to permit the hollow shaft 36 to be turned manually for tightening the spring, a handle 80 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 is provided. The handle 80 has an enlarged hub portion 82 which is disposed on and is rotatable relative to a hub member 84 keyed or otherwise connected to the hollow shaft 36. A ratchet wheel 86 is mounted on the hub member 84 within the hub portion 82 of the handle, and a spring biased pawl 88 is pivotally connected to the hub portion of the handle for engaging the ratchet wheel 86 upon oscillatory movement of the handle for rotating the hollow shaft 36 and thereby tightening the spring.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the unit 44 which serves releasably to retain the arbor 34 comprises an annular brake disc 90 which is keyed or otherwise fixed to the arbor. An eccentrically weighted tooth or dog member 92 is slidably disposed against one end face of the brake disc 90 and is provided with an enlarged and preferably elongated central aperture 94 through which an axially projecting inner marginal flange 96 of the brake disc 90 freely extends. As shown in FIG. 3 the dog or tooth member 92 comprises a circumferentially limited and radially projecting tooth portion 98 which extends between guide elements 100 and 102 secured to the brake disc or member 90. A compression spring 104 is disposed between the tooth portion 98 and the flange 96 for normally biasing the member 92 to the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the tooth portion 98 projects radially beyond the periphery of the brake disc 90. Oppositely from the tooth portion 98, the member 92 is provided with a weight portion 106 so that when the arbor 34 is rotated in the manner described below, centrifugal force causes the member 92 to shift against the action of the spring 104 for retracting the tooth portion 98.

As indicated above, the unit 44 serves normally to retain the arbor against rotation. Thus, a pawl 108 is pivotally mounted on a pin 110 for engaging the tooth or dog portion 98 in the mannershown in FIG. 3 and thereby positively preventing the arbor from rotating. The pivot pin 110 is connected with and sandwiched between a pair of support plates 112 and 114 which are supported in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spacers 116 and which are mounted in fixed relationship on the support plate or frame member 22 as shown best in FIG. 1. In order to control the pawl 108, a link 118 which extends between the plate members 112 and 114 is pivotally connected to the pawl by a pin 120 and also pivotally connected by a pin 122 to an arcuate lever 124 which extends between the plates 112 and 114 and is pivotally mounted with respect thereto by means of a pin 126. A tension spring 128 is connected between a free end of a lever 124 and a pin 130 fixed between the plate members 112 and 114 for normally biasing the lever 124 to the position shown in FIG. 3 so that the pawl 108 is located for engagement with the tooth or dog portion 98.

In order to disengage the pawl 108 from the tooth portion 98 to permit the arbor 34 to rotate during a motor starting operation, it is merely necessary to rotate the lever 124 about the pivot pin 126 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. This action causes the link 118 to rotate the pawl member around the pivot pin 110 until the end of the pawl clears the end of the tooth element 98. The lever 124 is adapted to be operated by means of a handle 132 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 which handle is fixed to an upstanding rotatably supported shaft 134 having a laterally extending lever 136 nonrotatably connected to a lower end thereof. A free end of the lever 136 is operatively connected with the lever 124 by means of a link 138. One end of the link 138 is pivotally connected by pin 140 to the lever 124, and an opposite end portion of the link 138 has a lost motion and pivotal connection with the lever 136, which connection is provided by a pin 142 secured to the lever 136 and extending through an elongated slot 144 in the link 138.

As indicated above, the centrifugal force which is created upon rotation of the arbor causes the member 92 to shift so as to retract the tooth portion 98 to prevent engagement thereof with the pawl 108. Thus the unit 44 is provided with additional means for stopping the arbor 34 after the motor has been started so as to permit the spring of the starter mechanism to be rewound. This means comprises a pair of brake shoes 146 and 148 disposed for engagement with the peripheral surface of the brake disc 90 and respectively retained in the desired position by pins 150 and 152 fixed between the supporting discs 112 and 114. Another brake shoe 154 is also provided and is retained for engagement with the periphery of the brake disc by a pin 156. However, the pin 156 is carried by the pawl member 108 as shown in FIG. 3 so that it serves to urge the brake shoe 154 aggressively against the brake disc or to permit the brake shoe to retract from the brake disc in accordance with the position in which the pawl member 108 is located. Thus when the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 3, the brake shoe 154 is urged aggressively against the brake disc 90 so that the disc is effectively clamped and substantially locked between the shoes 146, 148, and 154. Any possibility of slippage is, of course, positively prevented by the engagement between the tooth portion 98 and the pawl 108. When the operating handle 132 is actuated in the manner described above so as to disengage the pawl 108 from the tooth portion 98, the clamping pressure is relieved from the brake shoe 154 so that the brake disc 90 is released. In this connection, it is to be understood that the pins 150 and 152 are located so as to position the brake shoes 146 and 148 for free sliding engagement with the periphery of the brake disc 90 in the absence of the application of clamping pressure through the brake shoe 154.

The unit 44 is also provided with means for preventing reverse rotation of the spring housing after the spring 46 has been wound or energized. This means comprises a pawl 158 pivotally mounted on the plate member 114 by means of a pin 116 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The pawl is spring biased for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 64 which, as described above, is connected with the cover member 60 of the spring housing structure.

The starter mechanism is provided with means as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 for forming a driving connection between the arbor and the fly wheel of the motor during a starting operation and for efiectively disconnecting the arbor from the motor after starting has been accomplished. This means comprises a cylindrical member 162 fixed on and extending upwardly from the fly wheel '12 and including a plurality of axially extending peripherally spaced teeth 164 at its upper margin. A pair of dog elements 166 and 168 are carried by the arbor in the manner described below for retractably engaging the teeth 164.

In order to support the dog elements 166 and 168, a plate member 170 is mounted on and keyed or otherwise fixed to the arbor 34, and pins 172 and 174 are secured to the plate member 170 and extend upwardly therefrom for pivotally retaining the dogs. As shown best in FIG. 1, the dogs are loosely sandwiched between a pair of cam plates 176 and 178, which plates are secured to a common hub member 180 which is free to turn relative to the arbor 34. Referring particularly to FIG. 4, it is to be noted that the cam plates are provided with arcuate slot means 182 for accommodating the pins 172 and 174 and while only the slot means for the pin 172 is shown, it is to be understood that the slot means for the pin 174 is identical. These slot means are elongated and the center of their arcuate configuration is the center of the arbor so that the pins will not bind in the slot means and limited arcuate movement is permitted between the pin supporting plate 170 and the cam plates. It is also to be noted that each of the dogs includes an elongated slot 184 through which its associated mounting pin extends and which is disposed diagonally with respect to its associated arcuate slot means in the cam plates. In addition, a stop pin 186 is fixed between the cam plates for limiting the movement of the dog 166 in a counter-clockwise direction around the pin 172 as shown in FIG. 4, and an identical stop pin, not shown, is provided for similarly limiting the movement of the dog 168. With the construction just described, initial movement of the arbor 34- during a starting operation tends to rotate or advance the plate member 170 and thus the pins 172 and 174 relative to the cam plates 176 and 178. In order to insure this relative movement, a friction washer 188 is provided between the fixed bearing member 30 and the hub 180. The relative rotation between the parts causes the stop pins to engage the dogs to limit their pivotal movement about the supported pins and the centrifugal force created upon rotation of the arbor causes the dogs to be extended for engaging the teeth 164. After the motor has started, the above described brake and retaining unit 44 serves to stop the arbor and during this action the cam plates 176 and 178 advance relative to the support plate 170 sufiiciently to effectively disengage the stop pins 186 from the dogs. At the same time, the teeth 164 pivot the dogs forwardly and cam the dogs radially inwardly sufiiciently to disengage the dogs from the teeth completely.

The starter mechanism i furthe provided with means for utilizing the power of the outboard motor for automatically rewinding or energizing the spring 46 after each starting operation. This means which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4-6 is constructed for drivingly connecting the hollow shaft 36 with the motor to accomplish rewinding of the spring and for disconnecting the shaft 36 from the motor when the rewinding operation is completed. More specifically, a carrier comprising spaced plate members 190 and 192 is secured to the lower end of the hollow shaft 36. As shown best in FIGS. 4-6, a dog element 194 is pivotally mounted on a pin 196 between the carrier plates 190 and 192. The arrangement of the dog element 194 is such as to present a cam surface 198, when the dog element is in the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, beyond the peripheral edges of the carrier plates 190 and 192 for selective engagement with driving rollers 200 and 202 carried by suitable shafts 204 and 206 on the cylindrical member 162 which is secured to the fly wheel 12. When the roller 200, for example, engages the cam surface 198 as shown in FIG. 4, it will serve to drive the carrier and thus the hollow shaft in order to rewind the main spring 46. A pin 208 secured between the carrier plates extends through an oversized aperture 210 in the dog element 194 fo limiting the outward pivotal movement of the dog element.

In order to disengage the dog element 194 from either the roller 200 or the roller 202 when the main spring has been rewound or re-energized, means is provided for releasably retaining the dog element in the outer or drive position shown in FIG. 4. This means comprises a latch member 212 pivotally mounted between the carrier plates on a pin 214 located generally oppositely from the pivot pin 196 of the dog element. The latch member 212 is formed with a generally outwardly facing cam surface 216 adapted to mate with a substantially identical cam surface 218 provided on the dog element 194. A tension spring 220 is connected to the latch member 212 adjacent the free end cam surface thereof and also to an end of the pawl member 194 opposite from the end cam surface 218 of the dog member. The arrangement is such that when the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 4, the spring 220 tends to pivot the dog member 194 outwardly against the stop pin 208 so that it may be engaged by one of the driving rollers. In addition, the spring serves resiliently to hold the locking cam surface 216 of the member 212 against the cam surface 218 of the dog member so as to resist inward or counter-clockwise pivotal movement of the dog member.

It is to be noted that upon completion of the spring rewinding operation, further rotation of the hollow shaft and of the clutch unit carried thereby will be resisted. When this occurs, one of the driving rollers 200 or 202 acting against the cam surface 198 of the dog 194 causes the dog to pivot inwardly and toward the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 by overcoming the force of the spring 20 and the locking action provided by the latch member. During such inward movement of the dog member, the latch member 212 is cammed outwardly until the cam surface 216 thereof passes the outermost edge of the cam surface 218 on the dog member. It is important to note that the outer free end of the latch member 212 is hook-shaped and includes another cam surface 222 extending angularly from the end cam surface 218. The hook or cam surface 222 is adapted to engage the cam surface 198 of the dog member as shown in FIG. 5 for camming the dog member inwardly and against the stop post 208 so as to insure complete disengagement of the dog member from the driving rollers.

After the dog member 194 is shifted to the retracted position shown in FIG. 5, it will be eifectively retained in that position by the latch member 212. Thus after the outboard motor is stopped, it is necessary to reset the dog member 194 in the FIG. 4 position to enable the clutch unit to function for rewinding the main spring during a subsequent motor starting operation. The apparatus is provided with means for manually resetting the dog 194. This means is constructed so that it may be operated to reset the dog 194 at the same time the brake and locking unit 44 is released to initiate a motor starting operation. More specifically, a cam 224 is fixed on the lower end of the shaft 38 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4-6, which cam is formed with a lobe adapted to engage a projecting portion 226 of the latch member 212. The cam member 224 is formed with arcuately spaced abutment surfaces 228 and 230 alternately engageable with a stop pin 232 for limiting movement of the cam between a retracted position which is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and an advanced shown in FIG. 6. A tension spring 234 is connected between the cam member 224 and a pin 236 fixed to the plate members and 192 for biasing the cam member 224 toward the retracted position. When the cam member is in the retracted position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is eifectively disengaged from the latch member 212. in order to reset the dog 194- it is merely necessary to rotate the cam member 224 to the position shown in FIG. 6 so as to lift the latch member 212 sufiiciently to disengage the surface 222 thereof from the cam surface 198 of the dog. When this has been accomplished, the spring 220 serves to pivot the dog outwardly as shown in FIG. 6 so that when the cam member 224 is subsequently returned to its retracted position, the latch member 212 will pivot inwardly and releasably lockingly engage the cam surface 218 of the dog as shown in FIG. 4.

In order to turn the shaft 38 and thereby reset the clutch dog member 194, a ratchet wheel 238 is fixed to the shaft adjacent the upper end thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, a lever 240 for for operating the ratchet 238 is connected by a link 242 to another lever 244 which in turn is fixed to the shaft 134. Thus the lever 240 and the ratchet wheel 238 will be operated when the handle 132 is shifted to initiate starting of a motor. The lever 240 is provided with an enlarged annular hub 246 which surrounds the ratchet wheel 238 and carries a spring biased pawl 248 for drivingly engaging the ratchet wheel.

A resume of the manner in which the starter mechanism 10 functions is as follows. The main spring 46 is first energized or wound in the manner described above by oscillating the handle 89. Then the operating handle 132 is shifted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. It is to be noted that an operator may grasp the handle 132 directly or, if desired, a suitably supported control cable, not shown, may be attached to the handle 132 to enable an operator to actuate the handle from a remote location. When the handle 132 is shifted, the brake and latch unit 44 is released so that the arbor 34 begins to rotate. Upon such rotation, the dogs 166 and 168 are projected outwardly in the manner described above and engage the teeth 164 of the cylindrical adapt or member 162 for driving the motor through the fly wheel to accomplish starting thereof. At the same time, the clutch dog 1% is clocked or reset so that when the starting operation is completed and the handle 132 is released, the unit 44 stops the arbor 34 and the roller 200 or 202 engages the clutch dog for causing the main spring to be rewound in the manner described above.

If desired, means for turning the motor manually may be combined with the unit or mechanism 1'8 for emergency use. As shown in FIG. 1, such means comprises a pulley 250 on which a conventional pull cord 252 is wound. The pulley, in the embodiment shown, is rotatably supported on an annular bearing member 254 secured to and depending from the support plate 18. A spiral spring 256 is disposed Within the hollow pulley member 250 and has one end fixed to the pulley and an inner end fixed to the bearing member 254-. As will be understood, the spring 256 serves to rotate the pulley 250 in a reverse direction and recoil or rewind the pull cord 252 after the cord has been manually pulled out during a starting operation. A one-way driving connection is provided between the pulley 250* and the adapter member 162 by means of a pawl 258 pivotally connected to the pulley and yieldably biased by a spring into engagement with ratchet teeth 260 formed on the member 162.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An engine starter mechanism comprising support means mountable adjacent a rotary part of an engine to be started, rotatable means rotatably mounted on said support means for driving said rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, spring means connected with said rotatable means for rotatably driving said rotatable means, means for energizing said spring means, and means engageable with said rotatable means for progressively stopping the rotatable means at the end of a starting operation and for releasably positively retaining said rotatable means against rotation, said means for stopping and retaining the rotatable means comprising friction brake means for stopping the rotatable means and cooperable tooth and pawl elements for positively retaining the rotatable means.

a 2. A mechanism, as defined in claim 1, wherein said tooth element is radially shiftably carried by said rotatable means for movement between a radially projecting pawl engageable position and a retracted position, said tooth element being eccentrically weighted for biasing it toward the retracted position during rotation of said rotatable means.

3. An engine starter mechanism comprising support means mountable adjacent a rotary part of an engine to be started, rotatable means rotatably mounted on said support means for driving said rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, spring means connected with said rotatable means for rotatably driving said rotatable means, means carried by said support means for releasably restraining said rotatable means against rotation, and means operable in response to rotation of a started engine at the end of a starting operation for energizing said spring means, said energizing means including a shiftable element movable between a retracted position and a projecting position in which it is engageable with a driving element carried by the engine, and resiliently biased cam means engaging said shiftable element for retaining said shiftable element in said projecting position until a predetermined pressure is applied to the shiftable element by said drive element for forcing the shiftable element toward said retracted position.

4. A mechanism, as defined in ciaim 3, wherein said cam means includes a portion for moving said shiftable element to said retracted position after the shiftable element has been moved a predetermined amount by said drive element for enabling the shiftable element to be completely disengaged from the drive element.

5. A mechanism, as defined in claim 4, which comprises means for resetting said shiftable element in said projecting position.

6. A mechanism, as defined in claim 5, which includes common means for releasing said retaining means and for operating said resetting means during an engine starting operation.

7. An engine starter mechanism comprising support means mountable adjacent a rotary part of an engine to be started, rotatable means rotatably mounted on said support means for driving said rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, spring means connected with said rotatable means for rotatably driving said rotatable means, means for releasably restraining said rotatable means against rotation, means for energizing said spring means in response to rotation of a started engine and including an element shiftable from an extended position providing a driving connection with the engine to a retracted position upon completion of a spring energizing operation, means connected with the engine and engageable with said element for shifting said element to said retracted position upon completion of a spring energizing operation and common means for releasing said restraining means and for resetting said shiftable element to said extended position during an engine starting operation.

8. In an engine starter mechanism of the type described having spring biased rotatable means, means for releasably restraining said rotatable means against rotation and for progressively stopping said rotatable means at the end of a starting operation, said restraining and stopping means comprising friction brake means for progressively stopping the rotatable means, and shiftable positive stop means for retaining the rotable means against rotation.

9. A mechanism, as defined in claim 8, wherein said shiftable positive stop means comprises a tooth element generally radially shiftably carried by said rotatable means for movement between an extended operative position and a retracted inoperative position, spring means for biasing said tooth element toward said extended position, and weight means for biasing the tooth element in opposition to the spring means and to said retracted position upon rotation of the rotatable means.

10. A mechanism, as defined in claim 8, wherein said shiftable stop means comprises an extendable and retractable tooth element carried by said rotatable means and a dog member pivotally mounted for engagement with the tooth element, and said friction brake means comprises a brake disc carried by said rotatable means and a brake shoe engageable with said disc and operable in response to movement of said dog member.

11. In an engine starter mechanism of the type described having rotatable means for driving a rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, spring means for driving the rotatable means and means for rewinding the spring means, clutch means for providing a detachable connection between the motor and said rewinding means for driving the rewinding means at the end of a motor starting operation, said clutch means comprising a rotary carrier connected with said rewinding means, a shiftable dog element on said carrier and movable between a retracted position and a projecting position for engagement with a drive element carried by an engine, resiliently biased cam means on said carrier and engaging said dog element for retaining said dog element in said projecting position until a predetermined pressure is applied to the dog element by said drive element for forcing the dog element toward said retracted position, said cam means including a portion for shifting the dog element away from the drive element and to said retracted position after the dog element has been moved a predetermined amount toward the retracted position by the drive element for insuring complete disengagement of the dog element from the drive element.

12. A starter mechanism, as defined in claim 11, which includes means for resetting the dog element to the projecting position after the dog element has been shifted to the retracted position, said last named means comprising a rotary cam member engageable with said cam means for disengaging said cam means from the dog element, and spring means extending between said dog element and said cam means for shifting the dog element to said projecting position when the cam means is disengaged from the dog element.

13. In an engine starter mechanism of the type described having rotatable means for driving a rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, means for connecting said rotatable means and said rotary part during a starting operation and for disconnecting said rotatable means and said rotary part upon the completion of a starting operation, said connecting means comprising a radially projecting support member fixed to and rotatable with said rotatable means, a pivot pin secured to said support member and extending substantially parallel to said rotatable means, a dog on said pin and having an elongated slot receiving said pin and extending diagonally with respect to a radial line including said pin and a center of rotation of said rotatable means for enabling the dog to pivot and to shift radially outwardly and inwardly with respect to the pin for engagement with and disengagement from tooth means carried by the rotary part of the engine, and a plate member carried on and rotatable relative to said rotatable means and presenting a stop element for engagement with a radially inner end portion of said dog for limiting pivotal movement of the dog when the dog is in the extended position for providing a driving connection between the rotatable means and the rotary part of the engine and means limiting relative rotation between said plate member and said support member for properly locating said stop element.

14. An engine starter mechanism comprising support means mountable adjacent a rotary part of an engine to be started, a hollow arbor rotatably mounted with respect to said support means, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted with respect to said support means and extending through and rotatable relative to said arbor, a second shaft extending through and rotatable relative to said hollow shaft, means connected with said arbor for drivingly connecting the arbor with the rotary part of an engine during a starting operation, a spiral spring surrounding the arbor and having an inner end secured to the arbor for driving the arbor during a starting operation, spring casing means surrounding the spring and secured to an outer end of the spring, gearing means connecting said hollow shaft and said spring casing for rotating the spring casing and thereby winding the spring, means for releasably retaining the arbor against rotation, means for manually turning said hollow shaft for winding said spring, clutch means between said hollow shaft and said part of the engine for connecting said hollow shaft and said part for rotating the hollow shaft and automatically rewinding the spring upon the completion of a starting operation, and for disconnecting the hollow shaft from said part of the engine on completion of the rewinding operation, and means carried by said second shaft for resetting said clutch means for connecting said hollow shaft and said part upon rotation of the second shaft.

15. A mechanism, as defined in claim 14, wherein said means for providing a connection between the arbor and the rotary part of an engine comprises an adapter member secured to said engine part and extending axially therefrom and presenting tooth means, and shiftable dog means carried by said arbor and engageable With and disengageable from said tooth means, said support means comprising an annular plate member surrounding said adapter member, said mechanism including selectively useable manual means for turning said rotary engine part, said manual means including a pulley rotatably supported with respect to said annular plate, a manual pull rope connected to said pulley, spring means for rewinding the pulley, and one-way drive means between said pulley and said adapter member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,006,064 Clarke Oct. 11, 1911 ,1,135,694 Keller Apr. 13, 1915 1,511,082 Johnston Oct. 7, 1924 2,042,841 Harmon June 2, 1936 2,566,539 Starkey Sept. 4, 1951 2,692,665 Pepper Oct. 26, 1954 2,744,586 Blankenburg May 8, 1956 2,922,411 Skinner Jan. 26, 1960

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