US1086682A - Automatic circuit-closer for motor-vehicle starters. - Google Patents

Description

.HENRY A. MENZEL, F SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR MOTOR-VEHICLE STARTERS.

.Specification of Letters vPatent.

Patented Feb. io, 1914.

Application filed November 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,325.

To all 'whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, HENRY A. MENZEL,

acitizen of the United States, residing at it-is desirable that the engine in such vehi-v Santa Clara, in the county of Santa Clara and .St-atc of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Cin Vcuit-Closers for Motor-Vehicle Starters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic circuit closer for motor vehicle starters.`

In the use of motor vehicles, such as am-' bulances and apparatus of re departments7 cles be started with the least possible delay when their use is required.

This invent-ion is particularly applicable to such motor-driven vehicles as are pro vided Awith electric motor starters, and the object.- of this invention is tol provide means for automatically closing the starting motor circuiton the vehicle when a fire alarm is received in the station.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically closing the ignition circuit of the main engine when this is turned over 'by the starter.

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and y ing drawings, in which-- position, ignition circuit closing switch andthe means for automatically closing same.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing the frame of the vehicle, internal combustion engine, electric starting motor with connected battery and the 'fire alarm circuit with connected mechanism for closing the circuit through lthe starting motor. Fig 2 is a perspective. viewrshowing the latching mechanism employed for the purpose of holding-the gear shifting pedal in depressed Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the Referrin'g'to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A

indicates thc frame of a motor vehicle, in

A 'this instance a 'motor-driven {ire-engine; B

Yso.

.fthe internal combustion driving engine of thetruclr;l 2 the fly-wheel; and 3 the electric startingr motor which is connected through a'. slidablc driving pinion 4 with thev gear 15 wheelfy l The main object of' the invention is automatically and,instantaneouslystart the rwise securedto the tly.

3 when a 'fire alarm is received within the .tire station. This is accomplished in the following manner: 6 and 7 indicate the wires of the main tire alarm circuit connected with a bell 8, connected-on said circuit, and operable in conjunction with same through wires G' and 7 is an electromagnet- 9 which becomes energized the moment the tire alarm circuit is closed to operate the bell and other connected mechanism. a trip switch which is adapted to be released by a latch member 11 the moment the magnet 9 becomes energized. The armature operable in connection with the magnet being secured to the inner end of the latch, as at 11, will thus cause the latch arm to rock and release the switch 10 which immediately .drops and closes a circuit through wires 12 and 13. One of saidiwires, as 12, connects with one of the terminals of the starting motor, as at 14, while the other wire is connected, as at- 15, witli the starting battery on the truck. The other leg of the circuit is closed by a wire 16 which connects with the opposite terminals of them-otor and batitery. The wires 12 and 13 are connected through plugs 17 and 18 witht-hetruck and will thus permit the truck to pull away from the plug connections 17 and 18 when leaving the fire sta-tion. The local Acirc-uit ,through the starting motor is thus broken and any necessity of severing 'connections between the motor-vehicle and trip switch' is thus entirely eliminated.

From the above description itcan be seen 10 indicates that the moment a fire alarm signal is re ceived in the station, magnet 9, which is connected on said circuit, will instantly be comes necessary, when returningto the firev station,.to back thel Atruck into such a position that plugs 17 and 18 may be inserted into the sockets on the'vehicle for the purose` of connecting the circuit. The trip switch 10 is then raised into the upper open position'where it remains until .actuated by the .ircalarm circuit.

APractically all vehicles equipped with an electric starting-motor are'providedjwith a is released.

sliding pinion similar to the one here indicated at Il. This sliding pinion is operated .throughs pedal`2() which is adapted to throw it into and out of mesh with the gear 5 on the fly-wheel through a series ofcra-nlis and levers generally indicated at 1P( The next operation, after the truck has been placed in position in the fire station and after plugs 17 and 1 8 havebeen inserted to connect the starting circuit, is to depress the pedal 20 so as to move the pinion Il into mesh with gear 5. It also becomes necessary to hold the pedal in this depressed posi tion as the pinion would otherwise move out vof mesh with the gear the moment the pedal The means for retaining the -pedal in the depressed position consists of a swinging latch 2l which is adapted to be swung from the dotted line position indicated at 2l across the foot lever 20 into enga-gement with a retaining latch 22. The foot lever is thus held in the depre =sed position and the pinion 4 prevented from sliding out of mesh with gear 5. The pinion 4 is thus in position at all times to start the en gine B the. moment the locali battery cir-A cuit 1J is c losed by the trip switchlO andv will thus cause theengme to be started when the re alarm circuit 1s closed.A For the purpose of automatically closing the ignition circuit through the spark plugs on the engine B the moment the starting' motor starts to turn the engine over, an' automatic self-closing switch has been interposed on the ignition circuit of the engine.` as indicated at This switch is here shown as consisting 'of a standard form'. of knife switch 24 vwhich is normally open when the engine is standing' still, being manually placed in this position. 25indicates a tube pivotally secured toA the knife blade of the switch, as at 26, and 27 indicates a, rod slidable in the tube which ispivotally secured,

Qas at 28,'to oneof the valveoperatinglift 'J1-ods -29 of the engine. The -operation of this part of the mechanism will -be as follows:

vThe momentthe engine starts turning- 'bver through the medium of the electric starting motor 3 it will only be a matter of about one revolution before the cani rod 29. ivill engage with the end of the rod and operate this to lift the` connected inlet or exhaust valve whichever the case may be.- Either an upward or al downward movement ofthe rod will thus be transmitted through the'pivoted rod 27 and vtube 26 toiorce theknife blade ci the switch23 into closed position; the length ofthe pivoted rod 27 -beingsuch as to engage with the bottom 'of the tube 25 or a"stop secured therein the moment the rod 27 assumes a :horizontal position with relation to the knife blade 24.? The ignition circuit -which A remainsnormally open through the medium of the switch 22 when the engine is at a standstill is thus automoves awayfrom saine. Both .the

. closed.

niatieally closed the moment the' engine starts turning over. From the revious deseription it' can thus be seen t at the engine'is first started turning over through the dropping of the trip switch 10 which-closes the local circuit through the starting motor' 3, and secondly, through the automatic elosing of the ignition circuit switch 23, and is thus'running when the driver assumes his seat and throws in the driving clutches in the usual manner. The latch v21, holding the lever 20 in the depressed position for the purpose of holding t-he starting gears infin- Vtermeshed position, is then kicked out by the,

operator to permit the foot lever 20 4to return to normal position; this movement being transmitted to disengage the pinion 4 from the gear 5. The local circuit estab lished through the starting motor is then broken the moment the vehicle leaves the station as the plug connections' 17 and .18

are severed by the vehicle when the vehicle gnition rou h circuit of the engine and the circuit the starting motor arer provided with t e usual switches, as indicated-at 30, for thepurpose of closing saidcircuits when start ing the engine outside/off the f ire station, these circuits being wired in the usual manner.

It can thus be seen that the automatic ting circuits connected with the starting nu and ignition system are only second'- ary circuits provided for'the purposes specified. v l

The engine starting motor and connected nicchanismv are constructed in the usual manner and require no special attachment outside of the auxiliary circuits, connections and switches described; .The auxiliaryinechanism constructed and connected as here shown is simple, reliable and positive in action and may 'oe-attached to-any wellkno'wn type of motor 'driven Vehicleprol vided with an 'electric starter. i

wish it understood that various changes in form, proportions andminor details of construction may be resorted to With relation to the automa-tic self-closing switches here employed and that I do not wish, to. limit myself to the specific design, `construction and application as here shown.

Having thus' described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is Y f l. The combination' withv the electric ing motor when the realarm circuit is 2. The combination with the' I electricstarting motor on a motor vehicle 'and a ire alarm circuit, of means for automatically x closing a circuit through the electric startling motor when' the lire alarm circuit *12o starting motor on a motor vehicle and a. fire Y 1,ose,esz

4t. The combination with a tire alarm cirvm cuit and a vehicle having an internal comi bustion driving engine and an electric start.- ing motor connected therewith, of means on the fire alarm circuit for automatically closing the electric starting motor circuit, means 'for automatically breaking said circuit,` and means for automatically closing the ignition circuit on the internal combustion engine.

The combination with a tire alarm circuit and a vehicle having an internal com bastion driving engine and an electric starting motor connected therewith, of a magnet connected with and actuated by the fire alarm circuit, and a trip switch actuated by said magnet adapted to close a local circuit through the electric starting motor to start the engine.

(l. The combination with a iire alarm circuit and a vehicle having an internal combustion driving engine and an electric starting motor with connected battery, of a magnet connected with and actuated by the tire alarm circuit, wires connect-ing the starting motor and battery with socket members, plugs insertible in said socket members, wires extending from said plugs, and a trip switch connected with said wires adapted to close a circuit through the starting motor and battery actuated by the magnet on the fire alarm circuit.

7. The combination with a fire alarm cir- .uit and a vehicle having an internal combustion driving engine and an electric startl l l l l l l l l l i i l l l l l gine, and means on the ing motor connected therewith, of means on the fire alarm circuit for automatically closing the electric starting motor circuit, and means for breaking said circuit when the vehicle is moved.

8. The combination with a tire alarm ein @uit and a vehicle having an internal com bustion driving engine and an electric starting motor connected therewith, of means on the tire alarm circuit for automatically clos ing the electric starting motor circuit,y a switch on the ignition circuit of the engine, and means operated by t-he engine for auto4 matically closing said switch when the en gine is turned over by the starting motor.

9. The combination with a lire alarm cli cuit and a vehicle having an internal com the engine, a sliding gear on the clectrid holding the slidstarting motor, means for ing gear in mesh with the gear on the fire alarm circuit tor automatically closing the electric starting motor circuit.

10. The combination with a fire alarm cir cuit and a vehicle having an internal com bustion driving engine and an electra` sia rt ing motor connected therewith, of a i on the engine. a sliding gear on the elec ric starting motor, means for holding the slid ing gear in mesh with the gear on the eirgine, means on the ire alarm circuit. lor automatically closing the electric starting motor circuit to start the engine turning, and means operated by the engine for automatically closing the ignition circuit'.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. Mancia..

Witnesses E. At. STANLEY, A. J. CROWN.

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