US1300049A - Gas-engine starter. - Google Patents

Description

H. L. THOMPSON.

GAS ENGINE STARTER I APPLICATION nuin MAY 10. 1916. 1,800,049. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Patented Apr 8,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Mill]!!! H. L. THOMPSON. GAS ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FlLE D MAY I0. l9l8.

, The invention n rnn STATES PATENT 'QFFIGE.

HERBERTIYL. rnomrson, oF:ELG1n, 11LLmoIs, Ass-xenon ro .ELeIn ens oron comrany, or ELGIN, ILLINOIS, aconronarion or ILLINOIS.

GAS-ENGINE STARTER.

Application filedMay 10, 1918. Serial No. 233,792.

Toall whom it may com-elm:

. Be .it known that I, lHERBERT L. 'THOMP- :SON, .a citizen of the United States, residing at Elgin, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and -.useful Improvements 111; -Gas-Engrne Starters, of which the following 18 a specification.

This invention relates to a starter for gas engines ofthe stationary type which are .aflixed to the-floor, or'some suitable support, M

and is particularly designed and'intended to be actuated by the .foot of an operator, although of course it nay be actuated by hand. consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts. I

In. the accompanying .drawings Figure-1 is an elevation of a starter constructed in accordance with the-principles of the invention and applied at one end of a .small inclosed gas engine.

Fig. Qis a sectional detail of the starter engaging pawl.

Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the starter; and v Fig. 4: is a view of the starter showing the parts in actuated position. Y

The present invention is shown as applied to a small .gas engine of which the fly wheel is inclosed by a casing 1 and with a driving shaft 2, upon which is keyed a pinion 3. This pinion meshes with a gear 1 which is mounted on a counter-shaft 5, supported in a boss 6 extending from the lower portion of the casing .1, and at the outer end of the counter-shaft 5 is a driving pulley 7, by means of which the engine may be connected to the devices which it operates. Extending over the pinion 3 and the gear 1 is a guard 8 which is-supported from the casing 1 by means .of cars 9 and fastening screws 10.

The inside of the rim of the gear 1 is formed with internal teeth 11, and freely mounted upon the counter-shaft 5, between the gear and the casing, is a ratcheting member 12 having a recess 13, in which a pawl 14: is pressed outwardly for engagement with the teeth 11 by springs 15. This member 12 is also formed with teeth 16 which are arranged at successively different and incl-ca ing distances from the axis of the shaft upon which it is mounted, thereby cooperating with teeth. 17 of a gear segment 18 pivoted :ona. rojection-or stud 19 which extends from t e casing 1 below the counter-fshaft o.

Secured to, or formed integral with'rthe se ment 18 is an operating arm :20, at the'extremity of which is a pedal portion 21 which is adapted tobe'pressed'by the foot, or if desired, by the hand of an operator for actuating the gear segment. Attached to one end of the casing 1, and at the other end of the gear segment 18 is a spring 22 which tends to-draw the arm .20 in the direction of the counter-shaft 5 in which position the arm 20'zengages :the spring-pressed pawl .14 and moves it inwardly in the recess 13 against the tension. of-the springs15'and out of -'engagementwith the teeth 1110f gear 4. This entirely disengages the pawl 14 from the teeth 11 so that when. the engine is in opera- -'tion there is no connection between the 'starting members and the ordinary operating and driving parts ofthe engine. It will be observed that theouter end of the pawl 14 is beveled'sothatthe rotation of the gear. 4 in the operating direction will cause the pawl sition-shown in Fig. 4:. Of course, as soon as the :arm 20 is released, the spring 22 will draw it upwardly in the position shown in Fig. l, whereupon the pawl 14 will be disengaged from the teeth 11.

"It will'beobserved in starting this engine that the greatest effort will be exerted at the beginning of themovement of the arm 20 for the teeth 17 of the segment 18 which are nearest to the arm 20 are at the shortest distance from the axis of the stud 19, and therefore the. greatest leverage will be exerted upon the ratcheting member 12 as the teeth 16 of this member which are normally in engagement with the teeth of the segment 18 are at the greatest distance from the axis of the shaft 5, and as the arm 20 is rotated to efl'ect the starting movement, the ratio of the distances of the two sets of teeth from their centers increases in the caseof the segment .8 and decreases in the case of the ratcheting member 12 so that an accelerated speed is given to the gear 4: with the same speed of movement of the arm '20. It willbe observed furthermore that the diameters of the gear a and the pinion 3 are in the ratio of about three to one so that a complete rotation of the engine 2 is possible'with a much less rotation of the gear 4 and of the se ment l8.

ith this construction there is no danger of a kick-back and the gears are fully protected so that there is no danger of their engagement with the clothes or person of an operator, thus making it a particularly desirable starter for Women and children to use, with the further advantage that it can be operated by foot, rather than by hand.

iThere are few moving parts which are unlikely to get out of order because-they are only used at the time of starting and have no further connection nor interference with the operation.

1. In a gas engine starter, a gear, a rotatable ratcheting member connectible with the gear and having teeth which vary successively in their distance from the axis of rotation, and an operating member having teeth which engage the teeth of the ratcheting member for rotating it.

2. In a gas engine starter, a pair of rotatable members having teeth which vary successively in their distances from the axes upon which they rotate, the teeth meshing with each other, the distances of the successive teeth of one member increasing from its axis as the distances of the other teeth of the other member decrease from its axis.

3. The combination with a gas engine having a driving shaft and a pinion thereon, a counter-shaft having a gear thereon continuously meshing with the pinion and with internal teeth at the rim thereof, and a starter comprising a ratcheting member rotatable on the counter-shaft and having a pawl engageable with the internal teeth of the gear and an operating member for con trolling the engagement of the pawl and for rotating the ratcheting member.

I. The combination with a gas engine having an operating shaft and a pinion thereon, of a counter-shaft with a gear thereon continuously meshing with the pinion, a starting member engage-able with the gear, and means normally preventing the engagement of the starting member with the gear but operative to rotate and to cause the engagement of the starting member with the gear in a direction to start the engine.

5. In a gas engine starter, a gear rotatable continuously with the engine and having internal peripheral teeth, a ratcheting member rotatable upon the same axis and having a pawl engageable with the internal teeth of the gear, and means for r0- tating the ratcheting member includmg an arm which normally engages the pawl for holding it out of engagement with the teeth.

6. In a gas engine starter arotatable member, a ratcheting member" having a spring-pressed pawl engageable with the rotating member, and means for rotating the ratcheting member including an arm "for engaging the pawl and a spring for normally drawing the arm into engagement with the pawl and pressing it out of engagement with the rotatable member.

7. The combination with a gas engine, of

'a foot starter-therefor comprising apair or convolute gears meshing with each other and oneof'them havingan arm attached thereto for exerting greater leverage upon the other at the'beginning of the starting movement, "and means for returning the gears to the same starting position.

8. In a gas engine starter, a rotatable gear having internal teeth, a ratcheting member having a spring-pressed pawlfor engaging the teeth, the ratcheting member having teeth which successively differ in distance from its axis of rotation, a pivoted gear segment meshing with the teeth of the ratcheting device, and an arm connected with the segment for imparting an accelerating movement to the ratcheting member for the same continuous'movement of the arm.

9. In 7 a gas engine starter, a rotatable member, a ratcheting device conn'ectible with the member, and operating means having a convolut'e geared connection with'the device for producing an accelerating movement on the device-for the same continuous movement of the operating means.

10. In a gas engine starter, a rotatable gear, a ratcheting member having a common axis and engageable with the gear to rotate it in one direction, a pivoted segment having an operating arm, and a convolute geared connection between the segment and the member by which an increased starting pressure is exerted upon the member than after it is started for the same application of pressure to the arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 6th day of May, A.'I). 1918.

HERBERT L. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

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