US1451530A - Electric starter for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 10, 192$ 1,451,539

o. BRlSBQ'iS ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. '7, 1921 Jnvntor 1 B risbaisf @mm (1 imrn y,

' Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

STATES. PATENT OFFIQE. a

ODILON' BRISIBOIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 443,172.

To all whom it may concerw:

Be it known that I, ODILON BRISBOIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in an Electric Starter for Internal-Combustion Engines,

of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a specification.

This invention relates to what are known in the automotive art as electric starters and comprises mechanism which is positioned between an electric motor and the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine; said starters being arranged so that, the engine being at rest, or dead, upon closing the electric circuit of which said electrlc motor is an element, it will be energized, and will turn the crank shaft of said engine continuously until said crank shaft is turned by the combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber thereof; whereupon, on said circuit being broken said motor ceases to be the driving member of said crank shaft, it beingthereafter driven by the pistons and connections of said engine.

Among the objects of this invention are to obtain an electric starter which is simple in construction, of few parts, economically made, and durable. Additional objects are to obtain a starter of the kind named and adapted to be positioned between an electric motor and the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine and a starter which is providedwith a gear pinion adapted to intermesh with gear teeth concentric to and rotatable with said crank shaft, which. when not in operation will not be in mesh, and which, when about to be operated will move into mesh, without rotation, and when so moved into mesh will rotate and produce rotation of said intermeshing gear and said crank shaft; and which, when said intermeshing geari's rotated by rotation of said .crank shaft, (the rotation of said pinion by said electric motor having ceased, as by the breaking of the circuit named), said pinion will,

while continuously rotating, move laterally out of engagement with said inter-meshing ear. g Further objects of this invention contemplate the use o'f.a member having a helical or spiral surface or groove adapted to en'- gage an abutment on the starting pinion whereby the binding of the present used screw shaft is avoided, the gumminess of lubricant avoided and a more responsive starter is obtained. It is also an additional obJect of this invention to provide a yield- 1ng connection between the motor starting pinion and driven member of the internal combustion engine. L' I obtain the several objects above set forth by the'mechanism illustrated in the drawing referred to, in which V Fig. 1s a view, partly in elevation and partly 1n section, of said mechanism, with a diagram of an electric motor in proper relation thereto. I

Fig. 2 is a view on line 2-2 viewed as indicated by arrows.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, looking down, of an outer shell of said mechanism, showing the brake members which are also illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, on line 4-4 of Flg. 1, viewed as indicated by arrows.

of Fig. 1,

A reference character applied to desig nate a given part indicates said part throughout the several figures, wherever the same appears. v

A- indicates an electric'motor, and B the shaft thereof. C represents a hub which is secured on said shaft to turn therewith,

her F is illustrated as of two diameters, the

smaller diameter thereof being substantially the same as the internal diameter of cylinder G, so as to slide easily thereinto as the member F moves or is moved from the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1 towards the right. i" indicates the line where the part of member F which is of smaller diameter joins the part thereof of larger diameter. H represents a spiral spring, which is openly wound, and one end thereof bent into a substantially radial plane, as indicatedby broken lines 12., Figs. The other end of spring H is curved to form a hook which is in the plane of the cylindrical portion of said spring, or substantially so, as at h", (Figs. 1 and2); It should be noted that the spring H constitutes a member having a helical or spiral guideway or slot for advancing the gear into mesh with the engine flywheel or the like and retract-- ing the same whenthe engine starts. T

represents a cylindrical shell, the right hand end whereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, is sup glorted by resting on the periphery of disk and the opposite end whereof is supported by pin J, said shell being thereby maintained substantially concentric to shaft B. Pin J is illustrated as provided with screw threads which fit-into corresponding internal screw threads cut in an aperture in member F (see broken lines j. Fi 2).

j represents a pin which is embedded in shell I and which extends through pin or screw J, to prevent said pin turning in said shell or in member F. K, K, represent brake members which are illustrated as yieldingly held in contact with shell I by springs L, L. Springs L, L, are illustrated as secured to brakemembers K, K, by screws 70, k, and to the casing of motor A by screws Z, Z. M, m, Figs. 1 and 2. represent arrows whichindicate the direction shaft B and spring H are turned, (by motor A) to opera ate the apparatus and start the engine on which the apparatus is installed; and X. X, represent gear teeth which are concentric to the crank shaft of said engine and connected thereto to turn therewith. Teeth f, f, intermesh with teeth X, X, when member F is in the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1 m, Fig. 2, represents an arrow which indicates the direction in which member F is turned by spring H, when the end h of said spring engages with pin J to start an engine; and also the direction in which gear teeth f, f, and member F are turned by said engine when it is started and motor A is at rest.

The several parts of the apparatus being in the position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 1, and the engine on which the device is installed having been started; upon the breaking of the circuit of which said motor A is an element, the motor, the hub C and the spring H cease to turn; but the teeth f, f, and member F will continue to turn, being rotated by teeth X, X; said rotation of member F rotating shell I, and turning pin J around shaft B, thereby causing said pin J to travel betweenthe turns of said spring, moving member F towards the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, until teeth f, f, are moved out of engagement with the teeth X, X; whereupon said member F, together with pin J, will cease to turn, as will also shell I. In the last recited operation the brakes K, K, tend to bring shell I and member F to a quick stop. Member F being moved to the right so that the teeth f, f, are out of mesh with teeth X, X, if the circuit of which motor A is an element is closed and said motor energized, shaft B will be turned in the direction indicated by the arrow M, (Figs. 1 and 2), and the shell I being held non-rotatable by brakes K, K, the consequent turning of spring II will cause pin J to travel towards the left between the turns of the spring, and during said travel of said pin member F will not rotate or be rotated; when, however, pin J is returned to the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1, by said rotation of spring H and non-rotation of shell 1 and member F, the curved end h" of the spring H will engage with pin J and thereby turn member F and shell I. Said turning of member F will not occur until the spring H is well under tension, owing to the inertia of gears X. X, and the crank shaft of the engine having to be overcome. The putting of said spring under tension prevents a hammer blow between the teeth 7', f, and X, in the above recited operation.

It will be observed by the foregoing recital that the turning of the motor shaft, hub and spring H; the member F not turning. (being held therefrom by brakes K, K, and shell I), said member F is moved to the left and into the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1: and the turning of the member F in the same direction by the intermeshing of teeth X and f, f, turns pin J and shell H; and shaft B, hub C and spring H being at rest, (not turning) moves said member F to the right, until said member ceases to turn.

\Vhen spring H is put under tension in the starting of the engine by means of teeth X, as described, the diameter of the coils thereof may be lessened; but in no case can they be injured thereby, as when said diameter is so lessened that said spring is brought into contact with cylinder G and member F, further lessening of said diameter is prevented thereby.

I claim:

1. A rotatably mounted shaft, means to drive said shaft, a cylinder concentric to said shaft, and a yielding shaft in said cylinder, in combination with means to attach one end of said yielding shaft to said first shaft, a member provided with eX- ternal gear teeth loosely mounted on said first shaft, and a projecting member on said loosely mounted member arranged to engage with said yielding shaft and engaged with said cylinden and adapted to bemoved laterally a determined distance by the rotation of said yielding shaft, and said yielding shaft arranged to engage said abutment upon the completion of the lateral travel thereof and turn said projection, said loosely mounted member and said cylinder around the axis of said shaft, and means tending to retard rotation of said cylinder.

2. A rotatably mounted shaft, means to rasneeo rotate said shaft, a cylinder concentric to said shaft, and a spiral spring in said cylinder, in combination with means to attach one end of said spring to said shaft, a member provided with external gear teeth loosely mounted on said shaft, and a member connecting said cylinder and said loosely mounted member, said connecting member arranged to extend between the coils of said spring, and adapted to be moved laterally a determined distance by the rotation of said spring, and said spring arranged to engage said connecting member upon the completion of the lateral travel thereof, and turn said connecting member, said loosely mounted member and said cylinder around the axis of said shaft, and means to yieldingly maintain said cylinder nonrotatable.

3. A rotatably mounted shaft, means to rotate said shaft, a hub on and rigidly secured to said shaft, a loosely coiled spiral spring, means to attach one end of said spring to said hub, a member loosely mounted on said shaft and in said spring, and a cylinder outside said spring, means to engage said loosely mounted member with an internal combustion engine, to transmit rotation of one thereof to the other, a con-.

necting member joining said loosely mounted member and said cylinder, said connecting member extending between adjacent coils of said spring and adapted to maintain said cylinder at said joined end concentric to said loosely mounted member projecting therefrom, a member surrounding said gear and shaft and connected to said shaft for rotation therewith, said member having a spiral guideway for receiving said stud, one end of said guideway being closed for engaging said stud and rotating said gear.

5. In an engine starter, a driving shaft, a driving gear loosely mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof, and having a stud projecting radially therefrom, a cylindrical member surrounding said shaft and gear and connected to said shaft for rota: tion therewith, said member having a spiral shit or guideway for receiving said stud, one end of said guideway being closed for engaging said stud and rotating said gear, and said gear being movable .within said cylindrical member.

UDILON BRISBUIS.

Witnesses: CHARLES TURNER BROWN, B. S.'Bnow1v.

Images