US2018229A - Engine starter - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1935.

J. G. RAYNIAK ENGINE STARTER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE STARTER,

Application August 3, 1931, Serial No. 554,741

Claims.

This invention relates in general to a mechanical starter for internal combustion engines and more particularly refers to marine motors of the outboard type, although it may be used 5 wherever applicable.

One of the principal objects, of the invention I is in the pr'ovisionof a recoili'ng starter mechanism to simplify and facilitate successive starting operations.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of means for preventing the starter mechanism from engaging during a kick-back or in back-firing.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of ball gripping starter mechanism opposite movable surfaces to grip balls therebetween when they are substantially parallel.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a shock absorber upon the return of the starter handle.

A further object'of the invention is in the provision of a simple starter mechanism which may be readily applied to outboard motors already in operation.

Other and further objectives will appear hereinafter, the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing Fig. 1 "is a top view of an en gine starter constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and applied to an outboard type of marine motor; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the starter showing the motor parts in outline; and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. In starting marine motors, particularly of the outboard type, it has been the practice to use a pull rope with a notched starting pulley, but this is objectionable for the reasons that the rope may become lost or broken, it takes time and patience to coil andrecoil the rope about the pulley for successive operations, and if many operations are required it becomes very difflcult and laborious. The present invention overcomes these objections by substituting a simple recoil starter of the spring type which actuates a ball clutch by successive pulls 'on the starter, the pulling tape being immediately 'recoiled upon release so that it is ready for another pull. Provision is also made for engagement of the clutch balls upon a kickback or reverse operation of the engine part of I the starter mechanism so that there is no danger of engaging the clutch balls in case the engine should operate reversely. I Referring now more particularly to the drawing, this invention is illustrated as applied to an outboard motor of the vertical type having a fixed or casing part 5, above which is a flywheel 6 mounted at the upper end of the engine or crankshaft I.

In applying the present invention, a shaft extension 8 is threaded upon the upper end-of the crankshaft I and has a nut 9 at the top by which it may be attached and removed, the portion, below the nut forming a. bearing for the starter 5 mechanism. It is customary to provide a notched rope starter plate which is attached to the top of the fly wheel 6, but in applying the present starter the 'conventional starter plate is removed and a starter plate In is substituted therefor 10 which has a rope engaging notch H, for. emergency operation and has a sleeve extension 12 surrounding the bearing portion of the shaft extension 8. Mounted directly on top of the starter plate It) and surrounding the sleeve extension 15 is a clutch member l3 which is secured directly to the plate I!) and the fly wheel 6 by any suitable means such as screws l4. Also attached to the starter part I3 to rotate therewith is a central washer I5 having a projecting pin l6 which en- 20 gages with the part 13 for rotating it therewith, these parts all being secured together and to the fly wheel to rotate with it and with the shaft extension 8.

A pair of side supports II are secured'to the 25 motor casing 5 or any relatively fixed part of the engine by links or brackets I8 and extend around and above the fly wheelwhere they are attached to a top plate l9 having a downwardly projecting bearing portion 20 which surrounds the 30 sleeve extension l2 but is spaced therefrom by hearing sleeves 2| and 22. The outer rim 23 of the plate 19 is turned downwardly forming a casing for a recoil spring 24 and a pull tape 25,

which are attached at the inside and outside re- 35 spectively of a rim 26 of a lower casing member 21. The inner end ofthe recoil spring 24 has a looped fastening or end 28 into which a projection-29 is inserted and the'outer end of the spring and the inner end of the tape 25 may be 40 attached to therim 26 by means of a slotted loop at the end adapted to embrace an outwardly or inwardly pressed tongue 30 of the rim 26 through which a holding pin 3| is inserted. The outer end of the pull tape 25extends through a 5 slot in the rim 23 of the upper casing member and through a bracket 32 attached thereto, and at the outer end of the tape is a pull handle 33 having a slit 34 for receiving the tape and fastening screws 35 for holding it in place. Inter- 50 posed between the bracket and the handle 32 is a short extended'recoil spring 36 attached to the handle by a fastening screw 31 and providing a bullet for cushioning the return of the pull tape due to the action of the recoil spring 24. 55

To close the bottom of the upper spring casing member is a'plate 38 and below this plate and surrounding theextension sleeve I2 is an inner starter member. 40 separated from the .sleeve 22 by an anti-friction sleeve 4|. This- 66 42. Thus it is seen that the casing and the.

- parts enclosed thereby and the inner starter member 40 and the parts attached thereto are relatively fixed with respect-to the outer starter member IS, the inner starter member 40 being turned only upon actuation and return of the starter tape 25, and being separated from the rotating parts by anti-friction bearing sleeves and washers.

At the periphery of the inner starter member 40 are a number of ball engaging surfaces 43 and at the inside of the outer starter member ii are a number of ball engaging surfaces 44, normally disposed in substantially vertical relation, be-

tween which balls 46 are engaged for gripping action when the surfaces are substantially parallel. For each ball there is provided a retaining I 5 groove 46 having a radial portion "which is inclined toward the center thereof so that the balls will roll by gravity into position to engage the inner member 40 and an outer curved portion 48 extending from the outer end of the radial portion in the normal direction of movement of the starter members. This portion 48 is also inclined downwardlyfrom its outer end toward the axial portion 41 so that when the starter parts are at rest the balls will tend to roll by gravity from the outermost end of the grooves 46-. e

In the normal starting operation an outward pull of the handle 33 unwinds the pull tape 25 and winds up the recoil spring 24. This causes the engagement of the balls 45 with the outer starter member l3 when the surfaces 43 and 44 thereof, respectively, are substantially parallel and a continued pullof the tape rotates the 5 crankshaft for starting the engine. As the engine starts or as the inner member 4| is reverseiy rotated the balls 45 move outwardly in, the grooves 44. If it should happen that the engine instead of starting in the proper 5 direction should kick backwardly or .start in the reverse direction, the starter balls instead of being moved downwardly into engagement with the starter member 40. will bethrown by -centrifugal force into the grooved portion 4| and will not return for cat with the' 65 operative, the emergency starter plate ll may be used together with a starter rope either with thebrackets I'I andtheattachedpartsinplace or removed. Iclaim: I 7o 1. A horizontally rotatable starter mechanism for-an engine havinga flywheel comprising a part attachable to a flywheel, afixaed support'at- 'techabie tgthe engine and extending aboutthe I the'rotation of the inner starter member 4!! and flywheel, a starter part rotatable with respect to the support and means including passages inclined to the horizontal and gravity clutch members therein for engaging it in one direction of rotation with said flywheel part, means attached 5 to the starter part for rotating it, and rewinding means attached to the support and the starter part for recoiling the starter rotating means.

2. A starter mechanism-for an engine having 10 a fixed casing and a horizontallyoperating flywheel, comprising a fixed support attachable to the casing and extending adjacent the flywheel,

a bearing support forming an extensionof the flywheel axis, a starter part secured to and ro- 15 tatable with the support and the flywheel, a normally stationary starter part rotatable upon the bearing support and connected to the fixed support, and means comprising inclined passages in one of the parts and gravity clutch members go thereon connecting the starter parts in one direction of rotation of the stationary part, and means for returning the said stationarypart to normal pcxsition.

3. In a recoiling engine starter, for horizonas tally rotatable parts, a fixed support rotatable means, a fixed casing secured to the support, a starter part secured to said rotatable means, an actuating starter partand clutch means to conne'ct it in one direction of rotation with the so other starter part, said clutch means including gravity passages and-clutch balls movable there in, a lower casing part to which the actuating starter part is connected, a pull tapeconnected to the actuating starter. Demand a recoiling :5 spring connected to the actuating starter part and to the flxed support for rewinding the pull tape.

4. In an engine starter, a starter part having a central crank shaft extension and means to 40 secure it to a flywheel for horizontal operation,

a fixed support having a casing part bearing upon the shaft extension, the casing having an outer flange with a slot in it, aninner casing member having a flange .within the other one,

a pull tape surrounding the inner flange and one end secured thereto, the other end extending through the slot, a coil spring within the casing members attached at one end to the inside of the inner casing flange and at the inner end to the flxed support, another, starter part attached to the inner casing member, and means comprising es inclined to the horizontal and gravity clutch balls'to'connect. the starter.

parts intone direction of rotation. v

5. An engine starter for an outboard motor having a horizontally rotatable flywheel and a stationary casing, comprising a starter part attachable to the flywheel and having a flywheel shaft extension, another starter part rotatable on the extension, means comprising inclined passages having radial portions with outer curved extensions and gravity clutch members therein to connect the starter parts in one direction of rotation. a fixed support-attachable to'the casing and to extend above a flywheel, a pull tape and a recoil spring and enclosing parts to which they are attached, one end of the spring .being attached to the fixed support and the pull tape extendingthroughoneoftheenclosingpartsto which it is returned by the recoil spring. JO SEPH G. RAYNIAK.

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