US1325643A - Spring-starter for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

W. H. KUHLMAN. SPRING STARTER FOR IINTEBNAL comsusnou ENGINES.

APPLICATQON FILED FEB. 25.1919. 1,325,643.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fnvem or' WW/z'am E Z1 a/Wman 7 W. H. KUHLMAN. SPRING STARIER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-Q5. I919.

Patented Dec. 23,1919;

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. KUHLMAN, OF FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA.

SPRING-STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed February 25, 1919. Serial No. 279,118.

Engines, of which the following is aspeci fication.

My invention relates to spring starters for internal combustion engines and an object is to provide a device of this kind intended particularly for use in connection with tractors. To this end I construct a device of this character in a strong, durable manner having a minimum number of parts which are liable to get out of order. An object in particular is to construct a spring starter which the operator may cause to be wound by the engine as soon as the latter has started although, if desired, the spring can be wound at any time while the en he is running. The spring when wound is eld in this condition until it is desired to start the engine, whereupon the operator releases the spring which then uncoils and exerts a cranking action upon the engine.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the detailed description thereof and the novel features embodied in my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the application of my invention in one form,

Figure 1 is a side view of the device applied to an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the mechanism which is most closely associated with the motor spring. Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing the operat ing mechanism in a different position. Fig.

4 is a view in section on a line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the construction shown in the drawings, 10 designates an internal combustion engine, the fiy-wheel 12 of which is provided with a beveled gear 14 with which a beveled gear 16 is adapted to mesh. The gear 16 is splined on a shaft 18 which is journaled in bearings 20 and 22 andthis shaft, adjacent to hearing 20, is provided with a universal coupling 24. The gear 16 g has a sleeve portion provided with a groove into which fits a yoke 26 on the end of a rod 28 slidable in a guide 30 secured to the bearing 20. The other end of this rod is attached to a hand lever 82 pivoted at 34 to a support so as to be within reach of the operator. The hand lever 32 is provided with the cus tomary detent 38 adapted to engage either of two notches in a segment 40. The gear 16 may thus be caused to mesh with, or be taken out of mesh with the gear 14 and will be held in. either position, as desired, by the detent. Splined on the portion of the shaft 18 which is between the universal coupling 24 and the bearing 22 is a friction disk 42,

preferably of fiber, having a reduced portion provided with a groove into which fits a yoke 44 on the end'of a rod 46, the other end of which is attached to a hand lever 48 pivoted to the support 36. The hand lever is provided with the customary detent 50 adapted to engage a notched segment 52. The friction disk 42 is adapted to cooperate with a friction disk 54 in a manner now to be described. The bearing 22 is mounted so as to have a slight up and down movement in the forked upper end of'a support 56 and the bearing is urged upwardly by a spring 58- so that its upper surface is in con tact with a cam member 60 pivoted on a pin 62 extending through the upper end of the fork. The upper end of the cam member is slotted to constitute a guide for the rod 46, which is provided with two engaging membore 64, 66 adjustably secured thereto. By means of the hand lever 48 the disk 42 may be slid to either side of the disk 54 and at intermediate positions the disk 42 will be raised from contact with the disk 54 by means of the spring 58' which lifts the bearing 22, this movement being permitted by the universal coupling 24. When the disk 42 comes into predetermined. position at either side of the disk 54 it is caused to en gage the latter on account of one or the other of the engaging members 64 and 66 coming into contact with the upper end of the cam member, thereby forcing the cam to depress the bearing'22. ,On account of the members 64 and 66 being adjustable thedisk 42 may be caused to engage the disk 54 at any desired distance from the periphery of the latter and the two disks may be held in engagement when the-disk 42 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 by means of the detent 50 being engaged with the proper notch in the segment 52. It is evident that the relative speed between the disks 42 and 54 may be'varied for either position of the disk 42,: as desired. As. is best shown in Fig. 2, the disk 5% is secured to a shaft 68 which is rotatably mounted in a sleeve 70 which in turn is rotatably mounted in a bearing 72. A coil spring 7% has its inner end secured to the sleeve 70 so that, as seen in this figure, the inner coil passes toward the rear and then around toward the front, a number of coils being produced, and the outer end of the spring is then secured to a rod 76 which is screw threaded into the lower surface of the disk 54: near its periphery. A ratchet wheel 78 is secured to the lower end of the sleeve '70, the teeth of the ratchet, as shown in Figs. 1 and :2, being inclined toward the right and being engaged by a hooked pawl 80 held into engagement with the teeth by a spring 82. l he ratchet wheel 78 has an angular portion ea, or, if desired, the lower end of the sleeve 70 may be provided in any suitable manner with an angular portion whereby the spring may be manually wound whenever it is desirable to do so by means of a tool. A ratchet wheel 86 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 68, the teeth of this ratchet being inclined toward the left or oppositely to the teeth of the ratchet 78 and being engaged by a straight pawl 88 held into en agement with the teeth by a spring 90. As shown in Figs. 2 and a, a bell c *ank lever 92 has its end 93 in engagement with the pawl 88 so that the latter is disengaged from the ratchet when the other arm of the bell crank is pulled down by a rod 9% which connects this arm with a foot lever 96 within reach of the op erator. As shown in Fig. 2, the disk 5i may be provided with a depending flange 55 in order to protect the spring M from unwin ling too far.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing description. If the spring should happen to be unwound at the time when the engine is not running the spring may be wound by applying a tool in the angular portion 8%, whereby it is wound up from its inner end, the outer end being prevented from moving by the straight pawl 88 which restrains the shaft 68 and the disk 54:. Assuming that the spring is wound and the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and it is desired to start the engine, the hand lever 32 is shoved toward the right to mesh the gears 14: and 16 and the hand lever 48 is shoved toward the left to bring the disk as into contact with by dotted lines in Fi 3 and the disk 5i will be rotated in the direction shown by the dotted arrow to re-wind the spring from its outer end, the inner end thereof and the sleeve 70 being prevented from rotation by the pawl 80. After the engine has been started and before the spring is completely re-wound the operator releases the foot lever 96 so that the pawl 88 may retain the spring in its re-wound position. It is impossible to over-wind the spring since when it has been placed under the proper tension the disk 4.2 will slip on the disk 54: if it has not already been raised from contact therewith. I consider it preferable during rewinding to hold down the disk 1-2 by hand and therefore no notches are shown at the right hand of the segment 52. However, it is intended as soon as the spring has been re-wound that the operator shall shift the gear 16 out of mesh with the gear 14. The spring can, of course, be rewound from the engine at any time the latter is running, but it is better practice to cause the re-winding to be performed as soon as the engine is started. My invention provides an eflicient spring starter in which no clutches or brakes are employed and it embodies a construction which does not readily get out of order. The entire starting mechanism is preferably disconnected from the gear 1eon the flywheel except during the operation of starting and re-winding and the gear 16 is put into mesh with the gear 1t when the latter is stationary. An extremely efficient construction is thus provided in which the parts are not subjected to particular strain and the construction is of a rugged character so as to be well adapted for use in connection with tractors. It is obvious, however, that it may be used with internal combustion engines no matter to what use they may be applied.

1 claim:

1. A starter for internal combustion engines comprising a coiled spring, a rotatable disk to which the outer end of said spring is secured, a shaft adapted to be operatively connected with the engine, auniversal coupling intermediate the length of said shaft, a movable bearing for one of the portions of said shaft, a disk splined on said shaft, means for sliding said disk to bring it adjacent either of the opposite sides of the fiat surface of said first mentioned disk, and means for depressing said movable bearing to hold said splined disk in contact with said first mentioned disk when said splined disk occupies either one of the positions mentioned. v

2. A starter for internal combustion e11- gines comprising a coiled spring, a rotatable disk to which the outer end of said spring is secured, a shaft to which said disk is secured, a sleeve within which said shaftis rotatably mounted and to which the inner end of said spring is attached, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a pawl for engaging said ratchet wheel to hold said spring in wound condition, means for releasing said pawl when it is desired to start the engine, a shaft adapted to be operatively connected with the engine, a disk splined on said shaft, and means whereby said last mentioned disk may be brought into contact with either of the opposite sides of the flat surface of said rotatable disk.

3. A starter for internal combustion engines comprising a coiled spring, a rotatable disk to which the outer end of said spring is secured, a shaft to which said disk is secured, a rotatable sleeve within which said shaft is rotatably mounted and to which the inner end of said spring is attached, a ratchet wheel secured to said sleeve, a pawl for pre venting rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, said ratchet wheel having teeth inclined in the opposite direction with rela tion to those of said first mentioned ratchet wheel, a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of said second mentioned ratchet wheel, means for releasing said last mentioned pawl when it is desired to start the engine, a shaft adapted to be operatively connected with the engine, a disk splined on the said shaft, and means whereby said last mentioned disk may be brought into contact with either of the opposite sides of the flat surface of said rotatable disk.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM H. KUHLMAN.

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