US1099123A - Engine-starter. - Google Patents

Description

E. F. PRUEHBEGK.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.14, 1913,

Patented June 2, 1914,

WITNESSES:

'lill lli lid

EDGAR F. FRUEHIBECK, F MARFA, TEXAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted J une 2, 1914.

Application tiled hug-ust k14, 1913. Serial No. 734,677.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that 1,! EDGAR l?. FRUEH- encn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marta, in county of Presidio and State of Texas, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Start ers, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements'in engine starters, and has more particular relation to starters Stor intermal, combustion engines.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is operated by compressed air and which may be brought into operative connection with the ily 'wheel of the engine to be started, whereby said ily wheel is rotated.

Another' object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanism which in turn is operated by the ily wheel ci the engine, while said engine is in motion, and which is provided to maintain a sudicient degree of compression in the storage tank.

A 'further feature of the invention resides in the provisin oi a mechanism which will automatically connect the compressing niechan'sm with the dy wheel of the engine when the compression in the storage tank is lowered to a predetermined point.

`With Vthe above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features ot construction, operation and arrangement ol.E parts, an example of which isgiven in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein theligure shows a side elevation of the device, partially in section.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a supply. pipe which leads from a suitable compression reservoir, or chamber, of the usual and well known construction, and which it has not been thought necessary to illustrate in the drawing.

The numeral 2 designates a turbine wheel which is rigidly mounted on the shaft 3 and is inclosed by the casing 4.

Suitable reducing gears 5 and 6 are provided, the former of which is rigidly mount ed upon the shaft 3 and the latter of which is rigidly mounted upon the drive shaft 7. said gears internieshing and being inclosed by the casing 8 which is cast integral with the casing 4.- Said casings are provided with suitable bearings for the shafts 3 and 7, as shown.. The shaft 7 is provided with a loosely mounted drive wheel 9 which is in rolling cont-act with the fly wheel of the engine, indicated'in dotted lines. rlhe shaft Z extends back a`considerable distance and rotates in the alined bearings 10 and 11, formed in the supporting frame work of the device, and slidably mounted thereon, but keyed thereto so as to rotate therewith is `the clutch member l2', forming with the drivewheel 9 lthe ordinarycone friction clutch and by means of which the drive shaft 7 may be clutched with or de clutched from said drive wheel 9.

Two compression cylinders 13 and 14 are provided, which may be cast integral, if it is so desired, and each of which are provided with air inlets, numbered, respectively, 15 and 1G. These cylinders are provided with pistons 17 and 18 which are driven through the respective piston rods 19 and 20, pivoted at one end to their respective pistons and at their other ends to the respective wrists 21 and 22, of the -shalt 7 From the respective cylinders 13 and lll lead the pipes 23 and 24 equipped, respectively, with check valves 25 and 26, ot the ordinary construction. and said pipes communicate with the supply pipe 1. The cylinders 13 and 14 are also provided, respectively, with relief pipes 27 and 28 controlled by the ordinary valves 29 and 30, tor a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Cast integral with and extending laterally from the cylinder 13 is the cylinder 31 having the plunger 32 reciprocating therein and which is fixed to the inner end of the plunger rod 33 which operates through the stutling box 3st carried by the cylinder head interposed between thc plunger 32 and the cylinder head 35 and surrounding. the plunger rod 33 is a strong coil spring 36. A lever 37 is provided whichis pivoted to the tulcrum 38. Une end of this lever is pivoted to the outer end of the plunger rod 33 and the other end has a pivotal connection with the clutch member 12.

The supply pipe 1 is connected with the cylinder 31. through the pipe 39 and thc pipe 39 has a relief outlet 4t() controlled by the ordinary three-way valve '-t'l so that the cvl inder 31 may he connected directly with the supply pipe 1 or may be relieved of its compression through the relief` outlet 1-0.

Leading from thc supply pipe 1 is the pipe ll2 having a discharge nozzle t3 which discharges against the turbine 2 and a threevway valve 44 is provided which controls the said pipe 42. The stem of the valve 29 has two arms 44 and 45 extending upwardly therefrom and the stem of the valve 30 has the arm 46 projecting upwardly therefrom, the free ends of the arms 45 and 46 being connected by a link 47 whose ends are pivoted to the free ends of the respective arms 45 and 46. The Astem of the valve 41 has an upwardly extending arm 48 and the free ends of the arms 44 and 48 are connected by the link 49 whose ends'are pivoted to the free ends of said respective arms. .The stem of the valve' 44 has an upwardly extending arm 50 andthe free ends of the arms 44 and 50 are connectedv by the link 51 whose ends are pivoted to the free ends 'of'said respective arms. A push rod 52 is provided whose lower end is pivoted to the upperend of the arm 50 and which extends up through the foot board 53 of the vehicle and has a sliding bearing therein. This push rod eX tends through a cage 54 within which, and surrounding said rod is a strong coil spring 55 which rests against the end of said cage and the collar 56 carried by the rod 52.

The operation of the device is as follows z-When it is desired to start the engine, the push rod 52 is forced downwardly by the foot of the operator, overcoming the resistance of the spring 55 which operates through the arm 5G to open the pipe 42 and permit the compressed air to pass therethrough and to start the turbine 2. At the same time the valves 29, 30 and 41 are opened so as to relieve the pressure from the cylinders 13, 14 and 31. When the pressure is relieved fromthe cylinder 31, the plunger 32 is driven back by the spring 36 with the result that the clutch member 1,2 is driven forward through the operation of the lever 37 and clutched with the drive wheel 9. Rotation is imparted from the turbine 2 to the shaft 'Tand to the clutch member 12, carried thereby, through the gears 5 and 6. Rotation is imparted to the fly Wheel of the engine from the drive wheel 9 which is in rolling contact therewith. After the engine has started, the push rod 52, is released and assumes its original position through the resistance of the coil spring 55. When the push rod 52 assumes its original position, it operates through the mechanism connected therewith, as hereinbefore described, to close the pipe 42 and the relief pipes 27 and 28 and also to close the relief outlet 40 and to communicate the cylinder 31 with the supply pipe 1, through the pipe 39. The air pressure driven through the pipev 39 will operate to force the plungerforward which will operate through the lever 37 to Withdraw the clutch mem-ber 12 from engagement with the drive Wheel 9 and the rotation of the shaft 7 will be stopped. During the operation just described, the pistons 17 and 18 will reciprocate back and forth in their cylinders, but inasmuch as relief pipes 27 and 28 are open, the reciprocation of said pistons will be free.

ln case the pressure in the storage reservoir should become too low, the device is arranged to automatically restore said pressure to the desired point. If, while the engine is in operation, the pressure should become low, it is apparent that the spring 36 would operate to drive the plunger 32 backward in its cylinder, with the result that the clutch member 12 would be clutched with the drive wheel 9 through. the operation of the lever 37. The drive wheel 9 is constantly rotating while the engine is in operation and rotation would be immediately imparted to the shaft 7 which would operate the air compressors, as hereinbefore described, and restore the desired compressionV to the compression reservoir.

`What I claim is :ew

1. A device of the character described iucluding a fluid pressure turbine and means for applying fluid under compression thereto, whereby said turbine is rotated. a shaft, means operatively connecting said turbine with said shaft, an engine y wheel, a rotatable member in operative connection with said ily wheel and loosely mounted on said shaftLa clutch member slidably mounted upon the shaft, but fixed against relative rotation thereon, a mechanism operatively connected with the clutch member and normally holding said member in engagement with the rotatable member carried by said shaft and means for applying fluid pressure to said mechanism whereby said clutch memer is disengaged from said rotatable mem- 2. A device of the character described, including a fluid pressure turbine, a supply pipe for conducting fluid under compression, means for conducting the Huid from said supply pipe and discharging the same 'against said turbine, whereby the turbine is rotated, a shaft, means operatively connecting the turbine with the shaft, an engine and a fly Wheel carried thereby, a friction drive Wheel loosely mounted on the vshaft and in' rolling Contact with said fly wheel of said engine, a clutch member slidably mounted upon said shaft, but fixed against relative rotation thereon, a mechanism operatively connected with the clutch member and normally holding said member in engagement with said drive Wheel, wheneby said wheel is driven by said shaft and means for applying fluid pressure from said supply pipe to said mechanism, whereby said clutch member is disengaged from said drive wheel.

3. A device of the character described, including a fluid pressure turbine, a supply pipe for conducting Huid under compresnoname sion, means for conducting. the fluidirom said supply,l pipe and discharging the Same against said turbine, whereby the turbine is rotated, means for controllingthe passage of the fluid through said supply pipe, a shalt, means operatively connecting the tur" bine With the shaft, an engine, a dy wheel driven by said engine, a friction drive Wheel loosely mounted on the shaft and in operative Contact with said ily Wheel, a clutch member slidably mounted upon said shaft,

vbut hxedthereon against relative rotation,

a mechanism operatively oonneeted With the clutch member and normally holding said member in engagement with said drive Wheel 'whereby said Wheel is driven by `said shaft and means for applying fluid pressure trom said supplyA pipe to said mechanism, whereby said clutch member is disf` by said engine, a friction drive Wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and in peripheral contact with said fly Wheel of said engine to bye-started, a clutch member slidably mounted upon the shaft but xed against relative rotation thereto, a pivotally mounted lever, one end of which has connection with said clutch member, a 4lluid compression cylindex', a plunger thereima plunger rod fixed at one end tosaid plunger and Whose other end is pivoted to said lever, a resilient member operating,r against said plunger rod and normally holding said elntch member in en'- gagement with `said drive Wheel, and means for introducing fluid pressure in said Cylinder behind said plunger, whereby the pressure of said resilient member is overcome and the eluteh member disengaged from said drive Wheel.

ln testimony whereof li have signed my name to this speciication in the .presence of two subseribin Witnesses.

E GAR F. FRUEHBECK.' `lllitnesses:

el'. AnTHUn WILLIAMS, C. G. BnRNnT'r.

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