Patent GB-378990-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in engine starting mechanism
IPC: F02N7/06
Filed: 1931-05-28
Abstract: 378,990. Turning-gear; engines worked by explosions. ECLIPSE AVIATION CORPORATION, 545, North Arling- ton Avenue, East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.A. May 28, 1931, No. 15644. Conven. tion date, May 29, 1930. [Classes 7 (ii) and 7 (v).] In an engine starter comprising a fluidpressure starting motor 10 connected to a driving member 24, the member 24 is advanced into engagement with an engine member 25 prior to the operation of the starting motor by an initial rotation of the motor crank shaft effected :manually. The motor is preferably driven by fluid produced by the explosion of cartridges by a pistol. As shown, a singlecylinder fluid-pressure motor 10 has a crank shaft 19 integral with a barrel member 26, which is connected by an adjustable multipledisc clutch 28 to a nut 27 engaging a screwthreaded shaft 40 on which is splined the clutch member 24. The shaft 40 and member 24 are assembled by means of a rod 44 having a head 45 and a nut 46, a spring 47 being interposed. In order to effect axial movement of the clutch member 24 into engagement with the engine member 25 on rotation of the nut 46, slots 49 in the edge of the member 24 are engaged by radial lugs 50 on a split ring 51 held by a coil spring 54 in engagement with the lip of an oil-sealing member 53. The crank shaft 19 is initially turned, to effect engagement of the clutch 24, 25 and to set in motion the cartridgefiring means, by a starting shaft 116 engaged by a handle (not shown) and carrying a bevel gear 119 engaging a bevel gear 122 on the flange 22 of the shaft 19. The starting shaft 116 may be employed for starting the main engine manually if the supply of cartridges fails. The cylinder 10 of the motor is connected by a conduit 62 with a pistol barrel 58, to which cartridges 109 are fed from a magazine 71 secured by a strap 73 to the conduit 62. A breech plug 75 sliding in the barrel 58 is reciprocated by means of a cam 79 keyed to the crank shaft 19 and engaged by a roller 77 on a carrier 76 mounted on the plug 75. A firing-pin 84 within the plug 75 is normally held by a spring 86 in the position shown in Fig. 1, and is cocked and fired by means of a triggerengaging lug 92 projecting through a slot 93 in the carrier 76 and a slot 94 in the barrel 58. A trigger 95 pivoted at 96 on the barrel 58 is normally held by a spring 99 in a position in which a detent 101 thereon engages the slot 94. Starting from the position shown in Fig. 1, a cartridge 109 is pushed into the barrel 58 by a lever 103 engaged by a cam surface 107 on the carrier 76, and is lifted by the plug 75 into engagement with the end of the conduit 62. The firing-pin 84 is retracted by the engagement of the lug 92 with the detent 101, until the latter is withdrawn by the engagement of a member 102 on the carrier 76 with the cam surface 100 of the trigger, when the pin 84 is driven upwards by the spring 86 and fires the cartridge. The latter is held in position by the part CD of the cam 79 until the piston 15 of the motor 10 uncovers an exhaust port. On the downward movement of the bolt mechanism, the head 113 of an extractor 112 withdraws the cartridge, which is ejected through an aperture 115 by the insertion of the next cartridge. In a modification, the cartridges are carried by a rotary magazine, which is turned to bring each cartridge in turn into the barrel 58 by the engagement of a lever such as 103 with a series of projections on the bottom of the magazine.