The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-23
A-B.C-Starting motor drive.
IeStsrtlnG motor.
E-StofaSe battery.
f-GeneratOr.

stated hat at one line the efficient
starting and lighting system placed GER
tain cars in the lead. which handicap
has been very hard to overcome. ON
the other hand, some good cars were
condemned and set back by employing
crude methods of s'a'&ps'
Undoubtedly the best engineering
| talent. both electrical and mechanical.
has devoted much time during the past
few years TO perfecting various systems.
Much capital has been employed and
much wasted. Like any invention. me-
chanical or otherwise. II may work out
well on paper. but prove inefficient In
practice. The automobile Is subjected
10 so much abuse in the hands or
incompetent operators that TO produce
a simple method OF electric starting
has been a severe tax upon the engineer
ing force OF nearly all manufacturers
To-day there Is hardly a car without a
full electric starting and lighting sys-
, TEN. In fact no one would think of in
/ vesting more than $500 for an auto
mobile without il.
The subject OF electric starters Is ex-
! tensive and cannot be discussed here in
detail. II may be said that there are
many very good methods employed AT
present on different makes of cars. One
may prove more suitable for a particu-
lar make OF car than another. Then
again the engineering departments of
factories may differ as TO the merits OF
various systems and accordingly EN-
ploy the kind they approve.
II Is safe TO state that with the pres
ent advanced development OF the various
systems the purchaser OF an automobile
need not permit this factor to necessarily
influence his purchase. 1t Is not the
purpose OF this article TO discriminate
against or elaborate upon any particular
system or any particular method OF
starting and lighting, but rather to give
a simple explanation OF how a modern
system is employed.
In the above chart are two views OF a
power plant, n showing the right hand
sid with electric starting motor at
tached as shown at "D' and the other
the left hand side with electric genera
tor attached as shown at "F." This
particular method employs two units.
In the complete starting and lighting
system there are other important fac
tors, such az the storage battery. regula-
tor, ammeter. starting switch, fuse box,
starting motor drive, &c.
At r. is shown a three cell six volt
eighty ampere hour storage battery,
When the starting switch is pressed
down by a pedal or some other device
the electric circuit is closed between tn"
battery and the six volt starting motor
located at "D" on the hywheel case. The
current from the battery causes the
starting motor armature shaft to rotate
| very rapidly. At 49, "B" II &c" are
shown views Of this armature shaft with
, s,ar r. which rl"sh"a With the gear
! on the rim OF fiywhecl. ON the extension
! Of the armature shaft is a hollow sleeve
"a" having "A coarse screw thread cut
on tho outside. Gear "B' IL screwed
onto the sleeve and is free to move for
ward and backward when the sleeve is
turned. The arnaturc shaft drives tho
sleeve through "A heavy coil spring "C''
so the sudden starting OF tho armature
shaft causcs the gear to move bach ward
along the threads until 1t mcshes with
teeth cut in the rim OF the engine ny
wheel.
When tho gear is fully mcshrd il
"or rs IN against n stop and then turns
with the sleeve. thus allowing the start
Ing motor to turn Tho nywhc-I. which
cranks the engine. II may be noted
that the coil spring furnishes a very