Abstract:
A motorcycle starter contact alignment tool is configured to be an adaptation of a solenoid tool plate incorporating a threaded aperture to adjustably control the advancement of a threaded rod and a contact jig. The threaded rod is intended to depress the contact jig, having an alignment face which coincidentally contacts a pair of electrical contacts within the solenoid housing, so as to properly align those contacts prior to being tightened in position. The threaded rod is provided with a handle to facilitate the turning thereof.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/101,532 filed Jan. 9, 2015, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a starter contact alignment tool specifically for use with a motorcycle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As anyone who performs a great deal of mechanical work will attest, nothing beats having the proper tool for a job. The proper tool can save time, save money, produce a higher quality job, reduce damage to equipment, and provide for the increased safety of the worker. Each field of mechanical work has its own type of specialty tools, each performing a specialized task. 
     One (1) field where there has been a need for such a specialized tool is that of the installation of electrical contacts on starters used on motorcycles. A typical repair sequence involves the user trying to balance the contacts with one&#39;s thumb with one (1) hand while trying to tighten them in place with the other. This not only results in pain and discomfort for the user, but causes the contacts to be installed at an angle resulting in premature failure. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which motorcycle starter contacts can be easily installed without the disadvantages as described above. The use of the alignment tool assists in the installation of motorcycle contact starters in a manner which is quick, easy, and effective. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for a starter contact alignment tool specifically for use with a motorcycle. 
     It is therefore the purpose of the inventor to provide an alignment tool system comprising a tool plate which is capable of being attached to a housing of a motorcycle starter solenoid, a rod which is capable of being inserted through an aperture of the tool plate and having a cylindrical handle affixed perpendicularly to a first end of the rod and a contact jig comprising a jig body and a thrust body capable of mechanical communication with the rod when the rod is inserted through the tool plate aperture. The contact jig, when it is inserted into the solenoid, aligns the internal electrical contacts of the solenoid. This occurs when the thrust body of the jig is in mechanical communication with the rod as the rod passes through the tool plate aperture. The tool plate should be attached to the housing during this process. 
     The tool plate may also comprise of a centrally positioned cone which is oriented to project outwardly and away from the solenoid when the plate is attached to the solenoid. The tool plate may also have a nut with an internal thread attached to an exterior side of the cone and a plurality of threaded apertures. 
     The rod may also comprise a plurality of threads across at least a majority of an exterior surface. The cone may also be adapted to provide an internal clearance for the thrust body of the contact jig when inserted within the housing. The tool plate may be made of forged metal or a rigid thermoplastic. The cone may be adapted to provide internal clearance for the first end of a solenoid cartridge when the cartridge is in an inactive position. The second end of the rod may also be capable of being threadingly attached to the tool plate. The contact jig may be made of either wood or metal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a motorcycle starter contact alignment tool  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the tool  10  in use on a starter  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 3  is a section view along line A-A as seen in  FIG. 2  cut through a solenoid portion  105  of the starter  100  and the tool  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  tool 
               20  tool plate 
               25  cone 
               30  threaded aperture 
               35  internal thread 
               40  finished face 
               45  fastener aperture 
               50  threaded rod 
               55  shaft 
               60  external thread 
               65  handle 
               70  contact jig 
               75  jig body 
               80  thrust face 
               85  thrust body 
               90  alignment face 
               100  starter 
               105  solenoid 
               110  solenoid housing 
               115  tool plate fastener 
               118  contact aperture 
               120  battery contact 
               125  motor contact 
               130  contact fastener 
               135  insulator 
               140  retaining nut 
               145  coil 
               170  return spring 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIG. 1 through 3 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     The present invention describes a motorcycle starter contact alignment tool (herein referred to as the “tool”)  10 , which provides a means to repair an existing starter  100  via installation of purchased replacement parts using the tool  10 . The tool  10  enables simultaneous alignment of internal electrical contact portions  120 ,  125 , into the motorcycle starter  100  by utilizing contact with an alignment face portion  90  of a contact jig  70 . The contacts  120 ,  125  are then subsequently tightened in position, thereby obviating any loss of electrical conduction, or performance of the electromotive starter  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 , exploded, isometric, and sectional views of the tool  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The tool  10  includes a tool plate  20  and a threaded rod  50 . The tool plate  20  is an emulation of an original solenoid tool plate (not shown) having an additional provision for a threaded aperture  30  machined through a cone portion  25 . During functional use of the starter  100 , the cone  25  provides internal clearance for a first end of a solenoid cartridge (not shown) while in an inactive, or neutral, position. The cone portion  25  of the tool plate  20  provides a similar internal clearance for a thrust body portion  85  of a contact jig  70  which is to be inserted within the solenoid housing  110  to accomplish the contact-alignment purpose of the tool  10 . Due to this particular alignment between the cone  25  and the thrust body  85 , the placement of the threaded aperture  30  at this location provides the most appropriate vantage point to accomplish the displacement of the contact jig  70  within the solenoid housing  110 . The tool plate  20  may be a metal casting, a forging, or a stamped metal piece having the appropriate features. It is understood that other materials, such as a rigid thermoplastic, or a composite material, may be utilized without limiting the scope of the tool  10 . The threaded aperture  30  may be formed solely into the material of the cone  25 , or additional material or a threaded nut fastener, may be incorporated into the cone  25  in order to support additional screw thread portions of the internal thread  35 . The tool plate  20  is intended to be attached to the solenoid housing  110  in place of the original solenoid tool plate (not shown) to accomplish the intended function. Accordingly, it is envisioned that a finished face  40  of the tool plate  20 , located on an opposite side from the cone  25 , would have a characteristic flatness, within a certain tolerance limit, to maintain a precise alignment of the centerline of the threaded aperture  30  with the solenoid cartridge  150  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     A plurality of fastener apertures  45  are disposed along a peripheral edge of the tool plate  20  in a correspondingly matching pattern with the tool plate fasteners  115  utilized in the solenoid housing  110 . It is envisioned that, in some embodiments, additional fastener apertures  45  may be disposed in the tool plate  20  to broaden the use of the tool  10  to various models of solenoid housings  110 . 
     The threaded rod  50  is configured to be a cylindrical metal shaft  55  having a perpendicularly extending cylindrical handle  65  at a first end giving the threaded rod  50  a “T”-shape. The shaft  55  is provided with an external thread  60  along at least a majority of its length, complimentary to the internal thread  35  of the threaded aperture  30 . A second end of the shaft  55  is inserted through the threaded aperture  30  of the cone  25 . It is understood that other materials, such as a rigid thermoplastic, may be utilized for the threaded rod  50  without limiting the scope of the tool  10 . The handle  65  may also be configured to be more elaborate than a single cylindrical rod so long as the user has a means to grasp and turn the threaded rod  50  to accomplish the function of the tool  10 . 
     The contact jig  70  is configured to be a surrogate for a solenoid cartridge, utilized solely for the purpose of properly aligning the contacts  120 ,  125  with an alignment face portion  90  of the contact jig  70  so as to be positioned correctly for use following a tightening procedure. The contact jig  70  includes a generally cylindrical jig body  75  having an appropriate outside diameter and length to fit within the solenoid housing  110  and extend partially within the coil  145 . The opposite end of the contact jig  70  from the jig body  75  is a thrust body  85 . The thrust body  85  is configured to be conical in shape, increasing in diameter along the longitudinal axis from a thrust face  80  at a first end to an alignment face  90  at the junction of the jig body  75 . The thrust face  80  is the point of contact for the second end of the threaded rod  50  when the threaded rod  50  is fitted into the tool plate  20  during use. The alignment face  90  is configured to be of a sufficient outside diameter to bear across both the battery contact  120  and motor contact  125  portions and maintain the correct positioning thereof during the procedure to align and tighten the contacts  120 ,  125 . The flatness of the alignment face  90  must be controlled to match the original contact plate (not shown) of a new replacement solenoid cartridge. The contact jig  70  is composed of a thermoplastic material and formed in an injection-molding process. It is understood that other materials, such as any variety of wood, or metal, may be utilized without limiting the scope of the tool  10 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the tool  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 2 . The ensuing procedure may not completely describe every situation which may be encountered and certain procedural steps may be performed in an alternate order and should not be viewed as a limiting factor. 
     The method of installing a replacement package utilizing the tool  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring the tool  10 ; procuring a specific parts replacement package for the intended starter  100 ; removing the starter  100  from the motorcycle; removing the existing solenoid tool (not shown) by removing the tool plate fasteners  115  to expose the existing solenoid cartridge (not shown) and contacts  120 ,  125 ; removing the existing solenoid cartridge; removing the used battery contact  120  and motor contact  125  portions by loosening and removing the two (2) external retaining nuts  140 ; removing the respective insulators  135 , disposed upon the contact fasteners  130 ; retaining the insulators  135  for subsequent reuse; motioning the contact fasteners  130  and their respective battery  120  and motor  125  contacts into the solenoid housing  110 ; removing the contact fasteners  130  and used contacts  120 ,  125 ; discarding the used battery  120  and motor  125  contacts; retaining the retaining nuts  140  and contact fasteners  130  for subsequent reuse; inserting the contact fasteners  130  into the new battery contact  120  and new motor contact  125  portions; placing the insulators  135  onto the contact fasteners  130 ; installing the contact fasteners  130  together with their respective new contacts  120 ,  125  through the contact apertures  118  from the interior side of the solenoid housing  110 ; installing the retaining nuts  140  loosely upon the contact fasteners  130 ; inserting the contact jig  70  into the solenoid housing  110  with the jig body  75  positioned within the coil  145  and the alignment face portion  90  of the contact jig  70  touching the contacts  120 ,  125 ; installing the tool plate  20  onto the solenoid housing  110  using the tool plate fasteners  115 ; installing the external threaded portion  60  of the threaded rod  50  into the threaded aperture  30  until the end of the external threaded portion  60  makes contact with the thrust face  80 ; and, rotating the “T” handle  65  until the alignment face  90  until rotation of the handle  60  meets with significant resistance, indicating that the alignment face  90  is in contact with both the battery contact  120  and the motor contact  125 ; tightening the retaining nuts  140  upon the contact fasteners  130  to the proper torque; removing the tool plate  20  and contact jig  70  from the solenoid housing  110 ; applying a thin coating of dielectric grease to outer surface portions of a new replacement solenoid cartridge (not shown); inserting the replacement solenoid cartridge into the coil  145 ; and, re-installing the original solenoid tool onto the solenoid housing  110 . 
     This juxtaposition of the contacts  120 ,  125  with the alignment face  90  assures that the contacts  120 ,  125  are aligned correctly and equidistant from the contact plate  160 . Following the replacement and proper alignment of the contacts  120 ,  125 , the starter  100  may be reinstalled upon the motorcycle. 
     A description of the normal functioning of the starter upon a motorcycle is as follows: As the solenoid  105  of the starter  100  is energized by the motorcycle ignition, the solenoid cartridge is drawn into the magnetic field of the coil  145 , thereby placing a pinion gear into a tooth mesh engagement with a ring gear located normally on an output shaft of the internal combustion engine to which it is affixed. Simultaneously, a contact plate, attached as a portion of the solenoid cartridge, is placed in touch with a battery contact  120  and a motor contact  125  in the solenoid housing  110  so as to form an electrical union to transmit an electromotive force between the contacts  120 ,  125  to rotate the starter  100  to start the engine. During the course of use, the contacts  120 ,  125  as well as the contact plate may become pitted by electrical arcing, ultimately resulting in a failure to transmit the electromotive force from the battery contact  120 , through the contact plate, to the motor contact  125  to start the engine. If this occurs, it will become necessary to replace the defective parts. 
     A new set of contacts  120 ,  125  and a new solenoid cartridge, having a new contact plate, can be acquired as a parts replacement package to correct the failure. In order to accomplish the repair, a series of steps must be executed to bring about the replacement of the contacts  120 ,  125  and the solenoid cartridge. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.