Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Starting Gas and other Engines and Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left 10th Jan, 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Starting Gas and other
Engines and Machines.
We, MOSES PARTRIDGE of 7 West Hendford, Yeovil, in the County of Somerset,
Pneumatic Malthouse Foreman, and ROBERT HALL BRUTTON of 7 Princes Street,
Yeovil aforesaid, Brewer, de hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has mainly for its object improvements in means or apparatus for
starting gas engines, but is also applicable to starting other engines and machines
where it is necessary to give one or more revolutions to the main or crank shaft
before the power employed to drive the engine or machine becomes fully effective.
In starting gas engines it is frequently necessary to give as many as three or four
revolutions to the crank shaft before the engine is capable of running alone by the
explosive power of the gas; this is done by the attendant seizing the rim of the fly
wheel by the hand and turning the same, which action is sometimes both difficult and
dangerous.
Now according to our invention we combine with the engine or machine, suitable
starting means, whereby the crank or main shaft can be readily rotated without
danger to the attendant, such starting means being at all times available for use, and
when not in use, hanging or resting freely without interfering with the motion of the
main or crank shaft; or the ratchet gear with lever can be detached with ease while
the engine or machine is in motion.
One method in which we carry our invention into effect is as follows:- -We key or
otherwise fix on the main or crank shaft of the engine or machine, a ratchet wheel,
and we mount such ratchet wheel in bearings in a driving lever, so as to run freely
therein; this driving lever is fitted with a pawl or driver, which, when the lever is
raised, falls into gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and drives the same and
consequently the main or driving shaft; then, when the engine or machine is
effectually started, the said lever is allowed to drop, when the pawl or driver will fall
out of gear with the ratchet wheel, and the latter will revolve with the crank or main
shaft without affecting, or being affected by, the driving lever.
It is evident that friction or other forms of driving gear may be substituted for the
ratchet gear and the lever may be mounted loosely on the main or crank shaft of the
Engine or Machine, instead of working on the boss of the ratchet wheel.
Dated this 10th dose of A nail 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Starting Gas and other
Engines and Machines.
We, MOSES PARTRIDGE of 7 West Hendford, Yeovil, in the County of Somerset,
Pneumatic Malthouse Foreman, and ROBERT HALL BRUTTON of 7 Princes Street,
Yeovil aforesaid, Brewer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
The invention has mainly for its object. improvements. in means or apparatus for
starting, gas engines, but is also applicable to starting other engines and machines

page_text: where it is necessary to give one or more revolutions to the main or crank shaft
before the power employed to drive the engine or machine becomes fully effective.
In starting gas engines it is frequently necessary to give as many as three, four or
even more revolutions to the crank shaft before the engine is capable of running
alone by the explosive power of the gas; this is done by the attendant seizing the
rim of the fly wheel by the hand and turning the same, which action is sometimes
both difficult and dangerous.
Now, according to our invention, we combine with the engine or machine, suitable
starting means whereby the crank or main shaft can be readily rotated without
danger to the attendant such starting means being at all times available for use, and
when not in use, hanging or resting freely without interfering with the motion of the
main or crank shaft, or the ratchet gear with lever can be detached with ease while
the engine or machine is in motion.
One method in which we carry our invention into effect is as follows. We key or
otherwise fix on the main or crank shaft of the engine or machine, a ratchet wheel,
and we mount such ratchet wheel in bearings in a driving lever, so as to run freely
therein; this driving lever is fitted with a pawl or driver, which when the lever is
raised, falls into gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and drives the same and
consequently the main or driving shaft; then when the engine or machine is effectually
started, the said lever is allowed to drop, when the pawl or driver will fall out of
gear with the ratchet wheel, and the latter will revolve with the crank or main shaft
without affecting, or being affected by, the driving lever.
And in order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily.
carried into effect, we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a side view and Figure 2 is an edge or front view of means or apparatus
constructed according to our invention for starting gas and other engines and
machines, and representing the same in its quiescent or non acting position, that is
to say, hanging down loosely from the driving shaft of the engine or machine,
and Figure 3 is a side view of the same with one of the side plates removed showing
the starting apparatus in its acting position.
a,
a is the main or driving shaft of the engine or machine to which our starting
apparatus is shown applied, 6 is a ratchet wheel which is keyed or otherwise fixed on
the shaft and is mounted in bearings formed in the side plates c¹³ of the driving
lever c, so as to run freely therein; this driving lever is fitted with a pawl or driver c³,
which when the lever c is raised, falls into gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel b,
and drives or partially rotates the same and consequently the main or driving shaft a;
two side plates c¹ c² are fixed to the driving lever c by bolts and nuts c, c², and at
their outer ends they are fixed together by a bolt co, said bolt being formed with a
central enlargement to act as a distance piece, and against which said side plates are
bolted by means of the nuts c. The pawl or lever is mounted on a pin or axis e
and it is fitted into a recess in the lever c with capability of rocking therein within
certain limits.
When the lever c is raised into the position shown in Figure 3, the pawl or
driver falls into gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and drives the same
and consequently the main or driving shaft a; then when the engine or machine is
effectually started, the said lever c is allowed to drop into the position shown at
Figures 1 and 2, when the pawl or driver will fall out of gear with the ratchet
wheel b and the latter will revolve with the main or driving shaft without affecting, or
being affected by the driving lever_c.
By fitting the main or crank shaft with a key or feather and by making the ratchet
wheel to fit loosely on such shaft and key, the starting gear can be detached from the
shaft with ease while the engine or machine is in motion.
It is evident that friction or other forms of driving gear than that shown in the

page_text: drawing, may be substituted for the ratchet gear, and the lever c may be mounted
loosely on the main or crank shaft a of the engine or machine, instead of working on
the boss of the ratchet wheel b in which case the pawl or driver c³ would be so shaped
or extended as to be capable of taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheel b as will be
readily understood. Our improved starting apparatus can readily be adapted to either
end of the main or driving shaft by simply mounting the handle on the proper side
of the lever c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
In means or apparatus for starting gas and other engines or machines, a ratchet or
other driving wheel fixed on the main or driving shaft, and a lever provided with a
pawl or other driver, which when the lever is raised, is capable of giving motion to
the ratchet or other driving wheel, and when the lever is allowed to fall, drops out of
gear, substantially as herein shown and described.
ALL
+000
MOSES PARTRIDGE.
ROBERT HALL BRUTTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.