Patent ID: 7086514

Claim:
An aircraft engine starter having a centerline of rotation and comprising: a torque transfer connection adapted to be coupled to the aircraft engine; a starter motor; a notch plate, coaxial with the centerline and rotationally coupled to one of the starter motor or the torque transfer connection, and having a first face with at least one notch therein; a strut pocket plate, coaxial with the centerline and rotationally coupled to the other of the starter motor or the torque transfer connection, and having a second face substantially parallel to the first face and spaced apart therefrom by an inter-plate space, wherein the second face has at least one pocket therein facing toward the first face; at least one spring located in the at least one pocket and having first and second ends, the first end bearing against the strut pocket plate; at least one strut moveably retained in the at least one pocket and having first and second ends, the first end bearing against the strut pocket plate and the second end free to move toward the notch plate under the action of the at least one spring whose second end bears against the at least one strut thereby forcing the second end of the at lest one strut toward the notch plate, wherein for a first relative rotational direction and speed the at least one strut engages the at least one notch thereby causing the starter motor to turn the torque transfer connection and for a different relative rotational speed, the at least one strut does not engage the at least one notch and the torque transfer connection can turn freely with respect to the starter motor; an axially mounted oil pump coupled to one or both of the notch plate or strut pocket plate and delivering oil under pressure to the inter-plate space through one or more holes in either the strut pocket plate or the notch plate or both, the oil under pressure in the inter-plate space creating an axially directed force tending to separate the strut pocket plate and the notch plate; first and second stators for supporting the notch plate and the strut pocket plate, respectively; and one or more support bearings having a first race coupled to the strut pocket plate, a second race coupled to the notch plate for radially supporting the strut pocket plate with respect to the notch plate and reacting the axially directed force.