Starter drive

Claim 1

IN AN ENGINE STARTER DRIVE: A POWER SHAFT; A SLEEVE SUPPORTED ON THE SHAFT HAVING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT RELATIVE THEREOF; A DRIVING CLUTCH MEMBER SECURED TO AN EXTREMITY OF THE SLEEVE; CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE MEANS FORMED IN THE SLEEVE ADJACENT THE DRIVING CLUTCH; MEANS FOR MOVING THE SLEEVE RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT; A CASING FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE SLEEVE WITH A PORTION THEREOF CONCENTRICALLY AND SPATIALLY DISPOSED ABOUT THE GROOVE AND SAID CLUTCH MEMBER, SAID CASING INCLUDING AN ANGULARLY INCLINED SURFACE AXIALLY ADJACENT THE GROOVE; A PINION INCLUDING A FLANGE POSITIONED WITHIN THE CASING SLIDABLY JOURNALLED ON THE SHAFT FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF MESH WITH A GEAR OF THE ENGINE TO BE STARTED; A DRIVEN CLUTCH MEMBER SECURED TO THE PINION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE DRIVING CLUTCH MEMBER TO PROVIDE AN OVERRUNNING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SLEEVE AND THE PINION; MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE CASING AND FLANGE FOR NORMALLY BIASING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS INTO DRIVING ENGAGEMENT; A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE MEMBER OIF LIMITED FLEXIBILITY SECURED TO THE FLANGE CONCENTRICALLY AND SPATIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN THE CASING HAVING ITS FREE EXTREMITY ADJACENT THE INCLINED SURFACE; ELONGATED ARM MEANS HAVING ONE EXTREMITY SUPPORTED ON THE FLANGE AND DISPOSED WITHIN THE CASING OVERLYING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR RADIAL MOVEMENT; DETENT MEANS SECURED TO THE FREE EXTREMITY OF THE ARM MEANS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE BELOW A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF PINION SPEEDS FOR LOCKING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS INTO DRIVING ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GENERATED AT AND ABOVE THE PREDETERMINED RANGE OF PINION SPEEDS TO BE PIVOTED BY THE RADIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE AND THE INCLINED SURFACE WHEREBY THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES ARE TRANSLATED INTO AXIAL FORCES EXERTED ON THE FLANGE FOR CAUSING THE CLUTCH MEMBER TO BE SEPARATED AND TO OVERRUN.