Starter drive

Claim 1

STARTER GEARING FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON A POWER SHAFT COMPRISING: A SLEEVE SLIDABLY, BUT NON-ROTATABLY, CONNECTED TO THE POWER SHAFT, SAID SLEEVE HAVING EXTERNAL SPLINES FORMED ON ONE EXTREMITY; A PINION JOURNALLED ON THE POWER SHAFT FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH A GEAR OF AN ENGINE TO BE STARTED; A DRIVEN CLUTCH MEMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE PINION; A DRIVING CLUTCH MEMBER THREADED ON THE SLEEVE SPLINES, SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS HAVING COMPLEMENTING INCLINED TORQUE TRANSMITTING TEETH ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AN INDEXING AND AN OVERRUNNING CLUTCH CONNECTION; A BARREL HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN END SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE OTHER EXTREMITY OF THE SLEEVE AND SPATIALLY ENCOMPASSING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS; MEANS WITHIN THE HOUSING ADJACENT THE OPEN END THEREOF FOR CONFINING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS WITHIN THE HOUSING; MEANS IN THE HOUSING FOR NORMALLY BIASING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS INTO ENGAGEMENT; MEANS IN THE HOUSING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH MEMBERS TO LIMIT RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN UPON INDEXING INCLUDING AN AXIALLY-EXTENDING MEMBER ADAPTED TO INTERCONNECT THE CLUTCH MEMBERS, PREVENTING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OPPOSING INDEXING BETWEEN SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS WHEN THE PINION AND THE ENGINE GEAR ARE IN END-TO-END ABUTMENT; AND MEANS TO PREVENT THE AXIALLY-EXTENDING MEMBER FROM INTERCONNECTING THE CLUTCH MEMBERS DURING OVERRUNNING CLUTCH CONNECTIONS.