Shock absorbing starter clutch mechanism

Claim 2

In a power drive train comprising: a motor having an armature shaft coupled to a pinion shaft extending beyond the end bell of the motor housing; a pinion mounted on said pinion shaft for rotation therewith; a gear meshingly engaged with said pinion and drivingly connected to a load, said gear normally rotating in one direction but responsive to the load for pulsed rotation in the opposite direction; a drive sleeve rotatably mounted on said pinion shaft intermediate the pinion and the end bell of said motor housing, said drive sleeve having a plurality of spaced radially extending ears; a coupling member supported on said pinion shaft intermediate said pinion and said drive sleeve, said coupling member having a plurality of spaced arms extending in direction parallel to the axis of said pinion shaft and extending through the plane of rotation of said ears in said drive sleeve; and a shock absorbing member interposed in the space between each ear of said drive sleeve and an adjacenT arm of said coupling member, said shock absorbing member adapted to transmit the torque developed by said motor to said pinion in said normal rotational direction and compressible for receiving and absorbing the pulsed torque developed by the load through said gear in the opposite rotational direction.

Claim 3

In a power drive train according to claim 1 wherein said shock absorbing member is formed from millable urethane.

Claim 4

In a power drive train according to claim 1 where said ears on said drive sleeve are equal and equally angularly spaced and the arms on said coupling member are equal, equally angularly spaced and equal in number to the number of ears on said drive sleeve and further said arms are spaced from said ears when said arms extend through the plane of rotation of said ears.

Claim 5

In a power drive train according to claim 3 wherein said shock absorbing members are respectively interposed in the space between the ears of said drive sleeve and the adjacent arms of said coupling member forming a resilient connection therebetween.

Claim 6

In a motor vehicle having an electric motor starting unit for starting the engine thereof, said motor starting unit comprising: an electric motor having a rotatable armature shaft; a solenoid having a reciprocable operated plunger; means for energizing said motor in response to said reciprocable operated plunger; a drive shaft coupled to said armature shaft and driven thereby; a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and axially movable therealong for meshingly engaging a ring gear drivingly connected to the engine; a drive sleeve drivenly connected to said drive shaft, said drive sleeve having a plurality of equally spaced radially extending ears; a shifting means connected to said reciprocable operated plunger for axially moving said pinion into meshingly engagement with the ring gear; an overrunning clutch for drivingly connecting said drive shaft to said pinion, for rotation in one direction, said clutch having a housing member with a plurality of equally spaced axially extending arms axially extending respectively through the space between the ears of said drive sleeve; and a resilient compressible shock absorbing member interposed in the space between an ear and an adjacent arm in the direction of normal rotation, said member normally transmitting the torque generated by said motor from said ear to the arm of said overrunning clutch housing for rotating said gear for staring said engine and said member compressingly absorbing the high impact torque generated by the engine driving said gear in the opposing direction.

Claim 7

In a motor vehicle having an electric motor starting unit for starting the engine thereof, said motor starting unit comprising: an electric motor having a rotatable armature shaft; a solenoid having a reciprocable operated plunger; means for energizing said motor in response to said reciprocable operated plunger; a drive shaft coupled to said armature shaft and driven thereby; a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and axially movable therealong for meshingly engaging a ring gear drivingly connected to the engine; a drive sleeve drivenly connected to said drive shaft, said drive sleeve having a plurality of equally spaced radially extending ears; a shifting means connected to said reciprocable operated plunger for axially moving said pinion into meshingly engagement with the ring gear; an overrunning clutch for drivingly connecting said drive shaft to said pinion, for rotation in one direction, said clutch having a housing member with a plurality of equally spaced axially extending arms axially extending respectively through the space between the ears of said drive sleeve; and a resilient compressible shock absorbing member interposed in the space between an ear and an adjacent arm in the direction of normal rotation, said member normally transmitting the torque generated by said motor from said ear to the arm of said overrunning clutch housing for rotating said gear for staring said engine and said member compressingly absorbing the high impact torque generated by the engine driving said gear in the opposing direction.

Claim 8

The electric motor starting unit according to claim 5 wherein said resilient compressible shock absorbing member is millable urethane.

Claim 9

The electric motor starting unit according to claim 6 wherein said drive shaft is axially offset from said armature shaft and drivenly connected thereto by gear means.