Method and tool for rewinding a recoil starter spring

Claim 1

A tool for effecting repair upon a small engine, said engine being of the type having a self-winding recoil starter mechanism which includes a recoil starter pulley having a central aperture and a central spring receiving recess, an elongated flat recoil spring having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having a locking notch therein, a spring anchor means adapted to overly the central portion of the pulley, the spring anchor means having generally a hollow cylindrical configuration with a through aperture at one end thereof and the other end being open to the full extent of the cylinder, the spring anchor means further having a shoulder portion projecting into the interior of the cylinder and having a spring locking slot positioned in the cylinder side wall, the tool further comprising: a substantially hollow cylindrical spring cover, one end of the cylindrical cover being open and the other end being closed, the closed end having an aperture centrally located therein, a crank handle means comprising an elongated tubular handle shaft and having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft being positioned through the central aperture of the spring cover. means to engage the distal end of the handle shaft in operative relationship with the spring anchor means, whereby the locking notch of the proximal end of the recoil spring is placed within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley and engaged in the spring locking slot of the spring anchor means and the crank handle shaft is matingly engaged with the spring anchor means by projecting the shaft through the spring anchor means and through the central aperture of the starter pulley thereby engaging the engagement pin of the handle shaft with the shoulder of the spring anchor wherein when the proximal end of the crank handle is rotated the recoil spring is wound into a spring coil within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley and maintained therein by the spring cover until fully wound therein and ready for use upon the small engine.

Claim 7

A method for effecting repair upon a small engine wherein the engine is of the type having a self-winding recoil starter mechanism including a recoil starter pulley having a central aperture and a central spring receiving recess and having an elongated flat recoil spring with a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the spring having a locking notch therein, a spring anchor means adapted to overly the central portion of the pulley, the spring anchor means having generally a hollow cylindrical configuration with a through aperture at one end thereof and the other end being open to the full extent of the cylinder, the spring anchor further having a shoulder portion projecting into the interior of the cylinder and having a spring locking slot positioned in the cylinder side wall, the method comprising: placing the spring anchor means within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley, inserting the locking notch of the proximal end of the flat recoil spring into the spring locking slot thereof, inserting a distal end of a tubular shaft of a crank handle in the through aperture of the spring anchor means, moving the shaft, anchor means and the attached recoil spring to the central aperture of the recoil starter pulley, inserting the distal end of the handle shaft through the anchor means and the central aperture of the starter pulley, positioning a spring anchor engagement pin attached to the shaft handle into the spring anchor means and positioning the spring anchor engagement pin against the shoulder portion of the spring anchor means, providing the handle shaft with a substantially hollow cylindrical spring cover being open at one end thereof and enclosed at the other end thereof, positioning the spring cover centrally about the handle shaft, positioning the spring cover over the central spring receiving recess of the recoil starter pulley to maintain the recoil spring within the spring receiving recess, turning the crank handle and winding the recoil spring around the spring anchor means within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley until the spring is fully wound within the receiving recess and locked in position, removing the winding tool from the spring anchor means and the recoil starter pulley leaving the recoil spring wound in operative position.

Claim 8

A method for effecting repair upon a small engine wherein the engine is of the type having a self-winding recoil starter mechanism including a recoil starter pulley having a central aperture and a central spring receiving recess and having an elongated flat recoil spring with a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the spring having a locking notch therein, a spring anchor means adapted to overly the central portion of the pulley, the spring anchor means having generally a hollow cylindrical configuration with a through aperture at one end thereof and the other end being open to the full extent of the cylinder, the spring anchor further having a shoulder portion projecting into the interior of the cylinder and having a spring locking slot positioned in the cylinder side wall, the method comprising: placing the spring anchor means within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley, inserting the locking notch of the proximal end of the flat recoil spring into the spring locking slot thereof, inserting a distal end of a tubular shaft of a crank handle in the through aperture of the spring anchor means, moving the shaft, anchor means and the attached recoil spring to the central aperture of the recoil starter pulley, inserting the distal end of the handle shaft through the anchor means and the central aperture of the starter pulley, positioning a spring anchor engagement pin attached to the shaft handle into the spring anchor means and positioning the spring anchor engagement pin against the shoulder portion of the spring anchor means, providing the handle shaft with a substantially hollow cylindrical spring cover being open at one end thereof and enclosed at the other end thereof, positioning the spring cover centrally about the handle shaft, positioning the spring cover over the central spring receiving recess of the recoil starter pulley to maintain the recoil spring within the spring receiving recess, turning the crank handle and winding the recoil spring around the spring anchor means within the central spring receiving recess of the starter pulley until the spring is fully wound within the receiving recess and locked in position, removing the winding tool from the spring anchor means and the recoil starter pulley leaving the recoil spring wound in operative position.