Starter-motor assembly

Abstract

An internal-combustion starter assembly has a starter motor whose axially displaceable output gear meshes in a forwardly advanced position with an engine gear and which is out of mesh with this engine gear in a backwardly retracted position. Operating mechanism for this gear includes a control motor having a rotary output shaft carrying a cam with a noncircular cam periphery. A cam follower is radially engageable with this cam periphery and is coupled by means of a control rod and a link to the starter-motor gear to displace this gear between its advanced and retracted positions on rotation of the cam through 360.degree.. A control arrangement includes a start switch for operating the control motor to displace the starter-motor gear from its retracted position into its advanced position and then back into its retracted position, and for energizing the starter motor when the starter-motor gear is in the advanced position. This control means can comprise a switch partly carried on the shaft of the control motor, which itself can be of the two-speed type for low-speed, high-force advance of the starter gear toward the engine flywheel and high-speed, low-force retraction therefrom.