Engine starter gearing

Abstract

Centrifugally disengageable engine starter gearing selectively starting an engine having a starting gear. The engine starter gearing includes a power shaft, a sleeve slidably secured to the power shaft, a pinion gear slidably mounted to the power shaft and movable into engagement with the starting gear, a driven clutch member secured to the pinion gear and having a circular recess therein, a driving clutch member mounted to the sleeve, mutually engageable clutch teeth on the driving and driven clutch members, a barrel housing having an open end and being fitted over the driving and driven clutch members, an abutment confining the driving and driven clutch members within the housing, a resilient member biasing the driving and driven clutch members into mutual engagement, a radially inwardly extending shoulder on the driving clutch member adjacent the circular recess, and an annular thrust ring with an inner conical surface disposed in the circular recess, the annular thrust ring being adapted to abut the radially inwardly extending shoulder of the driving clutch member when displaced in a first axial direction. A plurality of centrifugal flyweight members are annularly arranged in the circular recess. Each centrifugal flyweight member has an inclined surface abutting the conical surface of the thrust ring and operative to displace the thrust ring in the first axial direction in response to centrifugal force. A plurality of cavities are formed in the clutch members. The plurality of cavities extend from the circular recess and cooperate with at least a portion of the centrifugal flyweight members to prevent axial movement of the plurality of centrifugal flyweight members while permitting radial movement thereof.