The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 06, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 09, 2001
Gary J. Gracyalny, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Robert K. Mitchell, Brookfield, WI (US);
Art Poehlman, West Bend, WI (US);
Richard Dykstra, Cedar Grove, WI (US);
Steven Dethloff, Pewaukee, WI (US);
Charles Brown, New Dehli, IN;
Paul Tharman, Pewaukee, WI (US);
John Santi, West Allis, WI (US);
Dick Seilenbinder, Hales Corners, WI (US);
Aaron Jerabek, Milwaukee, WI (US);
John Feldner, Hubertus, WI (US);
Stanely Filipak, Dousman, WI (US);
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes an engine housing, a crankshaft supported within the engine housing for rotation with respect to the engine housing, and a flywheel fixedly mounted to the crankshaft and rotatable with the crankshaft in a starting direction to start the engine. A coil spring has an outer end fixedly interconnected with respect to the engine housing, and an inner end. A unidirectional clutch has a portion connected to the inner end of the spring. The unidirectional clutch is characterized by an interference condition in which the unidirectional clutch couples the inner end of the spring to the flywheel such that the flywheel and crankshaft may be rotated in the starting direction in response to unloading of the spring. The unidirectional clutch is also characterized by a non-interference condition in which the inner end of the spring is uncoupled from the flywheel. An input assembly is interconnected with the spring and selectively movable into contact with flywheel to load the spring in response to rotation of the flywheel. A locking mechanism selectively prevents the spring from unloading, and at least one manual actuator is actuable to disengage the locking mechanism from the spring to enable unloading of the spring.