Coupling Member, Pump-Priming Device, and Method of Priming an Internal Combustion Engine

A pump priming device for an internal combustion engine with a fluid pump having at least one of a suction side and a pressure side, the pump priming device comprising:

• a coupling member comprising:
• a first end,
• a second end,
• a cylindrical length therebetween, and
• a plurality of fins extending along at least a portion of the cylindrical length,
• wherein each fin from the plurality of fins protrudes radially from an outer surface of the coupling member;
• a rotational drive;
• and
• a drive shaft mounted to the rotational drive,
• wherein the coupling member and the drive shaft are further configured to translate the rotational force provided by the rotational drive to a crank shaft of the internal combustion engine, such that at least one of the suction side and pressure side of the fluid pump are primed.

A method for priming a fluid pump of an internal combustion engine having at least one of a suction side and a pressure side, the method comprising:

• providing a coupling member, wherein the coupling member comprises:
• a first end,
• a second end,
• a cylindrical length therebetween, and
• a plurality of fins extending along at least a portion of the cylindrical length, wherein each fin from the plurality of fins protrudes radially from an outer surface of the coupling member;
• inserting a fluid into the fluid pump of the internal combustion engine;
• engaging the coupling member and a drive shaft of a rotational drive such that a rotational force provided by the rotational drive can be translated to the coupling member;
• aligning each fin from the plurality of fins with a corresponding geometrical portion of a crank shaft of the internal combustion engine;
• inserting each fin from the plurality of fins into the corresponding geometrical portion of the crank shaft such that each fin from the plurality of fins is capable of translating the rotational force applied to the coupling member to the crank shaft;
• generating the rotational force using the rotational drive and translating the rotational force through the coupling member and into the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• forcing the fluid inserted into the fluid pump into at least one of the suction side and the pressure side of the fluid pump.