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US 3,939,369 AGranted
Housing for starter motor
AssigneeSullivan Products, Inc.
InventorMatthew A. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeSullivan Products, Inc.
InventorMatthew A. Sullivan
Estimating the term…
A housing is provided for hand-held starter motors, such as those commonly in use for starting model airplanes by imparting a torque to the spinner or nose cone of the airplane. The housing is provided with a guard to protect the hand holding the motor during the starting operation, as well as means for resting the motor on a horizontal surface without rolling. The housing comprises a cylindrical casing and an end plate through which the shaft of the starter motor extends. The end plate has a flange which extends beyond the circumference of the casing for a distance sufficient to prevent the fingers of the hand from sliding past the end plate while holding the motor. Extending from the flange of the end plate generally parallel to and overlying a portion of the outer surface of the casing is a curved protrusion having a surface which approximately fits the curve of the hand between the thumb and forefinger when the hand is holding the motor. A flat edge on one portion of the flange allows the motor to be rested on a horizontal surface without rolling. Preferably, the housing is provided with a strip switch for operating the motor, and a projection from the casing may serve as both a mounting member for the strip switch and a third point for resting the motor on a surface.
In an apparatus for housing a hand-held starter motor comprising an electric motor, a substantially cylindrical casing for said motor, the cylindrical axis of said casing being substantially parallel to a shaft connected to said motor and extending from the casing, and the diameter of said casing being such that the hand may extend around more than 180.degree. of the circumference of said casing to hold said motor, the improvement comprising flange means adjacent the end of said casing where said shaft extends from said casing, said flange means extending radially outwardly beyond the circumference of said casing along substantially 360.degree. of said circumference, the radial extent of said flange means being sufficient to prevent the user's hand and fingers from sliding past said flange means, said flange means having a curved surface, said curved surface circumscribing a portion of the outer surface of said casing and facing away from the end of said casing from which said shaft extends, said curved surface approximately fitting the curve of the hand between the thumb and the forefinger when the hand is holding said motor.
In an apparatus for housing a hand-held starter motor comprising an electric motor, a substantially cylindrical casing for said motor, the cylindrical axis of said casing being substantially parallel to a shaft connected to said motor and extending from the casing, and the diameter of said casing being such that the hand may extend around more than 180.degree. of the circumference of said casing to hold said motor, the improvement comprising flange means adjacent the end of said casing where said shaft extends from said casing, said flange means extending radially outwardly beyond the circumference of said casing along substantially 360.degree. of said circumference, the radial extent of said flange means being sufficient to prevent a user's fingers and hand from sliding past said flange means, said flange means being provided with two spaced fulcrum points to resist rolling of the starting motor when placed on a substantially horizontal surface, said casing having a projection extending from the outer surface thereof and located adjacent the end of said casing remote from said flange means and being on generally the same side of the casing as said fulcrum points, said projection comprising a mounting member for one end of a strip switch for operating said motor, and a second mounting member for the other end of said strip switch extending from said flange means adjacent said fulcrum points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.