Pneumatic starter for internal combustion engine
AssigneeSycon Corporation
InventorsJohn J. Kristoff, Michael Elwer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A starter arrangement for an engine includes a fluid actuated rotary vane motor which is adapted to engage an associated engine. The rotary motor has a plurality of blades or vanes with each of the blades being made from a fiber reinforced plastic material to reduce friction. A sleeve, in which the rotary motor is positioned, has on its inner surface a hard metallic coating to reduce friction. A relay valve member selectively provides a pressurized operating fluid to the rotary motor. The blade material and the sleeve inner surface coating cooperate to enable the vane motor, when it is actuated by the relay valve member, to rotate in the sleeve with a minimum of friction thereby obviating the need for a lubricating agent.
Claims24
A starter arrangement for an engine, comprising:
- a fluid actuated rotary vane motor which is adapted to engage an associated engine, said rotary motor having a hub and at least one blade which is slidably mounted in said hub and is made from a fiber reinforced plastic material to reduce friction, and wherein said at least one blade has a wear surface made of the same material;
- a housing including a sleeve in which said rotary motor is positioned, said sleeve having on its inner surface a hard metallic coating to reduce friction, wherein said sleeve inner surface coating comprises a chromium [electrocating] electrocoating having a hardness which measures at least 70 on the Rockwell C hardness scale and a microfinish of [less than] approximately 10 micro-inches R.M.S.;
- and,
- [a relay valve means for selectively providing a pressurized operating fluid to said rotary motor, ] wherein said blade material and said sleeve inner surface coating cooperate to enable said motor to rotate in said sleeve with a minimum of friction thereby obviating the need for a lubricating system for the starter arrangement.
A starter arrangement for starting an internal combustion engine with compressed fluid, comprising:
- a housing including a metallic sleeve wherein said sleeve has on its inner surface a hard metallic coating which measures at least 70 on the Rockwell C hardness scale, said coating on said sleeve having a microfinish of [less than] approximately 10 micro-inches R.M.S.;
- a fluid actuated rotary vane motor rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said motor having a plurality of blades with each of said blades being made from a plurality of layers of a resin-coated fiber cloth material to reduce friction wherein each of said blades has a wear surface made of the same material, and wherein as said blades slide against said sleeve there is minimal friction occurring thereby obviating the need for a separate lubricating system for the starter arrangement[;
- and,
- a source of pressurized fluid for actuating said rotary motor].
An unlubricated, and hence environmentally desirable, pneumatic starter for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an integral housing including a sleeve having on its inner surface a hard metallic coating to reduce friction, said coating comprising a chromium electrocoating having a hardness which measures at least 70 on the Rockwell C hardness scale and wherein said coating on said sleeve has a microfinish of less than 10 micro-inches R.M.S.;
- a fluid actuated rotary vane motor rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said motor having a hub and a plurality of blades with each of said blades being made from an aramid fiber reinforced plastic material to reduce friction as said blades rotate in said sleeve, wherein said blades have a wear surface made of the same fiber reinforced plastic material;
- a source of pressurized air for actuating said rotary motor;
- and,
- an eccentric cam for positively displacing said blades in relation to said hub when said motor is actuated, the rotation of said vane motor in said sleeve, causing a minimum of friction thereby obviating the need for a separate lubricating system.
A starter arrangement for a compression ignition engine, comprising:
- an air actuated rotary vane starter motor which is adapted to engage the compression ignition engine, said rotary motor having a hub with a slot therein, wherein said hub slot includes a hard metallic coating to reduce friction;
- a blade which is slidably mounted in said hub slot, said blade comprising a fiber reinforced plastic material to reduce friction;
- and,
- a housing including a sleeve in which said hub and blade are positioned, said sleeve having on its inner surface a hard metallic coating to reduce friction, wherein said sleeve comprises a ferrous material and wherein said hard metallic coating on said hub slot and on said sleeve inner surface is a material selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel and titanium, wherein said blade material, hub slot coating and sleeve inner surface coating cooperate to enable said motor to rotate with a minimum of friction thereby obviating the need for a lubricating system for the starter arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.