ELECTRICAL STARTING AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS
CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND CARE
A great many different types of mechanical, and compressed air starters
were devised and tried out as equipment by the manufacturers of
automobiles a few years ago. These devices were either mechanically
imperfect, or required considerable attention from the owner to keep
them in working order and have all but disappeared from the market,
being supplanted by the electrical starter, which has been perfected to
a high state of efficiency and dependability.
The general principle of all electrical starters is much alike and
they usually operate in much the same manner. The electrical force or
current is produced by a generator driven from the engine. This current
is collected, or held in storage by chemical reproduction plates in a
storage battery. The battery, in turn, is connected to a small electric
motor carried at the side of the engine.
=The Generator.=--The operating principle of current production of the
generator is practically the same as explained in the magneto, which
may also be termed a generator or dynamo.
A generator consists of an iron frame, a set of magnetic field
windings, a wound armature with a commutator on the end, and a brush
which collects the current from the commutator.
The current is induced in the armature by rotating it in a magnetic
field. The amount of voltage induced in the armature-coil depends on
its rotating speed, as the faster the armature turns, the greater
the number of magnetic field lines cut, and the greater the amount of
voltage induced in the armature coil.
=The Regulator.=--The generator is provided with a regulator to control
the output rate of voltage when the engine is running at excess speeds.
This is necessary to prevent the higher charging rate from overcoming
the capacity of the storage battery. The regulating of the voltage
output may be accomplished by mechanical or electrical means. The
mechanical regulator usually consists of a governor which is timed to
release the armature from the drive shaft when the engine reaches a
certain rate of speed. The electrical regulator usually consists of a
reversed series of field winding which acts against the force of the
magnetic field, or of a bucking coil.
=The Automatic Cut-out.=--All types of generators which supply current
to a storage battery are equipped with an automatic cut-out arrangement
which is entirely automatic in action and requires no attention.
The function of the automatic cut-out is to prevent the current from
flowing back to the generator when the current production of the
generator is less than the charged strength of the storage battery. The
cut-out may be located anywhere on the conductor, between the storage
battery and the generator, and consists of a simple electro-magnet,
which is operated by the direction of current flowage.
=One Unit System.=--The generator furnishes the current for ignition
and starting, and is also reversible to act as a starting motor. The
system is referred to as a one unit system.
=Two Unit System.=--When the starting motor and the generator act
singly, and are contained in a separate casting, the system is referred
to as a two unit system.
=Three Unit System.=--When the generator and starting motor are located
as a separate unit, and when the ignition current is supplied by a
magneto, this system is referred to as a three unit system.
=The Starting Motor.=--The starting motor is constructed in the same
manner as the generator, and is simply a reversal of action. When
cranking, the current from the storage battery flows through the
motor winding and magnetizes the armature core. This acting upon the
magnetism of the frame causes the turning effort.
=Lubrication.=--Regularly every two weeks, or every five hundred miles,
two or three drops of thin neutral oil should be dropped into the oil
wells supplying the armature bearings and usually located at each end
of the armature shaft.
[Illustration: Fig. 85. Bijur 2-V System Mounted on Hupmobile Engine]
=Care.=--Regularly every two weeks, inspect all connections as a full
volume of current will not flow over a loose or corroded connection.
Never allow any oil or dirt to collect on the motor or generator, as it
interferes with the terminal connection and misdirects the current, and
the instrument soon becomes inoperative.
Fig. 85 shows the location of the two unit Bijur electrical starting
and generating system mounted on an engine. The starting motor is
bolted to the flywheel housing, and is provided with a square armature
shaft which carries a pinion which can be moved horizontally on the
shaft. This pinion meshes directly with teeth cut in the steel flywheel
ring. No intermediate gears or roller clutches are used. The control
lever connects through linkage to the shifting fork which shifts the
pinion on the square shaft of the motor. The same foot pedal linkage
operates the starting switch. Normally a spring holds the motor pinion
out of mesh with the flywheel teeth and also holds the starting switch
in the “off” position.
=The Generator.=--The generator is bolted to an extension on the
crank case at the front side of the gas motor, and is driven by a
silent chain from the crank shaft. After the gas motor attains a speed
equivalent to a car speed of ten miles per hour on high speed, the
generator begins to generate, and will generate a current which is
highest at low speeds, and diminishes somewhat at higher speeds.
The machines are both self-contained as there are no regulators or
automatic switches which require separate mounting.
The automatic switch for opening and closing the circuit between the
generator and storage battery is mounted inside the generator. This
switch is properly adjusted before the generator leaves the factory,
and no further adjustments are necessary.
Two wires lead from the generator. One of these is connected at the
starting motor to one of the heavy cables coming from the storage
battery, while the other generator wire is grounded on the chassis,
the chassis forming a part of the circuit. The generator polarity is
reversible and the connections at the machine may be made haphazard
and without regard to polarity. If connections are reversed at the
generator, no damage will result, as the machine will automatically
assume the correct polarity to charge the battery.
Fig. 86 shows the position of the Bijur starting system, and the
relative neutral positions of starting pedal, motor pinion, and
starting switch, when the starting equipment is not in action.
Fig. 86A shows the normal position of the various parts after the
starting pedal has been depressed and just before the starting motor
begins to operate. The pinion is now in full mesh with the flywheel
ring and further depressing the starter pedal will close the switch.
[Illustration:
FOOT PEDAL
POSITION 1--OUT OF ACTION. STARTING
SWITCH OFF. PINION UP AGAINST MOTOR
HEAD.
FLYWHEEL
SHIFTING FORK
STARTING SWITCH
MOTOR SHAFT
OIL HERE
MOTOR
OIL HERE
COLLAR
CLEVIS PIN
SHIFTING ROD
STOP
SHIFTER SPRING
RELEASE SPRING
OIL DRAIN
KEEP THIS HOLE CLEAR
PINION
OIL HERE
CRANK CASE
POSITION 2--ABOUT TO CRANK.
GEARS HAVE MESHED BUT
SWITCH HAS NOT YET MADE CONTACT.
Fig. 86. Bijur Starter Mechanism Showing Action]
Fig. 87 shows all the parts in their positions for cranking. The small
gap between the collar on the shifting rod and clevis pin permits the
switch rod to move and thus open the starting switch without moving the
motor pinion when the starting pedal is released.
[Illustration:
POSITION 3--CRANKING, NOTE
GAP BETWEEN COLLAR ON
SHIFTING ROD AND CLEVIS PIN.
SHIFTING FORK IS UP AGAINST
STOP AND SHIFTER SPRING IS
SLIGHTLY COMPRESSED.
POSITION 2A--ABOUT TO CRANK.
GEARS NOT YET MESHED, TEETH
ARE BUTTING, BUT SWITCH HAS
MADE CONTACT. SHIFTER SPRING
STRONGLY COMPRESSED READY
TO DRAW PINION INTO MESH.
Fig. 87. Bijur Starter Mechanism Showing Action]
Fig. 87A shows the condition when on depressing the foot pedal, and
sliding the pinion on the motor shaft towards the flywheel the pinion
does not mesh with the flywheel, and the teeth butt. Depressing the
foot pedal will close the starting switch strongly compressing the
shifter spring. After the switch is closed the motor will begin to
rotate and allow the pinion to slip into mesh with the flywheel. The
motor will then crank in the normal way.
[Illustration:
HEAD LAMP
MOTOR
SWITCH TERMINAL
GROUNDED
GENERATOR
STARTING
SWITCH
BATTERY
IGNITION SWITCH
INTERRUPTOR
AND
DISTRIBUTOR
SPARK PLUGS
REAR LAMP
HORN
COIL
INSTRUMENT LAMP
HEAD LAMP
HORN BUTTON
LIGHTING SWITCH
Fig. 88. Wiring Diagram Model N--Hupmobile]
Fig. 88 shows a complete diagram of the Model N Hupmobile wiring
system.