CARTRIDGE ENGINE STARTERS
A number of methods have been devised to cause an internal combustion piston engine to turn over during the starting process, the most common being manual cranking and electric starter motors. Another method involves the use of a special cartridge that is generally similar to a firearm cartridge (minus the projectile, of course.) The Coffman cartridge system was one of the most common brands, entering the market in the mid-1930s; another was the Breeze cartridge system, which was produced under Coffman patents.
The cartridge starter offers advantages in certain situations, particularly in aircraft applications. For one thing, unlike the business of starting by manually spinning the propeller, a pilot can operate a cartridge starter single-handedly from within the cockpit. A disadvantage is that a supply of special cartridges must be carried, one for each attempt to start the engine.
The images below are from Installation, operations, maintenance manual for Coffman Engine Starters Types L-3 and L-4, which was published in 1937. Also included is a diagrammatic illustration of the Coffman system from a different source. These were provided to us courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum, Archives Division (the current copyright disposition for this material is unknown.)
The preceding information was derived from the backfiles of the San Joaquin Valley Information Service.
We hope you will find it useful, both as an introduction and as a guide for further study.
Please consult with your local public library about obtaining copies of the works cited.
Revised 2/2001 DJD