Abstract: The table saw mill trolley rolls on rails. A log holder is pivotally attached to the trolley for pivotal movement about first and second axes. A support is fixed to the holder. A log tensioner and log indexer are attached to the support. Centering pins on the tensioner and indexer engage log ends. The trolley supports a log with an indexing shaft axis transverse to the blade axis. A first slot is cut in the log. The log is pivoted about the first axis and the trolley is returned to the start. The log is rotated about the second axis and then pivoted about the first axis to support by the trolley. A second slot that intersects the first slot is cut forming a first log flat surface.

Abstract: In one form, a carburetor may include an air passage, a fuel and air mixing passage, a throttle valve, an air valve and a lost motion coupler interconnecting the air valve and the throttle valve. The throttle valve may be disposed in communication with the fuel and air mixing passage and moveable between an idle position and an open position permitting an at least somewhat less restricted fluid flow therethrough than when the throttle valve is in the idle position. The air valve may be disposed in communication with the air passage, and moveable between closed and fully open positions to control air flow through the air passage.

Abstract: A seal for an air valve having a valve shaft rotatably carried in a bore formed in a body and a valve head carried by the valve shaft to control air flow through an air passage as the valve shaft is rotated. The seal may include a pair of spaced apart sealing members adapted to engage the body within the air passage to seal a junction between the valve and air passage. The seal may also include an intermediate member between and interconnecting the sealing members, where the intermediate member is flexible to permit movement of at least a portion of the sealing members toward each other and the intermediate member is also resilient to yieldably bias the sealing members away from each other at least when the sealing members are displaced toward each other.

Abstract: In one form, a carburetor may include an air passage, a fuel and air mixing passage, a throttle valve, an air valve and a lost motion coupler interconnecting the air valve and the throttle valve. The throttle valve may be disposed in communication with the fuel and air mixing passage and moveable between an idle position and an open position permitting an at least somewhat less restricted fluid flow therethrough than when the throttle valve is in the idle position. The air valve may be disposed in communication with the air passage, and moveable between closed and fully open positions to control air flow through the air passage.

Abstract: A starting system for a combustion engine including a carburetor with a throttle valve moveable between idle and wide open positions, a throttle control to control movement of the throttle valve during normal operation of the engine, and a linkage between the throttle control and the throttle valve. The starting system includes a recoil pulley, a pull-cord to rotate the recoil pulley, an actuator moveable in response to rotation of the recoil pulley, and a throttle override device. The throttle override device has a first control member moveable from a first position to a second position in response to movement of the actuator, and a second control member moveable in response to movement of the first control member from a first to a second position. The second control member is operably associated with the linkage to prevent the throttle valve from being in its wide open position when the second control member is in its second position.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a light-duty combustion engine and, more particularly, a method and system that use an engine speed governor to limit the engine speed to a level that is less than a clutch-in speed of a centrifugal clutch. If it is determined that an operator is attempting to throttle or accelerate the engine, the engine speed governor is disengaged so that normal operation can commence.

Abstract: A charge forming device may include a body having a fuel and air mixing passage, a throttle valve and choke valve moveable between first and second positions to control at least in part the fluid flow in the fuel and air mixing passage, and throttle and choke control members associated with the throttle and choke valves, respectively. The choke control member may also be associated with an engine starting system so that the choke valve is moved to its second position upon actuation of the starting system. The choke control member is selectively associated with the throttle control member to hold the choke control member in a position spaced from its first position. In this manner, the throttle valve and choke valve may be automatically positioned in a desired position for starting of the engine upon actuation of the engine starting system.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a light-duty combustion engine and, more particularly, a method and system that use an engine speed governor to limit the engine speed to a level that is less than a clutch-in speed of a centrifugal clutch. If it is determined that an operator is attempting to throttle or accelerate the engine, the engine speed governor is disengaged so that normal operation can commence.

Abstract: A recoil starter for an internal combustion engine has a housing with a pulley carried at least in part for rotation therein. The pulley is arranged in operable communication with a crankshaft of the engine. A pull cord is wound about the pulley with one end of the cord being arranged to be pulled by a user to rotate the pulley. An actuator is carried for rotation in response to rotation of the pulley. A pump is arranged for actuation in response to rotation of the actuator to provide fresh liquid fuel to a carburetor and remove fuel vapor and stale fuel from the carburetor and deliver it to a fuel tank prior to starting the engine.

Abstract: A control system for a low cost, light duty combustion engine, where the control system generally utilizes an engine speed input signal and independent operating sequences to determine a desired ignition timing. There are several independent operating sequences, each one of which is designed to optimally control the engine under certain conditions. These operating sequences include a Cranking sequence, a Warm Up sequence, a Normal Mode sequence, an Acceleration sequence, a Come Down sequence, a Recovery Bump sequence, and a Part Throttle sequence. During idling conditions, the Normal Mode sequence uses rapid changes in the ignition timing to maintain the engine speed in a small, idle engine speed range. By utilizing these operational sequences, the control system improves the performance of a low cost, light duty engine across a wide array of conditions.

Abstract: A charge forming device may include a body having a fuel and air mixing passage, a throttle valve and choke valve moveable between first and second positions to control at least in part the fluid flow in the fuel and air mixing passage, and throttle and choke control members associated with the throttle and choke valves, respectively. The choke control member may also be associated with an engine starting system so that the choke valve is moved to its second position upon actuation of the starting system. The choke control member is selectively associated with the throttle control member to hold the choke control member in a position spaced from its first position. In this manner, the throttle valve and choke valve may be automatically positioned in a desired position for starting of the engine upon actuation of the engine starting system.

Abstract: A combustion engine carburetor has a control valve assembly that generally controls flow through a fuel-and-air mixing passage extending through a body of the carburetor. The control valve assembly has at least one valve preferably of a butterfly-type having a shaft that extends transversely across the fuel-and-air mixing passage and journaled for rotation in the body about a rotation axis. The shaft has opposite trailing and leading end portions that project from generally opposing sides of the carburetor body. Axial movement of the shaft with respect to the body is limited by an axial retention feature that preferably has a radially enlarged end cap formed unitarily to the trailing end portion and a coupler snap fitted to the leading end portion.

Abstract: A charge forming device includes a body with a fuel and air mixing passage, a bypass passage that communicates with the fuel and air mixing passage, a throttle valve and a choke valve. The throttle valve is movable between idle and wide open positions and operable to control at least in part the fluid flow through the fuel and air mixing passage. The choke valve is movable between an open position permitting a substantially free flow of air into the fuel and air mixing passage and a closed position at least substantially restricting air flow into the fuel and air mixing passage. A bypass valve is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively permit fluid flow through the bypass passage. The bypass valve is movable toward its open position when the throttle valve is displaced at least a threshold amount away from its idle position.

Abstract: A starting system for a combustion engine including a carburetor with a throttle valve moveable between idle and wide open positions, a throttle control to control movement of the throttle valve during normal operation of the engine, and a linkage between the throttle control and the throttle valve. The starting system includes a recoil pulley, a pull-cord to rotate the recoil pulley, an actuator moveable in response to rotation of the recoil pulley, and a throttle override device. The throttle override device has a first control member moveable from a first position to a second position in response to movement of the actuator, and a second control member moveable in response to movement of the first control member from a first to a second position. The second control member is operably associated with the linkage to prevent the throttle valve from being in its wide open position when the second control member is in its second position.

Abstract: A pull-cord start system has a recoil pulley coupled to a crankshaft of a combustion engine and a pull-cord wound about the recoil pulley which is pulled by an end user to rotate the recoil pulley and thereby start the engine. A throttle override device of the pull-cord start system has a shuttle coupled to the pull-cord for movement from a biased rest position to an active position when the pull-cord is being pulled by an end user. A linkage of the throttle override device which is preferably a Bowden cable extends between a throttle control and a throttle valve of a carburetor and is associated with the shuttle so that actuation of the throttle control when the shuttle is in the active position will not open the throttle valve which preferably is biased to an idle position because movement of the shuttle to the active position produces slack in the linkage.

Abstract: A pull-starter for a combustion engine of an engine-powered apparatus having a startup element automatically actuated upon initial pulling of a pull-cord. The pull-cord is attached to and wound around a recoil pulley, routed at least partially around a portion of a movable dampener member, and attached to a handle. The dampener member is biased toward a rest position and a portion thereof is linked to the startup element. The pull-cord is pulled to displace the dampener member away from its rest position, automatically actuate the at least one startup element, and unwind the pull-cord from around the recoil pulley and thereby rotate the recoil pulley in an unwind direction to rotate a crankshaft of the engine via a coupling. At least upon release of the pull-cord, the dampener member and the startup element automatically return to their normal state during engine operation.

Abstract: A controlled slow down apparatus and method for use in the event that a light-duty combustion engine has entered a state of excessive speeds or auto-ignition. The controlled slow down method is preferably initiated when the engine speed exceeds an activation speed for a predetermined number of engine revolutions. Once initiated, the controlled slow down method uses a combination of ignition timing and spark ratio manipulations in order to disrupt the auto-ignition conditions and slow down the engine in a controlled manner. Preferably, the controlled slow down method is only one part of an overall ignition control method, and can be incorporated within or utilized by one of a number of different ignition timing methods known in the art.

Abstract: A control system for a low cost, light duty combustion engine, where the control system generally utilizes an engine speed input signal and independent operating sequences to determine a desired ignition timing. There are several independent operating sequences, each one of which is designed to optimally control the engine under certain conditions. These operating sequences include a Cranking sequence, a Warm Up sequence, a Normal Mode sequence, an Acceleration sequence, a Come Down sequence, a Recovery Bump sequence, and a Part Throttle sequence. During idling conditions, the Normal Mode sequence uses rapid changes in the ignition timing to maintain the engine speed in a small, idle engine speed range. By utilizing these operational sequences, the control system improves the performance of a low cost, light duty engine across a wide array of conditions.

Abstract: A kill-switch control circuit for use with a light-duty combustion engine determines whether to execute a controlled shut down method or an immediate shut down method in response to kill-switch activation. The selection of a shut down method is made, at least in part, by using engine speed readings and by counting engine revolutions. The controlled shut down method utilizes ignition timing delay and/or spark ratio techniques to quickly bring the engine to a stop, yet does so in a controlled manner that avoids backfiring and other undesirable effects. Conversely, the immediate shut down method abruptly stops sending a current to the spark plug.

Abstract: A four-stroke combustion engine is lubricated by a mixture of lubricant, fuel and air received from a rotary valve type carburetor. A cylinder of the engine houses a reciprocating piston and together they generally define a combustion chamber segregated from a generally sealed cavity which contains a mechanism for operating intake and exhaust valves communicating with the combustion chamber. Generally non-burning lubricant along with fuel-and-air enters the combustion chamber from the rotary-type carburetor and blows-by the piston into the sealed cavity through a clearance defined generally between the cylinder and piston for cooling the engine and lubricating the mechanical linkage assembly. Preferably, the sealed cavity is vented directly into a rotary throttle valve of the carburetor for controlled flow back into the engine without use of a check valve, enhanced idling characteristics of the engine and substantially reduced spit-back through the carburetor air inlet.