Abstract: A retreat restricting member for restricting the retreat of a pinion in an advanced state of the pinion on an output shaft and in a resulting meshed state of a pinion gear with a ring gear is engaged with a pair of pins rotatably, the pins being each attached to a thrust ring. In a rotation restricting member for restricting the rotation of the pinion, upon meshing of the pinion gear with the ring gear, the front end of a rotation restricting bar is disengaged from a recess of a rotation restricting plate and falls to the rear end side of the thrust ring, thereby releasing the rotation-restricted state of the pinion. Further, engaging portions of the rotation restricting member come into engagement with engaging recesses of the retreat restricting member to hold the posture of the member, thereby inhibiting the retreat of the pinion.

Abstract: Rotation of a pinion is regulated by a pinion regulating claw when a starter is actuated. After the pinion engages a ring gear, the regulating claw positioned rearward the pinion regulates the return of the pinion from the ring gear. A thrust bearing including a rolling bearing positioned on the rear face of the pinion absorbs the difference between the rotational speed of the pinion and that of the regulating claw. Such a construction allows only the pinion to move axially and a magnet switch to be made compact and light.

Abstract: A starter for an automotive vehicle is comprised of an output shaft rotationally driven by a DC motor, a pinion having on its inner circumference a helical spline engaged with a helical spline on the output shaft. A pinion restricting member has a long arm engageable with teeth formed on the outer circumference of the pinion. A drive housing abuts axially at the pinion restricting member, and a center case abuts axially against the pinion restricting member. The pinion restricting member is held assuredly and axially by the drive housing and the center case.

Abstract: A thin film magnet and a cylindrical ferromagnetic thin film having a high maximum energy product (greater than 120 kJ/m.sup.3) and thus suitable for use in miniature high performance devices are provided. The thin film magnet is produced by means of physical vapor deposition. The thin film magnet is an (Nd.sub.1-x R.sub.x).sub.y M.sub.1-y-z B.sub.z alloy having a ferromagnetic compound of the Nd.sub.2 Fe.sub.14 B type as its main phase, wherein R is Tb, Ho, and Dy and M is Fe metal or an Fe-based alloy including at least one of Co and Ni, 0.04.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.10,0.11.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.15, and 0.08.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.15. A perpendicular magnetization film having such a composition is deposited on the side wall of a substrate in the columnar (or cylindrical) form thereby obtaining a cylindrical ferromagnetic thin film having radial anisotropy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a starter which is simplified in the structure of its pinion rotation regulating mechanism and is down-sized in its entire structure. A pinion regulating member abuts with a pinion and moves the pinion towards a ring gear by the rotation of an output shaft, while preventing rotation of the pinion. When the pinion abuts with the ring gear, the pinion regulating member bends and gradually rotates the pinion to mesh with the ring gear. By this arrangement and operation, generation of abrasion powder is reduced with reduced number of component parts.

Abstract: A starting apparatus which is capable of preventing damages to the starter unit even if a starting current passed to the starter unit fails to be interrupted due to switch troubles, etc. is provided. A main storage device is charged by a power generating device and feeds electricity to electric loads in a vehicle and a subsidiary storage device. A starting switch passes the charging current from the main storage device to the subsidiary storage device during non-starting time, by which the subsidiary storage device specially designed to drive the starter unit stores the power which is smaller than that which may cause damages such as burning to the starter unit even if the current is discharged continuously to the starter unit, but larger than that required for each starting under normal conditions.