In a starter device of a type having a tubular rotary output shaft is in alignment with the armature shaft of a d.c. motor, and a tubular pinion moving shaft which has a pinion to be meshed with the ring gear of an automobile engine at its one end and receives therein the rotary output shaft, is connectable to the armature shaft by means of an overrunning clutch, the rotary output shaft is a tubular shaft and a movable shaft is disposed in the tubular rotary output shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction in association with the tubular pinion moving shaft, wherein the movable shaft has a stopper which is brought into contact with an immovable part which does not move in at least the axial direction of the starter device when the movable shaft is moved by a predetermined distance.
A starter motor for an internal combustion engine having an overrunning clutch (40) which transfers rotation of a d.c. motor to a pinion gear for driving an internal combustion engine. An outer member (41) of the overrunning clutch (40) is slidable along an output shaft (7). When the clutch is slid toward the engine (forward) the d.c. motor is electrically energized and its rotation is imparted to the output shaft (7) via a planetary reduction gear (13). When the overrunning clutch (40) is in this position, the clutch outer member (41) is coupled to the output shaft (7) by helical spline (8). Clutch inner member (22), which is caused to rotate by the rollers (23), transmits rotary motion to the pinion, thus rotating the engine. The overrunning clutch is caused to slide along the output shaft by a shift lever (34) which is moved forward and rearward by an electromagnetic switch (31). The shift lever has a two-pronged lower end engaged with an annular engagement groove (41c). A retaining ring (27) is fitted in the output shaft to prevent rearward motion of the overrunning clutch past a predetermined point. The clutch outer member (41) is provided with a rear end portion having an inner diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the retaining ring (27) so that the rear end portion of the clutch overhangs the retaining ring. This shortens the distance between the forward position of the clutch outer member and the retaining ring, which in turn reduces the external length of the starter motor.
