US 10,245,654 B2Granted

Truck clutch brake cutter

OwnerGeoffrey S. Craychee, John F. Craycheeinventors

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Abstract

A clutch brake cutter for removing a disk-shaped clutch brake from off an input shaft that couples a truck engine to a transmission includes one or more cutting tools and employs a method of clamping and axially compressing a solid or multilayer clutch brake during the cutting operation. In some examples, the clutch brake cutter first guides a drill bit radially from an outer peripheral edge to an inner peripheral edge of the clutch brake. The resulting hole has a diameter that is less than the disk thickness of the clutch brake. Next, the clutch brake cutter guides a chisel lengthwise through the predrilled hole to split the hole open. The drilling and chiseling operation is repeated at an opposite location on the clutch brake to separate the clutch into at least two pieces that can be readily removed from the input shaft without having to first remove the transmission.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A clutch brake method for removing the clutch brake of a vehicle, the clutch brake encircling a shaft having a rotational axis extending in an axial direction that is perpendicular to a radial direction, the clutch brake being generally an annular disk having a front face, a back face, an outer edge and an inner edge, the front face and the back face extending in the radial direction between the inner edge and the outer edge, the inner edge being adjacent to the shaft, the clutch brake method involving a use of a drill bit, a chisel, a drill bushing, and a main body having a tool-receiving hole, the clutch brake method comprising:

mounting the main body at a first position relative to the clutch brake;
inserting the drill bushing in the tool-receiving hole of the main body;
inserting the drill bit into the drill bushing;
creating a first drilled hole by driving the drill bit in the radial direction while the drill bushing guides the drill bit through the clutch brake from the outer edge toward the inner edge;
positioning the drill bit and the drill bushing so as to provide clear access to the tool-receiving hole and the first drilled hole;
inserting the chisel into the tool-receiving hole of the main body;
driving the chisel in the radial direction through the first drilled hole;
the chisel cutting at least one of the front face and the back face upon driving the chisel through the first drilled hole;
moving the main body to a second position relative to the clutch brake;
creating a second drilled hole by driving the drill bit in the radial direction while the drill bushing guides the drill bit through the clutch brake from the outer edge toward the inner edge;
positioning the drill bit and the drill bushing so as to provide clear access to the tool-receiving hole;
inserting the chisel into the tool-receiving hole of the main body;
driving the chisel in the radial direction through the second drilled hole;
the chisel cutting at least one of the front face and the back face upon driving the chisel through the second drilled hole;
withdrawing the main body from the clutch brake;
and
removing the clutch brake from the shaft.

14 more elements

A clutch brake method for removing the clutch brake of a vehicle, the clutch brake encircling a shaft having a rotational axis extending in an axial direction that is perpendicular to a radial direction, the clutch brake being generally an annular disk having a front face, a back face, an outer edge and an inner edge, the front face and the back face extending in the radial direction between the inner edge and the outer edge, the inner edge being adjacent to the shaft, the clutch brake method involving a use of a clutch pedal of the vehicle, a cutting tool, and a main body having a tool-receiving hole, the clutch brake method comprising:

positioning the clutch brake at a first position;
placing the main body proximate the clutch brake;
depressing the clutch pedal of the vehicle;
in reaction to depressing the clutch pedal, transmitting a clamping force in the axial direction against the front face and the back face of the clutch brake;
inserting the cutting tool through the tool-receiving hole of the main body;
cutting the clutch brake along a first path by forcing the cutting tool in the radial direction into the clutch brake while the shaft and the clutch brake are at the first position;
withdrawing the cutting tool out from within the clutch brake;
releasing the clutch pedal of the vehicle, thereby substantially removing the clamping force against the clutch brake;
rotating the shaft and the clutch brake to a second position;
depressing the clutch pedal a second time;
in reaction to depressing the clutch pedal a second time, retransmitting the clamping force in the axial direction against the front face and the back face of the clutch brake;
cutting the clutch brake along a second path by forcing the cutting tool in the radial direction through the tool-receiving hole and into the clutch brake while the shaft and the clutch brake are at the second position;
and
removing the clutch brake from the shaft.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/237,186Filed 15 Aug 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Aug 2015
Published: US 2017/0050247 A123 Feb 2017
Granted: 2 Apr 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B23B 47/281
Drill jigs for workpieces: jigs for drilling cylindrical parts
B25B 27/0064
For motor-vehicles: for assembling or disassembling clutches
B23B 2247/12
Details of drilling jigs: drilling jigs with means to affix the jig to the workpiece
B23B
Turning

Family

Application62/282,944Us provisional application · filed 17 Aug 2015
US 2017/0050247 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Feb 2017
US 10,245,654 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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