Friction clutch assembly

A friction clutch assembly for connecting driving and driven shafts, comprising

• a cover adapted for mounting on a flywheel of said driving shaft in a fixed axial position relative to the flywheel and for conjoint rotation with the flywheel,
• a pressure plate supported by the cover for rotation therewith, the pressure plate having a contact surface for receiving a driving force from the driving shaft, the pressure plate being axially moveable between an engaged position wherein the pressure plate applies a force to clamp a friction disk of said driven shaft in operative engagement with the flywheel thereby to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the driven shaft and a disengaged position wherein the pressure plate does not clamp said friction disk and substantially no torque is transmitted to the driven shaft,
• a spring supported by the cover to urge the pressure plate into the engaged position, compression of said spring releasing pressure on said pressure plate to permit movement of said pressure plate to the disengaged position,
• at least one spacer fixedly attached to the cover and the flywheel for conjoint rotation therewith, the spacer being slidably received by the pressure plate to connect the pressure plate to the cover and permit axial movement of the pressure plate between the engaged position and the disengaged position, the spacer having an external surface that engages the pressure plate upon rotation of the flywheel,
• the spacer being rotatably moveable with the cover and the flywheel, and the external surface of the spacer conforming to the contact surface of the pressure plate so that torque is transmitted between the flywheel and the pressure plate over at least a line of engagement of the spacer external surface and the pressure plate contact surface upon rotation of the flywheel.