Non-Friction Coupling and Control Assembly, Engageable Coupling Assembly and Locking Member for Use in the Assemblies
AssigneeMeans Industries, Inc.
InventorJohn W. Kimes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An overrunning, non-friction coupling and control assembly, an engageable coupling assembly and locking members for use in the assemblies are provided. A centroid or center of mass of at least one of the locking members is offset from a pivot axis of the locking member so that as the locking member moves from an engaged position, a moment arm of the centroid relative to the pivot axis decreases from a maximum value to substantially zero in a disengaged position to facilitate disengagement of the locking member at high rotational speeds.
Claims20
A locking member for controllably transmitting torque between first and second coupling members of a coupling assembly, the first coupling member including a coupling face having a pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and nominally retain the locking member, the locking member comprising:
- a member-engaging first end surface;
- a member-engaging second end surface;
- and
- an elongated main body portion between the end surfaces, the main body portion being configured to enable pivotal motion of the locking member about a pivot axis, the end surfaces of the locking member being movable between engaged and disengaged positions with respect to the coupling members during the pivotal motion whereby one-way torque transfer may occur between the coupling members and wherein a centroid of the locking member is offset from the pivot axis so that as the locking member moves from the engaged position, a moment arm of the centroid relative to the pivot axis decreases from a maximum value to substantially zero in the disengaged position to facilitate disengagement of the locking member.
An engageable coupling assembly comprising:
- first and second coupling members, the first coupling member having a coupling face with a pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and nominally retain a locking member, the locking member including:
- a member-engaging first end surface;
- a member-engaging second end surface;
- and
- an elongated main body portion between the end surfaces, the main body portion being configured to enable pivotal motion of the locking member about a pivot axis, the end surfaces of the locking member being movable between engaged and disengaged positions with respect to the coupling members during the pivotal motion whereby one-way torque transfer may occur between the coupling members and wherein a centroid of the locking member is offset from the pivot axis so that as the locking member moves from the engaged position, a moment arm of the centroid relative to the pivot axis decreases from a maximum value to substantially zero in the disengaged position to facilitate disengagement of the locking member.
An overrunning coupling and control assembly comprising:
- first and second coupling members, the first coupling member having a first face with a pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and nominally retain a locking member and a second face having a passage in communication with the pocket to communicate an actuating force to the locking member to actuate the locking member within the pocket so that the locking member moves between engaged and disengaged positions, the locking member including:
- a member-engaging first end surface;
- a member-engaging second end surface;
- and
- an elongated main body portion between the end surfaces, the main body portion being configured to enable pivotal motion of the locking member about a pivot axis, the end surfaces of the locking member being movable between the engaged and disengaged positions with respect to the coupling members during the pivotal motion whereby one-way torque transfer may occur between the coupling members and wherein a centroid of the locking member is offset from the pivot axis so that as the locking member moves from the engaged position, a moment arm of the centroid relative to the pivot axis decreases from a maximum value to substantially zero in the disengaged position to facilitate disengagement of the locking member from the second coupling member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.