Clutch strut ears, ear sleeves, and couplings
AssigneeMeans Industries, Inc.
InventorRiley Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A planar torque-transmitting coupling includes a planar pocket plate including a pocket surface having a strut pocket, and a planar strut carried in the strut pocket of the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, and extending along a longitudinal axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis, and including ears that extend along the pivot axis and that have cylindrical outer surfaces. A torque-transmitting coupling planar strut pivotable about a pivot axis, includes a body and ears extending outwardly from the body and have cylindrical outer surfaces establishing the pivot axis. A clutch strut ear sleeve includes sidewalls establishing a cylindrical inner surface.
Claims22
A planar torque-transmitting coupling, comprising:
- a planar pocket plate including a pocket surface having a strut pocket;
- and
- a planar strut carried in the strut pocket of the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, and extending along a longitudinal axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis, and including ears that extend along the pivot axis and that have cylindrical outer surfaces.
A torque-transmitting coupling planar strut pivotable about a pivot axis, and comprising:
- a body;
- and
- ears extending outwardly from the body and having cylindrical outer surfaces establishing the pivot axis.
A clutch strut ear sleeve, comprising:
- sidewalls establishing a cylindrical inner surface.
A planar torque-transmitting coupling, comprising:
- a planar pocket plate including a pocket surface having a strut pocket;
- a planar strut carried in the strut pocket of the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, and extending along a longitudinal axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis, and including ears that extend along the pivot axis and that have cylindrical outer surfaces, wherein the ears of the planar strut include
- a radially outer ear having a radially outer tip in contact with a corresponding outer ear bearing surface of the strut pocket to retain the planar strut in a radial direction when the planar pocket plate rotates and the planar strut experiences a centrifugal force, and
- a radially inner ear having a radially inner front surface in contact with a corresponding inner ear bearing surface of the strut pocket to retain the planar strut in a torsional direction when the planar pocket plate rotates and the planar strut experiences the centrifugal force,
- wherein at least one of the ears has an excurvate tip;
- and
- a planar notch plate including a notch surface having notches circumferentially spaced from one another and facing the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, wherein the planar strut is engageable with the notches to transmit torque between the planar pocket plate and the planar notch plate.
A planar torque-transmitting coupling, comprising:
- a planar pocket plate including a pocket surface having a strut pocket;
- a planar strut carried in the strut pocket of the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, and extending along a longitudinal axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis, and including ears that extend along the pivot axis and that have cylindrical outer surfaces,
- at least one ear sleeve carried on at least one of the ears of the planar strut, and having sidewalls establishing a cylindrical inner surface in which at least one of the cylindrical outer surfaces of the ears are carried, and including
- a radially outer ear sleeve having a radially outer tip in contact with a corresponding outer ear bearing surface of the strut pocket to retain the planar strut in a radial direction when the planar pocket plate rotates and the planar strut experiences a centrifugal force, and
- a radially inner ear sleeve having a radially inner front surface in contact with a corresponding inner ear bearing surface of the strut pocket to retain the planar strut in a torsional direction when the planar pocket plate rotates and the planar strut experiences the centrifugal force,
- wherein at least one of the at least one ear sleeve has an excurvate tip;
- and
- a planar notch plate including a notch surface having notches circumferentially spaced from one another and facing the pocket surface of the planar pocket plate, wherein the planar strut is engageable with the notches to transmit torque between the planar pocket plate and the planar notch plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.