Speed limiting accessory drive system and apparatus therefor

In a centrifugally-actuatable, speed-responsive mechanism for the tranmission of torque to the accessories associated with an internal combustion engine, including concentrically-mounted driving and driven members capable of relative coaxial rotation and centrifugally responsive means interposed between said members for frictionally coupling the same in response to predetermined centrifugal forces acting on said centrifugally responsive means, the imporovement comprising:

• a drum-shaped driving member having an outer cylindrical clutch and journalling surface formed thereon, a drum-shaped driven member frictionally coupled with and bearingly supported by said surface, a plurality of friction pads interposed between said surface and said driven member and movably retained by the latter, the engagement of said plurality of pads and said cylindrical clutch and journalling surface providing substantially the sole means for supportively journalling said driven member about said driving member, spring means urging said retained friction pads radially against said clutch and journalling surface, enveloping means mounted on said driven member for hermetically sealing said driven member about said driving member, liquid medium means circulating within said enveloping means for effecting cooling and lubrication of said clutch and journalling surface and for suppressing frictional noise created thereat, and means externally of said enveloping means and communicating therewith operable to effect cooling of said circulated liquid medium means.

In a centrifugally actuatable, speed-responsive mechanism for the transmission of torque, including concentrically mounted driving and driven members capable of relative coaxial rotation and having adjacently opposing cylindrical surfaces, and centrifugally responsive means interposed between said surfaces for frictionally coupling the same in response to predetermined centrifugal forces acting thereon, the improvement comprising:

• a first peripheral portion on one of the driving and driven members providing an uninterrupted cylindrical frictional surface, a second peripheral portion on the other member providing a cylindrical bearing surface periodically interrupted by recesses therein, the said surfaces operationally opposing one another;
• centrifugally activated friction pad means movably carried within said recesses, said carried pad means being operable to frictionally and bearingly engage said uninterrupted cylindrical frictional surface;
• resilient means mounted on said member having said second peripheral portion formed thereon and engaging said pad means for biasing the same against centrifugal forces acting thereon;
• said first and second portions and said pad means intercooperating to mutually provide substantially all of the journalling support between said members through the sliding bearing engagement of said interrupted bearing surface with said uninterrupted frictional surface and through said frictional and bearing engagement of said pad means with said uninterrupted frictional surface as operationally imposed by said resilient means and centrifugal forces;
• means effecting a sealed interconnection between said portions whereby to provide a sealed chamber between the opposed surfaces thereof;
• liquid cooling and lubricant means completely filling said sealed chamber;
• circulation means operable to circulate said liquid coolant and lubricant means throughout said chamber and between said opposed surfaces;
• and means externally of said mechanism communicating with said sealed chamber operable to effect cooling of said circulated liquid coolant and lubricant means.

A torque transmitting and energy diverting assembly for limiting the speed of accessories to be driven by an internal combustion engine, including a driving member rotatively driven off the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, said driving member having a drum-shaped friction and bearing surface at its outer periphery, a cylindrically shaped driven member coaxially mounted outward of said driving member for rotation therewith, said driven member having driving connection with the engine accessories, at least one friction member supported by said driven member and entrapped between said driving and driven members so as to transfer tangential force loads therebetween, the drum-shaped friction and bearing surface on said driving member providing substantially the sole bearing journal support for said driven member, at least one spring means urging said friction member into non-slipping frictional engagement with said drum-shaped friction and bearing surface at lower rotational speeds of said driving member, said spring means operating to counteract centrifugal force developed on said friction member as the rotational speed of said driving member increases to and beyond a desired limited accessory speed, said spring means further being operable to cause controlled slipping and bearing engagement between said friction member and said drum-shaped friction and bearing friction surface when said driving member rotates above said limited accessory speed, said controlled slippage substantially effecting the limited output speed available to drive the engine accessories regardless of the rotational speed of said driving member above said limited accessory speed, seal means operable to seal said driven member about said driving member, liquid lubricant and coolant circulation means adapted to effect heat dissipation, noise suppression, and lubrication of said assembly by circulating a liquid lubricant and coolant throughout said sealed assembly, and cooling means operable to cool said circulated liquid lubricant and coolant.