Progressively engaged centrifugal clutch

In a centrifugal clutch for transmitting torque between an inner driving member and an outer driven member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced shoes interposed between the driving and driven members, spring means connecting the ends of adjacent shoes and biasing the shoes inwardly onto the driving member and out of engagement with the driven member, said shoes being movable against the bias of said spring means in response to centrifugal force to effect a driving engagement with the driven member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections extending outwardly from the driving member for engagement with each shoe, and means between the driving member and each shoe and providing for successive engagement between each said shoe and the corresponding projections with increasing increments of speed, the successive engagement between said shoes and the corresponding projections providing for progressively increasing torque transmitting capability up to the maximum torque load of the clutch.