Automotive cooling fan drive including friction clutch
OwnerArthur Ernest Henry Elmerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooling fan drive for the motor of a vehicle has a fan drive hub with the fan blades at the front end and a bracket at the rear end for mounting on the motor. An internal friction clutch connects the fan blades to an external casing formed with grooves to receive driving belts. The clutch is operated by a pneumatic ram at the rear end of the assembly near the mounting bracket and compressed air to actuate the ram is admitted at the rear end through an air line from a thermostat valve in the coolant circuit.
Claims9
A cooling fan drive assembly comprising a static support member formed with means for attachment to a stationary mounting, an axially movable fan blade carrying element supported for rotation and axial movement relative to said support member, a rotary drive member located axially by a first thrust bearing relative to said support member, a friction clutch comprising an input clutch element connected to said drive member and an output clutch element connected to said blade carrying element, a spring acting on said blade carrying element in a direction to engage said clutch, a nonrotating fluid operated ram, a second thrust bearing interposed between said ram and said blade carrying element, and a fluid input connection to said ram, located on said static support member, said ram being arranged to oppose said spring to disengage said clutch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.