Clutch plate and damper assembly

A clutch plate and damper assembly for use in a drive system having an engine and a drive shaft comprising;

• a pressure plate;
• an annular friction facing secured to said pressure plate adjacent the outer periphery thereof adapted to be driven by said engine;
• a retainer member secured to said pressure plate intermediate the center and outer periphery thereof, said retainer having a circumferential portion secured to said pressure plate and an annular wall portion integral with said circumferential portion;
• spaced from said pressure plate and having resilient properties;
• a hub member disposed between said pressure plate and said retainer said hub member having a portion having drive means thereon for connection with said drive shaft;
• and at least one protuberance formed on either said annular wall or said hub member and a surface deformation on the other of said hub member or annular wall;
• said annular wall of said retainer maintaining the only resilient drive connection between said pressure plate and said hub means, and said protuberance and surface deformation cooperating to provide a friction connection between said pressure plate and said hub means in response to the resilient properties of said annular wall to permit relative angular motion between said pressure plate and said hub member controlled by the resilient properties and the friction connection whereby torsional vibrations of the engine are isolated from the drive shaft.

A clutch plate and damper assembly for use in a drive system having an engine and a drive shaft comprising;

• a pressure plate;
• an annular friction facing secured to said pressure plate adjacent the outer periphery thereof adapted to be driven by said engine;
• a retainer member secured to said pressure plate intermediate the center and outer periphery thereof, said retainer having an annular wall portion having the resilient properties of a belleville spring and being spaced from said pressure plate, and at least one surface deformation formed in said annular wall;
• a hub member disposed between said pressure plate and said retainer, said hub member having a surface deformation complementary to said surface deformation in said annular wall and a portion having drive means thereon for connection with said drive shaft;
• and a friction material secured to said annuar wall or said hub member at the interface therebetween and covering the respective surface deformation;
• said annular wall of said retainer maintaining the only resilient drive connection between said pressure plate and said hub means, said friction material and surface deformation in each said annular wall and said hub member cooperating to provide a friction drive connection therebetween in response to the resilient properties of said annular wall to permit relative angular motion between said pressure plate and said hub member controlled by the resilient properties and the friction connection whereby torsional vibrations of the engine are isolated from the drive shaft.