Clutches
AssigneeDavid Brown Tractors Limited
InventorHerbert Edward Ashfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine is combined with a dual clutch assembly comprising independently engageable and disengageable power take-off and drive clutches in tandem. To minimize the overall length of the combination despite the use of twin plates in the drive clutch, that face of the flywheel remote from the engine has a counterbore defined by a recessed driving surface and a surrounding axially-projecting flange, the power take-off clutch being disposed partially within this counterbore. Circumferentially-spaced radially-outwardly-projecting lugs on the pressure plate for the power take-off clutch are slideable axially in radial slots in the flange.
Claims8
An engine/dual clutch combination including an engine flywheel having a counterbore defined by a recessed driving surface and a surrounding axially-projecting flange on the face of the flywheel remote from the engine;
- an annular clutch casing rigidly secured co-axially to the flywheel and having a radially-inwardly projecting flange with a driving surface on its face adjacent the flywheel;
- a power take-off shaft journalled co-axially in the flywheel;
- power take-off clutch means disposed partially within the counterbore in the flywheel;
- an output sleeve co-axially surrounding the power take-off shaft on that side of the power take-off clutch means remote from the flywheel;
- multi-plate drive clutch means comprising twin drive clutch plates carried driveably by the output sleeve, that one of said twin clutch plates remote from the flywheel being frictionally engageable between the driving surface on the flange on the clutch casing and a drive clutch auxiliary pressure plate interposed between the twin drive clutch plates, and that one of said twin clutch plates adjacent the flywheel being frictionally engageable between said auxiliary pressure plate and a drive clutch main pressure plate, said auxiliary and main clutch pressure plates being axially movable;
- said main pressure plate and the power take-off clutch means being both urged in thier respective clutch-engaging directions by common resilient means;
- and means for moving said main pressure plate in a direction towards the flywheel against the action of the resilient means to disengage the drive clutch comprising a plurality of circumferentially-spaced rods rigidly secured to said main pressure plate and passing driveably through apertures in the drive clutch auxiliary pressure plate, and respective second-class levers pivoted at their radially outer ends on that end of the clutch casing remote from the flywheel and capable of abutting between their ends against those ends of said rods remote from the flywheel, the radially inner ends of said levers being moveable in a direction towards the flywheel by an axially-slideable drive clutch operating sleeve.
An engine/dual clutch combination including an engine flywheel having a counterbore defined by a recessed driving surface and a surrounding axially-projecting flange on the face of the flywheel remote from the engine;
- an annular clutch casing rigidly secured co-axially to the flywheel and having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced radial slots and a radially-inwardly projecting flange with a driving surface on its face adjacent the flywheel;
- a power take-off shaft journalled co-axially in the flywheel;
- power take-off clutch means disposed partially within the counterbore in the flywheel;
- an output sleeve co-axially surrounding the power take-off shaft on that side of the power take-off clutch means remote from the flywheel;
- multi-plate drive clutch means comprising twin drive clutch plates carried driveably by the output sleeve, that one of said twin clutch plates remote from the flywheel being frictionally engageable between the driving surface on the flange on the clutch casing and a drive clutch auxiliary pressure plate interposed between the twin drive clutch plates and having radially-outwardly-projecting lugs which are moveable axially in the radial slots in the clutch casing, and that one of said twin clutch plates adjacent the flywheel being frictionally engageable between said auxiliary pressure plate and a drive clutch main pressure plate also having radially-outwardly-projecting lugs which are moveable axially in the radial slots in the clutch casing;
- said main pressure plate and the power take-off clutch means being both urged in their respective clutch-engaging directions by common resilient means;
- and means for moving said main pressure plate in a direction towards the flywheel against the action of the resilient means to disengage the drive clutch comprising a plurality of circumferentially-spaced rods rigidly secured to the lugs on said main pressure plate and passing driveably through apertures in the lugs on the drive clutch auxiliary pressure plate, and respective second-class levers pivoted at their radially outer ends on that end of the clutch casing remote from the flywheel and capable of abutting between their ends against those ends of said rods remote from the flywheel, the radially inner ends of said levers being moveable in a direction towards the flywheel by an axially-slideable drive clutch operating sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.