Fluid-operated clutch and brake devices

An intermittent motion device for acting with rotational movement of a shaft and having a housing with said shaft passing through said housing

• said shaft carrying a coupling disk fixedly mounted thereon with the disk comprising a resilient material capable of elastically deflecting under a force created by fluid pressure,
• a wall carrying a friction ring means spaced from the disk and defining a chamber on one side of the disk with the chamber being open to the atmosphere in one position of the disk and means for changing the fluid pressure in said chamber to cause said disk to flex whereby said last-mentioned means causes engagement or disengagement of an outer annular ring portion of said disk with a coupling surface of said friction ring means to couple said shaft to said wall,
• said disk being stepped and varying in thickness at each step radially of a central portion thereof to said annular ring portion whereby said outer annular ring portion flexes to a greater degree than other portions of said disk under pressure,
• said friction ring means defining an L-shaped annular recess further defining a first friction ring annular wall extending coaxially of the axis of said shaft with a second annular ring wall transverse to the axis of said shaft acting as said coupling surface,
• said coupling disk being mounted so as to flex within said recess and engage said coupling surface without engaging said first friction ring annular wall,
• said disk having an outer edge spaced from said first friction ring annular wall by a predetermined amount which remains constant over long periods of use to provide a constant gap for fluid flow.