Torque and/or rotational control apparatus

In a brake or clutch device having a device housing and arranged for providing rotational control between the device housing and a shaft, including a hub to be connected to the shaft, a device friction disc, and at least one controlled cylinder arranged to frictionally engage between the friction disc and the device housing to thereby controllably apply power between the device housing and the rotating shaft, the improvement comprising the friction disc arranged longitudinally along the hub, radially around the hub, operationally to the hub, and longitudinally internally of the device, and including internal heat radiating fins, with the heat radiating finned longitudinally internally located friction disc comprising two longitudinally spaced component discs interconnected together only at the hub, with the component discs including at least one cooling air entry port formed therethrough adjacent to the hub, with the heat radiating fins extending generally longitudinally from the surface of the component discs in an opposed, non-touching fashion, internally of the friction disc, but a longitudinal distance less than the longitudinal spacing of the component discs to define an air cooling chamber internally of the friction disc, between the air entry port, around the heat radiating fins, and out of the periphery of the friction disc to allow a serpentine path and passage of cooling air radially and also circumferentially inside the friction disc to allow increased heat transfer, cooling, and device efficiency.

In an external caliper brake including a brake housing and arranged for providing rotational control between the brake housing and a shaft, including a brake friction disc having a center and a periphery, and including a plurality of externally arranged brake cylinders, each including a fluid actuated piston and a replaceable brake pad engaged by the piston to apply a controlled frictional pressure between the brake friction disc and the brake housing, the surfaces of the replaceable brake pads and the brake friction disc comprising opposed wear surfaces, to thereby controllably apply braking power between the brake housing and the rotating shaft, the improved overall brake assembly configuration comprising, in combination:

• (a) the brake friction disc arranged generally centrally of the brake cylinders and including at least one cooling air entry port formed in the brake friction disc adjacent the center and at least one cooling air exit formed in the brake friction disc adjacent the periphery, and including internal and opposed heat radiating fins creating a serpentined cooling air path through the friction disc between the air entry port and air exit, allowing increased heat transfer and more efficient braking;
• (b) the plurality of external brake cylinders being formed in the brake housing and arranged radially outwardly of the center of the brake friction disc and circumferentially around the center of the brake friction disc;
• and
• (c) pin means carried by the brake housing to reciprocally position the brake piston and the replaceable brake pad allowing more rapid brake pad change and ready maintenance of the brake whereby the overall brake assembly configuration provides increased heat transfer and cooling, and a more efficient, lower maintenance brake.

In an external caliper clutch or brake device including opposed but separated, frictionally engaged wear surfaces, at least one of the wear surfaces including a piston operated, replaceable pad, with the device further including a housing, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• at least two pins carried by and extending from the housing in the direction of operation of the piston;
• apertures formed in the piston to receive the pins, the piston being reciprocably mounted on the pins by means of the apertures;
• with the replaceable pads being mounted on a first face of the piston adjacent the opposed wear surfaces;
• apertures formed in the replaceable pads to receive the pins, the replaceable pads being reciprocably mounted on the pins by means of the apertures;
• the pins being of a length sufficient to extend to the end of the piston stroke and a further length to extend into the replaceable pad carried by the piston and to capture and position the replaceable pad over the entire stroke of the piston but of an overall length less than the minimum separation distance between the first face of the piston and the opposed wear surface.

In a device for providing rotational control between a first member and a second member, with at least the first member being rotatable about an axis means, with the first member including a friction disc for controlled, selective contact with a friction engagement surface on the second member, wherein the improvement comprises an improved friction disc comprising, in combination:

• a first component disc having an inner surface, an outer surface, a center, and a periphery;
• a second component disc having an inner surface, an outer surface, a center, and a periphery;
• means for interconnecting the first component disc to the second component disc solely adjacent to the axis means of the first member with the second component disc being spaced from the first component disc at all points radially from the axis means of the first member;
• with at least the first component disc including heat radiating fins extending in a generally radial direction from adjacent the center and on the inner surface of the first component disc, with the length of the heat radiating fins from the inner surface of the first component disc being less than the spacing between the first and second component discs to prevent thermal contact of the heat radiating fins of the first component disc with the second component disc which would allow direct heat transfer therebetween;
• at least one cooling air entry port formed in at least one of the first and second component discs adjacent the center of the member, with an air cooling chamber being defined between the inner surfaces of the first and second component discs between the air entry port and the periphery of the first and second component discs wherein as the first member is rotated about its axis, air can enter the air cooling chamber through the cooling air entry port, pass through the air cooling chamber by a serpentine path radially and circumferentially between the first and second component disc and around the heat radiating fins, and past the periphery of the first and second component discs to allow increased heat transfer, cooling, and efficiency of the device.