Assembly for compensating for fluctuations of torque which is transmitted by an internal combustion engine

Apparatus for compensating for shocks, particularly for compensating for fluctuations of torque in a motor vehicle having an engine and a change-speed transmission, comprising a plurality of flywheels including a first flywheel arranged to receive torque from the engine and a second flywheel connectable with the change-speed transmission, said first and second flywheels being coaxial with and being rotatable relative to each other in first and second directions from a neutral position;

• and damper means including energy storing resilient means acting in the circumferential direction of said flywheels and friction generating means including at least one substantially disc-shaped element in force-locking engagement with one of said first and second flywheels and in form-locking engagement with the other of said first and second flywheels, said element and said other flywheel having limited freedom of angular movement relative to each other and said damper means being arranged to yieldably oppose rotation of said first and second flywheels relative to each other from said neutral position, said element being engaged by said other flywheel upon completion of angular movement through a predetermined angle from said neutral position in at least one of said directions and said resilient means benig arranged to engage said element at least upon a reversal of rotation of said first and second flywheels relative to each other.

A torsion damping assembly, particularly for taking up and compensating for fluctuations in the transmission of torque between the internal combustion engine and the change-speed transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising a first rotary unit arranged to receive torque from the engine;

• a second rotary unit coaxial with said first unit and arranged to transmit torque to the transmission in response to rotation of said first unit, said first and second units respectively comprising first and second flywheels and being rotatable with reference to each other from a starting position;
• and damper means operating between said units and arranged to yieldably oppose rotation of said units with reference to each other, said damper means including a first component including energy storing resilient means acting in the circumferential direction of said units and said first component being arranged to oppose at least a part of angular movement of said units from said starting position, and a second component arranged to oppose an advanced stage of said angular movement following an initial stage of said angular movement from said starting position through a predetermined angle, said second component including a friction generating device and having at least one projection, said first rotary unit having an opening receiving said at least one projection with play in the circumferential direction of said rotary units.