Fan clutch

Clutch drive mechanism comprising a spindle, a driven member mounted for rotation about said spindle, a driving member mounted for rotation about said spindle, pressure responsive means for controlling the driving engagement between the driving and driven members, said driving member including an axially fixed portion mounted for rotation about said spindle and a pressure plate portion mounted for rotation about said spindle and slidably mounted for movement axially on said spindle toward and away from the driven member, and yieldable means disposed between said pressure plate portion and said axially fixed portion for both urging said pressure plate portion into driving engagement with said driven member and for transmitting torque from said axially fixed portion to said pressure plate portion, said yieldable means including a spring having spirally wound coils disposed between said portions and spring stabilizing means between one of said portions and a corresponding end of said spring for inhibiting the torque transmitted through the spring from displacing the coils of said spring relative to one another during driving engagement of said pressure plate portion with said driven member, said spring stabilizing means defining a circumferentially extending cavity receiving one end of said spring and including an axially extending skirt defining said cavity and extending along the outer circumferential surface defined by the coils of said spring, said pressure plate portion including a pocket receiving said spring and said spring stabilizing means, said pocket being defined by a wall, said skirt slidably engaging said wall.