Clutch driven compressor assembly

A clutch driven compressor assembly comprising a housing defining a cylinder therewithin, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder for reciprocation therewith, a crankshaft member, means rotatably supporting said crankshaft member in said housing, means for drivably engaging the piston with the crankshaft member for rotating the latter upon reciprocation of the piston, said rotatably supporting means including an input member, first bearing means supporting said input member in said housing, and second bearing means rotatably supporting said crankshaft member relative to said input member, clutch means for providing selective driving engagement between said input member and said crankshaft member, said housing including openings circumscribing said first bearing means and cooperating with the latter to define an island portion of the housing, said clutch means including driving and driven clutch plates plates on said members, an annular clutch shell within said housing and rotatable with one of said members, said shell being shiftable between clutch engaged and clutch disengaged positions, spring means acting on said shell yieldable urging the latter to a clutch engaged position, and a release member slidably mounted on said island portion and cooperating with the latter to define a pressure chamber therebetween, means connecting said release member with said shell for shifting the latter between said clutch engaged and disengaged positions in response to movement of said release member, and means for selectively communicating fluid pressure into said pressure chamber, said release member and said clutch shell cooperating with said housing to define a passage communicating said cylinder with said openings.