Clutch for automotive vehicles

A clutch comprising:

• a first member located along an axis of rotation and having the first and second rings and means extended between the rings for connecting the rings and holding them in a fixed and determined position with respect to each other, the first ring having a pressure surface, which is presented toward the second ring, the second ring having cutouts arranged in two circumferential rows around the axis and further having a groove between the two rows;
• a second member located around the axis generally within the first member and having a hub and a transfer ring at one end of the hub, with the transfer ring being greater in diameter than the hub, the second member being shiftable axially with respect to the first member between a disengaged position and first and second engaged positions, with the disengaged position being located intermediate the two engaged positions, the transfer ring having a pressure surface which is presented toward the pressure surface on the first ring of the first member, the transfer ring also having lugs, which are arranged in two circumferential rows around the axis and are configured to fit into the cutouts in the second ring of the first member when the second member is moved to its second engaged position so as to interlock the first and second members for rotation in unison, the lugs of the two rows being removed from the cutouts of the two rows and the lugs of one of the rows being in the groove between the two rows of cutouts when the second member is in its disengaged position;
• and first and second clutch plates arranged alternately around the hub of the second member and between the pressure surfaces of the first and second members, when the first plates being keyed to the first member and the second plates being keyed to the second member, such that the clutch plates can separate slightly and move together, the clutch plates being separated slightly when the second member is in its disengaged and second engaged position, but being clamped tightly between the pressure surfaces on the first and second members when the clutch is in its first engaged position.

A clutch for connecting members that are capable of rotating about a common axis of rotation, said clutch comprising:

• a first member located along the axis;
• a second member also located along the axis and being movable axially with respect to the first member between a disengaged position and first and second engaged positions;
• one of the members having cutouts arranged in a circumferential row around the axis and the other member having lugs arranged in a circumferential row around the axis, the lugs fitting into the cutouts when the second member is in its first engaged position to interlock the first and second members so that they rotate together, the member having the cutouts further having lips which extend over at least some of the cutouts to prevent the lugs on the other member from passing axially through the cutouts;
• and first and second friction surfaces carried by the first and second members, respectively, such that they do not rotate with respect to the members on which they are carried, the first and second friction surfaces being positioned such that they will slip relative to each other when the second member is in its disengaged position, the first and second friction surfaces firmly abutting when the second member is in its second engaged position so that torque will be transferred from one member to the other member at the abutting friction surfaces.

A clutch for connecting machine components that are capable of rotating about a common axis of rotation, said clutch comprising:

• a first member located along the axis;
• a second member also located along the axis and being movable axially with respect to the first member between a disengaged position and first and second engaged positions;
• one of the members having cutouts arranged in at least two circumferential rows around the axis with a space between the rows, the other member having lugs arranged in at least two circumferential rows around the axis, the lugs fitting into the cutouts when the second member is in its first engaged position so that the first and second members are interlocked and hence rotate together, the rows of lugs being removed from the rows of cutouts with one row of lugs being in the space between the rows of cutouts when the second member is in its disengaged position;
• and first and second friction surfaces carried by the first and second members, respectively, such that they do not rotate with respect to the members on which they are carried, the first and second friction surfaces being positioned such that they will slip relative to each other when the second member is in its disengaged position, the first and second friction surfaces firmly abutting when the second member is in its second engaged position so that torque will be transferred from one member to the other member at the abutting friction surfaces.