Centrifugal clutch with vibration dampening means

Centrifugal clutch means comprising:

• (a) internal combustion engine drive means (72) including a flywheel (36);
• (b) a refrigeration compressor (69) having a driven shaft (66);
• (c) an adapter assembly (22) arranged colinearly intermediate said driven shaft and said flywheel, and including:
• (1) a rigid annular outer member (22a);
• (2) a rigid annular inner member (22b) arranged in concentrically spaced relation within said outer member;
• (3) resilient means (22c) connecting said inner member with said outer member and operable to dampen relative vibrational movement therebetween, said resilient means consisting of a continuous annular resilient member arranged concentrically between and connected to said inner and outer annular members;
• and
• (4) means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts (34) connecting said annular outer member with said flywheel;
• (d) a generally cylindrical pulley housing (26) arranged colinearly between said adapter assembly and said driven shaft, said housing including:
• (1) a first portion (26a) connected with said compressor driven shaft;
• (2) an annular second portion (26b) extending coaxially relative to the axis of said pulley housing toward said adapter assembly;
• (3) said pulley housing and said adapter assembly being completely independent of each other, whereby the use of ball bearing connecting means is avoided, and
• (4) a pulley belt portion (26c) including cylindrical belt-receiving means arranged concentrically at least partially about said annular portion;
• and
• (e) centrifugal clutch means operable to connect said adapter assembly with said pulley housing when the rotational velocity of said flywheel exceeds a given value, said centrifugal clutch means including a plurality of rotational velocity-responsive weight members (50) movably connected with said adapter assembly inner member and extending within said pulley housing annular portion for frictional cooperation with the inner surfaces thereof, whereby when the rotational velocity of the flywheel is less than said given value, said pulley housing is disconnected from said adapter assembly to permit driving of the pulley housing by an auxiliary motor via drive belt means connected with said pulley belt portion.