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US 5,070,984 AGranted
Adjustable centrifugal clutch
OwnerThomas C. Fehringinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable centrifugal clutch is disclosed which allows compensation to be made for wear on mating frictional members. The centrifugal clutch comprises a rotating input housing, a rotatable output shaft, clutch rings, clutch disks, a pressure plate, centrifugal weights, and an adjustment collar for varying the distance between the centrifugal weights and the pressure plate. As friction wears away material from the clutch rings and the clutch disks disposed therebetween, the adjustment collar is advanced upwardly within the input housing thereby maintaining a constant engagement speed.
Claims9
A centrifugal clutch comprising
- a rotating input housing,
- at least one pair of clutch rings fixedly connected within said input housing, said clutch rings including a lowermost clutch ring having a lower side thereon,
- a rotatable output shaft,
- at least one clutch disk mounted for rotation with said output shaft, each said clutch disk having a peripheral edge disposed intermediate each said pair of clutch rings,
- an axially translatable pressure plate having an upper side and a lower side, said pressure plate upper side being fixedly connected to said lower side of said lowermost clutch ring, said pressure plate lower side having means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface,
- at least one pair of axially translatable and radially slideable centrifugal weights disposed beneath said pressure plate, each of said weights having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side having means for defining a radially extending and downwardly sloping surface slideably mateable with said pressure plate sloping surface means, said weights biased toward said output shaft via spring means, said sloping surface means of said weights being axially spaced away from said sloping surface means of said pressure plate,
- an adjustment collar having an upper side abutting said lower side of each of said weights, and
- means for externally and selectively adjusting and locating said adjustment collar axially relative to said input housing, said adjustment collar being operable to variably space said sloping surface means of said weights towards or away from said sloping surface means of said pressure plate.
5 more elements
A centrifugal clutch comprising
- a rotating input housing,
- at least one pair of clutch rings fixedly connected within said input housing, said clutch rings including a lowermost clutch ring having a lower side thereon,
- a rotatable output shaft,
- at least one clutch disk mounted for rotation with said output shaft, each said clutch disk having a peripheral edge disposed intermediate each said pair of clutch rings,
- means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface on said lower side of said lowermost clutch ring,
- at least one pair of axially translatable and radially slideable centrifugal weights disposed beneath said lowermost clutch ring, each of said weights having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side having means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface slideably mateable with said lowermost clutch ring sloping surface means, said weights biased toward said output shaft via spring means, said sloping surface means of said weights being axially spaced away from said sloping surface means of said lowermost clutch ring,
- an adjustment collar having an upper side abutting said lower side of each of said weights, and
- means for externally and selectively adjusting and locating said adjustment collar axially relative to said input housing, said adjustment collar being operable to variably space said sloping surface means of said weights towards or away from said sloping surface means of said lowermost clutch ring.
5 more elements
A centrifugal clutch comprising
- a rotating input housing,
- at least one pair of clutch rings fixedly connected within said input housing, said clutch rings including a lowermost clutch ring having a lower side thereon,
- a rotatable output shaft,
- at least one clutch disk mounted for rotation with said output shaft, each said clutch disk having a peripheral edge disposed intermediate each said pair of clutch rings,
- an axially translatable pressure plate having an upper side and a lower side, said pressure plate upper side being fixedly connected to said lower side of said lowermost clutch ring, said pressure plate lower side having means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface,
- at least one pair of axially translatable and radially slideable centrifugal weights disposed beneath said pressure plate, each of said weights having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side having means for defining a radially extending and downwardly sloping surface slideably mateable with said pressure plate sloping surface means, said weights biased toward said output shaft via spring means, said sloping surface means of said weights being axially spaced away from said sloping surface means of said pressure plate,
- an adjustment collar having an upper side abutting said lower side of each of said weights,
- means for selectively adjusting and locating said adjustment collar axially relative to said input housing, said adjustment collar being operable to variably space said sloping surface means of said weights towards or away from said sloping surface means of said pressure plate,
- said spring means comprising at least one radially extending compression spring per said weight, and
- said compression springs being operable to bias said weights against said output shaft.
7 more elements
A centrifugal clutch comprising
- a rotating input housing,
- at least one pair of clutch rings fixedly connected within said input housing, said clutch rings including a lowermost clutch ring having a lower side thereon,
- a rotatable output shaft,
- at least one clutch disk mounted for rotation with said output shaft, each said clutch disk having a peripheral edge disposed intermediate each said pair of clutch rings,
- means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface on said lower side of said lowermost clutch ring,
- at least one pair of axially translatable and radially slideable centrifugal weights disposed beneath said lowermost clutch ring, each of said weights having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side having means for defining a radially extending downwardly sloping surface slideably mateable with said lowermost clutch ring sloping surface means, said weights biased toward said output shaft via spring means, said sloping surface means of said weights being axially spaced away from said sloping surface means of said lowermost clutch ring,
- an adjustment collar having an upper side abutting said lower side of each of said weights,
- means for selectively adjusting and locating said adjustment collar axially relative to said input housing, said adjustment collar being operable to variably space said sloping surface means of said weights towards or away from said sloping surface means of said lowermost clutch ring,
- said spring means comprising at least one radially extending compression spring per said weight, and
- said compression springs being operable to bias said weights against said output shaft.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.