Coupling assembly

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising a rotatable flywheel, said rotatable flywheel including a circular hub portion, a circular flange portion extending around said hub portion, and a connector portion extending between said hub and flange portions, an annular clutch assembly connected with said connector portion of said flywheel and with a rotatable force transmitting element for transmitting force between said flywheel and force transmitting element, said annular clutch assembly including an annular base having a central axis which is coincident with the axis of rotation of said flywheel, an annular friction surface disposed in a coaxial relationship with said annular base of said clutch assembly, an annular array of friction shoes disposed between said annular base and said annular friction surface and engageable with said annular friction surface, and annular fluid extensible tube means disposed between said annular base of said clutch assembly and said annular array of friction shoes, said tube means being radially extensible to press said annular array of friction shoes against said friction surface, and a brake assembly connected with the force transmitting element and a stationary element, said brake assembly including first and second members connected with the stationary element, piston means connected with said first member, cylinder chamber means connected with said second member and opening toward said piston means, said piston means extending into said cylinder chamber means and cooperating with said cylinder chamber means to hold fluid under pressure, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member and having a central axis which is coincident with the axis of rotation of said flywheel, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member and having a central axis which is coincident with the axis of rotation of said flywheel, a circular friction disc connected with the force transmitting element and having a central axis which is coincident with the axis or rotation of said flywheel, said friction disc having first and second radially extending annular side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, spring means connected with said first and second members for urging said first and second force transmitting surfaces into abutting engagement with said first and second side surfaces of said friction disc, said spring means including an annular array of posts connected with one of said first and second members and having a central axis which is coincident with the axis of rotation of said flywheel, each post of said annular array of posts being at least partially disposed in an annular space which is disposed radially inwardly of said circular flange portion of said flywheel and which is disposed radially outwardly of said annular clutch assembly, and an annular array of spring elements having a central axis which is coincident with the axis of rotation of said flywheel, each spring element of said annular array of spring elements being connected with at least one of said posts of said annular array of posts and being at least partially disposed in the annular space which is disposed radially inwardly of said circular flange portion of said flywheel and is disposed radially outwardly of said clutch assembly.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising first and second members, an annular piston extending axially outwardly from said first member, annular cylinder surface means connected with said second member and forming an annular cylinder chamber having an axially facing open end portion, said annular piston extending through the axially open end portion of said cylinder chamber, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member and disposed radially inwardly of said annular piston, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member and disposed radially inwardly of said annular cylinder surface means, a circular friction disc having first and second radially extending side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, said annular piston and said annular cylinder surface means being disposed radially outwardly of and extending around said friction disc, said annular piston and annular cylinder surface means cooperating to at least partially block a flow of contaminants in a radially inward direction toward said first and second annular force transmitting surfaces, and surface means for defining a plurality of passages extending radially through said annular piston for enabling material to flow between radially inner and outer sides of said annular piston.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising first and second members, piston means connected with said first member, cylinder chamber means connected with said second member and opening toward said piston means, said piston means extending into said cylinder chamber means and cooperating with said cylinder chamber means to hold fluid under pressure, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member, said piston means being disposed radially outwardly of said first annular force transmitting surface, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member, said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said second annular force transmitting surface, a circular friction disc having first and second radially extending side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, said piston means and said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said friction disc, spring means connected with said first and second members for urging said first and second force transmitting surfaces into abutting engagement with said first and second side surfaces of said friction disc, said spring means including an annular array of posts connected with one of said first and second members and having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, and an annular array of spring elements having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, each spring element of said annular array of spring elements being connected with at least one of said posts of said annular array of posts, and a rotatable flywheel having an annular flange portion and an annular clutch assembly connected with said rotatable flywheel, each post of said annular array of posts being at least partially disposed in an annular space which is disposed radially inwardly of said annular flange portion of said flywheel and is disposed radially outwardly of said annular clutch assembly.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising first and second members, piston means connected with said first member, cylinder chamber means connected with said second member and opening toward said piston means, said piston means extending into said cylinder chamber means and cooperating with said cylinder chamber means to hold fluid under pressure, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member, said piston means being disposed radially outwardly of said first annular force transmitting surface, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member, said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said second annular force transmitting surface, a circular friction disc having first and second radially extending side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, said piston means and said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said friction disc, spring means connected with said first and second members for urging said first and second force transmitting surfaces into abutting engagement with said first and second side surfaces of said friction disc, said spring means including an annular array of posts connected with one of said first and second members and having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, an annular array of spring elements having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, each spring element of said annular array of spring elements being connected with at least one of said posts of said annular array of posts, and a plurality of arcuate spring retainer elements disposed in an annular array between axially outer end portions of said posts and said spring elements for retaining said spring elements in place on said posts, each of said spring retainer elements being disposed in engagement with a plurality of said posts and being disposed in a lapped relationship with a plurality of other spring retainer elements of said annular array of spring retainer elements.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising first and second members, piston means connected with said first member, cylinder chamber means connected with said second member and opening toward said piston means, said piston means extending into said cylinder chamber means and cooperating with said cylinder chamber means to hold fluid under pressure, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member, said piston means being disposed radially outwardly of said first annular force transmitting surface, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member, said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said second annular force transmitting surface, a circular friction disc having first and second radially extending side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, said piston means and said cylinder chamber means being disposed radially outwardly of said friction disc, said piston means having an annular configuration and having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, said cylinder chamber means having an annular configuration and having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second annular force transmitting surfaces, said annular piston and said annular cylinder chamber means cooperating to at least partially block a flow of contaminants in a radially inwardly direction toward said first and second annular force transmitting surfaces, surface means for defining a plurality of passages extending radially through said annular piston means to enable material to flow between radially inner and outer sides of said annular piston means, spring means connected with said first and second members for urging said first and second force transmitting surfaces into abutting engagement with said first and second side surfaces of said friction disc, said spring means including an annular array of posts connected with one of said first and second members and having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, and an annular array of spring elements having a central axis which is coincident with the central axes of said first and second force transmitting surfaces, each spring element of said annular array of spring elements being connected with at least one of said posts of said annular array of posts.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising a rotatable input member, a clutch assembly connected with said rotatable input member and a rotatable force transmitting element, said clutch assembly being operable under the influence of fluid pressure from a disengaged condition in which said clutch assembly is ineffective to transmit force between said input member and force transmitting element to an engaged condition in which said clutch assembly is effective to transmit force between said input member and force transmitting element, a brake assembly connected with the force transmitting element and a stationary element, said brake assembly including piston and cylinder means which at least partially defines a brake cylinder chamber, said brake assembly being operable under the influence of fluid pressure in the brake cylinder chamber from an engaged condition in which said brake assembly retains the force transmitting element against rotation relative to the stationary member to a disengaged condition in which said brake assembly is ineffective to retain the force transmitting element against rotation relative to the stationary member, first conduit means for conducting fluid pressure to the brake cylinder chamber to effect operation of said brake assembly from the engaged condition to the disengaged condition, and second conduit means for conducting fluid pressure from said brake cylinder chamber to said clutch assembly to operate said clutch assembly from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition.

A coupling assembly, said coupling assembly comprising first and second members, an annular piston extending axially outwardly from said first member, annular cylinder surface means connected with said second member and forming an annular cylinder chamber having an axially facing open end portion, said annular piston extending through the axially open end portion of said cylinder chamber, a first annular force transmitting surface connected with said first member and disposed radially inwardly of said annular piston, a second annular force transmitting surface connected with said second member and disposed radially inwardly of said annular cylinder surface means, a circular friction disc having first and second radially extending side surfaces, said first side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said first annular force transmitting surface and said second side surface of said friction disc being disposed in abutting engagement with said second annular force transmitting surface, said annular piston and said annular cylinder surface means being disposed radially outwardly of and extending around said friction disc, spring means disposed radially inwardly of said annular piston and annular cylinder surface means and disposed radially outwardly of said friction disc for urging said first and second force transmitting surfaces into abutting engagement with said first and second side surfaces of said friction disc, said spring means includes an annular array of posts connected with a first one of said members and extending through openings in a second one of said members and an annular array of spring elements mounted on said posts adjacent to a side of said second one of said members opposite from said first one of said members, and clutch means connected with said friction disc and disposed radially inwardly of said annular array of posts and said annular array of spring elements, said clutch means including a cylindrical friction surface disposed adjacent to the side of said second one of said members opposite from said first one of said members and disposed radially inwardly of said annular array of posts and said annular array of spring elements, a cylindrical base disposed in a coaxial relationship with said cylindrical friction surface, an annular array of friction shoes disposed between said base and said friction surface and being engageable with said friction surface, and annular fluid extensible tube means which is disposed between said base and said annular array of friction shoes, said tube means being radially extensible under the influence of fluid pressure to press said friction shoes against said friction surface.