Centrifugal clutch

A centrifugal clutch comprising:

• a rotating input drive member;
• a rotatable output driven member;
• at least drive plate mounted for rotation with said drive member;
• at least one clutch disc mounted for rotation with said driven member and being disposed adjacent said drive plate;
• a pressure plate mounted for rotation with said drive member;
• at least one pair of weighted balls disposed on said pressure plate;
• said pressure plate being configured to direct said balls axially toward said drive plates as said balls move radially outwardly;
• and
• at least one pair of cantilever leaf springs attached to said pressure plate, each spring of said pair of springs contacting and retaining one ball of said pair of balls seated in a respective pressure plate seat, said springs resisting outward radial movement of said balls and axial movement toward said drive plate of said balls, the line of action of said ball with said cantilever spring forming an angle of about 90 degrees to thereby maximize the efficiency of said cantilever spring;
• said pressure plate urging said balls axially against said at least one drive plate to rotationally engage said at least one clutch disk to rotate said driven member as the centrifugal force developed by said balls on said rotating pressure plate urges said balls radially outwardly.

A centrifugal clutch comprising:

• a rotating input drive member;
• a rotatable output driven member;
• at least one drive plate mounted for rotation with said drive member;
• at least one clutch disc mounted for rotation with said driven member and being disposed adjacent said drive plate;
• a pressure plate mounted for rotation with said drive member and including at least one pair of seats, said seats being egg-shaped through holes in said pressure plate each having a larger radius and a smaller radius, said smaller radius being oriented radially outwardly of said larger radius;
• at least one pair of weighted balls disposed in said pair of seats in said pressure plate;
• and
• at least one pair of springs attached to said pressure plate, each spring of said pair of springs contacting and retaining one ball of said pair of balls seated in a respective pressure plate seat and resisting outward radial movement of said ball and axial movement toward said drive plate of said ball;
• said pressure plate seats urging said balls axially against said at least one drive plate to rotationally engage said at least one clutch disk to rotate said driven member as the centrifugal force developed by said balls on said rotating pressure plate urges said balls radially outwardly.