Adjustable torque clutch for remote controlled circuit breakers

A method for assembling a clutch assembly which includes a housing secured between a pair of clutch plates for housing a drive plate frictionally coupled to at least one friction disc by a frictional force, at least one spring biasing the friction disc toward said drive plate to create the frictional force, and a rubber gasket for adjusting the distance between said pair of clutch plates so as to adjust the frictional force, said method comprising the steps of:

• sequentially placing said housing, said pair of plates, said drive plate, said friction disc, said spring and said rubber gasket into an assembly fixture;
• applying a predetermined load to said pair of clutch plates to compress said pair of clutch plates together and pressing said housing into said rubber gasket;
• adjusting the distance between said clutch plates by increasing or decreasing the distance the housing is pressed into the rubber gasket in order to realize a predetermined force value of said frictional force;
• and
• securing said pair of plates together.

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a housing;
• and
• a motor operator, coupled to said housing, having a clutch assembly, wherein said clutch assembly comprising:
• first and second clutch plates separated by an adjustable distance;
• a cylinder ring;
• clamping means for clamping said cylinder ring between said first and second plates;
• drive means, disposed in said cylinder ring, for rotating a shaft;
• a friction disc, disposed adjacent to said drive means;
• a spring, disposed within said housing, for forcing said drive means and said friction disc together thereby creating a frictional force between said drive means and said friction disc, wherein said fictional force is a function of said adjustable distance;
• and
• a gasket, disposed between said cylinder ring and one of said first and second clutch plates, said cylinder ring being compressed into said gasket for allowing said adjustable distance to be adjusted thereby adjusting said frictional force.