RPM-responsive sprag overrunning clutch
OwnerLamar Nathan Jensen, Charles Liuinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An RPM-responsive automatic sprag overrunning clutch includes a hub adapted to be attached to a drive shaft, a ring gear surrounding the hub and spaced therefrom, and a plurality of sprags positioned between the hub and the ring gear. An actuator mechanism secured to the hub includes a pair of movable segments and a pair of rollers which are free to move radially of the hub under the influence of centrifugal force as the clutch is increasingly rotated. All the movable segments are connected to an annular plate which is pinned to each of the sprags such that circumferential movement of the movable segments is transmitted to the sprags to shift them into or out of wedging relationship between the hub and the ring gear.
Claims10
An RPM-responsive sprag overrunning clutch, which includes:
- a generally cylindrical drive member adapted to be secured to a drive shaft;
- an annular driven member telescoped over the drive member and spaced therefrom;
- an annular plate;
- a plurality of sprags pinned to the annular plate and positioned between the drive member and the driven member;
- each of the plurality of sprags being configured to be shifted into or out of wedging engagement between the drive member and the driven member;
- an RPM-responsive actuating mechanism operatively connected to the plurality of sprags for shifting the plurality of sprags into or out of wedging engagement between the drive member and the driven member, the actuating mechanism including:
- a plurality of weights positioned on essentially a common diameter and which are freely movable radially of the actuating mechanism under influence of centrifugal force generated by rotation of the drive member;
- and
- a pair of movable segments, each movable segment being associated with one of the plurality of weights, mounted on the actuating mechanism for circumferential movement, and spring-biased against one direction of circumferential movement;
- and
- a connecting ring positioned between and connecting the pair of movable segments and the annular plate.
An RPM-responsive sprag overrunning clutch which includes a sprag assembly, a connecting ring adjacent to the sprag assembly, an actuating mechanism adjacent to the connecting ring, and a sealing cap adjacent to the actuating mechanism and opposite the connecting ring for securing the sprag assembly, the connecting ring, and the actuating mechanism in place relative to a cylindrical hub adapted to be secured to a drive shaft and a ring gear telescoped over the hub and spaced therefrom, a plurality of sprags of the sprag assembly, through which springs biased against wedging engagement extend are secured in place relative to an annular plate of the sprag assembly, with each sprag being pinned to the annular plate, the actuating mechanism including movable segments, arcuate segments fixed in position relative to the sealing cap, and a weight responsive to RPM and positioned circumferentially between the arcuate segments and the movable segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.