GB1116463A - Improvements in multiple drive assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

1,116,463. Friction clutch combinations; change speed gears. SOC. ANON. FRANCAISE DU FERODO. 27 July, 1965 [28 July, 1964; 28 April, 1965], No. 32085/65. Headings F2C and F2D. Relates to a drive arrangement, e.g. for agricultural vehicles, providing a plurality of drive take-offs for vehicle displacement and for accessories such as winches, hoisting or implement driving elements, and comprising a double friction clutch by which two nested output shafts are sequentially clutched to and declutched from an input flywheel under the control of a single release bearing. In such an arrangement, an additional shaft is nested with those aforesaid and is, as shown and in Fig. 7 (not shown), connectible to the flywheel by a further friction clutch independently controlled by a further release bearing, or, in Figs. 5, 6 (not shown), permanently fast with the flywheel and connectible to a further shaft by a further independently controlled friction clutch. As shown, two friction clutch discs 20, 21 respectively fast with intermediate and outer shafts 12, 13 are clamped against an abutment plate 15 fast with a flywheel 10 by presser plates 36, 29. Springs 32 act on the presser plates 29, 36 respectively directly, and indirectly through an axially displaceable cover 33 and bolts 38. Springs 39 acting through sleeves (not shown) surrounding the bolts 38 also separate the presser plate 36 and the cover 33. Radial release levers 23 pivoted at 24 on flywheel-fast forks 22 act firstly through links 27 and adjusting nuts 31 to withdraw the presser plate 29 and release the disc 21, and then through links 58 and adjusting nuts 63, lost motion between the nuts 63 and the cover 33 being taken up, to entrain the cover 33 to withdraw the presser plate 36 and release the disc 20. The further clutch comprises a friction clutch disc 42 fast with an inner shaft 11 and clamped against the flywheel 10 by a presser plate 44 acted on by an elastic diaphragm. Radial release levers 48 also pivoted on flywheel-fast forks act through links 47 to withdraw the presser plate 44 and release the disc 42. The levers 23 are acted on by a thrust bearing carried by a sleeve sliding on a sheath surrounding the outer shaft 13, and the levers 48 are acted on, through a ring held in adjustable contact therewith by springs, by a further thrust bearing sliding on said sleeve. Holes are provided in the plates and discs for axial ventilation and gaps in an elastic washer circular abutment ridge on the presser plate 43 are provided for radial ventilation. Large and small gears 73, 76 keyed to the shafts 13, 12 respectively mesh small and large gears 74, 77 respectively keyed and one-way clutched to a shaft 75. To reduce the speed of the shaft 75 without torque interruption and independently of the ratio established in an associated gearbox, the levers 23 are acted on just sufficiently to disengage the disc of the shaft 13 without disengaging the disc of the shaft 12. In a further clutch arrangement, Fig. 7 (not shown), similar to that of Fig. 1, the lost motion in respect of the levers 23 exists between the presser plate 29 and the levers 23 so that the disc of the shaft 12 is disengaged before that of the shaft 13; further the sleeve carrying the levers 23 thrust bearing includes a nipple and a duct for greasing the balls of said bearing, the links 47 are adjustable in length, and entrainment of the presser plate 43 with the flywheel is by flexible tangential straps. In Fig. 5 (not shown) clutch discs of outer and inner shafts are clamped against a flywheel-fast abutment plate by presser plates acted on for disengagement by release levers generally as described with respect to Fig. 7 (not shown). The inner shaft may be entrained directly or at a slower speed by the outer shaft acting through a lay-shaft reduction gear and a one-way clutch. An intermediate shaft between the outer and inner shafts is permanently fast with the flywheel-fast abutment plate and geared to a parallel shaft driving an output shaft coaxial therewith through a further indepently, hydraulically controlled, multi-plate clutch operating in oil. In Fig. 6 (not shown) a clutch disc of an inner shaft is clamped against a flywheel by a first spring-loaded presser plate, and a clutch disc of an intermediate shaft is clamped against the first presser plate by a second spring-loaded presser plate, the two presser plates being connected, with lost motion, by adjustable tie rods so that actuation of release levers pivoted on a cover fast with the flywheel disengages the disc of the intermediate shaft first. An outer shaft is permanently fast with the flywheel-fast cover and drives a parallel output shaft through a further clutch as in Fig. 5 (not shown).