GB355522A - Improvements in overrunning clutches - Google Patents

Abstract

355,522. Free-wheel clutches. McGRATH, W. L., of Eclipse Machine Co., Elmira, New York, U.S.A. Sept. 3, 1930, No. 26334. Convention date, Sept. 10, 1929. [Class 80 (ii).] A free-wheel clutch, shown applied to a starter drive for an internal-combustion engine, comprises an intermediate toothed member 24 rotatably and eccentrically mounted on the driven pinion 21, and engaging an internally-toothed driving ring 15. The driving faces of the teeth are cut away radially permitting sufficient backlash to give a solid drive to the pinion 21 in the forward direction, arrow a, Fig. 2, through the abutting flat tops 26 of the teeth, whereas when the pinion 21 overruns, arrow b, Fig. 3, normal tooth faces contact and the intermediate member planetates idly. The ring 15 is attached to a flanged sleeve 14 splined to the armature shaft 10 of the starter motor and the pinion 21 is constrained to move axially with the sleeve to engage the engine flywheel 33 by an endplate 31 and a flanged bearing sleeve 22 which is a press fit on the pinion. Axial movement is effected manually by a loose collar 27 pressed against a split end ring 28 on the sleeve by a spring 30. In a modification the eccentric is riveted to the driving flange 14 and the internally toothed ring is associated with the pinion. Both gearing elements are laminated, the ring laminations being drivingly carried in a flanged drum splined on the teeth of the pinion and located axially on the flange by a split end-ring. The pinion is axially located by an inner annulus retained by the flanged drum and engaging a circumferential groove in the pinion. In this form overrunning causes simple spur gearing action, the intermediate member rotating freely on the eccentric. The clutch parts may be made from stampings and punchings.