GB614913A - Improvements in or relating to friction clutches - Google Patents

Abstract

614,913. Friction clutches. CHURCHILL & CO., Ltd., C., and MOULD, C. H. March 28, 1945, No. 7826. [Class 80 (ii)] In friction clutches of the kind having two or more relatively axially movable driving or driven plates, compressible resilient material such as oil resistant or other synthetic rubber is located between some or all of the plates to urge them apart upon clutch disengagement. As shown, applied to a multi-plate clutch having externally and internally splined driving and driven plates 22, 20 respectively, resilient blocks 30 are mounted on either side of the splined portions of each alternate driving and driven plate so as to clear the adjacent driven or driving plate and co-act with the next driving or driven plate respectively. Alternatively, the blocks may be mounted upon one side only of every driving or driven plate. The blocks may be of rectangular, circular or V-section, or, as shown in Fig. 4, where geartooth splining is used the blocks may be shaped correspondingly. They may be disposed between some or all of the spline projections on each plate, and those between the driven plates may be either axially aligned or cireumferentially stepped with regard to those between the driving plates. Where the plates are suitably shaped, the blocks may be replaced by continuous annular rings of compressible material. With thin clutch plates, the blocks 30, Fig. 6, may be arranged to act between non-consecutive driving or driven plates, passing freely through gaps in the intermediate plate or plates 36 of the same type. In this case the various blocks round the axis may be attached to different plates so that every plate is resiliently acted upon by a block or blocks. The blocks may be secured to the plates by direct moulding, by attachment to a metal stud which can be affixed, as by rivetting, to the plate, by one or more pins 42, Fig. 8, slidable in the plate and having a locating head 46, or by being themselves formed with a headed shank adapted to be pressed through a hole in the plate. Where a single plate carries registering blocks 52a, 52b, Fig. 10, on either side, these may be of unitary construction with a resilient or other shank 54 received in a radial slot in the plate. If the shank is resilient the slot may be of dovetail or keyhole form or otherwise undercut to provide locking. T- shaped slots receiving circular double blocks with resilient rectangular shanks shaped to fit the heads of the slots are shown in Fig. 14. The blocks may have metal or other protective facings 56, Fig. 8. According to the Provisional Specification, the means of moving the driving and driven plates relatively to one another may consist of an operating mechanism of the kind described in Specification 614,905.