GB733972A - Improvements in or relating to a windshield cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

733,972. Controlling friction clutches. TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION. Sept. 9,1953 [Sept. 9, 1952], No. 24970/53. Class 80 (2). A windshield cleaner comprises a wiper, a transmission for the wiper including a speedresponsive clutch having a driving member 32, Fig. 2, driven clutch shoe means 36- 38 resiliently urged to frictionally engage the driving member, a rotatable shaft 62 having limited axial movement, and means 44 operable by the axial movement of the shaft to move the shoe means radially out of contact with the driving member, the means 44 operatively connecting the shaft to the shoe means. The driving clutch member 32 is connected to the driven shaft 24 of the motor vehicle generator, and is formed with oil ducts 33. The means 44 comprise prongs, inclined to the axis of the clutch and engaging slots 40 in the shoes, fast for rotation and axial movement with the shaft 62, which is flexible and transmits drive through mechanism to the wiper arms. Movement of the shaft 62 and prongs 44 to the left of Fig. 2 against the force of a spring 54 moves the clutch shoes 36-38 radially outwards against the force of a surrounding garter spring 39 to disengage the clutch. The clutch shoes are acted upon by centrifugal force, when the clutch is engaged and rotating, in such a way as to tend to disengage them from the driving member, the effect being to allow slip when the speed of rotation of the driving member exceeds a certain value, whereby the speed of rotation of the driven shaft is constant. In a modification, Fig. 9 (not shown), the clutch shoes are directly engaged by bell-crank levers, pivoted on axial movement of the driven shaft to move the clutch shoes out of engagement with the driving member. The shaft 62 is connected to a worm 79, Figs. 5, 6, meshing a worm gear 70 connected by links 13, 15 &c. to the wiper blades which are thereby oscillated. A plate 105 can be moved downwardly first to compress a spring 108 and then release a catch 99, to move the shaft 62 axially and disengage the clutch, the spring 108 abutting a sleeve 91 fast with the shaft; downward movement of the plate 105 is caused by moving a link 109, pivoted to it at 111, so that its end is engaged by a pin 116 on the gear 70, rotation of which then compresses the spring 108 &c. The link 109 is controlled by manually rotating a pivoted plate 112 having a pin 113 engaging a slot therein, the parts being so arranged that the clutch is disengaged when the wipers are in the parked position. To re-engage the clutch, the plate 112 is turned to move the link 109 out of the path of the pin 116 and pull the sleeve 91 upwardly of Fig. 6 to restore the position shown. In a modification, Figs. 7, 8 (not shown), the pivoted link acts directly on a sleeve connected for axial movement with the shaft 62 but not rotating therewith.