US2384182A - Power operated clutch - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1945. E. e. L EWIS I 2,384,182

POWER OPERAQEDQLUTCH Filed--May25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 1 I. I i

. I I V I, I I

EDWARD G. LEWIS,

w v 5} fA/VC/VTOQ' Patented Sept. 4, i945 2,384,182 POWER OPERATED CLUTCH Edward G. Lewis, London, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application May 25, 1943, Serial No. 488,332

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a power operated clutch.

An object of the invention is to provide improved hydraulically controlled clutch mechanism either alone or as a part of the feeding mechanism of a mining machine.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a mining machine including the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a piping diagram of the. hydraulic system incorporated in the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a spread sectional plan view of the drive assembly for the traction means of a mining machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and 1 Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevational view showing a drive sprocket and associated crawler control and operating mechanism is mounted including the electrical driving motor for the min-' ing machine. The main frame 20 provides ,a truck which is preferably mounted upon traction means which are illustrated in the form of endless crawlers, one of which is seen at 22, there being a pair of such crawlers, one extending longitudinally along each side of the main frame 20.

The position of one of the crawlers 22 with respect to the main frame 20 is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Mounted upon the forward part of the main frame 20 for vertical or upright adjustment is a turntable 23 which carries an endless chain cutter mechanism 24. The turntable 23 is mounted for swinging movement on a tiltable and vertically adjustable ring 25, which ring 25 is supportedupon three telescopic double acting hoist cylinders or jacks 26, I26 and 226. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The hoist cylinders or jacks 26, I26 and 226 are spaced about the periphery of the ring 25 and they are mounted on the main frame 20 as hereinafter described more completely. It

may be stated that the construction of the turntable 23, mining mechanism 24 and ring 25 is of a construction which is well known in this art and may follow the construction illustrated in the platform 2|.

patent to Nils D. Levin, No. 2,170,927, for a mining machine, dated August 29, 1939, but in the present instance no adjustment between the cutting mechanism 24 and the turntable 23 is provided as is provided in said patent.

It may further be stated that in general the Jacks 26, I26 and 226 may be spaced as are the standards I9, I9, I8 of said patent'and in general said jacks perform the function performed by said standards I9, I9 and I9 in said patent, but the jacks 26, I26 and 226 possess numerous advantages in connection with the mining machine.

Attention is now directed to Figs. 3, 4 and. 5 of the drawings and particularly to the gear train for driving the two endless crawlers 22. Mounted on the rear platform is an electric motor 56 (see Fig. 3) which carries on its armature shaft a pinion 51 which meshes with a large gear 56 provided with an integral hub or sleeve 59 which is mounted by means of anti-friction bearings on a stationary shaft 60 carried in spaced uprights rigidly attached to the main frame 20 and Feathered on the sleeve 59 is a shiftable gear 6| which is manually operable by gear shifting mechanism 62 to provide a neutral, high speed or low speed drive from the electric motor 56 to the crawlers 22 under the control of individual hydraulically operated friction clutches as hereinafter described.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the gear 6| is in its neutral position. When shifted to the left, said gear meshes with a. large gear 63 to provide a low speed drive. Said gear 63 is keyed to an elongated hub 65 of a pinion 66 which is bushed to rotate freely one. shaft 64.

Pinion gear 66 is permanently in mesh with a large gear 61 keyed to a hub of pinion gear 66 which is bushed for free rotation on the stationary shaft 60 and is in mesh with a large gear 68 keyed to the hub of a. pinion III which in turn is keyed to aforesaid shaft 64 and meshes with a large gear ll keyed to a main countershaft I2. The above described gear tarin provides a slow speed drive for the crawlers 22.

It may be pointed out at this time that the aforementioned gear 6| also has integral jaws I3 formed on the right-hand end thereof (as viewed in Fig. 3) which are adapted to engage jaws ll formed integral with the gear 61, By shifting the gear 6| to the right, jaws l3 and 14 are in engagement so that gear 61 is driven directly from gear 58, the gear 6| merely acting as a clutch sleeve. This provides a high speed drive for the crawlers 22. By shifting the gear 6| to the left fromthe position driveis effected by introducing between the gear 58 and'the gear 61, since reducing gears BI, 63 and 86 are thereby interposed in the drive.

The right-hand or outer end of the shaft 84 is provided with a chain sprocket 15 having on one end jaws of a jaw clutch 16, the other portion of said jaw clutch being keyed to the end of the shaft 54. Said jaw clutch 16 is shiftable into and out of engagement by shifting the sprocket 15 "along its axis under the control of manually operable shifting mechanism 11. The sprocket 15 drives an electric cable drum 18 (see viewed in Fig. 3, the low speed Fig. 1) which is mounted on a.transverse axis adjacent the rear end of the platform 2i.

The countershaft 12 drives the two endless crawlers 22 and each of said endless crawlers is individually controlled by means of a friction clutch and brake, the friction clutch and brake associated with the right-hand drive being designated 19 and that associated with the lefthand drive being designated 88. Since these two types are duplicates, a description of one will suflice for both.

Keyed to the outer right-hand end of the countershaft 12 is a driving inner clutch member 8| which is removably attached to said shaft by a washer nd screw designated 82. The driving clutch ,rnember BI is provided with a plurality of axial grooves which receive projections on a plurali of compressible friction clutch plates 83 which are stacked alternately with similar clutch plates having outer projections which are received in axial grooves 84 formed on the inner peripheralsurface of a clutch housing or casing 85 which is of generally cylindrical shape and forms not only a clutch housing but also a brake drum by virtue of a centrally disposed outer cylindrical drum surface 86. The

housing or casing 85 constitutes the driven member of the clutch 19 as is well understood in the clutch art.

By compressing the clutch plates 83, the frictional driving relation is set up between the driving clutch member 8| and the driven clutch member or housing 85. The particular arrangement of parts, by which this clutch 19 is effectively engaged and disengaged, constitutes an important feature of my invention.

The housing 85 has as an effective part thereof which is removable, an end plate 81 attached to the cylindrical portion of housing 85 by screws 88. Formed as an integral part of said end plate 81 is a cylindrical extension 89 which forms a cylinder of a hydraulic piston motor or actuator 98 for applying and releasing the clutch 19. Said motor 98 includes in addition to the cylinder 89 a piston 9| which on its left-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 3, abuts a crowned boss 92 which is formed on a compressor plate 93 adapted to compress the clutch plates 83 between a peripheral ring thereof and an abutting ring formed on the interior of the housing 85 in alignment therewith. The compressor plate 93 with crowned boss 92 rotates with the casing 85 by virtue of integral webs onthe plate 93 extending into the grooves 84. As a consequence there ,is no relative rotation between the piston 9| and the crowned boss 92 so there is no wear on the bearing surface of either of them.

To provide hydraulic fluid to the interior of the cylinder 89 to actuate the piston 9|, said cylinder 89 is provided with an integral head from which an integral post 94 extends. The

a speed reduction and post 94 rotate.

therefor is'provided by a post 94 is provided with a longitudinal bore 95 communicating with the interior of the cylinder 89 and at its outer end communicating with one or more radial bores 95 extending through the post 94 and communicating with a circumferential groove 91 which is formed in a removable and stationary sleeve or packing gland 98 which is rigidly attached to a portion of the main frame 28 by a screw 99. Communicating with the circumferential groove 91 is a bore I88 which leads to a hydraulic pipe I8 I.

To provide a hydraulic seal between the groove 91 and the post 94 while permitting rotation of the post 94, cylindrical extension 88 and clutch housing 85, the sleeve 98 is provided with a pair of hydraulic packings I82, one on each side of a central generally cylindrical portion of the sleeve 98 within which the groove 91 is formed. The sleeve 98 and associated parts are removably attached to post 94 by screw and washer means I83.

As above pointed out. the sleeve 98 is stationary while the combination friction brake drum and clutch housing 85, together with the end plate 81, hydraulic piston motor or actuator 88. Support for these rotated parts is provided first of all by the fact that the left-hand end of the housing is mounted on and keyed to a sleeve I84 which is journaled on the aforementioned countershaft 12 which itself is mounted in spaced journal bearings. I85 carried by the main frame 28. This provides support for one end of said clutch 19 and bydraulic fluid motor 98. Additional support journal bearing I86 in an upright partition of the main frame 28 which journal bearing I88 receives an outer cylindrical surface formed on the cylinder extension 89.

It is obvious that the conduit and seal construction provided by the bores 95, 96 and I88 and the groove 91, together with the sleeve 98 and packings I82 will provide a conduit or passageway leading from the pipe IN to the interiorof the cylinder 89 so that the piston M can be actuated at any time while the hydraulic motor 98 and clutch 19 rotate. Thus the power delivered at either of two selected speeds from the motor 56 to countershaft 12 may be selectively applied or released to drive or release the sleeve I84 under the control of the hydraulic piston motor 98 and the clutch 19. A

The sleeve I84 has an integrally formed sprocket I81 which drives a chain I88 which in turn drives a sprocket I89 (see Fig. 5) which is keyed to a sleeve I I8 mounted upon spaced journal bearings carried by a stationary shaft III, which shaft III is supported in longitudinally extending plates forming guideways for one of the crawlers 22, said plates being an integral part of the main frame 28, all as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Also keyed to the sleeve I I8 is a drive sprocket II2 which meshes with and drives one of the crawlers 22. It is, of course, understood that the structure of the countershaft 12 and the crawler 22 is duplicated on each side of the mining maby a hydraulic piston motor I I4 which is pivotally attached at one end to a plate of the mining v III. The pressure of feed pipe II! leads through a high pressure relief valve I2I and thence to a four-way control valve I22 which preferably has the structure of the control valve disclosed in Fig. 36 of the patent to R. K. Jefirey et al., No. 2,263,779 for .9. Mining machine, dated November 25, 1941. This four-way control valve I22 provides for the series operation of the three hydraulic Jacks which control the turntable '23, said jacks being designated 26, I2 and 226 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It is evident from the above description that only three of the four individual valves of the control valve 22 have been employed to adjust the jacks 28, I2 and 228. The function of the other valve of this group will be explained hereinafter.

Branching from the feed pipe III through a check valve I22 is an auxiliary feed pipe I24 leading to and from a pressure oil accumulator I26, the leakage of which drains into the return pipe I20. The auxiliary pipe I24 has branches leading to each of two control valves I21 and I28. It may be stated that the valve I21 provides for the alternate operation of the hydraulic pistonmotor associated with and operating the clutch I. or a hydraulic piston motor 2 I4 for operating the brake mechanism associated with said clutch II. In other words, the valve I21 is so constructed that the clutch 80 and its associated brake mechanism can only be selectively operated and not simultaneously operated.

The construction of the valve I21 may follow the construction of the valve I" disclosed in Fig. of the application of John S. Beltz, Serial No. 380,812 filed February 27, 1941, entitled Mining machine," now Patent No. 2,357,724, dated September 5, 1944, or it may have any other desired well-known construction capable of carrying out the above operation.

Similarly the valve I28 provides for the alternate operation of the hydraulic piston motor 80 for actuating the clutch 1! or the hydraulic piston motor I I4 for operating the brake mechanism associated with said clutch 19. By virtue of valves I21 and I2. it is evident that both the clutches 12 and II may be simultaneously actuated to drive both of the crawlers 22. Also the brake mechanism associated with each of the crawlers 22 may be simultaneously operated. Furthermore, either one of the crawlers 22 may be driven by operating its associated clutch while the other is either free of either braking or driving action or braking action is applied thereto. This latter condition is frequently desired where a sharp turn is to be made with the mining machine.

Returning to the four-way valve I22. As was above pointed out, these four valves provide a series relation and normally they provide a no load by-pass for the pump Ill so that practically no pressure is present in the pipe I I9 when none of the individual valves of four-way valve I22 is actuated. It is for this reason that'the accumulator I25 is provided because it may be desirable to operate the clutchesor the brakes while the no load by-pass is provided for pump I I8. However, should all of the oil be drained from accumulator I25 and thus none be available to operate one or more 01' the brakes or clutches and such operation was desired, I provide the fourth individual valve of the unit I22 so that by the simple expedient of operating this valve the no load by-' pass for the pump H8 is shut oil and since the oil in pipe IIS which has been by-passed has no place else to go it will flow to the accumulator I25 and this can be allowed to continue until it is full which would be indicated by the operation of the high pressure relief valve I2I.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, three operating handles designated as a group by the reference character I29 are provided. These are the operating handles for the three individual valves of the four-way control valve I22, one for each of the Jacks 26, I26 and 226. A knob Ill adjacent the handles I28 provides the operating means for the by-pass shut-01f valvewhich is the fourth individual valve of the four-way control valve I22.

v The mechanism for propelling or feeding the mining machine provides for its propulsion at a high or transportation speed so that it can readily move from one room to the next or toward and from the working face at a high rate. The low speed drive provides for feeding of the machine while it is cutting a kerf by rectilinear or curved feeding movement as controlled by the traction means 22. The individual friction clutches are not only individually hydraulically 4Q operated by individual hydraulic motors but these my invention.

motors are mounted or formed as a unit with their associated clutches and rotated with the housing or driven members thereof. This makes for a compact and eiilcient arrangement of clutches and hydraulically operating mechanism and a point of particular significance is that there is no relative rotation between the actuating piston such as the piston SI and the crowned boss 92 of the compressor plate 82 so there is no occasion whatever for wear between any part of the hydraulic piston motor ll and the clutch 19. This is an important feature of Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and-I wish therefore not to be restricted to.the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I now desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A combination friction clutch and hydraulic motor actuating means therefor including driving and driven clutch members one of which includes a rotary mounted housing having an end plate, said end plate having an integral part forming a cylinder of the clutch actuating motor, said cylinder having its axis aligned with the .axis of said housing, a piston in said cylinder, a

clutch compressor plate in said housing havmg a central crowned boss, said piston having an abutting relation with said crowned boss, and means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylin- 4- 'w ass-area der thereby to force said piston against said 3. A combination friction clutch and hydraulic crowned boss and engage said clutch members. motor actuating means therefor including driving 2. A combination friction clutch and hydraulic and driven clutch members one of which includes motor actuating means therefor including driva rotary mounted housing having an end plate, ing and driven clutch members one of which in- 5 said end plate having a part iorming a cylinder cludes a rotary mounted housing having an end of the clutch actuating motor, a piston in said plate, said end plate having a part forming a cylinder, a clutch compressor plate in said houscylinder of the clutch actuating motor, a piston ing having a central boss, said piston having an in said cylinder, a clutch compressor plate in abutting relation with said boss, and means for said housing having a central crowned boss, said 10 supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder thereby piston having an abutting relation with said to force said piston against said boss and engage crowned boss, and means for supplying fluid pressaid clutch members.

sure to said cylinder thereby to force said piston 1 EDWARD G. LEWIS.

against said crowned boss and engage said clutch members.

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