US833537A - Friction-clutch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 833,537. PATENTE) OCT. 16, 1906- P; MEDART.

PRICTIQN CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.29, 1906. 2 SHEETS-$EBET l' mm i, i

N0. 833,537. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906. P. MEDART.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED 14113.29. 1906.

WTE@ STATES PATENT OhiiE.

PlillLlP MEDART, OF S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM MEDART., OF ST. LOUS, MISSOURI.

Fauchon-muren.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented eet. 1e, ieee.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that l, PHILIP MEDART, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in. the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches, of whichv the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to friction-clutches of the class in which divided rings or segments are adapted to engage the rim of a pulley or other part to be driven and are expanded and contracted by link connections between the ends of the segments, which are operated by connections with a sleeve or ring shifted by a lever or other operating device. y A friction-clutch of this class 1s shown in my United States Patent No. 788,726, of .May 2, 1905. A

VThe object of my present invention is to improve clutches of this class in such manner as to make them more simple, compact,-

and cheap in construction, more easily adjusted, and more secure and reliable in operation.

My invention may be embodied in a clutch adapted to connect a band-pulley to a con'- tinuously-runnin line-shaft or in a frictioncoupling in whicli the ulle is'ast on the driving-shaft and the ot er c utch member is fast on another shaft placed end to end with the driving-shaft. l ln carryin out my invention in the preferred way t e pulley is made with a sufliciently "wide rim to afford on one side of the spokes or web an annular friction-surface on its inner side. Two nearly semicircular wooden segments are emplo ed which are adapted to engage the inner si e of the pulleyrim. `At the1r` opposite ends the segments are joined b y togg e-links of novel construction which are pivotally connected with radially-moving blocks carried by a supporting ame or driver keyed to the drivingshaft. These blocks are connected by links to a rin lor sleeve operated by a lever and mounte to slide in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving-shaft. The arrangement is such that when the blocks kare moved outward to appl the segments to the pulley the pivot-pins w 'ch connect the inner ends of the links to the rin are moved inward beyond the vertical p ane of the pivots which connect the outer ends of the links withthe blocks, and thus the blocks are automatically locked in their outer position and the frictionsegments are held securely in engagement With the pulley.

The toggles which connect the sliding blocks wit the segments at one end of the driver are lconnected to the segments b nonadjustable shoes, while the shoes whic connect the toggles at the opposite end of the driver tothe segments are adjustabie, so as to permit a proper operation of the mechanism and to com ensate for wear.

The togg e-links are provided with shoulders so formed that when the sliding blocks aremoved inward to withdraw .thev segments from the rim of the pulley said shoulders will engage each other and limit the pivotal movement of the to gies, and the tog les are formed with ot l er shoulders whic abut against the ends of the driver and also limit the movement of the toggles in such manner that a symmetrical movement aof the segments on both sides oi: the driver is insured.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a band pulley equippedl with my im roved friction-clutch, the clutch mechanism ein shown in section on the line 1 l of Fig. 2. lgig. 2 shows a vertical central section on the line 2 2 cf Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing the ad'ustable connections between the sliding bloc at one end of the driver and the adjacent ends of the friction-segments. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the member of one of the adjustable shoes which is attached to the end of a friction-segment. Fig. '5 is a perspective view of the adjustable member of the shoe. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of one of the fixed members of one of the adjustable shoes. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the movement of the toggles and showing how the inward movement thereof is limited or controlled in such manner as to ro vide for a symmetrical application of the iction-segments on opposite sides of the driver. Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the to gies which connect the shoes to the sliding b ocks. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the shoes which connects the toggles at one end of the driver with the irictionse ents.

the drawings I have shown my improve- Y tion of the rim.

vmounted loosely on the driving-shaft B.

-An oil-hole B2, closed by a screw-plug b2, is

`between their opposite ends and serve to ments embodied in a clutch adapted to connect a loose pulley with a driver fast on the driving-shaft. It will be understood, how: ever, that my improvements may be embodied in friction-clutch es, frictioncouplings, or other kinds. As shown, the. pulley A js l'. has a rim a projecting from opposite sides of the spokes b and is preferably slightly wider on 'one side than on the other, and it is suitably finished to provide'an annular frictionsurface a on the inner side of the wider por- Babbitt metal B is preferably interposed betweenthe pulley-hub and the shaft, so that the shaft may revolve freely within the hub when the pulley is uncoupled.

rovided, as usual, for supplying a lubricant. It will thus be seen that the pulley is of usual or well-known construction. Substantially no change need be made in ordinary pulleys to apply my improved clutch, except that a suitable friction-surface a is furnished. To the shaft B is rigidly secured a supporting frame or driver com rising a hub c and two radial arms C C. he driver serves to support on the driving-shaft the friction-segments l) D', which together form nearly a complete ring within the rim of the pulley. They are normally out of contact with the pulley-rim, but are adapted to bear against the friction-surface a thereof when they are expanded. The segments may be made entirely of wood, but prefera ly they are backed by metal strips D", secured to the wooden segments by bolts d. Rods D3, projecting radially from opposite sides of the` driver, connect with the segments midway brace them and preventsidewise movement thereof. These rods are rigidly attached to the driver, but are loosely connected with the segments for the purpose of allowing the segments to move inward to a slight extent wh en the clutch is uncoupled. These rods are shouldered, d, to limit the inward movement of the segments. The sockets d2, into which the outer ends of the rods extend, have their opposite sides closed by vertical walls, so that t e rods will hold the segments against side- Wise movement.

Each arm of the driver is formed with a radial slot E, in Which moves radially a block l F, which is connected to the toggles at opposite ends ofthe se ments and also to a ring or sleeve sliding on the' hub of the driver. Each block F is formed with a middle ortion f, which fits the ,opposite radial waiis of the slot E, and it has flanges f', which embrace the driver on opposite sides of the slot, and so serve to hold the block in lace against sidewise movement, While al owing it to move freely in a radial directiont Each block F is formed with lugs f2, te which is jointed, by means'of a pin h, a link H, the

opposite orv inner end of which is jointed, by means of a .pin h', with a ring or sleeve` I,

mounted to slide on the hub c of the driver.4

The ring I is of usual construction and is o erated by a lever J in the usual way; but t e arrangement is such that when the ring I is moved inward to its full extent toward the driver it causes the pivot-pins h to be moved beyond the vertical plane of the pins h, which connect the links H with the radially-sliding blocks, and in this way the blocks are automatically locked in their outermost position and cannot moveout of this position until the ring I is positively moved outwardly on the hub c by the lever J.

It will be understood that when the segments are applied to the pulley pressure is ap-' lied endwise on the links H, so thatthey are iield very lirmly in...t,h'e position to which they are adjusted. There is no liability of their shaking loose as the pulley rotates; but when the pivots h are moved outward from the driver beyond the vertical plane in which the ivots h are located the clutch may readl y be uncoupled.

The block F at one end of the driver is connected by toggle-links K with metal shoes L, rigidly attached to the adjacent ends of the segments. One of these shoes is shown \in erspective in Fi 10. As there shown an as also indicate in Figs. 1 and 2, each shoe L comprises a flanged plate l, secured to the end of a segment, and a bifurcated projection Z', which receives the outer end of a toggle-linkK and to which the link is ivoted. The toggle-links K are of the form s own in Figs. 8 and 9 and are pivoted tothe outer end i of the adjacent block F in the manner shown in Fi s. 1 and 2. It will be observed that the b ock F isformed with lugs fa f4, which receive between them the overlapping inner ends of the toggles, and a pin M, passing through the lugs and the toggles, serves to pivotall connect the toggles to the block. l

The s iding block F at the opposite end of the driver is precisely the same in construction as that just described, and it i's connected ICO IIO

with the toggile-links K in the same manner,

but the togg es are connected with the adjacent ends of the friction-segments by adjustable shoes in the manner presently described.

yBefore explaining this adjustable connection I will cali attention to an important feature of construction shown in Figs. 3, 7, 8, and 9. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 7 that the outer ends of the 'slots E have diverging inclined surfaces g and that the toggles are formed with shoulders 7c k k2. When the toggles are drawn inward by the blocks F, the shoulders 7c k strike the ends of the driver on opposite sides of the slot E and the shoulders k2 abut against each other. In this Way the movement of the toggles is limited and a' symmetrical application ofthe strikes the end ofthe driver beforethe other,

D shoulders it cannot move farther. Therefore the other tog le is given a--further movement and .is ma e to assume precisely the saine osition as the tolggle first mentioned. ien the 2 come together, no further pivotal movement can be given to the tog les7 and, as before stated, when thea-shoulders 'kjkz strike the ends of -the driver a further inward movement of the toggles is prevented. The constructionthus described is the same at o posite ends ofthe driver.

T e adjustable shoes are clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 of the drawings, and they also appear in Figs. 1 andl2. Each shoe'comlgrises two members N and O. The member consists of a casting formed with a flat surface adapted to lie against the inner side 'of a segment at its end and a flange n, which overlaps the end of the segment. On its opposite side the casin is formed with a recess N, provided with .ovetailecl grooves n to receive the member 0, and it has a downwardly-projecting ilange or lug n2, which receivesl an adjusting-screw P. .The member O (shown in Fig. 5) consists of a casting formed with dovetailed ribs o, adapted to enter the grooves n', and arecess o to receive the end of one of the toggles K It also is formed with a portion o2, against which the set-screw P works. The member N is rigidly attached by bolts n3 to the segment, while the member O is adjustablein' the member N. By means of the set-screw P the member .O may be so adjusted as to cause the pivot-pin m, that connects the toggle with the member 0, to assume the desired position, and when adjusted to the desired position the member 0 may be locked against further `movement by means of a set-screw Q. It will be understood that the adjustable shoes on opposite sides'of one end of the driver are the same in construction and are adjusted in the saine way, so that the 'pivots m can be made to assume the proper position to give the desired movement lto the friction-segments. No adjustment of the links H is required, as all necessary adjustment. is afforded by means of the adjustable shoes, whether it be to take up wear occuring on the Wooden segments or to vpfrovide for a greater orless application of force to the segments. It will be understoodthatno matter what ma be the adjustment of the shoes the toggies move inward to withdraw the segments 'always to the same extent' and are always stopped in their inward movement in the manner illus-v trated inl Fig. 7, so that the segments can never be withdrawn to'such an extent as to.

unduly bend them or move them out of properfposition. TheA adjustment of the shoes also'govei'ns the movement vof the links H. By proper adjustment of the shoes thelinks may be made to always move to the position .shown in Fig. 2 when applying the clutch in such manner as to be self-locking, as before explained..

claim as my invention- `1. 'In afriction clutch or coupling, comprising a driving and a driven part one of which is provided with twoexpansible segments, t e combination -of a supporting` frame or driver towhich the segments are connected at one end, toggles interposed between the opposite ends of the segments, a

radially-moving block to which the toggles are pivotally connected, shoes` rigidly attached to the adjacent ends of the segments and having members independently adjustable Atoward and from each other and to which the toggles are pivotally connected, a ring or sleeve movable in a line arallel with the axis of the driving-shaft, a link pivotally connected with-the sliding block and a ivot connecting the inner end of the link wit the ring or sleeve the' axis of which is free to swing inward'beyond the vertical plane of the pivot which connects the link with the sliding block whereby the parts are locked, substantially as specified.

2. The .combination of the friction-segments, a driver connected at one end with the segments, a radially-slidin block carried by the opposite end of the river, toggles pivotally connected `with said block and shoes rigidly attached to the adjacent ends of the segments and having members independently adjustable toward end rom each other and which are pivotally coiinected with the toggles. f

3. in a friction clutch or coupling, the combination of friction-segments, a driver, a radiall -movin block carried by the driver, a togg e pivota ly connected with the block, a shoe member ri idly attached to one end of a segment, an a justable member mounted to shde in the other member of the shoe, an

adjusting-screw carried by the lirst-mentioned member of the shoe and engaging the adjustable member, and a locking-screw carried by the stationary member of the shoe and engaging the movable member thereof. 4. in a friction clutch or coupling, the

TIO

combination of friction-segments, a driver, a

radially-slidin block carried thereby and toggles ivota ly-connected with the adjacent en s of the segments and with the radially-sliding block which are shouldered on their upper sides to limit'their movement inward toward the axis of the driving-shaft.

5.l In a friction clutch or coupling, the combination of friction-segments, a driver, a radially-sliding block carried thereb vand toggles connecting the block with a jacent ends of the se ents, said toggles being providedv with s oulders which abut against each other when `the segments are being withdrawn or uncoupled, and other-shoulders #Whehsstrike' the kadjacent.`- slidv of the 'driver' to imit the inWardmovement ofthe tngges, substantially as s ecied. -6. A friction c utah or couplngfcemprisng 'friction-segments, -h a driver, a `mdsllljysliding -bloek carried thereby, .adjustable shoes oml `:adjacent ends of the segments'nd togglss commes/tingLA the adjustable shoes with ythe.x:mii,ally-slidn bloek, said toggles 'being '-formedfwithssho ders whchubut against each-ether. as the slidn block :meves'rad ally nwardfand with ot ershoulders #which strike the adjacentend f' the dn'ver'forthe purpose-speeled.

.-7. The-'eombnation vof retiolbse ents having mdal-seeketsintermedate theu ends,

temes? for thel purpose speeed.

Af n testimony-whereof havehereunto'subscribedlmy neme. A

BHHJIP MEDART. Witnesses LEO SASMEUR, G. WMJSENN.

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