US897330A - Clutch-throwing mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED SEPT. 1,1908.

SSHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. WESTBROOK. CLUTCH THROWIN G MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

No. 897,830. I PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. J. G. WESTBROOK.

CLUTCH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W1 T/VESSES LVVE/VTO/C WM' B y I I M zwfl No. 897,330. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

J. G. WESTBROOK.

OLUTOH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

and State of r JAMES G. WESTBROOK, OF OGDENSBURGi, NEW YORK.

CLUTGH-THBOWING MECHANISM.

Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed January 20, 1908. Serial No. mew.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, JAMES G. WESTBROOK, a citizen of the Ogdensburg, in

New I I and useful Improvements 1n the county of St. Lawrence tain new Clutch-Throwing Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventlon, such as will enable others. skilled in the art towhich it 'appertains to make and use the same.

in ower controlling apparatus, and particu arly to clutch throwing mechanism and means for controlling the same at a distance.

One of the objects in view is the throwing of a clutch actuating sleeve by a fluid pressure actuated piston controlled at a dis,- tance while the parts are maintained in accurate alinement by the employment of a bearing box for the shaft on which the shiftable sleeve is mounted, which bearing box is formed integral with the cylinder of the piston employed for actuating the sleeve, the longitudinal axes of said cylinder and bearing box being parallel.

With this and further ob ects in view, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of 4 dicated for instance in' my own ents, to shift clutch mechanism by the known in parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a structure embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal, vertical, central section 'therethrou'gh. Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical section taken on the lane indicated by line 3, 3 of Fig. 2, and ooking in the direction indicated by the arrow, the power wheel in the rear being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is vertical section taken through the shifting yoke and its connecting sleeve.

It has heretofore been proposed, as inprior patemployment of a fluidpressure actuated piston controlled at a distance, but difliculty has been experienced in preventing lateral or twisting strains and the maintenance of the parts in proper alinement relative to each other.

Apparatus such as has heretofore been United States, residing at- York, have invented oer- This invention relates to improvements the art has been found to involve com stallation, :as well as a relatively large expense of maintenance, and to overcome both of these difficulties as well as to attain other desirable results, which will become in part obvious and will in part be set forth 111 aratively great initial expense for in-' etail hereinafter, I cast a base or bracket plate 1 integral with a cylinder 2 and the main or lower portion of the bearing box 3, the said bearing box and cylinder being also cast integral with each other. Journaled in the bearing box 3 is a drive shaft 4 which is retained in position against upward movement by the bearing cap 5, which cap is formed with a horizontal, laterally pro-- jecting flange 6 atone side adapted in operation to be slid longitudina transverse groove 7 in the bracket late 1 in position for engaging the shou der 8 formed by said groove. The opposite side of the cap 5 is provided with a horizontal flange 10 which rests within a suitable seat 11, formed integralwith the box 3, and the cap is securely retained in place by bolts 12, 12 passed through the flange 10 and the seat 11. Any may be rovided on the cap 5. a

The s aft 4 receives its power from any suitable driver 13 keyed to the shaft at one side of the journal box 3 and at the other side thereof the shaft supports a winding drum 14 loosely mounted on the shaft and adapted to be connected therewith byv a friction band clutch 15, the said clutch being ada ted to be thrown into operative relation to t e parts by means of a clutch throwing sleeve 16 and a suitable chain of links and lever power transmitting devices 17. For the purpose of this invention, and devices 17 for actuating the same may be of any preferred type; The sleeve 16 is slidingly mounted on the shaft 4 and is formed with an annular groove 18 into which extends ayoke 19 fixed to and-carried by a piston rod 20 which extends into the cylinder 2 and is therein provided with a iston head 21. If desired, a spring 22 may e disposed for en'gagingthe piston'head 21 for insuring release movement of the clutch 15 when the piston head 21 is not-subject to fluidpressure.

It is to be observed that the longitudinal axes of the bearing box and cylinder are parallel and the piston and clutch throwing sleeve will thus be readily maintained 1n condition for moving. in exact alinement. In

ly into a suitable'oil cup 5 of course the clutch 15 25 from any suitable source and interme iate the length of the pipe 25 is interposed a differential pressure valve 26 of any well known type such for instance as is fully set forth and described in my Patent No. 785,646, dated March 21., 1905. The valve 26 is controlled in its operation by a controlling press'ure pipe 27 which may extend to any desired source of fluid pressure supply and in the length of which may be provi ed a flexible section as at 27, if desired, for enabling control by the operator who maybe required to move about. At a point irrthe length of the ipe 27 said pipe is provided with any or inary threeway valve 28 which is ada ted tobe turned to one of its positions for a mitting pressure through pipe 27. and to tlie otherof its positions for exhausting ressure from the said pipe 27 so that the va ve 26 may be manipulated by the operator at the point-of valve 28, and when pressure is admitted through pipe 27 the valve 26 will establish communication between the sections of pipe 25 and thus admit fluid under pressure to the cylinder 2 in the rear of piston head 21 whereby the piston will be moved outwardly and the sleeve 16 correspondingly moved for throwing on the clutch 15. When it is desired to release the clutch, it is only necessary to turn the valve 28 to the exhaust position, and as soon as the pressure is drained from the rear of the valve 26 the by-pass pressure Will throw said valve to its closed position and will thus open the section of pipe 25 communicating with cylinder 2 to the atmosphere and permit exhausting of the pressure in cylinder 2 where by the arts are free to be returned by spring 22 to t e released condition.

The yoke 19, as seen best in Fig. 4, is prov vided with hollow arms, and in fa'ct'is preferably made hollow throughout all that portion which lies in operation in the groove 18 so that if through rapid revolution of sleeve 16 the parts tend to become heated by friction, the heat radiating surface presented by the hollow interior of the yoke will insure sufficient distribution of the heat for preventing any appreciable expansion .of the parts, so that any tendency on the part of the yoke to bind against the walls of the groove 18 is obviated. It is to be observed,

of course, that the set screw 23 enables a ready adjustment of the yoke along the length of the iston rod 20 so that in case of wear-of the c ain of transmitting gear 17 or other parts of the clutcha compensation for the excess movement may be had by the ad-- justment of .the yoke longitudinally of the piston rod 20, and it is obvious of course that the piston will accommodate itself to any required amount of movement, the piston head 21 moving outwardly under fluid pressure to whatever extent may be permitted by the clutch 15.

The plate 1 is preferably beveled outwardly at its ends so that the said ends will fit snugly within the under-cut grooves of beads 29, 29 formed integral with the beam or supporting wall '30 and positioned to engage the ends of the plate 1 when the'plate is slid edgewisebetween the beads.

What I claim is 1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a power shaft, a clutch for transmitting movement therefrom, and a sleeve slidingly mounted to move longitudinally of said shaft for throwing said clutch, of a bearing for said shaft, a cylinder formed integral with saidbearing and having its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, a piston within said cylinder connected with said sleeve for actuating thesame, and means for supplying pressure to the cylinder for operating the piston.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a support having spaced beads formed with under-cut grooves, of a base plate beveled outwardly and adapted to have its beveled portions fit snugly within said under-cut grooves, a shaft bearing carried by said ,plate, a power shaft mounted in said bearing, a cylinder carried by said plate in position for having itslongi- 'tudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, aclutch for transmitting movement from the shaft, a piston in said cylinder adapted to actuate the clutch, and means for supplying pressure to the cylinder for actuating the piston.

3. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a power shaft, of a bearing therefor, a base plate supporting said bearing and formed with an overhanging ortion 'or'shoulder, a cap for said bearing aving a portion projecting beneath said shoulder at one side, means for securing the opposite side of the cap in position, a cylinder carried by said base plate and arranged with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, a clutch for transmitting movement from the shaft, a piston within said cylinder adapted to actuate said clutch, and means for supplying pressure to the cylinder for operating the piston.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a power shaft, of a journal bearing therefor, a plate formed integral with said bearing and provided with a groove extending longitudinally of the bearing, a cap for said bearing having a flange at one side extending-into said groove, means at the opposite side of the cap for securing the same against movement, a cylinder connected with said bearing with its axis parallel to the axis' of the bearing, a clutch for transmitting movement from the shaft, a piston in said cylinder for actuating the clutch,

In" testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES o. WESTB-ROOK.

Witnesses:

SIMON JACOBSEN,- WM. A. WITHMAR.

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