US957602A - Clutch mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

J. P. DURYEA & W. M. REMINGTON.

CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1907.

Patented May 10, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J- F. DURYEA & W. M. REMINGTON.

CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLIOATION I'ILBD JULY 15, 1907.

Patented May 10, 1910.

4 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

W iii zax wea" J. F. DURYEA & W. M. REMINGTON.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1907.

Patented May 10, 1910.

J. P. DURYEA & W. M. REMINGTON.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRANK DURYEA AND WILLIAM M. REMINGTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 15, 1907. Serial No. 383,773.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES FRANK DUR- YEA and WILLIAM M. Rnmiuerou, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clutch mechanisms and is of the type known as diskclutches and the invention relates particularly to a clutch of this type adapted for use in self-propelled vehicles, it being located, as well known, between the engine and the driving axles.

In self-propelled vehicles as at present generally constructed, the engine and clutch are located in a tubular basepart, and it is desirable that the clutch mechanism should be easily removable from said base without rendering it necessary to dismount other parts of the mechanism.

The object'of thisinvention is to provide a clutch construction which, while occupying the same inclosed space as the engine or an extension of said space, may readily be disconnected from the engine on the .one side and the driven shafton theother, and be removed bodily from the base-part or casing, and the invention consists in the construction described in the following specification and clearly pointed out in the claims, the construction in its preferred form being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken in the plane of line 1,1, Fig. 3, showing the mechanism in its unclutched position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. -1 showing the position of the parts when they are in clutch, the plane of this section being'on line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is. an end elevation of the mechanism shown in the preceding figures, certain! parts, however, being shown in section, the plane of which is online 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. i'is a side elevation of the clutch mechanism disconnected from its associated driving and driven parts and partially re- I motor vehicle which extends, as these machines are generally constructed, to or is connected with, the driving axle. The clutch mechanism is located bet-ween the ends of these shafts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4c, and is inclosed in a suitable casing c which, as shown in the drawings, is practically a part of the engine base it being firmly bolted thereto by means of bolts not shown, which extend through the flange or lugs d at the left-hand end of the casing, the right-hand end of the casing being connected with the casing of the transmission mechanism to which it is bolted firmly. This is the construction generally followed, that is the engine base, the clutch-casin and the transmission casing are all firm y secured together or at times, where possible,

.cast together as one piece, the clutch of course being located between the engine base and the transmission casing. Thus located,

Patented Ma 10, 1910.

and connected on the one side to the engine and on the other side to the transmission mechanism, the removal of the clutch has, as heretofore generally constructed, been a diflicult operation and one requiring a very considerable length of time. In the construction forming the subject matter of this application, means are provided whereby the clutch may be bodily removed from the casing 0 through an opening in saidcasing which is closed by a cap 6 shown separated from the casing in Fig. 4. As seen in Fig. 3, the casing at this point is substantially circular in cross section and the cap cv constitutes ractically one-half of this casing circum erentially. When it is in position, it is secured by bolts f to a horizontal flange on the casing, along either side thereof, see Fig. 3, and also by other bolts located at the, top of the cap.

The clutch is supported and connectedto the driving and driven shafts a and b as follows: The end of the engine shaft (1. that extends into the casing cis tapered for a portion of its length, and beyond this tapered part is a threaded part vh. Fitted over the tapered end of this shaft is a disk is which has a tight fit thereon and is also secured thereto by a key m, if desired (see Fig. 2) a nut 0 isthen screwed onto said the key, and extending beyond the threaded portion of the cap is a short end 12 integral therewith and constituting a center bearing for the clutch mechanism.

The clutch frame proper consists of two annular parts,the outer one of which is indicatedby the letter 0" and the inner one is lndicated by s; the member 7", as seen in Fig. 2, is, by means of bolts t, secured to the disk 70. The inner member 8 forms part of the hub member s which is provided with a squared end '0 which is axially located relative to the circular part, and is adapted to be coupled to the similarly squared end 20 of the driven shaftb by means of a two-part coupling m. The opposite end of the hublike member s is recessed to receive the rings 3 between which balls 3 are located, these elements together constituting a suitable ball-bearing to support-this end of the hub 8 and with itthe annular member s, which is a part thereof the rings 3 located in the recessed end of the hub having a tight fit therein, the inner one of these rings having a close fit over the projecting end p of the driving-shaft a. The inner end of the hub s is thus supported in axial alinement with the driving and driven shafts.

When the collar or coupling 00 is applied to the squared ends '0 and w it fits in between two shoulders 4t,one on the hub s and the other on the shaft b,and in this manner the space 5 is provided between the contiguous ends of these squared portions.

As shown in the drawings, both the inner surface of the rotatable member 1" and the outer surface of the rotatable member s are provided with oppositely located channels 6 and 7 parallel with the axis of the clutch.

This clutch is made up of a series of rings 8 having ton ues 9 thereon which extend into the channe s 7, and other like rings 10 having tongues 12 thereon which extend into the channels 6, these rings being arranged in alternating overlapping relation, one to the other.

In the drawings, the rings 10 are shown as having on each side thereof facing rings 13 of leather or similar material which are riveted to the rings 10, the other rings 8 being of metal. This, however, is a detail of construction which has no reference to the invention and both sets of the rings may be made of metal, if desired. These rings are held in loose contact by means of a circular head 14 on theinner end of the hub s it having a sliding movement thereon toward and from the opposite ends of the hub, as will be described further on.

On the outer end of the circular member .9 carried by the hub s is a nut 15 screwed onto the member s and constituting an abutment for the clutch rings 8 and 10 when the head 14 is moved toward the abutment. This movement of the-head 14: is effected as follows: Mounted on the hub s is a sleeve16 having on the inner end thereof a flange 17, said sleeve being recessed from the inner end thereof toward the other to receive a stiff spiral spring 18 which bears against the'bottom of the recess on the one end and at the other end against the web 19 which extends between the hub and the annular member s and carries the latter, screws 20 passing through the circular head 14 and entering the annular flange 17 on the sleeve to secure the head to the latter, these screws extending through the web 19.

The outer end of the hub s is provided with a ring 21 carrying suitable trunnions 22 which are engaged bya fork 23 clearly shown in Fig. 3, the fork being provided with bearings 24 in the lower half of the casing c in which it may oscillate. The fork 23, by suitable well known connections,

may be oscillated by the operator to move the sleeve 16 toward the driving-shaft a pushing the circular head 14 toward the disk is and compressing the spring 18, thus leaving the clutch rings 8 and 10 free to rotate one relative to the other.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings, a being the driving shaft, will rotate the disk and the circular member 1' secured to it, and the rings 10, engaging as they do with the grooves or channels 6, will rotate with the member 7", the other rings 8 remaining stationary. When, however, the spring 18 is allowed to expand, each of the driving rings 10 will be clamped between two of the driven rings 8, and when this clamping movement is sufliciently strong to prevent the slipping of one set of rings relative-to the other, the circular member s and the hub.

s will rotate as one with the member 1', and thus through the coupling :0 rotate the driven shaft 6. If now, it is desired to remove the clutch for the purpose of cleaning or repairing it, the cap e, (as shown in Fig4 to which reference may now be had) is first removed, then the upper cap of the coupling 30 is removed and the sleeve 16, through the fork 23, moved up to compress the spring 18. This being accomplished, a hole 26, which extends through the squared end '0 of the hub s is uncovered and into this hole a pin 27 is driven which will hold the spring in its compressed position. The bolts t which hold the clutch to the disk is may now be removed and this being accomplished the clutch, as a whole, with the exception of course of the disk 70 may, after the lower half of the coupling a: has been removed, be moved toward the shaft 1), the space 5 between the contiguous ends of said shaft and the squared end (Z of the clutch-hub, having been left for this purpose. This space 5 provides room to slide the bearing ring 3/ off from the centering projection p on the end I of the driving-shaft positioning the clutch casing, as shown in said Fig. 4;. When it is replaced, it is put back in the same manner, the trunnions 22 on the clutch being dropped in their seats in the forks 23, and the clutch then slipped forward over the centering projection p of the driving-shaft, whereupon the bolts t may be replaced and the pin 27 driven part way out, the clutch may be so turned as to allow the lower half of the coupling w to be placed in position, whereupon the pin 27 may be removed entirely, the fork :23 serving to hold the spring 18 in compressed position while the upper half of the coupling a: is being bolted in place. It is thus seen that the construction described is such as to greatly facilitate and expedite the removal of the clutch without disturbing other associated parts of the mechanism.

hat we claim, is i 1. The combination with a clutch mechanism, of a driving and driven shaft between which said mechanism is located, means to pivot-ally support said mechanism on one of said shafts, and means including a coupling member :20 for positively securing said mechanism to the other of said shafts in spaced relation 'to the end thereof, said mechanism comprising a spring, and means to secure the spring in a compressed position whereby room is provided to slide the clutch mechanism toward that shaft with which it is in said spaced relation, to disconnect the mechanism from that shaft on which it is pivotally supported.

2. A clutch mechanism having in combination, a driving and a driven-shaft in axial alinement and spaced from each other, a clutch construction located between said shafts and including concentric annular parts, a hub member, a coupling member for securing the hub member to the driven shaft, sleeve element, a disk member, an expansion spring located between said sleeve and disk,

means to compress the spring, and means to retain the spring in a compressed condition, the length of the hub-member being less than the distance between the ends of said shafts, whereby when the coupling member is removed the clutch construction may be bodily removed, as described.

JA-MES FRANK DURYEA. \VILLIAM M. REMINGTON.

Witnesses:

WM. H. GHAPIN H. W. BOWEN.

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