The Hilliard Corporation

Brenton H Barron

Steven M Averill

Robert A Schlaufman

Benjamin J Heater

A system for dressing centrifugal clutches has a drum tool with an internal abrasive surface, and a flap tool with abrasive flaps. The drum tool can replace the clutch drum on the clutch driven shaft to dress the clutch shoes, or the flap tool can replace the clutch shoes and mechanism on the clutch drive shaft, which may be the engine crankshaft, to dress the clutch drum. In either case, the tool being used and the component being dressed can accurately simulate the engagement of the clutch shoes and clutch drum in operation, so that the clutch drum and shoes can be accurately dressed to the correct shape, matching each other, for use.

System for dressing a centrifugal clutch

A friction drive clutch includes a hub, a thrust plate that rotates with and is axially slidable on the hub, a first housing rotatable with respect to the hub and including at least two first ramped members each having a sloped face, a second housing rotatable with respect to the thrust plate and axially movable together with the thrust plate, the second housing including at least two second ramped members each having a sloped face, a third housing rotatable with respect to the hub, and a spring assembly biasing the thrust plate and second housing axially toward the first housing, wherein when the second housing is rotated in one direction, the sloped faces of the first and second members slide over each other to urge the second housing and thrust plate axially in opposition to the spring assembly to bring the thrust plate into frictional engagement with the third housing.

Friction drive clutch having ramped members

A centrifugal clutch is disclosed including a driver adapted to engage and to be rotated by an input shaft, a drum adapted to engage a driven component, a plurality of shoes located between the driver and the drum, and a plurality of springs, each spring engaged with adjacent shoes for urging the shoes together. The shoes are radially movable between an outward position in which the shoes contact the drum and an inward position in which the shoes are spaced apart from the drum. Each shoe has an asymmetrical contacting member for engaging the drum, the contacting member having a toe protruding circumferentially therefrom in one direction. Each shoe is capable of being independently installed into the clutch with the toe of the contacting member facing either towards or away from the direction of rotation of the driver, provided that the driver remains rotationally balanced. The contacting member of each shoe further includes one or more cavities each adapted to receive at least one weight to enable adjustment of the mass of each shoe and the mass distribution within each shoe.

Tunable centrifugal clutch

A centrifugal clutch including a driver adapted to engage and be rotated by an input shaft, a drum adapted to engage a driven component, a plurality of shoes located between the driver and the drum, and a plurality of springs, each spring engaged with adjacent shoes for urging the shoes together. The shoes are radially movable between an outward position in which the shoes contact the drum and an inward position in which the shoes are spaced apart from the drum. Each shoe has an engagement surface which is arranged to contact the drum, and a support. One end of the support is attached to the engagement surface and the other end extends radially inward. A pair of spring attachment mounts are formed on the radially inward end of the support. Each spring is engaged with one spring attachment mount on a shoe.

Growing community of inventors

Corning, NY, United States of America

Brenton H Barron