Horton Manufacturing Company Inc.

Horton Industries, Inc.

Charles D Raines

Leonid Dayen

James V Hanks

Hugh K Schilling

A brake is disclosed for the end of a shaft such as a motor shaft including a bowl-shaped housing secured to a bowl-shaped cylinder and sandwiching a pressure plate therebetween. A torque plate is reciprocally mounted and rotatably related to the housing by dowel pins which are reciprocally received in sleeve bearings and is biased by springs sandwiched between the torque plate and the housing and retained on spring pins. The torque plate includes circumferentially spaced integral lugs which extend through openings formed in the pressure plate and abut with a push plate of a reciprocal piston. A drive disc which is rotatably related but axially movable relative to the shaft to be braked is located radially inwardly of the lugs and is sandwiched between the torque plate and the pressure plate. The piston is also bowl-shaped and includes a circular plate terminating in an axially extending flange which is reciprocally received in an axially extending flange of the cylinder to define a pressure chamber. The housing and cylinder are closed to seal the internal components of the brake to allow ease of cleaning and to allow its use in food environments and in gas environments.

Brake

An end pivot webguide which may be economically fabricated from stock material and eliminating many cast components is disclosed including pivot arms formed from bar stock and roller frames formed from angle stock. The pivot arms are formed by drilling passages including annular shoulders for receiving radial ball bearings in the bar stock for rotatably mounting first and second pivot pins. The use of radial ball bearings allows the pivot pins to accept thrust forces in an axial direction such that the webguide of the present invention utilizes four bearings of identical type rater than six bearings of three different types as in prior webguides. The pivot arm is symetrical such that one of the pivot pins may be nonrotatably secured to the webguide base and the other pivot pin may be nonrotatably secured to the roller frame. Bearings in the guide rolls rotatably mount the guide rolls on screws removably and nonrotatably secured to the roller frames. Different sized guide rolls may then be utilized by simply selecting corresponding sized angle stock forming the roller frames.

End pivot webguide

A rotational control apparatus is shown in its most preferred form as a clutch-brake including an improved housing having a cylindrical body portion and first and second housing ends removably secured thereto. The body portion includes an axially extending annular member intersecting with a radially extending annular member. The radially extending annular member forms an interface surface and a surface for reciprocal receipt of a piston inside the axially extending annular member and forms a mounting flange outside the axially extending annular member for securing axially extending bolts threadably received in the second housing end. The first housing end includes an axially extending projection having surfaces for receipt in the axially extending annular member and for reciprocal receipt of the piston. The clutch-brake in its most preferred form further includes an improved friction interface disc including a stamped flat ring portion secured to a second flat ring portion of a cast friction interface element in a spaced condition to form spaced cutouts for heat ventilation. The improved friction interface disc allows easy and inexpensive cast components eliminating casting cores for heat ventilation access between the interface surfaces of the interface disc.

Rotational control apparatus

A rotational control apparatus is shown in its most preferred form as a clutch-brake including an improved housing having a cylindrical body portion and first and second circular shaped ends removably secured thereto. The body portion includes an axially extending annular member intersecting with a radially extending annular member. The radially extending annular member forms an interface surface and a surface for reciprocal receipt of a piston inside the axially extending annular member and forms a mounting flange outside the axially extending annular member for securing axially extending studs threadably received in the second housing end. The first housing end includes an axially extending projection having surfaces for receipt in the axially extending annular member and for reciprocal receipt of the piston. The first housing end includes first and second L-shaped, oppositely directed bushings having their first legs rotatably received but axially fixed on the output shaft and having their second legs capturing an annular shoulder formed in a circular opening of the first housing end.

A coupling clutch according to the teachings of the present invention is shown in its most preferred form as including first and second hubs having first and second splined interface discs received thereon. The first interface disc is biased away from the second interface disc and is movable towards the second interface disc by a piston reciprocally mounted to a housing and rotatably mounted to the first interface disc by a bearing mounted therebetween. The splines between the second interface disc and the second hub allow the second interface disc to cant to compensate for axial angular misalignment of the first and second hubs. The housing is further rotatably mounted to the second interface disc. A radially extending, annular lip is provided on the housing which is axially captured between a shoulder and a retaining ring provided on the first hub. Bushing bumpers are provided between the lip and the shoulder and between the retaining ring and the lip. Thus, axial movement of the housing is prevented with respect to the hub. In its most preferred form, the first disc includes a multiplicity of ball-receiving cavities and the second disc includes a carrier member having a multiplicity of balls allowing the same degrees of registry of the first and second discs during clutch activation.

Coupling clutch

A rotational control apparatus is shown in its most preferred form according to the teachings of the present invention as a combination clutch/brake. The clutch/brake includes an interfacing member formed by first and second pressure plates rotatably mounted but reciprocally related with respect to each other. The interfacing member is reciprocated between one of first and second disk packs by an actuating rod reciprocally mounted in the housing and interconnected to ears formed on the second pressure plate. The actuating rods are reciprocated by actuation canisters located on opposite ends thereof. Each of the actuation canisters includes a piston which is reciprocated by a fluid chamber and a spring located in the fluid chamber. In the first preferred form, the springs of the canisters have a compressional force which are equal and less than required to actuate the clutch/brake such that in the absence of fluid pressure, the actuating rod and interfacing member is in a normal, neutral condition. In another preferred form, the spring of one of the canisters has a compressional force sufficient to actuate the clutch/brake in a normal set condition. Fluid pressure may be electively introduced into the fluid chamber to assist the actuation force spring to return the piston to its set condition and at greater actuation forces.

A coupling clutch is shown in its most preferred form as including first and second hubs having first and second splined interface discs received thereon. The first interface disc is biased away from the second interface disc and is movable towards the second interface disc by a piston reciprocally mounted to a housing and rotatably mounted to the first interface disc by a bearing mounted therebetween. The splines between the second interface disc and the second hub allow the second interface disc to cant to compensate for axial angular misalignment of the first and second hubs. The housing is further rotatably mounted to the second interface disc. A radially extending, annular lip is provided on the housing which is axially captured between a shoulder and a retaining ring provided on the first hub. Bushing bumpers are provided between the lip and the shoulder and between the retaining ring and the lip. Thus, axial movement of the housing is prevented with respect to the hub. In its most preferred form, the first disc includes a multiplicity of ball-receiving cavities and the second disc includes a carrier member having a multiplicity of balls allowing the same degrees of registry of the first and second discs during clutch activation.

Coupling clutch having axially captured, rotatable housing

A clutch where the output always comes to the same degrees of registry with the input is shown as including coaxial drive and driven members including a hub for mounting on a drive shaft. The drive member is slidably mounted on the hub and rotatable thereby. The drive member is formed with a multiplicity of ball-receiving cavities which are located radially inward of the periphery of the drive member. The driven member includes a carrier member having a multiplicity of balls mounted thereon for engagement with the cavities. The carrier member includes a flat, radial ring portion and an inner annular flange which provides a first degree of safety by tending to prevent any dislodged balls from the carrier member from travelling inwardly between the drive and driven members and tending to allow the dislodged balls to travel radially outward of the clutch. The carrier and drive members have intermeshing interface teeth. The drive member is moved axially on the hub for engagement of the cavities thereof with the balls of the carrier member as the teeth of the drive member engage the teeth of the ball carrier to thereby rotate the driven member. In its most preferred form, a second degree of safety is provided by having the maximum interface gap between the drive and driven members greater than the diameter of the balls to prevent any dislodged balls from jamming between the drive and driven members.

Fluid pressure operated, axially-engaging clutch

A coupling clutch according to the teachings of the present invention is shown in its most preferred form as including first and second hubs having first and second splined friction discs received thereon. The first friction disc is biased away from the second friction disc and is movable towards the second friction disc by a piston reciprocally mounted to a housing and rotatably mounted to the first friction disc by a bearing mounted therebetween. The second friction disc is substantially prevented from sliding on the splines with the second hub. The splines between the second friction disc and the second hub allow the second friction disc to cant to compensate for axial angular misalignment of the first and second hubs. The guard is shown according to the teachings of the present invention in its most preferred form as including a plurality of ring members held in a spaced relation by bars. The ring members have a shape complementary to and for receipt on a first shell of a housing. The bars are received within apertures formed in the first shell and are captured therein when the second shell is secured to the first shell. The guard is then self-contained, self-aligned, and cannot be removed without disassembly of the housing.

Coupling clutch and a self-contained, non-removable guard

A rotational control apparatus is shown according to the teachings of the present invention in its most preferred form as a brake. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes an improved drive disc having an improved ventilated hub and an improved, ventilated friction disc slideably mounted thereon. The hub includes a generally cylindrical portion having axially extending cooling air bores extending therethrough and axially extending fins extending from the opposite axial ends thereof. The friction disc includes first and second, identical, interchangeable component discs interconnected together by columns projecting from the inner surface of the component discs which abut together and form radially extending fins having circumferentially aligned air passageways formed therein. Thus, air can flow through the air entry ports formed adjacent the center of the component discs radially between the component discs and also circumferentially through the air passageways allowing a mixing and turbulence of cooling air increasing friction disc heat transfer and cooling. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus further includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced fins which interconnect the piston and the friction lining pressure plate and also aid in cooling. The axially extending fins of the hub direct and force air through the hub cooling air bores and between the pressure plate and piston to allow increased apparatus heat transfer and cooling.

A device for shaft alignment in a clutch or brake assembly is shown according to the teachings of the present invention. A quick demount bushing for receipt upon the shaft is provided having an outer tapered surface for receipt in an inner tapered bore formed in the assembly. The present invention further includes a shaft mount for receipt upon the shaft and into an axial bore of the assembly for holding the shaft in axial alignment with the assembly during placement of the quick demount bushing in the assembly whereby the friction surfaces are parallely disposed and normal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The shaft mount according to the teachings of the present invention is formed of a one piece bushing have a fixed thickness in the radial direction and also in the axial direction.

Device for shaft alignment in a clutch or brake assembly

A friction interface unit is shown according to the teachings of the present invention for use with a clutch, a brake, or a clutch-brake. The unit includes a hub having an annular friction flange and adapted to receive a shaft. A first housing portion is rotatably supported by a pair of bearings interposed between and in radial alignment with the hub and the first housing portion. The first housing portion is adapted to be associated with a sheave, an anchor mount for a brake, or a ring disc for a caliper brake. A second housing portion is further provided which has a central circular portion and which is bolted to the first housing portion thereby forming a full housing. Also included is a piston having an annular flange extended over said central circular portion to form a cylinder with a single O-ring. The second housing portion has a rotary air union mounted thereon for introducing fluid pressure into the cylinder to activate the piston to cause a friction facing mounted thereon to engage the friction flange for rotation of the hub. In operation, i.e., engagement, the entire unit rotates and when rotating there is no relative motion between the races of the bearings thus measurably increasing bearing life.

Friction interface unit for a clutch and a brake

A fluid set and spring released clutch according to the teachings of the present invention is shown as including a one-piece hub including a cylindrical portion having a first tapered hole portion for securement to a shaft and a second cylindrical hole portion for receiving a rotary air union. A radially extending flange portion terminating in an annular lip is formed on the cylindrical portion of the hub and forms an annular cavity for the reciprocal receipt of a piston. The clutch further includes a pulley rotatably received on the hub having a recess formed therein. An extension integrally attached to the piston extends into the recess of the pulley for providing friction engagement therebetween. The piston is mounted by bolts threadably secured into the extension and reciprocally received in the annular lip of the hub. The piston is biased into the cavity by springs located between the piston and the hub. The rotary air union is in fluid communication with the cavity behind the piston and includes a base portion which is received in the cylindrical hole portion of the hub. A carbon face seal is received within the base portion and includes a radial flange which fits into a radial recess formed in the base portion to prohibit any rotation of the carbon face seal relative to the hub. A coil spring is positioned against the end of the base portion and biases an O-ring into the dome-shaped end of the carbon face seal for forcing contact of the O-ring against the dome-shaped end of the carbon face seal and for forcing contact of the carbon face seal with a cylindrical mount rotatably received within the base portion of the rotary union.

Growing community of inventors

Blaine, MN, United States of America

Charles D Raines