Automotive Products, Inc.

David L Wrobleski

Keith V Leigh-Monstevens

Richard A Nix

David C Barker

Leslie P Branum

Paul M Regula

David K Mienko

Mark W Rei

Keith V Leight-Monstevens

An annular elastomeric seal, a piston utilizing the seal, and a fluid cylinder assembly utilizing the seal. The seal includes an axially forward portion defining a circumferentially inner and a circumferentially outer deflectable lip seal and an axially rearward portion defining a circumferentially inner and a circumferentially outer arcuate heel seal. When positioned in an annular groove in a piston and with the piston slidably received in the bore of a cylinder, the annular seal provides fluid pressure sealing at the deflectable lip seals, provides secondary fluid pressure sealing at the arcuate heel seals, provides air sealing at the arcuate heel seals, and functions at the arcuate heel seals to preclude the entry of contaminants into the sealing interfaces. The seal is especially effective when employed in a hydraulic pressure cylinder of the center feed type since it allows the usage of a single annular seal positioned in a singular annular groove in the piston.

Seal

The hydraulic clutch actuator for a motor vehicle of the concentric type in which the actuator is mounted concentrically around the transmission input shaft of the vehicle within the housing of the clutch. The actuator includes a housing structure defining a central quill shaft surrounding the input shaft of the vehicle and slidably supporting the hub portion of the bearing carrier and further defines an annular piston bore spaced radially outwardly from the quill shaft to define an annular bore between the piston bore and the quill shaft into which the rear end of the hub portion of the bearing carrier may move during the operation of the actuator so as to provide overlap as between the annular piston and the bearing carrier and minimize the axial dimension of the actuator. The preload spring is also positioned in the annular bore between the quill shaft and the piston bore so as to further optimize the compact packaging of the actuator.

Concentrically mounted hydraulic clutch actuator

A concentric hydraulic actuator for use with a manual transmission motor vehicle of the type in which the actuator housing moves in response to depression of the clutch pedal and the associated piston remains axially affixed. The housing of the actuator includes an outer main body portion defining an annular piston bore opening rearwardly and further defines an inner bearing carrier section including a hub portion slidably guiding on the associated quill shaft surrounding the transmission input shaft and interconnected to the main body outer portion of the housing by a radially extending web portion joined at its outer periphery to the inner periphery of the inner annular wall portion defining the piston bore at a location thereon spaced axially rearwardly from the forward end of the inner wall portion and joined at its inner periphery to the outer periphery of the hub portion at a location thereon spaced axially rearwardly from the forward end of the hub portion so as to define a forwardly opening bearing cavity in which the release bearing is received for coaction with the release element of the associated clutch. The hub portion of the bearing carrier, the release bearing, and the annular piston bore are arranged in concentric axially overlapping relationship to minimize the axial dimension of the actuator.

A retainer bushing for connecting a male member such as a shaft, rod or pin, for example the coupling pin of a motor vehicle clutch pedal, to a mechanical component having a bore accepting the shaft, rod or pin in the bore, for example the input member of an hydraulic master cylinder hydraulically connected to a slave cylinder actuating a clutch release mechanism. The retainer bushing has a flange at one end and one or more longitudinally projecting tangs at the other end. A closure wall is integrally formed at the other end of the retainer bushing. Each tang, which is elastically deflectable outwardly and inwardly, has a radially inwardly directed abutment surface for engagement with the other end of the bore when the flange is engaged at one end thereof, and an inwardly radially directed prong for engagement in a peripheral groove formed in the pin. The bushing is introduced into the bore, with the tangs elastically deflected inwardly, until the tangs snap back to their original position with their abutment surface preventing removal of the bushing from the bore, and the tangs are elastically deflected outwardly when the pin is introduced through the bushing bore until each tang snaps back to its original position with its inwardly directed prong engaged in the pin peripheral groove. The closure wall prevents the pin from being introduced into the bushing through the wrong end.

Retainer bushing

A bearing carrier for a pull-type clutch, and which forms part of the clutch mechanism assembly, has a crenellated rim provided with longitudinally projecting tooth-like portions, cut-out portions being provided between consecutive projecting portions. A separate tubular member, forming part of the clutch control mechanism, has a correspondingly crenellated rim provided with longitudinally projecting portions and cut-out portions between consecutive projecting portions. One of the crenellated rims has a peripheral groove in which is disposed an expandable resilient ring, and the other crenellated rim has a corresponding peripheral groove and is provided at the leading edge of its projecting portion with a ramp for expanding the ring when the one of the crenellated rims is pushed into the other crenellated rim for coupling the bearing carrier with the tubular member during assembly of the bearing carrier with the tubular member. The clutch control mechanism is preferably an annular hydraulic cylinder having an annular piston attached to the other end of the tubular member. The annular cylinder, installed within the bell housing of the clutch mechanism, is connected to the master cylinder via a connector or a connection block fastened through an opening in the bell housing. The annular cylinder is connected to the connector or the connection block through a conduit disposed within the bell housing. A second conduit provided at an end with a complementary leak-proof connector member connects the connector or the connection block to the master cylinder.

Clutch release apparatus for pull type clutches

Improvement in a hydraulic control apparatus for actuating a remotely located mechanism having a shipping and installation restraining strap for an actuator having a housing and a linearly moveable output member projecting from the front end of the housing, the strap being non-elastic and rupturable and having a part thereof engageable with the free end of the output member and another part projecting rearwardly toward the rear end of the housing, the improvement comprising an elastic anchor arrangement for the restraining strap to allow full extension thereof without rupture thereof, a stop and positioning arrangement for the elastic anchor arrangement which predetermines the retracted position in which the output member is yieldably held, and an override arrangement to selectively debar functioning of the elastic anchor arrangement whenever it is intended to rupture the restraining strap.

Shipping and installation restraining strap for slave cylinder

An interlock switch mounted in the end of a hydraulic slave cylinder adapted to operate the release mechanism of a motor vehicle mechanical clutch, the slave cylinder being hydraulically connected to a master cylinder having an input member operable by the motor vehicle clutch pedal. The switch is adapted to close the motor vehicle starter relay circuit for a position of the slave cylinder output member corresponding to full release of the clutch, such that the clutch must be fully released in order to allow starting the motor vehicle engine. Preferably, the switch takes the form of a pair of concentric sleeves, each carrying appropriate contacts for closing the circuit, one of the sleeves being reciprocable in unison with the slave cylinder output member, and the other sleeve being automatically adjustable for initial position adjustment and for subsequent readjustment to compensate for wear of the clutch, such that closure of the switch always corresponds to a full release of the motor vehicle clutch.

Hydraulic slave cylinder switch

A clutch release bearing and bearing carrier assembly comprising a support flange proximate an end of the carrier member, and a pair of resiliently flexible lugs on the bearing housing face in engagement with the carrier flange disposed each in a pocket formed in the peripheral surface of the carrier proximate the flange such as to retain the bearing in assembly with the carrier while permitting limited radial motion of the bearing relative to the carrier for self-alignment, and preventing rotational motion of the bearing housing relative to the carrier. An elastomeric cushion is preferably disposed on the surface of the carrier flange for permitting limited angular axial alignment of the bearing with the axis of rotation of the clutch.

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Fraser, MI, United States of America

David L Wrobleski