Warn Industries, Inc.

James C Kilgore

Jon A Bigley

Patrick William Gibson

Thomas W Giacomini

Raymond S Alvey

Karl W Wojcik

Dale O Stollsteimer

Christopher J Grieco

A pulse actuated clutch and control arrangement for coupling and decoupling a drive line of a vehicle relative to a wheel such as when shifting between two-wheel and four-wheel drive modes. The pulse actuated clutch has a coupling member that is permanently engaged with one of a driven member and a driving member. The coupling member is movable in a first direction to engage one of the driven and driving members and is movable in a second direction to engage both the driven and driving members. The coupling member is moved in the second direction by a first pulse of air pressure applied thereto. Formations of the piston assembly and the driven member cooperatively latch the piston in the second position to maintain the coupling member in engagement with both the driven and driving members following first pulse of air pressure. A second, greater magnitude pulse of air pressure moves the primary piston further to unlatch the piston and uncouple the driven member from the driving member. The illustrated control arrangement incorporated into a general purpose control module for a vehicle to accomplish pulse actuated control over the clutch mechanism in coordination with other vehicle control activities. The control arrangement makes use of timers and references vehicle conditions to ensure mechanical transition of the pulse actuated clutch mechanism fully into a desired state.

Pulse actuated hub locks and control arrangement

Growing community of inventors

Detroit, MI, United States of America

James C Kilgore