Dana Corporation

James K Tarlton, Sr

Daniel Vern Gochenour

Martin E Kummer

William H Sink

Gordon W Denton

William G Hildebrand

Steven L Dunn

Matthew R Arend

Rodney W Pegg

An adjustment mechanism for a clutch is partially recessed within a clutch cover. The disclosed adjustment mechanism includes a support bracket, a rotation assembly, and a locking plate. The support bracket includes a web and a pair of side walls defining a U-shaped channel. Each side wall includes a flange on one end of the side wall opposite the web. Each flange extends away from the channel generally parallel to the web of the support bracket. The rotational assembly is secured to the support bracket and includes a gear that cooperates with an adjusting ring of the clutch. A head of the rotation assembly is entirely received within the channel of the support bracket; thus, no portion of the rotation assembly extends from the channel beyond the flanges of the support bracket. Further, a locking plate is secured to the support bracket to selectively prevent rotation of the rotation assembly. Moreover, no portion of the locking plate extends from the channel of the support bracket beyond the flanges.

Low profile manual adjustment mechanism for a friction torque device

A clutch engaging assembly includes a sleeve member positioned circumferentially about a drive shaft, wherein the sleeve member includes a radially outwardly extending circumferential flange. A spring collector is positioned circumferentially about the sleeve member by a plurality of radially extending and angled coil springs positioned between the spring collector and the clutch cover. The angled springs, along with a plurality of axially extending spring members, urge the spring collector towards the flange of the sleeve member. A clearance is maintained between the sleeve member and the spring collector. The spring collector is not fixed to any member of the clutch, and is permitted limited radial movement about the sleeve member.

Clutch release assembly

A friction disc paddle for a rotatable clutch disc has powdered metal friction faces compacted directly on each face of a metal substrate. The friction faces extend through apertures in the metal substrate, and extend to the circumferential and radial edges of the metal substrate. The friction faces are solidly bonded to the metal substrate. The apertures not only ensure that the friction faces are securely attached to the metal substrate, but they also reduce the overall weight of the friction disc paddle.

Friction facings for clutch paddles

An adapter clip which can be attached to the cover of an older style multiple plate friction clutch to quickly and easily permit the use of intermediate plate positioner pins is disclosed. The clip includes a central web portion having a circular recessed area formed therein. The web portion is further formed having first and second flange portions which extend in opposite directions from the sides of the web portion. First and second leg portions extend from the opposed ends of the web portion. The first leg portion extends a relatively long distance and terminates in a hooked end portion, while the second leg portion extends a relatively short distance. The adapter clip can be quickly and easily attached in a slot formed in a leg portion of an older style cover to permit the use of intermediate plate positioner pins.

Adapter clip for friction clutch having intermediate plate positioning

A method of adjusting a nose portion of a clutch lever includes providing a pair of lever mounting brackets on a clutch cover. The mounting brackets, which control pivotal movement of the tail portion of the lever, have ears which are angularly displaced by a fastener to effect adjustment of the nose portion to a desired position relative to the clutch cover. This procedure permits the use of relatively common hardware without requiring additional expensive or cumbersome apparatus. In one preferred form, the adjustment technique utilized a five inch lever, and provided approximately 0.090 thousandths of an inch of adjustment of the nose end of the lever, with an associated angular displacement of the clutch bracket ears of only 2-5 degrees.

Lever adjustment method

A center load clutch brake assembly has a pair of covers secured together to form a housing enclosing torque limiting components which include a ring shaped inner brake washer having a pair of radially inwardly extending lugs for engaging splines or grooves formed in a drive shaft coupled between a vehicle clutch and a vehicle transmission. The inner brake washer is rotatably coupled to a pair of concentric outer washers through a lost motion coupling. The outer washers each have reduced thickness outer peripheral portions which define an annular groove therebetween for retaining a ring shaped wave washer. The wave washer biases the two outer washers against the inner surfaces of the housing and has a pair of tabs for engaging openings in the housing. Facing material is provided on the outer surfaces of the housing for frictionally engaging a clutch release bearing and an outer surface of the transmission housing when a clutch linkage actuates the release bearing to disengage the clutch.

Center load clutch brake

A self-centering anti-rattle spring for a clutch is disclosed. The resilient spring is positioned between the circumference of a pressure plate of the clutch and the circumference of a flywheel of the clutch. The resilient spring acts to arrest vibration and tumbling of the pressure plate to reduce wear and noise encountered during clutch operation. The resilient spring also functions to align a rotatable drive member connecting the plate to the flywheel.

Spring means for a clutch

A clutch driven disc assembly is disclosed having coaxial damPer springs between rotary elements of the disc assembly. An auxiliary cover is combined with a main cover to drive the inner springs and to create additional drive surfaces for the outer springs. Aligned openings in the main and auxiliary covers house the coaxial springs. The covers are secured to one of the rotary elements of the disc assembly so that side walls in the main and auxiliary cover openings engage and drive both springs while the inner spring is engaged and driven only by the opening side walls of the auxiliary cover.

Growing community of inventors

Auburn, IN, United States of America

James K Tarlton, Sr