Force Control Industries, Inc.

Jerry L Yater

Stephen L Carmichael

Reginald D Kelley

A tubular hub member receives a shaft and is surrounded by a housing formed by a base section coupled to a cup-shaped closure section. The hub member defines an inlet passage for circulating cooling oil and supports a set of brake discs which interfit between a set of brake plates supported by pins projecting inwardly from the base section. An annular thrust plate is supported by the base section for axial movement and carries a set of compression springs which urge the thrust plate for clamping the brake plates and discs against a pressure plate mounted within the closure section. An annular electrical coil and support body are mounted by screws and spacer sleeves within the closure section, and an annular armature plate is supported by the sleeves for axial movement adjacent the end wall of the closure section. A set of actuating pins extend axially between the armature and thrust plates through the coil body and pressure plate, and the armature plate cooperates with a portion of the closure section to define a variable oil recirculating passage. Axial movement of the armature plate displaces cooling oil into the inlet passage to provide a surge of cooling oil during braking. The pressure plate has passages which are aligned with recesses in the coil body for recirculating cooling oil when the brake unit is positioned with a vertical axis, and diametrically opposed rotatable members provide for manually releasing the brake unit and for automatic reset to inactive positions.

Liquid cooled brake apparatus

A housing encloses a supply of oil and has opposite end portions supporting axially aligned input and output shafts. Interfitting annular clutch plates and discs provide for connecting the input shaft to the output shaft, and interfitting annular brake plates and discs provide for braking the output shaft to the housing in response to axial movement of a non-rotating oil actuated piston supported within the housing concentrically with the output shaft. Oil recirculating structure is provided within the housing for cooling and lubricating the plates and discs, and a positive displacement high pressure annular pump forms an extension of the housing around the inlet shaft. The pump has inner and outer thin flat rotors and pressurizes a portion of the oil within the housing sufficiently to actuate the piston through the control of a solenoid actuated valve unit mounted on the housing. Flat annular wear plates are spaced to confine the rotors and have arcuate passages adjacent the teeth on the rotors.

Clutch/brake unit with self-contained actuating pump system

A housing encloses a supply of oil and has opposite end portions supporting axially aligned input and output shafts. Interfitting annular clutch plates and discs provide for connecting the input shaft to the output shaft, and interfitting annular brake plates and discs provide for braking the output shaft to the housing in response to axial movement of a non-rotating oil actuated piston supported within the housing concentrically with the output shaft. Oil recirculating passages are provided within the housing for cooling and lubricating the plates and discs, and a positive displacement high pressure annular pump forms an extension of the housing around the inlet shaft. The pump has inner and outer thin flat rotors and pressurizes a portion of the oil within the housing sufficiently to actuate the piston through the control of a solenoid actuated valve unit mounted on the housing.

A first input shaft and an output shaft are supported in axial alignment by a housing which contains oil and also supports an annular second input shaft coaxial with the output shaft. The input shafts may be selectively coupled to the output shaft by compressing corresponding clutch sets of interfitting annular plates and discs, and the output shaft may be quickly stopped by compressing a brake set of interfitting annular plates and discs. The brake set is disposed between the two clutch sets, and a pair of non-rotating fluid actuated pistons are arranged between the corresponding clutch sets and the brake set. The output shaft has fluid impeller hub portions for recirculating oil outwardly between the sets of plates and discs and the input shafts are driven by corresponding electric motors or by a single double-ended electric motor.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, OH, United States of America

Jerry L Yater