Automotive Products, Inc.

Mark W Rei

Richard A Nix

Keith V Leigh-Monstevens

Leslie P Branum

David L Wrobleski

Michael L Schwartz

A damper for use in a hydraulic clutch actuator to attenuate vibrations transmitted from the crankshaft of the engine of the associated vehicle to the clutch pedal. The baffle includes an elongated cylindrical housing positioned in the conduit interconnecting the master and slave cylinders of the actuator coaxial with the axis of the conduit and including a spring biased piston mounted in the bore of the housing. The housing is open at its rear end and closed at its front end by an end wall defining an outlet port for the damper and the piston includes a central through passage defining the inlet port of the damper at the rear end of the through passage. A baffle is provided at the front end of the piston to provide a circuitous path between the central passage of the piston and the outlet port of the damper. In an alternate embodiment, the damper further includes the male half of a quick connect coupling so as to facilitate the use of the damper in a clutch actuator of the type including separate prefilled modules which are connected by the quick coupler following installation of the separate modules.

Damper for hydraulic clutch actuator

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.

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Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Mark W Rei