Dana Corporation

Other

501 Dana Corporation

Flotow, Richard A.

James K., Jr. Tarlton

Martin E. Kummer

Jerry L. Rathburn

Richard A. Flotow

Richard A Flotow

William H Sink

Martin E Kummer

Thomas G Dickson

Jerry L Rathburn

William M Tennant

Daniel Vern Gochenour

Kevin F Schlosser

J Michael Lewis

Martin J Hermanns

Gordon W Denton

Andrew Szadkowski

Ronald E Heymann

Orville E Phelps

Roger Z Roth

DeWayne F Schlosser

Lawrence C Lantz

Hans Stiel

Michael D Pedue

James K Tarlton, Jr

John R Gregory

Patrick M Sullivan

Jr Tarlton James K

A friction torque transmitting device includes a flywheel and a housing, wherein a pressure plate and a driven plate are sandwiched between the housing and the flywheel. The driven plate is coupled to an axially extending drive shaft. A friction bracket assembly is secured to the torque transmitting device at an outer periphery by a pair of spaced dowels. The friction bracket assembly extends about a drive shaft for only a limited circumferential extent, so that each bracket of the assembly may be removed from the drive shaft without disassembly of the device. Each of the brackets include friction surfaces in order to frictionally engage the elements of the device. A forward bracket includes a guide member extending from the forward bracket that cooperates with another member of the device, such as the housing, to provide increased stability. A rearward bracket includes a guide member extending from the rearward bracket which cooperates with the forward bracket for increased stability. The guide members assist in maintaining the relative orientation of the brackets during axial movement.

Bracket assembly for torque transmitting device

An improved friction assembly includes a pressure plate having a plurality of axially extending vanes which extend substantially from an inner diameter to an outer diameter of the pressure plate. The pressure plate rotates about an output drive shaft. The pressure plate is enclosed in a housing and a cover, wherein the cover is contoured to partially enclose the pressure plate and to allow air to flow from outside the cover to an inner diameter of the pressure plate. A retainer assembly is positioned circumferentially about the output drive shaft. A plurality of coil springs extend radially between the retainer assembly and the cover, at least some of the coil springs being angled to urge the retainer assembly towards the pressure plate. A plurality of levers cooperate with the retainer assembly providing axial movement of the pressure plate, the pressure plate engaging and disengaging the driven disc. Rotation of the pressure plate causes air to be moved from outside the clutch cover to an inner diameter of the pressure plate, across the pressure plate, and outside the clutch.

Clutch having hydrodynamic cooling of pressure plate

An anti-rattle device for a multiple disc friction clutch assembly also doubles as a clutch disc separator device. In a preferred form, the device is formed of spring steel, and is adapted to be received on a radially extending lug of a clutch plate. The device has an elongate body adapted to extend generally tangentially to the circumference of the clutch plate. The device includes a lug-receiving slot in one of two elongate boundary edges, and is adapted to be trapped between the circumferential contours of a clutch cover bracket and the clutch plate. The device is installed on the lug without special tools, and is retained on the lug solely by friction. This permits the device to slide axially on the lug under forces imposed by the flywheel as the linings of the friction discs wear, thereby permitting the device to reposition itself and to thus continue to be maximally effective for assuring axial separation of the friction discs during clutch disengagement over the entire useful life of the friction discs.

Clutch plate anti-rattle and separator device

An improved wear compensation device for manual or automatic adjustment for wear in a spring loaded friction clutch. An annular circumferentially extending cam track on the clutch cover or the adjusting ring or both is used to move the adjusting ring towards the clutch pressure plate when the adjusting ring is turned relative to the cover.

Wear adjustment for a clutch

A clutch adjusting ring defines an operative position for members which are movable to force a drive disc into a driven disc. The adjusting ring is threadably adjustable within the interior of a clutch cover to accommodate wear on the discs. A seal is provided between the clutch cover and adjusting ring to prevent contaminants or rust from interfering with thread operation. The seal also prevents lubrication from escaping or evaporating between the threaded members.

Adjusting ring seal

A self-adjusting mechanism for a friction clutch of the type having movable pressure plate, adjusting ring, release sleeve, and release lever having ends engaging adjusting ring and release sleeve with intermediate point on release lever engaging pressure plate. Release yoke is engagable with release sleeve to move release sleeve away from pressure plate, release yoke having a selected free play distance between unengaged and engaged positions with respect to release sleeve, free travel distance decreasing as friction surfaces wear. Mechanism includes: sensing mechanism to sense a decrease in free travel distance as engagement occurs and adjusting mechanism responsive to sensing mechanism to cause adjusting ring to advance toward pressure plate as disengagement subsequently occurs, compensating for decrease in free travel distance.

Self-adjusting means and method for friction clutches

A clutch has an adjusting ring defining an operative position for a spring which is movable to force a drive disc into a driven disc. The adjusting ring is threadably adjustable within the interior of a flywheel housing to allow adjustment of the position of the adjusting ring spring to accommodate wear on the discs. The flywheel housing has a plurality of spaced gaps where there are no threads. The gaps accommodate debris and ensure that the threads on the adjusting ring and the flywheel housing do not bind, and prevent adjustment. The threads are of the buttress-type, having a cross-sectional shape that is less likely to bind. Finally, the lead of the thread is increased such that there are a relatively small number of thread turns per unit length. The resulting adjusting ring remains easily adjustable, and less likely to bind than prior art structures.

Clutch adjustment structure

Clutch cover

In a preferred embodiment, a release mechanism for a wet clutch of the type including a clutch pack having interleaved driven and intermediate disks, the driven disks being attached to a rotatable shaft and the intermediate disks being attached to a driven hub, a pressure plate disposed so as to apply clamping pressure to the clutch pack so as to cause the interleaved disks to frictionally engage each other, and a spring to apply the clamping pressure to the pressure plate, the release mechanism including: an air operated diaphragm operatively connected to the pressure plate to draw the pressure plate from the clutch pack and release the clamping pressure therefrom.

Air releasing wet clutch

Clutch retainer

A first shaft which is, for example, the output shaft of a clutch, is coupled to a second shaft which, for example, is the input shaft of a transmission, by a splined coupling. The splined coupling includes a first sleeve having internal splines for splining with the first shaft and external splines for splining with the internal splines of a second sleeve which internal splines also spline with the external splines of the second shaft. A first spring extending between the first sleeve and first shaft biases the first sleeve toward the second shaft, while a second spring extending between the first sleeve and second sleeve biases the second sleeve toward the second shaft. In order to decouple the first shaft from the second shaft so that, for example, a clutch may be removed from a drive train without removing a transmission, the first and second sleeves are pushed to a retracted position, collapsing the first and second springs. The sleeves are then held in the retracted position by a screw which extends through the sleeves and is tightened against the first shaft. Upon replacing or repairing the clutch, the clutch is reinstalled and a retaining screw released in order to reproject the sleeves and effect positive engagement between the output shaft of the clutch and input shaft of the transmission.

Coupling for connecting shafts

An apparatus for automatically sensing when the friction elements of a clutch are excessively worn and for generating a signal in response thereto is disclosed. The clutch includes a bearing housing which is adapted to be moved between engaged and disengaged positions. A shift assembly is provided for moving the bearing housing to the disengaged position. The shift assembly includes a pair of fingers which are normally spaced apart from the bearing housing when the clutch is engaged and the friction elements are not worn. However, when the friction elements become worn, the bearing housing engages the fingers of the shift assembly when the clutch is in the engaged position. A sensor is mounted in the bearing housing for generating a signal when the fingers are in contact therewith. The signal may be an electrical signal which is fed to a control circuit. The control circuit includes a timing and comparison circuit which activates an alarm device only when the signal from the sensor has been continuously generated for a predetermined period of time.

Clutch wear indicator apparatus

A backing plate for connection to a clutch disc includes a pair of spaced friction material portions (or pads). A central channel extends between the two portions to allow air to flow over and cool a central area of the friction material. Clearances are defined at radially inner and outer areas of the channel and receive rivets to secure the backing plate to a clutch disc. The rivets are positioned radially between the radially inner and radially outer edge of the friction material, such that the backing plate is firmly secured to the clutch disc to prevent bowing. The improved backing plate ensures that the backing plate remains firmly secured to the clutch disc, and that the friction material is adequately cooled such that it efficiently transmits rotational forces from a drive source to a driven shaft.

Backing plate for a clutch disc

A self-contained friction clutch having a low inertia driven disc assembly is disclosed. The clutch includes a cover having a friction plate secured thereto in spaced apart fashion. The cover and the friction plate are secured to a flywheel as a unit, with the friction plate being disposed adjacent to the flywheel. Radial and circular grooves are formed in the face of the flywheel adjacent to the friction plate to permit cooling air to flow therebetween. A pressure plate is disposed between the cover and the friction plate for rotation therewith and axial movement relative thereto. Friction pads are secured to the adjacent faces of the friction plate and the pressure plate. A driven disc assembly is disposed between the friction plate and the pressure plate. The driven disc assembly includes a support plate extending between the pads secured to the friction plate and the pressure plate. When the clutch is engaged, the friction pads on the friction plate and the pressure plate frictionally engage the support plate for rotation therewith. The support plate may have a curled outer peripheral edge to increase the stiffness thereof.

Self-contained friction clutch with low inertia driven disc

A clutch driven disc assembly includes a ventilated support plate and friction element to reduce the build up of heat during use. The support plate includes a plurality of radially extending paddles. A pair of friction elements are secured to the opposed sides of each of the paddles. Each paddle has a plurality of generally parallel slots formed therethrough. The slots may extend generally radially or generally circumferentially relative to the paddle. Each of the friction elements includes a corrugated backing plate having a friction facing secured thereto. The corrugations define a plurality of raised channels in the backing plate. The raised channels are formed such that they are aligned with the slots formed through the support plate when the friction elements are secured to the paddle. Such alignment provides a plurality of channels for the passage of air therethrough as the driven disc assembly rotates during use. Such air flow is helpful in cooling the friction facings when the clutch is engaged and disengaged.

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Butler, IN, United States of America

Richard A Flotow