Borgwarner Inc.

Russell Earl Silberschlag

John Saxon Ivey

A friction shoe assembly for a speed responsive centrifugal clutch assembly especially adapted for use as a lock-up clutch in connection with a torque converter, which shoe assembly includes a centrifugally-actuated follower, load limit spring and stop, and a retractor spring in combination with a centrifugally engageable friction shoe, providing for low speed lock-up while limiting the torque capacity of the lock-up clutch at higher speeds.

Friction shoe assembly for a speed responsive centrifugal clutch assembly

A speed-responsive engaging mechanism adapted for use in a hydrodynamic device to couple turbine and impeller members including a disc secured to the turbine member having a series of cam surfaces thereon formed in apertures in the discs with a series of friction shoe assemblies mounted in the apertures in engagement with the cam surfaces. The friction shoe assemblies engage with the impeller at a predetermined speed of rotation of the turbine member, and the cam means induces a wedging engagement of the shoes with the impeller member. Spring means are provided to retain the shoe assemblies in the apertures, and a roller mechanism may be provided in each shoe assembly to provide relatively frictionless relative movement between the cam surfaces and the shoe assemblies. Means are provided between the roller and cam to limit the amount of torque which can be developed by the wedging action of the cam and roller mechanism.

Wedging centrifugal clutch with torque limiter

A speed-responsive engaging mechanism adapted for use in a hydrodynamic device to couple turbine and impeller members including a disc secured to the turbine member having a series of cam surfaces thereon formed in apertures in the discs with a series of friction shoe assemblies mounted in the apertures in engagement with the cam surfaces. The friction shoe assemblies engage with the impeller at a predetermined speed of rotation of the turbine member, and the cam means induces a wedging engagement of the shoes with the impeller member. Spring means are provided to retain the shoe assemblies in the apertures, and a roller mechanism is provided in each shoe assembly to provide relatively frictionless relative movement between the cam surfaces and the shoe assemblies.

Engaging mechanism

A speed-responsive engaging mechanism, adapted for use in a hydrodynamic device to couple the turbine and impeller members, including a disc secured to the turbine member having a series of cam surfaces formed in apertures in the periphery thereof with a series of engaging devices or friction shoes in said pockets. The friction shoes engage with the impeller member at a predetermined speed of rotation of the turbine element. The cam means will induce a wedging engagement of the shoes upon further increase of speed. A spring is carried by each shoe urging them toward a disengaged position and retaining the shoes in the apertures.

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Glen Ellyn, IL, United States of America

Russell Earl Silberschlag