The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 13, 1977
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1976
Richard C St John, North Canton, OH (US);
Aspro, Inc., Canton, OH (US);
Abstract
A quick release centrifugal clutch construction having a driven member rotatably mounted on a shaft and a drive member rotatable with the shaft and axially engageable with the driven member. The drive member includes a rotor mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft. A cartridge is axially slidably mounted on the shaft and has a frictional coupling surface for engagement with the driven member, and has a preloaded disc spring mounted thereon. A drive block also is axially slidably mounted on the rotor and is adapted to engage the cartridge to further load the disc spring and to drivingly connect the cartridge with the driven member. A plurality of individual pairs of links are mounted circumferentially spaced on the rotor and are movable in radial directions between retracted and extended positions. The inner ends of each of the link pairs are pivotally joined by a pivot pin with the outer link ends being pivotally connected to the drive block and rotor member respectively. Coiled tension springs maintain the link pairs in retracted position, whereby the pivotal connections of the inner link ends are located radially inwardly of imaginary lines extending in a generally axial direction between the pivot connections of the outer ends of the links. The link inner ends move radially outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force and overcome the tension of the coiled spring when the shaft reaches a predetermined speed. The drive block slides axially away from the cartridge releasing the coupling pressure exerted thereon, upon the pivotally connected center point of the links moving radially outwardly past the imaginary line of the link pair to instantaneously disengage the coupled members.