Centrifugal clutch and brake for lawnmower

An apparatus which automatically prevents the rotation of a rotary blade or the like when a power plant is operating at idling speed and which drivingly engages the rotary blade when the power plant is driven at a predetermined speed which is greater than idling speed. The apparatus includes a housing having a generally frusto-conical portion and a brake shoe which engages a fixed brake band under spring pressure when the power plant is at idling speed and a plurality of weights which move outwardly by centrifugal action into engagement with the housing to move the housing away from the brake shoe and provide a drive connection to a rotary blade when the speed of rotation of the power plant is increased a predetermined amount.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates generally to apparatus for transmitting power from a 
power plant to a driven element and relates specifically to an apparatus 
which automatically provides a driving connection between a power plant 
and a driven element when the power plant is driven at a predetermined 
speed and which automatically applies a braking action to the driven 
element when the power plant is operated at less than the predetermined 
speed. 
BACKGROUND ART 
In the past, many machines such as power operated rotary blade lawnmowers, 
edgers, saws and the like have been provided in which the rotating element 
or blade has been directly connected to the output shaft of the power 
plant so that the blade has been driven as long as the power plant was 
operated. This has presented a constant danger to the operator who 
sometimes has inadvertently inserted his hand or foot into or under the 
blade housing where it was struck by the blade and resulted in severe 
bodily damage to the operator. 
Some efforts have been made to provide a centrifugal clutch arrangement 
intermediate the power plant and the driven element or blade so that the 
blade is driven only when the power plant output shaft exceeds a 
predetermined number of revolutions per minute and the blade is freely 
rotatable relative to the output shaft when the number of revolutions 
falls below the predetermined number. However, when the power plant has 
been driven at operating speed and then is reduced to idling speed, the 
rotating blade continues to free wheel as it slows until it is stopped by 
friction or the blade strikes an object. An example of this type of 
arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,561 to Spalding. 
Some additional efforts have been made to provide a friction clutch which 
is applied by centrifugal force and in which the rotating element or blade 
of the lawnmower has been provided with a brake which stops the rotation 
of the blade either manually or automatically. In such cases, as in U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,026,665 and 4,035,994 to Hoff, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,391 to 
Meldahl, for example, the brake mechanism is attached to an engine 
governor and such governor is controlled by a manually operated control 
rod so that the operator can control the speed of the power plant by 
operating the control rod. Since the brake is attached to the governor 
when the control rod is operated to reduce the number of revolutions of 
the output shaft of the power plant, the brake also is controlled by the 
control rod. 
In other structures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,159 to Shriver; U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,058,957 to Roseberry; U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,651 to Martin; U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,122,652 to Holtermann; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,737 to Harkness et 
al, the rotating element is connected to the power plant by a centrifugal 
clutch and a brake band is connected to a deadman control lever so that 
the brake is applied as soon as the deadman lever is released. 
In still other prior art structures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,472 to 
Kamlukin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,376 to Fulghum, the rotating element or 
blade is mounted on a threaded portion of a drive shaft so that when the 
power plant is operated at a predetermined number of revolutions per 
minute, the threaded connection causes the blade to be lowered to an 
operating position and when the driving torque which is applied to the 
shaft is interrupted, the rotating blade provides a torque which moves the 
blade upwardly about the threads so that the blade housing engages a 
braking surface. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is embodied in a centrifugal clutch and brake located 
between a power plant and a driven element such as a rotary blade of a 
lawnmower or the like and such apparatus includes a housing having a 
frusto-conical portion with the driven element or blade being mounted on 
such housing. Normally, a brake spring urges the frusto-conical portion of 
the housing upwardly into engagement with a brake shoe or other braking 
surface which interrupts rotation of the blade. A centrifugal clutch 
mechanism is mounted on the output shaft of the power plant and such 
centrifugal clutch includes a plurality of weights disposed about the 
output shaft and connected together by a resilient member such as a return 
spring. When the power plant is operating at a speed less than a 
predetermined number of revolutions per minute, the centrifugal force 
applied to the weights is not sufficient to cause the weights to overcome 
the tension of the spring and engage the frusto-conical portion of the 
housing on which the blade is mounted, and therefore the housing remains 
in engagement with the brake so that the cutting blade is inoperative. 
When the speed of rotation of the output shaft is increased, the 
centrifugal force acting on the weights overcomes the tension of the 
spring and causes such weights to be extended into engagement with the 
frusto-conical portion of the housing. When the weights engage the 
housing, the housing initially is moved downwardly against the tension of 
the brake spring and away from the brake. As soon as the housing is moved 
away from the brake, the frictional engagement between the weights and the 
frusto-conical portion of the housing causes the housing to be rotated 
substantially at the speed of rotation of the output shaft. As soon as the 
speed of the output shaft is reduced to a predetermined number of 
revolutions per minute, the tension on the weight return spring overcomes 
the centrifugal force being applied to the weights and causes the weights 
to be retracted, at which time the brake spring urges the housing into 
engagement with the brake and substantially immediately interrupts 
rotation of the blade.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
With continued reference to the drawings, a relatively small machine 10 
such as a lawnmower, chopper, edger, saw or the like is provided with a 
power plant 11 which normally is mounted on a support structure such as a 
deck 12 in any well known manner such as screws or the like. If desired, 
the deck may be mounted on ground engaging wheels 13 for portability or 
the deck may be mounted in a fixed position. It is noted that the power 
plant 11 may be an internal combustion engine having a throttle or 
governor (not shown) for controlling the fuel consumption and speed of 
rotation or such power plant may be a variable speed electric motor which 
is controlled by a rheostat or the like. As a specific example, FIG. 1 of 
the drawings discloses the apparatus in use with a lawn motor of the 
rotary blade type which is driven by an internal combustion engine. 
The power plant 11 has an output drive shaft 14 which extends downwardly 
through an opening 15 in the deck 12. Below the deck, a generally circular 
retainer 18 is fixed to the shaft 14 in any desired manner such as a key 
19 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and a set screw 20 (FIGS. 2 and 4) so that the retainer 
is locked to the drive shaft in both vertical and horizontal directions. 
The retainer 18 includes a hub 21 having an outwardly extending generally 
circular flange 22 at one end and an outwardly extending generally 
circular flange 23 at the other end. The flanges 22 and 23 are in spaced 
generally parallel relationship with each other and define a substantially 
circular horizontally disposed cavity. The flange 23 is provided with a 
plurality of upstanding ribs or guides 24 and such ribs are illustrated as 
being radially disposed relative to such flange. 
A plurality of weights 25 are positioned between the ribs 24 and such 
weights have generally flat upper and lower surfaces 26 and 27 
respectively, a pair of side walls 28 which are disposed at an angle to 
each other, and inner and outer arcuate walls 29 and 30. The inner wall 29 
is generally complementary with the hub 21 while the outer wall 30 is 
approximately concentric with the inner wall. A tapered frustro-conical 
contact surface 31 extends upwardly and outwardly from the lower surface 
27 of each weight to the outer wall 30. Preferably, the contact surfaces 
31 are disposed at an angle of approximately 15.degree. to 30.degree. to 
a horizontal plane. Each of the weights 25 has an arcuate recess 32 
extending downwardly from the upper surface 26 and being of a size to 
receive a coil retainer spring 33, the ends of which are connected 
together to provide a continuous ring so that all of the weights normally 
are retracted into engagement with the hub 21. 
In the construction just described, when the weights move outwardly by 
centrifugal action, each of such weights slides along one of the ribs 24 
and such engaged ribs function as drive members which cause the weights to 
rotate at the speed of rotation of the drive shaft 14, as shown in phantom 
lines in FIG. 3. Instead of providing generally radially disposed ribs and 
wedge shaped weights, it is contemplated that the weights could have 
generally parallel side walls and each weight is slidably received between 
a pair of generally parallel non-radial ribs. With this construction, the 
weights will be confined by the ribs as they move radially outwardly under 
centrifugal action. 
With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, a housing 36 is positioned 
about the lower portion of the drive shaft 14 and such housing includes a 
cylindrical body 37 having an axial bore 38 in which a bearing or bushing 
39 is received. Such bushing engages the drive shaft 14 and permits the 
housing to rotate freely thereon. A pan or cap 40 is attached to one end 
of the body 37 and such pan includes a frusto-conical contact 41 having 
substantially the same taper as the contact surfaces 31 of the weights and 
being complementary therewith. The outer portion of the pan 40 defines a 
brake shoe 42 which may be moved into frictional engagement with a brake 
band or pad 43 which is fixed to the deck 12 in any conventional manner. 
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the brake shoe 42 is illustrated as a 
flat outwardly extending flange which engages a flat brake band 43. In 
FIG. 5, the brake shoe 42 is shown as a continuation of the frusto-conical 
contact surface 41 and the brake band 43 is shown as a ring having a 
contact surface 44 which frictionally engages the contact surface 41 and 
prevents rotation of the housing 36. 
The lower end of the body 37 is provided with an outwardly extending ring 
or flange 45 on which one or more cutter blade, saw blade, or other 
rotating element 46 is removably mounted by fasteners 47 or the like. A 
counterbore 48 extends axially inwardly from the lower end of the body 37 
and is generally concentric with the bore 38. In order to urge the housing 
36 upwardly so that the brake shoe 42 engages the brake band 43 when 
desired, a shoulder bolt 49 is threadedly mounted in the lower end of the 
drive shaft 14 and has a stem 50 which extends through the counterbore 48. 
A spring retaining collar 51 having a bushing 52 is rotatably mounted on 
the stem 50 and is held in position by the head of the bolt 49. A coiled 
brake spring 53 is located within the counterbore 48 between the body 37 
and the collar 51 so as to exert an upward force on the housing 36 at all 
times. 
Preferably, the housing 36 and the retainer 18 are constructed of ferrous 
metal such as steel or sintered ferrous metal. However, it is contemplated 
that the housing, retainer and/or weights could be molded of a 
thermoplastic material such as nylon, high density polyethylene or the 
like. Also, either or both of the mating brake surfaces could be metal, 
thermoplastic material, asbestos or the like. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
In the operation of the device, when the power plant is operating at idling 
speed, as for example approximately 1750 revolutions per minute, the 
retainer spring 33 has sufficient tension to retract the weights 25 into 
the retainer 18 and the brake spring 53 urges the housing 36 upwardly so 
that the brake shoe 42 is in intimate engagement with the brake band 43. 
In this position the drive shaft 14 and the shoulder bolt 49 which is 
attached thereto rotate freely within the bushings 39 and 52 respectively, 
while the housing is held in fixed position. When the speed of rotation of 
the power plant is increased to the operating range, for example to 
approximately 2000 revolutions per minute, centrifugal force acting on the 
weights 25 causes such weights to slide outwardly against the tension of 
the retainer spring 33. Since the retainer 18 is being driven at all times 
by the drive shaft, each of the weights 25 slides outwardly along the ribs 
24 which is driving the same so that the contact surfaces 31 of the 
weights engage the contact surface 41 of the housing 36. 
Initial contact between the surfaces 31 and 41 causes the housing 36 to 
move downwardly against the tension of the brake spring 53 and disengages 
the brake shoe 42 from the brake band 43. After the brake shoe and brake 
band are disengaged, frictional contact between the contact surface 31 and 
41 causes the housing 36 to be rotated substantially at the speed of 
rotation of the drive shaft 14. If the cutter blade or other rotating 
element 46 strikes a solid object such as a rock or the like, relative 
sliding movement may occur between the contact surfaces 31 and 41 to 
reduce or prevent damage to either the rotating element or the drive 
connection. Also, if the cutter blades of a lawnmower should encounter a 
clump of thick or tall grass which normally would stall an internal 
combustion power plant, the power plant of the present invention will slow 
down and immediately the return spring 33 will retract the weights 25 and 
disengage the contact surfaces 31 and 41. When this occurs, the brake 
spring 53 urges the housing upwardly so that the brake shoe 42 engages the 
brake band and interrupts rotation of the housing. Since the power plant 
is thus relieved of its load, it is free to regain its operating speed at 
which time it will again operate the cutter blade. 
When the speed of rotation of the power plant 11 is intentionally reduced, 
such as for emptying a grass catcher bag or the like, rotation of the 
cutter blade is interrupted so that such cutter blade does not present a 
hazzard to the operator if he should inadvertently insert his hand or foot 
under the deck 12.