Improvements in Friction Clutches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1895
⚫ Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Friction Clutches.
I, OWEN ROBINSON, of Champion Works, Kettering in the County of Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches and has for object to
provide a clutch which can be applied gradually or quickly, can be released
instantaneously and in which there is practically no end thrust.
According to my invention I provide a dish-pulley having a boss on one side
bored to fit on a shaft and having the inner face of the rim turned true. 1 further
provide a split or divided rim or ring the outside diameter of which is slightly less
than the inner diameter of the rim of the dish-pulley. This divided rim is carried,
preferably at a point diametrically opposite to the split in the same, by an arm
attached to a boss adapted to fit on the shaft the said boss also having a second
arm opposite to the split in the rim. In the split 1 arrange a wedge operated by
a screwed spindle which passes through the second arm and is caused to move in
the same, preferably by means of a pinion screw-threaded internally to fit the screwed
spindle and prevented from moving longitudinally by suitable means such as a
collar on the spindle. The pinion is actuated by a rack through the medium of
a collar or sleeve on the boss of the split rim or on the shaft.
To operate the clutch the sleeve is caused to actuate the rack which revolves
the pinion thereby causing the spindle to force the wedge into the split so as to
expand the split rim and cause it to grip the rim of the dish-pulley.
Dated the 3rd day of December 1895
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Friction Clutches.
I, OWEN ROBINSON, of Champion Works, Kettering, in the County of Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches and has for object
to provide a clutch which can be applied gradually or quickly, can be released
instantaneously and in which there is practically no end thrust.
According to my invention I provide a dished pulley or wheel having a boss
on one side bored to fit on a shaft and having the inner face of the rim turned
true. I further provide a split or divided rim or ring the outside diameter of which
is slightly less than the inner diameter of the rim of the dished pulley. This
divided rim is advantageously carried, at a point diametrically opposite to the split
in the same, by an arm attached to a boss adapted to fit on the shaft the said boss
also having a second arm opposite to the split in the rim. In the split I arrange
a wedge operated by suitable means such as by a spindle which passes through the
second arm and is caused to move in the same, as hereinafter described.

page_text: my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a clutch constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken on the line 2-2
of Figure 1:
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1:
°
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification in the means
of operating the wedge.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation illustrating another modification.
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 Figure 5.
a is the dished pulley and 6 is the boss on one side thereof bored to fit the
shaft c so as to turn freely thereon, the inner face of the rim of the pulley being
turned true.
d is the split or divided rim the outside diameter of which is slightly less than
the inner diameter of the rim of the dished pulley a.
e is the arm carrying the divided rim at a point diametrically opposite to the
split the said arm being attached to the boss g which is keyed to the shaft c.
h is the second arm on the boss g arranged opposite to the split in the rim d.
i is the wedge arranged in the split as shewn in Figures 1 to 3 and j is the
spindle attached to the wedge and located in the arm h. In Figures 1 to 3 this
spindle is screw threaded and k is an internally screw threaded pinion the screw-
thread of which engages with that of the spindle j, the said pinion being located
within the arm and prevented from moving longitudinally by the collar 1.
m is a rack engaging with the pinion k the said rack sliding in a guide-opening
in the arm and being attached to the collar or sleeve n adapted to slide on the
boss of the split rim d; or it may be arranged to slide upon the shaft c.
To operate the clutch the sleeve n is moved by any suitable means such as a
forked lever thereby moving the rack m and causing the pinion k to rotate on the
spindle which is thereby moved so as to force the wedge into the split f so as
to expand the split rim d and cause it to grip the rim of the pulley a.
Instead of the arrangement herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1
to 3 for operating the wedge i I can employ the arrangement shewn in Figure 4
where, in place of a rack, I employ a bar m¹ with an incline on its upper surface
the lower end of the spindle j being similarly inclined so that when the bar m' is
moved inwardly the wedge i will be thrust radially.
Or as shewn in Figures 5 and 6 I may provide the underside of the bar m¹ with
an inclined surface which bears upon a pin o projecting from the side of the spindle j.
By this latter arrangement when the sleeve n is moved towards the pulley the
wedge is withdrawn from the split rim, but when moved in the opposite direction
is engaged with the split by the expansion of a powerful spring p arranged beneath
a shoulder on the said spindle j.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a friction clutch in which a split ring arranged within a dished pulley or
wheel is employed, forming the ends of the split ring with surfaces inclined to
one another between which a wedge is adapted to engage substantially as and for
the purposes described.
2. In a friction clutch of the kind hereinbefore described the combination with
the wedge for expanding the split ring, of a screwed spindle a pinion having
internal screw threads engaging with the screwed spindle and a rack gearing with
the said pinion and arranged to be moved so as to rotate the said pinion substantially
as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a friction clutch of the kind hereinbefore described the combination with
the wedge for expanding the split ring of a spindle having an inclined lower end
and an arm having a corresponding incline in contact therewith and arranged to

page_text: be moved longitudinally substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
4. In a friction clutch of the kind hereinbefore described the combination with the
wedge for expanding the split ring of a spindle provided with a projecting pin, an
arm having an inclined lower surface in contact with the said pin and arranged to
be moved longitudinally and a spring located beneath a shoulder on the said spindle
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The improved friction clutches hereinbefore described and illustrated respectively
in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4 and Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 29th day of August 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.