Improvements in Friction Clutches.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Friction Clutches.
I, OTTO FLOHR, of 557, Masten Street, Buffalo, in the County of Erie and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FRICTION CLUTCHES,
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 friction clutches for coupling together two rotative
parts, the one a driving and the other a driven part. It is applicable to connecting
a shaft to a drum or wheel, or to another shaft, as well as to other possible
applications.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as applied to the winding
drum of a hoisting engine.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the drum and driving shaft and a fragment of the frame,
the end of the drum to which my improved clutch is applied being shown in
horizontal section cut in the line 1-1 in Fig. 2..
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, the right
hand half showing the clutch in elevation, and the left hand half in mid-section.
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section in the plane of the line 3-3 in
Fig. 2.
Let A A represent the side frames of a
thereof, C the drum shaft, and D the drum.
communicating motion to a gear e fixed on
arrangement.
f
hoisting engine, B the driving shaft
The driving shaft B carries a pinion b
the drum shaft C. This is a usual
a
One end of the drum D is formed with a flange d cylindrical on its inner and
outer surfaces. It projects outwardly from one of the end plates a of the drum,
and against its outer face is fastened a plate or disk e. Between the plates
and e, and within the flange d, is a space or chamber in which the movable
parts of the clutch are enclosed. The plates a and project outwardly beyond
the flange d so as to form a groove or channel in which is engaged a brake E.
My improved clutch consists generally of a divided disk F, having a frictional
outer surface which bears against the inner face of the flange d, and an expanding
cone G or wedge which slides on the shaft C and engages a central opening in the
disk, so that by being thrust thereinto it expands the disk to cause its outer portion
to frictionally engage the flange. The disk F is shown as made in two parts or
halves which are drawn together by springs applied to bolts gg. The central
opening is conical or tapering and fits the exterior of the cone G. To form a
driving connection, the cone G is connected to two halves of the disk by
The cone is
splines on which it may slide as it is thrust in or retracted.
connected to the shaft C by a spline i. The outer face of the disk F is formed' as
a conical rim j, against the outer side of which is confined a ring k of suitable elastic
wood or other material, which is faced with a ring of some suitable dense wood or
other material adapted to constitute a frictional surface for engaging the inner
face of the flange d. The wooden rings are made in halves, each half being
fastened to the conical periphery of the corresponding half section of the disk F.
The means for fastening them to the rim j consists of chairs m m of metal sunk into
the wooden rings at intervals, and having flanges embracing their front and rear
sides, as shown in Fig. 1, and fastened to the rim j by headed bolts n n screwed
into them, their shanks passing through longitudinal slots ss in the rim j. The
rings are thus firmly held in contact with this rim. When first constructed, the
rings kl, which are. narrower than the space or chamber between the plates a c.
fastened against the smaller side of the rim j as shown in Fig. 1. As wear occurs,
.
re

page_text: the rings are gradually adjusted outwardly to compensate therefor by moving
them toward the left in Fig. 1, so that they mount continually on a larger portion
of the conical rim. This adjustment is effected by screws pp, which engage the
heads of the fastening bolts n n, so that as they are turned they thrust these
heads inwardly. To effect this adjustment, the plate e is removed or holes or
openings may be formed through it through which to insert a wrench or key.
q
The disk is made wide enough to completely but loosely fill the space
between the plates a e, and to reduce its friction thereagainst, it is faced on opposite
sides with facings of copper or other suitable metal lettered in Fig. 1. These
facings take up the wear against the plates a e, which are finished smooth on their
interior surfaces, and both of which are made of hard metal, the wear of which in
contact with the soft copper facing is reduced to the minimum.
The cone G is moved out or in by a slide H operated by a screw J which is
turned by an operating crank K. The slide H works through a hole in the frame,
and has bifurcated arms engaging a groove in the outer end of the cone as usual.
The screw reacts against a frame, being either a compound screw, or a right
and left screw, or other suitable construction. By turning the crank K, the cone G
is thrust in or drawn back, so that the disk is expanded or contracted and caused to
frictionally bind against or release the surface of the flange d. Thus by forcing the
cone in, the drum is clutched to the shaft C, and by retracting it the drum is
released and permitted to turn loosely on the shaft.
The friction brake E consists of an iron strapt extending around the flange d of
the drum, and faced with blocks or brake-shoes uu of wood or other material which
come against the outer surface of this flange. The length of the strapt is adjustable
by one or more bolts & interposed between opposite halves of the strap.
The endwise displacement of the drum on the shaft is prevented by a collar v
fixed to the shaft.
When it is desired to lock the drum fast in any position independently of the
friction clutch, this may be done by means of a sliding bolt L mounted in the frame
and the end of which when thrust outwardly may enter any one of a succession of
holes we formed in the plate e.
It must not be inferred from the minuteness of detail with which I have described
the preferred construction of my improved clutch as it is shown in the drawings,
that my invention is necessarily limited to the exact details set forth. It is
susceptible of being modified in many ways without departing from its essential
features. Thus in the construction of the disk F it may be made in any other con-
venient number of sections instead of two. Other means may be provided for
imparting motion to the cone or other wedge G. Only one facing ring of wood or
other material may be used instead of the compound ring kl. Other means for
adjusting this ring to take up wear may be provided in lieu of the conical rim j and
adjusting screws pp. The ring may be fastened by other means than the chairs m m
and bolts n n. That part of my invention pertaining to the adjustable facing ring
exterior to the disk F may be omitted and this disk constructed to extend out to
and bear directly against the flange d as has heretofore been commonly done. Any
other driving connection may be introduced to connect the disc F to the shaft C
than the utilization of the cone G, as such driving connection, other driving con-
nections being already known in the art.
Those features of construction which I consider essential to my invention are
separately defined in the claims forming part of this Specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination to form a friction clutch of a shaft, a cone sliding thereon
and applied thereto, a sectional or divided disk the inner portion of which has an
opening entered by said cone, and splined thereto, whereby the cone forms a driving
connection between the shaft and disk, and a part to be clutched to said shaft

page_text: having a flange enclosing said disk and against which its outer portion bears
frictionally when expanded.
2. The combination to form a friction clutch of a shaft, a sectional or divided
disk and means for expanding it, said disk connected to and revolving with the shaft,
a sectional ring of frictional material the sections of which are fastened against the
periphery of the sections of said disk, means for adjusting the sections of said ring
outwardly relatively to said disk to compensate for their wear, and a part to be
clutched to said shaft having a flange enclosing said disk and against which the
periphery of its frictional ring bears when it is expanded.
3. The combination of a shaft, a sectional or divided disk connected thereto so as
to rotate therewith, and having means for expanding it, said disk formed with a
conical outer surface, a sectional ring having a conical inner surface fastened against
the outer surface of the disk by an adjustable fastening, whereby as it wears it may
be adjusted outwardly over said conical surface, and a part to be clutched to said
shaft having a flange enclosing said disk and ring.
4. The combination of a shaft, a sectional disk connected thereto so as to rotate
therewith, and having means for expanding it, said disk formed with an outer
conical rim, a sectional ring of frictional material having a conical inner surface
applied against the exterior of said rim, and fastenings therefor consisting of headed
bolts passing through slots in said rim, whereby the ring may be adjusted outwardly
by moving the bolts in said slots, and a part to be clutched to said shaft having a
flange enclosing said disk and ring.
5. The combination of a shaft, a sectional disk connected thereto having a conical
outer rim formed with longitudinal slots, a sectional friction ring applied around the
exterior of said disk and fastened thereto by bolts passing through said slots, means
for adjusting said ring outwardly to take up wear consisting of screws engaging
said bolts for moving them outwardly in said slots, and a part to be clutched to said
shaft having a flange enclosing said disc and ring.
6. The combination of a shaft, a sectional disk having a conical outer rim formed
with longitudinal slots, a sectional friction ring applied around said rim, a fastening
therefor consisting of chairs m m fixed to the ring at intervals, and bolts n n fixed
to said chairs and passing through the slots in said rim, and a part to be clutched to
said shaft having a flange enclosing said disk and ring.
Dated this 27th day of January 1891
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.