Improvements in Friction Clutches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Friction Clutches.
I, JAMES MONKHOUSE, a Subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
and Resident of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, 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:-
-
My invention relates to an improved means for quickly and easily establishing
and breaking driving connections between two parts, such as a shaft and pulley;
the object of my invention being to provide simple, effective, and durable means
for accomplishing the desired results.
My invention comprises two concentrically arranged members, one of which has
its periphery split preferably at two points to adapt it to be forced into frictional
contact with the other member, and a movable yoke having its ends extending
to the peripheral splits of the expansible member and there provided with knuckle-
jointed toggle-dogs which slide upon the opposed portions of the split member
into engagement with ledges thereon, and expand the split member into contact
with the other member of the clutch. The expansible or split member has the
respective halves of its periphery formed integral with the diametrically opposed
radial spokes, so that the expansive force is exerted in each case between
a spoke and a flexible semi-circle of the rim, and circumferential
strain, as distinguished from the outward expansion of the rim, is
offset by the two expansion toggles.
My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
:-
Figure 1 is an axial section of a friction-clutch constructed in accordance with
my invention.
Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3, Figs. 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the construction of the knuckle-jointed
toggle-dogs.
1 represents a shaft to which, or by which, motion is to be imparted. 2 is a
friction rim supported loosely upon said shaft by means of its hub 3, but keyed
by means of a feather or spline 4 to a pulley 5 which is to impart rotation to,
or receive rotation from, the shaft 1 as the clutch is applied. 6 represents a
friction-ring arranged concentrically within the rim 2 and provided with a
hub 7, which is keyed to the shaft by means of a feather or spline 8, and connected
to-the friction-ring-6 by-means of the spokes 9. -Friction-ring 6-is-split-at-two-
points indicated by the numeral 10, said splits being located upon corresponding
sides of the spokes 9, so as to leave each half of the ring thus formed integrally
connected through one of said spokes to the keved hub. The
end of each half of the ring is formed with an abutment 11
opposed to the edge of the spoke 9, and said abutment and spoke are provided
with ledges 12 and 13 for a purpose to be described. 14 represents an expanding
yoke, which is adapted by its ring 15 to slide longitudinally upon the shaft 1.
This yoke carries at its respective ends knuckle-jointed toggle-dogs 17, the con-
free

page_text: struction of which will be readily understood from Fig. 4, and which are pivoted
in the ends of the yokes by pins 18. As the yoke is moved toward the friction-
clutch, the dogs 17, slide in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, in
between the abutment 11 and spoke 9 until their ends rest upon the ledges 12
and 13, after which a continued movement of the yoke tends to straighten the
dogs 17 and to force the abutment 11 and spoke 9 apart until the dogs approach
the angle or position illustrated in Fig. 3, when the friction-ring will have
expanded into intimate frictional contact with the rim 2, and if rotation is
being imparted to either of the parts 1 or 5, it will immediately be transmitted
through the clutch to the other of said parts. On the other hand, if the yoke 14
is moved in the opposite direction upon the shaft 1, expanding pressure upon the
knuckle-jointed dogs 17 is withdrawn and said dogs are permitted to fold under
contraction of the ring 6 resulting from its resiliency so that the frictional contact
between the ring 6 and the rim 2 will be relieved and relative rotation between
the parts 1 and 5 may again be established.
I have not described any special mechanism for imparting movement to the
yoke 14 longitudinally of the shaft 1, as it is obvious that any form of lever or
other means usually employed for moving one friction disk into contact with
another, as in many well known forms of friction clutches, may be employed for
this purpose.
19 is a collar fixed upon the shaft 1 for the purpose of confining the rim 2
against the hub 7 of the ring 6, and 20 is a collar likewise fixed upon the shaft
for limiting movement of the yoke 14.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be carried out, I do declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A friction-clutch comprising two concentrically arranged members, one of
which is split to adapt it to be moved into contact with the other, and is provided
upon its opposed faces at the split ledges, and a controlling member carrying
knuckle-jointed dogs sliding upon the opposed faces of the split into engagement
with the ledges thereof, expanding under continued movement of the controlling
member to force the split member into contact with the concentric member for
establishing frictional contact between the two latter.
2. A friction-clutch comprising a rim, a concentrically arranged friction-ring
formed with a hub and spokes and divided into a plurality of peripheral sections,
each connected at one end by a spoke with the hub, and provided on its free
end with an abutment opposed to the spoke connecting the adjacent section,
ledges formed on the opposed faces at each split, the knuckle-jointed toggle-dogs
having means for sliding them upon the said opposed faces into engagement with
the ledges, and expanding them substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In combination with the expansible split rim of a friction-clutch the ledges
located on the opposed faces of said split, an expanding yoke movable longitu-
dinally upon the shaft, and sliding toggle-dogs carried by said yoke, which enter
between the sections of the rim at the points of separation and expand them as
the yoke is forced toward the rim; substantially in the manner and for the
purposes set forth.
4. In a friction-clutch, the combination of the rim 2, having hub 3, the ring 6
divided diametrically into two sections, hub 7 connected by spokes 9 with corre-
sponding ends of the respective ring sections, abutments 11 carried by the free
ends of the respective ring sections and opposed to the spokes 9, ledges 12 and 13
formed respectively upon the abutments 11 and spokes 9, the yoke 14 provided
with hub 15 which permits it to slide upon the shaft 1, and knuckle-jointed
dogs 17 pivoted in the ends of the yoke 14 and entering between and sliding upon
abutments 11 and spokes 9 into engagement with the ledges 12 and 13; all sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a friction-clutch, the combination of the rim 2, formed with hub 3, the

page_text: pulley 5 keyed to the hub 3, the friction-ring 6 provided with the hub 7, shaft 1
keyed to said hub 7, expanding yoke 14 provided with hub 15 sliding upon shaft 1,
knuckle-jointed dogs 17 mounted in the respective ends of the yoke 14; said
ring 6 being diametrically divided into two peripheral sections whereby it is
expansible into frictional contact with the rim 2, and each of said sections being
connected at one end by a spoke 9 with the hub 7 and carrying at its other end
an abutment 11 opposed to an adjacent spoke, and said knuckle-jointed dogs
sliding upon the opposed abutments and spokes; substantially in the manner and
for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 19th day of September 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant."