Year: 1888

page_text: I, MAX FRIEDRICH, Manufacturer of Pligwitz-Leipsic in the Kingdom of Saxony
and German Empire do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and iscert uned in
and by the following statement
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This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches in which a spring function
ring placed within a casing is expanded to bung it into engagement with the casing
for transmitting power through the clutch and as represented in the accompanying
drawings the clutch consists of a casing A shown in figures 1, 2 & 3, a driving disc B
with friction ring C and an arrangement for engaging and disengiging the friction
ring C with the cising A The arrangement for expanding the friction ring consists
of a bolt a secured on a disc on one of the shafts and which presses apart two
The
segments b and ₁ Jointed to its end when the bolt is forced into the clutch
motion thus communicated to the segments is transferred to two levers c and c' hinged
to the other ends of the segments by studs a and a¹ and causes at the same time an
expansion at the points 3 and 3' and these being projections of the open spring friction
ring the latter will be pressed asunder The whole arrangement is placed inside of
the casing A
The pressure arrangement in question differs from similar friction clutches with
spring rings which have been used heretofore in this respect that for the wedge used
on the latter the bolt a hinged to the segments 6 and 6' is substituted and acts in the
manner of lever upon the levers c and c¹ The wedge before mentioned is always
inclined to go back agun for which reason a continual pressure must be exerted in
order to keep it in its place and considerable disadvantage results The improved
arrangement, however, acts without any pressure as the hinged bolt a when the clutch
is in engagement is pressed home a little beyond the dead point This being obtained
by the segments b and b¹ which are slightly elastic the levers and c¹ will be prevented
from pushing back the bolt a
In the Drawings Figure 1 shows a view of the clutch without the driving disc
Figure 2 a section of the same, Figure 3 a horizontal section showing the jointed
levers, Figure 4 graphically represents the action of the new friction ring, Figure 5
1s a graphical representation of the action of the slightly elastic segments & and 6¹
'

page_text: In order to have the clutch well balanced which will be necessary for shafts going
at great speed the driving disc is provided with two studs fitting in notches B₁ and B
in the friction ring
For the purpose of regulating the amount of friction between the ring and casing
the hinged studs a and a¹ are screwed into the levers c and c¹ and may be raised or
lowered according to circumstances, also in special cases where a perfect adjustment
will be required the under ends 3 and ẞ of the friction ring C may be regulated by a
conical bolt M The regulation of this bolt may be effected from the outside without
taking off the driving disc (see Fig 6)
Finally the clutch may be provided with selfacting alarm bells, which would ring
should a difference of speed occur between the coupled shafts
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
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1 A friction clutch constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described
2 In a friction clutch the arrangement and combination with a spring friction
ring (C) fitted within a casing of levers (e c¹) bearing at points (3 ẞ¹) on the ring
and operated by the action of levers (6 6¹) and a bolt (a) to effect the expansion and
contraction of said ring and thereby the engagement and disengagement of the clutch
substantially as described
3 In a friction clutch and in combination with the elements enumerated in the
preceding claim the conical bolt M adapted to regulate the degree of frictional
pressure between the clutch casing and the expansible ring substantially as described
Dated this Twelfth day of June 1888