Improvements in or relating to Clutches.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Clutches.
A communication from HARMAN BUNKER, of the Town of Barrie, County of
Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Inventor.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to connect the driving-power to the mechanism to
be driven, in such a manner as to prevent any jar at the time of the connection, and
it consists of a sleeve fixed to a pulley connected to the driving power and loosely
journalled upon a shaft to which is fixed a peculiarly formed pulley connected to
the mechanism to be driven, the said pulley having a conically-shaped hub
surrounded by the rim, the said hub being designed to fit into a cup formed by a
series of spring plates connected at one end to the sleeve attached to the driving.
pulley, the body of each of the springs being bent backwardly and shaped as
shown so that on one side they shall be in contact with the hub, and on their other
side be held against the interior surface of the pulley's rim, a clutch being formed
one-half on the end of the hub and the other half on the end of the sleeve the
clutching points being provided with springs so as to form a cushion in the clutch
as the two halves come together, substantially as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the device showing two of the spring-plates.
Figure 2 is an end view of the sliding part of the clutch.
Figure 3 is an end view of the other half of the clutch.
A is a pulley connected to the driving power. This pulley is loosely journalled
on the shaft B.
The sleeve C is fixed to or forms part of the pulley A and is provided with the
collars D between which the end of the shifting lever E is placed.
F is the pulley provided with a conically-shaped hub G.
H is the rim of the pulley, a clear space being left between the hub G and the
interior surface of the rim H.
A series of spring-plates I are arranged around the sleeve C one end of each
plate I being rigidly fixed to the said sleeve. The body of each spring is bent
substantially as shown so that one portion of its surface can be brought in contact
with the surface of the hub G, while another is simultaneously brought into contact
with the interior surface of the rim H. Each spring-plate I is bent in the shape of
a double loop. The first loop a is formed at the extreme end of the conically-
shaped cup formed by the series of spring-plates I, the other loop 6 being formed at
the bottom of the cup, while the remaining portion of the plate I is bent so as to
bring the plate d against the plate I, projecting beyond the end of the sleeve C
and then bent back so as to bring the end e against the portion of the plate I
which is brought in contact with the interior of the rim H. This shape of plate
forms a truss so as to strengthen the spring and permit light elastic plates I to
be used.
A clutching block J is connected to the end of the sleeve C and a corresponding
recess K is formed in the end of the hub C. At each end of the recess K is placed
a spring L of any suitable construction so as to form a buffer for the block J.
Before the connection is made the pulley A with its sleeve C are revolved loosely
upon the shaft B the cup formed by the spring-plates I revolving within the
pulley F.
When it is desired to form a connection between the driving pulley A and the

page_text: driven pulley F the shifting-lever E is moved so as to force the cup formed by
the spring-plates I into contact with the hub G and rim H, the spring-plates I
being shaped as described, so that it comes simultaneously in contact with the
hub G and interior of the rim H, thereby forming a gradual grip which gradually
forms the connection between the driver and driven. When it is desired to lock
the grip between the two, the sleeve C, while further pressed upon so as to bring
its end in contact with the end of the hub G thereby causing the clutching-block J,
to enter the recess K and consequently lock the grip, the springs L being provided
in order to prevent any jar which might otherwise be caused by the block J and
recess K coming in contact with each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. As an improved clutch a sleeve fixed to a pulley connected to the driving
power and loosely journalled upon a shaft to which is fixed a peculiarly formed
pulley connected to the mechanism to be driven the said pulley having a hub
surrounded by the rim the said bub being designed to fit into a cup formed by a
series of spring plates connected at one end to the sleeve attached to the driving
pulley the body of each of the springs being bent backwardly and shaped as shown
so that on one side they shall be in contact with the hub and on the other side be
held against the interior surface of the pulley rim substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. As an improved clutch a sleeve fixed to a pulley connected to the driving
power and loosely journalled upon a shaft to which is fixed a peculiarly formed
pulley connected to the mechanism to be driven the said pulley having a hub
surrounded by the rim the said hub being designed to fit into a cup formed by a
series of spring plates connected at one end to the sleeve attached to the driving
pulley the body of each of the springs being bent backwardly and shaped as shown
so that on one side they shall be in contact with the hub and on the other side be held
against the interior surface of the pulley rim a clutch being formed one-half on the
end of the hub and the other half on the end of the sleeve the clutching points.
being provided with a spring so as to form a cushion on the clutch as the two
halves come together substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 10th day of July 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.