Patent ID: 7513350

Claim:
A clutch including two rotary shafts, one of which is connected to one or more first clutch plates cooperating with one or more second clutch plates, the clutch plates being acted on by an actuating piston having a portion exposed on two opposite sides to first and second chambers in a hydraulic cylinder, a torque control valve comprising a cylindrical inner valve member rotatably and linearly movably received in a cylindrical opening in an outer valve member, the inner and outer valve members affording cooperating cylindrical surfaces, in one of which an elongate first recess is formed, which communicates with one of the said chambers, and in the other of which two circumferentially spaced elongate second recesses are formed communicating with a source of pressured hydraulic fluid and a substantially unpressurized hydraulic reservoir, respectively, the elongate recesses extending in the longitudinal direction and in the same circumferential direction in the cylindrical surface in which they are formed and being positioned such that longitudinal movement of the inner valve member within the outer valve member will vary the degree of communication between the first and second elongate recesses, a spring of predetermined spring rate which provides direct mechanical feedback from the second clutch plate to the torque control valve through connections which include one side of the spring being connected to the second clutch plate and to one of the valve members, the other side of the spring being connected to the other of the valve members and to the other rotary shaft.