Patent ID: 7178649

Claim:
A manually adjustable clutch assembly comprising: a housing; a clutch having a plurality of clutch plates that are shifted in an axial direction between engaged torque transferring position and a disengaged non-torque transferring position; a pressure plate that is movable relative to the clutch in the axial direction; an adjusting ring having a first inclined portion that engages a second inclined portion on the pressure plate, the adjusting ring having a fulcrum; a clutch release system having a diaphragm spring and a release bearing assembly which shifts axially relative to the pressure plate, the diaphragm spring engaging the fulcrum of the adjusting ring and being pivoted on the fulcrum when the release bearing assembly is shifted to shift the clutch between the engaged position and the disengaged position; an adjusting gear having an axis of rotation that is not aligned with the axial direction and that engages the adjusting ring to cause the adjusting gear to move circumferentially relative to the pressure plate wherein the first and second inclined portions change the axial spacing of the fulcrum relative to the clutch, the adjusting gear being accessible from the outside of the housing to allow the clutch to be manually adjusted without opening the housing, wherein the adjusting gear is provided on a shaft that has an axis of rotation that extends in a radial plane relative to the axial direction, the shaft moves in axial direction relative to the housing with the pressure plate as the clutch wears an indicator associated with the housing that indicates the extent of wear of the clutch by reference to the axial position of the shaft relative to the indicator, wherein the indicator is a graphical reference associated with an axially extending slot formed on the housing, a pointer for the indicator having an anchoring end secured to the housing on one side of the shaft and a distal end opposite the anchoring end, the pointer being displaced a first distance by the shaft as it moves within the slot and the distal end of the pointer being displaced a second distance that is greater than the first distance to provide a magnified indication of the extent of wear of the clutch at the distal end of the pointer.