Patent ID: 6979268

Claim:
In a jaw clutch for transferring rotational power from a driving rotatable member to a driven rotatable member, the jaw clutch including a first clutch plate connected to one of the rotatable members for rotation therewith and movement along a predetermined path relative thereto, and a second clutch plate connected to another of the rotatable members for rotation therewith adjacent to an end of the path, the clutch plates including teeth matingly engageable when the clutch plates are in abutment for connecting the clutch plates for joint rotation, and a clutch spring having a predetermined spring rate disposed for exerting a spring force against the first clutch plate for holding the first clutch plate at the end of the path in abutment with the second clutch plate, the clutch spring being yieldable to a disengagement force greater than the spring force applied against the first clutch plate in opposition to the spring force such that the first clutch plate will be moved along the path away from the second clutch plate and the teeth of the clutch plate connected to the drivingly rotated member will move in a ratcheting action over the teeth of the clutch plate connected to the driven rotating member to generate shock forces between the clutch plates having magnitudes substantially greater than the magnitude of the disengagement force at time intervals which are a function of a relative speed of rotation of the clutch plates, an improvement comprising: a shock damper including a spring having a predetermined spring rate several times greater than the spring rate of the clutch spring disposed in connection with the second clutch plate in a position for absorbing a substantial portion of energy of the shock forces generated between the clutch plates and then releasing the energy so as to be at least partially dissipated by the clutch such that resulting portions of shock forces exerted against the rotating members will be damped so as to have maximum magnitudes equal to less than half of the magnitudes of the shock forces generated between the clutch plates, while holding the second clutch plate substantially stationary adjacent to the end of the path.