Patent ID: 8256596

Claim:
A clutch assembly comprising, a multi-disc clutch pack having at least one inner clutch plate and at least one outer clutch plate, wherein said outer clutch plate has a plurality of splined teeth on its outer perimeter; and an outer housing having a cylindrical wall with an inner perimeter, a flat end face surface, and an outer edge, wherein said cylindrical wall has a plurality of internally splined grooves and elevated ridges residing between said splined grooves, wherein said cylindrical wall has a lead-in chamfer encompassing the inner perimeter to assist in a radial alignment of the outer housing with the multi-disc clutch pack, the lead-in chamfer radially guiding the inner and outer clutch plates into the outer housing during assembly of the clutch pack assembly, and wherein the cylindrical wall has a unidirectional index chamfer formed by axial end surfaces on the plurality of the ridges, each end surface having an angular deviation from the flat end face surface in circumferential direction, all axial end surfaces of the ridges having the same angular deviation from the flat end face surface in the circumferential direction, the index chamfer being configured to guide the splined teeth of the outer clutch plates into circumferential alignment with the splined grooves of the outer clutch plates in the clutch pack during assembly of the clutch pack assembly.