Patent ID: 8763734

Claim:
An assembly that selectively powers at least one vehicle accessory while continuously powering at least one other vehicle accessory, comprising: a first vehicle accessory, coupled to a crankshaft having a cylindrical bore; a driveshaft extending through the cylindrical bore of the crankshaft for coupling to a second vehicle accessory; and a cone clutch assembly configured as a modular unit, comprising: a male clutch member having an external cone-shaped friction surface; a female clutch member having an internal cone-shaped friction surface; a case for holding the components of the cone clutch assembly and for attaching the cone clutch assembly to an accessory case of the first vehicle accessory; and a driveshaft adaptor which extends through the case and couples to the driveshaft and to a source of rotational power; wherein one of the male clutch member or the female clutch member is coupled to the crankshaft; wherein at least one of the male clutch member or the female clutch member is movable relative to the other of the male clutch member or the female clutch member along the axes of the crankshaft and the driveshaft between an engaged position in which the external cone-shaped friction surface and the internal cone-shaped friction surface are in contact with each other such that rotational power is transmitted between the male clutch member and the female clutch member and a disengaged position in which the external cone-shaped friction surface and the internal cone-shaped friction surface are not in contact such that no rotational power is transmitted between the male clutch member and the female clutch member; wherein the one of the male clutch member or the female clutch member that is not coupled to the crankshaft is coupled to the driveshaft adaptor.