Patent ID: 8813936

Claim:
An apparatus for transmitting force, comprising: a stationary mounting flange having a central opening for receiving a shaft; a rotor having a radial working surface and a centrally located opening fixedly mounted on the shaft and rotatable therewith, said rotor being held firmly in place to the shaft; a front and a rear annular pressure plate disposed on opposite sides of said rotor and moveably attached to said mounting flange, said front annular pressure plate being axially moveable relative to said mounting flange in a first direction for releasing a clamping load on said rotor and in a second direction for applying the clamping load on said rotor, said rear annular pressure plate being axially movable in an opposite direction to said first direction of said front annular pressure plate for releasing the clamping load on said rotor, said rear annular pressure plate being axially movable in an opposite direction to said second direction of said front annular pressure plate for applying the clamping load on an opposite side of said rotor; an annular piston moveably connected to said front annular pressure plate, said annular piston being axially moveable in said first direction; and an annular cylinder connected to said front annular pressure plate and axially moveable therewith, said annular cylinder having an annular channel constructed for engagement with a raised portion of said annular piston together forming a variable volume annular fluid chamber, said annular cylinder and said front annular pressure plate being axially moveable in the first direction under the influence of fluid pressure applied to said annular cylinder and annular piston from the variable volume annular fluid chamber to press said front annular pressure plate against an urging counterforce supplied by an array of helical coil springs disposed between said annular piston and said front annular pressure plate for releasing the clamping load of said front annular pressure plate against said rotor, a plurality of return springs causing axial movement of said rear annular pressure plate in an opposite direction to said front annular pressure plate for releasing the clamping load against said rotor, said front annular pressure plate being movable in the second direction by said urging counterforce of said array of helical coil springs for applying the clamping load on said rotor, said rear annular pressure plate applying the clamping load from the opposite direction, wherein said axially moveable front and rear annular pressure plates, said array of helical coil springs, said annular piston and said annular cylinder are axially moveable components making up a floating housing.