GB1028967A - Improvements in or relating to declutching devices - Google Patents

Abstract

1,028,967. Controlling friction clutches; securing throw-out bearings on clutch covers; springs. FRANCAISE DU FERODO S.A. Feb. 26, 1963 [Feb. 26, 1962; Jan. 26, 1963] No. 7739/63. Headings F2C, F2L. F2S and F2U. A clutch throw-out bearing assembly com- prises a ball bearing carried by the clutch, for engagement by a non-rotary flat thrust pad actuated by the clutch control to move axially during clutch disengagement. In one form, a ball bearing 31, Fig. 1, is mounted upon the cover 13 of a friction clutch by tangential spring strips 28, Fig. 2 (not shown), between pins 22, 29 and supports a ring 33 of graphite &c. for engagement by a thrust pad 30. A clutch control shaft 37 fast with levers 36 carries the thrust pad 30, which accordingly moves both transversely and axially of the clutch during its clutch disengaging movement. In the form shown, axial movement of the throw-out bearing 31 is permitted by the tangential spring strips 28 and acts upon the inner ends of levers 19 constituted by radial slots 20 in a spring diaphragm 17, thus tilted about the pins 22 to act through withdrawal hooks 25 and move the clutch pressure plate 14 to its disengaged position. In one modification, Fig. 3 (not shown), the graphite thrust pad is mounted for engagement with a cast metal ring carried inside the ball bearing. In another modification, Fig. 4 (also not shown), the bearing comprises caged balls between similar sized parallel thrust races. In yet another modification, Fig. 5 (also not shown), the thrust pad is made of magnetic or sintered material. The modified throw-out bearing assembly according to Fig. 3 (not shown) is illustrated in Fig. 6 (al so not shown) applied to a conventional radial throw-out lever arrangement in a clutch. all the levers being as usual independent of each other. In another form, the ball bearing 31, Fig. 7 (not shown), acts through a spring diaphragm 17 upon the clutch pressure plate 14 and is slidden in the clutch disengaging direction by a thrust ring 30 carrying a lining 33 of friction material engageable with an abutment ring 40. The inner race of the bearing 31 is supported by a sleeve 54 splined upon a sleeve 50, a spring 56 biasing the bearing 31 against the inner ends of the radial levers 19 of the diaphragm and abutting against a pulley 52 held on the clutch driving shaft 10 by a nut 53. Springs.-The inner ends of the diaphragm spring levers 19 may be hardened, e.g. by a high-frequency induction process, and may be coated with tungsten &c. carbide. The spring diaphragm 17 then has an unhardened circular outer zone, a hardened circular inner zone constituted by the inner ends of the levers 19, and a transistional intermediate zone between the outer and inner zones.