Carbon to carbon friction clutch

Abstract

A friction clutch in which carbon input disks are coupled to a flywheel by radial slots in their peripheries. Carbon input disks are coupled to a drive shaft by means of inner, radial slots and a metallic hub which contains slot-matching fingers. The input and output disks as well as the hub are axially free standing when the clutch is disengaged. The design distributes load more uniformly over the carbon plates than previous devices and allows greater service life of the clutch.

We claim: 
     
       1. A carbon to carbon friction clutch for attachment to an engine flywheel comprised in combination of: a. a clutch cover;   b. a diaphragm spring bolted to said clutch cover;   c. drilled spacer blocks .Iadd.adapted to be .Iaddend.radially distributed between the clutch cover and the flywheel;   d. bolts passing through said spacer blocks and .Iadd.adapted to hold .Iaddend..[.holding.]. the clutch cover at a fixed axial distance from the engine flywheel;   e. a pressure disk which is moveable axially along said spacer blocks, .Iadd.and which is adapted to rotate .Iaddend..[.rotates.]. with the cover and flywheel and contacts the diaphragm spring;   f. a first set of carbon disks which are moveable axially along said spacer blocks, .Iadd.are adapted to .Iaddend.rotate with the clutch cover and flywheel and are alternately spaced between and in selectively engageable contact with a second set of carbon disks, each of the second set being provided with a central aperture and a plurality of evenly spaced slots extending radially from the central aperture;   g. central holes in the first set of carbon disks;   h. a relatively flat, circular, metallic hub having oppositely facing end surfaces with a splined, circular opening at its center and formed with radial fingers on said end surfaces, the fingers fitting into the slots in the second set of carbon disks, the hub being of a diameter to be contained without touching within the central holes of the first set of carbon disks;   i. a splined shaft entering the center of the clutch and engaging said hub at its spline;   j. a throwout bushing slidable along the splined shaft to contact said diaphragm spring; whereby the diaphragm spring, acting upon said pressure disk, forces the first set of carbon disks into a frictional holding of the second set of carbon disks, which by virtue of their slots into which the fingers of said hub are engaged, transmit the turning of the flywheel to the splined shaft and axial movement of said throwout bushing against the diaphragm spring releases pressure between the first and second sets of carbon disks causing axial movement of the disks, slippage between the disks and the cessation of rotation of the hub and the shaft to which it is splined and whereby said metallic hub isolates the second set of carbon plates from shear forces which would otherwise be encountered if said second set of carbon plates were provided with splines and directly engaged to the splined shaft. .Iadd.   
     
     
       2.  A hub for a friction clutch wherein the friction clutch has a set of driven disks, each driven disk having a central aperture and a plurality of radially-extending slots, the hub comprising: oppositely facing end surfaces;   a splined circular opening at the center of the hub; and   a plurality of radial fingers on the end surfaces, the fingers being adapted to fit into the slots of each driven disk..Iaddend..Iadd.3. A coupling mechanism for coupling and transferring torque comprising:   at least one first disk, each first disk having a plurality of radially-extending slots;   at least one second disk, each second disk being in selectively engageable contact with either one or two of the first disks; and   a hub having oppositely facing end surfaces with radially-extending elements on at least one of the end surfaces, the elements shaped so as to fit within the slots in each first disk..Iaddend..Iadd.4. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein the hub has a splined opening at its center..Iaddend..Iadd.5. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 3 further comprising a cover having lugs along which each second disk is axially moveable..Iaddend..Iadd.6. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein the elements extend further in their radial direction than in their circumferential direction..Iaddend..Iadd.7. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein the elements are on both of the end surfaces..Iaddend..Iadd.8. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein the elements extend in a radial direction sufficient to engage the slots of each first disk..Iaddend..Iadd.9. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 8 wherein each first disk further includes a central aperture..Iaddend..Iadd.10. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 9 wherein each second disk further includes a central aperture..Iaddend..Iadd.11. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 10 wherein the hub is of a diameter to be contained within each central aperture of each second disk..Iaddend..Iadd.12. A coupling mechanism as defined in claim 11 wherein the radially-extending slots of each first disk extends from the central aperture of each first disk..Iaddend.