Clutch assembly

Claim 1

A CLUTCH ASSEMBLY PROVIDING DIRECT DRIVE, REVERSE DRIVE AND DISCONNECTION BETWEEN AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT SHAFT, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HOUSING JOURNALING THE INPUT AND OUTPUT SHAFTS, A CENTRAL MEMBER SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION WITHIN SAID HOUSING COAXIALLY WITH SAID OUTPUT SHAFT, SAID CENTRAL MEMBER HAVING A HUB PORTION AND AN ANNULAR PERIPHERAL PORTION, A SERIES OF CLUTCH PLATES SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT SHAFT AND SAID CENTRAL MEMBER AND MOVABLE INTO MOTION TRANSFERRING ENGAGEMENT TO THEREBY ROTATIONALLY LOCK SAID INPUT SHAFT TO SAID CENTRAL MEMBER, A SERIES OF FRICTION BRAKE ELEMENTS SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID CENTRAL MEMBER, SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS BEING MOVABLE INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT TO THEREBY LOCK SAID CENTRAL MEMBER TO SAID HOUSING, AN ANNULAR MEMBER ENCIRCLING SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID CENTRAL MEMBER AND SLIDABLE AXIALLY THEREON, SAID ANNULAR MEMBER COOPERATING WITH SAID CENTRAL MEMBER PERIPHERAL PORTION TO DEFINE A FIRST FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER AND A SECOND FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER, MEANS FOR CENTERING SAID ANNULAR MEMBER ON SAID CENTRAL MEMBER PERIPHERAL PORTION SO THAT SAID FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBERS ARE OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL VOLUME, SEPARATE FLUID PASSAGES FOR ADMITTING FLUID AT A DATUM PRESSURE TO SAID FIRST PRESSURE CHAMBER AND TO SAID SECOND PRESSURE CHAMBER, SEPARATED FLUID PASSAGES FOR PASSING FLUID FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND PRESSURE CHAMBERS TO SAID SERIES OF CLUTCH PLATES AND SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY, COOPERATING GEARING CARRIED BY SAID INPUT SHAFT, CENTRAL MEMBER AND OUTPUT SHAFT TO PROVIDE DIRECT DRIVE BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS WHEN SAID SERIES OF CLUTCH PLATES ARE ENGAGED AND REVERSE DRIVE BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS WHEN SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS ARE ENGAGED, SAID ANNULAR MEMBER MOVING IN RESPONSE TO A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ABOVE SAID DATUM PRESSURE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PRESSURE CHAMBERS TO SELECTIVELY ENGAGE SAID SERIES OF CLUTCH PLATES AND SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS, AND AN ADDITIONAL FLUID PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID SECOND PRESSURE CHAMBER AND SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS WHICH IS UNOBSTRUCTED FOR FLUID FLOW ONLY WHEN SAID ANNULAR MEMBER HAS MOVED TO ENGAGE SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS, WHEREBY THE VOLUME OF FLUID FLOW BETWEEN SAID SECOND CHAMBER AND SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS IS COMPENSATED FOR THE ABSENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ACTING ON THE FLUID IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER WHEN SAID SERIES OF BRAKE ELEMENTS ARE ENGAGED.