Fluid pressure operated clutch

Claim 1

AN AIR OPERATED CLUTCH COMPRISING, DRIVEN SHAFT MEANS HAVING AN INWARD AND AN OUTWARD END AND HAVING AN AXIAL INTERNAL AIR PASSAGEWAY WHICH OPENS TO THE OUTWARD END OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, AXIALLY FIXED SHEAVE MEANS HAVING SECURED THERETO AN ANNULAR OUTWARD FACING FRICTION FACE AND BEING MOUNTED FOR FREE ROTATION UPON SAID SHAFT MEANS, DRIVEN FRICTION DISC MEANS LOCATED OUTWARD FROM SAID FRICTION FACE AND SAID SHEAVE MEANS AND SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT MEANS FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF CLUTCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRICTION FACE OF SAID SHEAVE MEANS, SAID DISC MEANS BEING ROTATABLY FIXED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS, SPRING MEANS FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID FRICTION DISC MEANS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRICTION FACE OF SAID SHEAVE MEANS, MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID OUTWARD END OF SAID SHAFT MEANS AND SAID DRIVEN DISC MEANS OPERABLE TO SLIDABLY URGE SAID DISC MEANS INTO CLUTCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRICTION FACE OF SAID SHEAVE MEANS UPON THE INTRODUCTION OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE PASSAGEWAY OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, SAID INTERPOSED MEANS INCLUDING A PRESSURE CYLINDER SLIDABLY CARRIED BY AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID SHAFT MEANS, SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER HAVING A RADIAL SURFACE ABUTTINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID DISC MEANS AND AN ANNULAR FLANGE EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER FURTHER HAVING A CONOIDAL PRESSURE SURFACE TERMINATING AT ITS OUTER PERIPHERY IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATION TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID ANNULAR FLANGE WHEREBY TO DEFINE THEREWITH AN ANNULAR PRESSURE SURFADE NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, AN AXIALLY FIXED PISTON MEMBER CARRIED BY AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID SHAFT MEANS BETWEEN THE OUTWARD END THEREOF AND SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER, SAID PISTON MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR OUTER SURFACE SEALINGLY SLIDABLE WITHIN THE SAID ANNULAR FLANGE OF SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER AND HAVING AN ANNULAR FACE NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS AND ABUTTINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ANNULAR PRESSURE SURFACE OF SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER, SAID PISTON MEMBER FURTHER HAVING A CONOIDAL PRESSURE SURFACE TERMINATING AT ITS OUTER EDGE WITH THE SAID ANNULAR FACE THEREOF, SAID CONOIDAL PRESSURE SURFACES OF SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER AND SAID PISTON MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND BEING IN CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER WHEN THE SAID ANNULAR FACE OF SAID PISTON MEMBER IS IN CONTACT WITH THE SAID ANNULAR PRESSURE SURFACE OF SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN AN INCLINED ANNULAR PRESSURE PASSAGEWAY, SAID SHAFT MEANS HAVING A CROSS HOLD FORMED THERETHROUGH AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERNAL PASSAGEWAY OF SAID SHAFT MEANS AND SAID PRESSURE PASSAGEWAY WHEREBY UPON THE ADMISSION OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE THEREINTO PRESSURE IS EXERTED UNIFORMLY UPON THE ENTIRE ANNULAR PRESSURE SURFACE AND CONOIDAL PRESSURE SURFACE OF SAID PRESSURE CYLINDER TO THEREBY SLIDABLY MOVE SAID FRICTION DISC MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRICTION FACE OF SAID SHEAVE MEANS AND ROTATE SAID SHEAVE.