Feedback controlled automatic clutch

Claim 1

A TORQUE FEEDBACK CONTROLLED AUTOMATIC CLUTCH COMPRISING A DRIVING MEMBER, A DRIVEN MEMBER, A FIRST FRICTION ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID DRIVING MEMBER, A SECOND FRICTION ELEMENT, A FLUID PRESSURE SOURCE, FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED SERVO MEANS FOR DRIVABLY ENGAGING SAID FRICTION ELEMENTS INCLUDING A FLUID CYLINDER AND A PISTON WITHIN SAID CYLINDER IN FORCE TRANSMITTING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRICTION ELMENTS, SAID PISTON AND CYLINDER COMPRISING A FLUID PRESSURE WORKING CHAMBER, SAID SECOND FRICTION ELEMENT BEING CARRIED BY SAID CYLINDER, CONDUIT STRUCTURE INTERCONNECTING SAID PRESSURE SOURCE AND THE WORKING CHAMBER OF SAID SERVO MEANS, VALVE MEANS DISPOSED IN AND PARTLY DEFINING SAID CONDUIT STRUCTURE FOR CONTROLLING THE DEGREE OF PRESSURE BUILT-UP IN SAID SERVO MEANS IN RESPONSE TO VARYING TORQUE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS, TORQUE FEEDBACK CONTROL MEANS SENSITIVE TO THE TORQUE DELIVERED THROUGH SAID CLUTCH FOR MODFYING THE PRESSURE CONTROLLING CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A FLUID PRESSURE SUPPLY PORT AND A FLUID PRESSURE SIGNAL DELIVERY PORT, SAID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING ALSO RELATIVELY MOVABLE VALVE PARTS REGISTERING WITH SAID PORTS TO CONTROL COMMUNICATION THEREBETWEEN, ONE VALVE PARTS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, AND A YIELDABLE TORQUE TRANSMITTING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DRIVEN MEMBER AND SAID CLYINDER, SAID SIGNAL DELIVERY PORT BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID VALVE MEANS WHEREBY A TORQUE SIGNAL FROM SAID SIGNAL DELIVERY PORT ACTS ON MOVABLE PARTS OF SAID VALVE MEANS.