Automatic-clutch power transmission and control means therefor

Claim 1

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT OF A FRICTION ENGAGING DEVICE ARRANGED TO PROVIDE FOR TRANSMISSION OF TORQUE BETWEEN A DRIVEN MEMBER AND A DRIVE MEMBER WHICH IS DRIVEN BY AN INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING A FUEL INTAKE-MANIFOLD AND A THROTTLE CONTROL THEREFOR, COMPRISING THRUST MEANS OPERABLE FOR APPLYING ENGAGING FORCE TO SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS; A DETECTOR DEVICE OPERABLE FROM NORMAL TO OPERATING A POSITION FOR SENSING INITIAL CONTACT OF SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS; A PAIR OF NORMALLY SPACED RELATIVELY MOVABLE ABUTMENT-ENGAGING ELEMENTS INCORPORATED IN SAID DETECTOR DEVICE AND CONNECTED TO PORTIONS OF SAID THRUST MEANS AND SAID FRICTION DEVICE, RESPECTIVELY; A NORMALLY PRELOADING SPRING OPERABLY INCORPORATED BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT ELEMENTS FOR ESTABLISHING NORMAL SPACING THEREOF WHEREBY INITIAL OPERATION OF SAID THRUST MEANS IS EFFECTIVE THROUGH SAID SPRING IN NORMAL STATUS WITH SAID DETECTOR DEVICE IN NORMAL POSITION TO ESTABLISH SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS IN INITIAL SLIPPING ENGAGEMENT WHEREON ADDITIONAL OPERATION OF SAID THRUST MEANS IS EFFECTIVE TO OVERCOME SAID SPRING FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID ABUTMENT ELEMENTS INTO ENGAGING RELATIONSHIP ACCOMPANIED BY OPERATION OF SAID DETECTOR DEVICE TO OPERATING POSITION AND TO MODULATE SAID SLIPPING ENGAGEMENT; CONTROL MEANS HAVING A CONTROL ELEMENT MOVABLE FROM NORMAL POSITION ACCOMMODATING AUTOMATIC DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS, TO A FIRST ENGAGING-CONTROL POSITION AND THROUGH A RANGE OF CLOSELY GENERATED ENGAGING-CONTROL POSITIONS FOR CONTROLLING SAID THRUST MEANS; AND ENERGIZABLE ACTUATOR ACTUATABLE WHEN ENERGIZED FOR MOVING SAID CONTROL ELEMENT FROM NORMAL TO FIRST POSITION IN RESPONSE TO SAID DETECTOR DEVICE OPERATED TO OPERATING POSITION AND THEREBY LIMITING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAID THRUST MEANS TO THAT OF CONTROLLING SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS IN SUCH MODULATED SLIPPING ENGAGEMENT; ENERGIZING MEANS FOR SAID ACTUATOR; AND A SERVOACTUATOR VACUUM CONNECTED TO SAID INTAKE-MANIFOLD FOR MOVING SAID CONTROL ELEMENTS THROUGH SAID RANGE OF ENGAGING-CONTROL POSITIONS AND THEREBY ENABLING SAID CONTROL MEANS TO CONTROL SAID THRUST MEANS GRADUATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VACUUM IN THE INTAKE-MANIFOLD TO EFFECT CORRESPONDING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FRICTION DEVICE MEMBERS FOR CO-ROTATION WITHOUT INTERRUPTING ENERGIZATION OF SAID FIRST-DEFINED ACTUATOR.