Torque transmitting device

Claim 2

A torque transmitting device having a rotatable input assembly including a drive housing and multiple axially-spaced pressure plates, and a rotatable output assembly including multiple friction plates arRanged alternately with respect to said pressure plates, said pressure plates and friction plates being axially shiftable in one direction into frictional engagement with each other defining an engaged condition for selectively coupling said input assembly to said output assembly in torque transmitting relationship, said drive housing including multiple axially-spaced offset flange portions substantially in alignment with said pressure plates, said input assembly further including a plurality of chordally disposed elongated flexible drive straps connected between said flange portions of said drive housing and respective pressure plates providing parallel and independent driving means for dividing the torque transmitted from said drive housing among said pressure plates.

Claim 3

A torque transmitting device according to claim 1 in which said input assembly includes a flywheel secured to said drive housing, a terminal pressure plate axially-spaced from said flywheel and an intermediate pressure plate disposed between said flywheel and said terminal pressure plate, said torque transmitting device having separating means for axially shifting said pressure plates away from frictional engagement with said friction plates defining a disengaged condition, said separating means including a compound cam having a pivotal mounting on said intermediate pressure plate including a pair of camming surfaces extending oppositely substantially equidistant from said pivotal mounting, one of said camming surfaces extending into close proximity with said flywheel and the other of said camming surfaces extending into close proximity with said terminal pressure plate, said cam exerting separating thrust on said flywheel, said intermediate pressure plate and said terminal pressure plate in response to pivotal movement thereof, providing substantially equal axial spacing between said flywheel and intermediate pressure plate and between said intermediate pressure plate and said terminal pressure plate in said disengaged condition.

Claim 4

A torque transmitting device according to claim 2 in which said separating means includes a compound spiral wound spring connected between said intermediate pressure plate and said cam, said spring having a midportion secured to said intermediate pressure plate and a pair of resilient end portions bearing against said cam, each of said resilient end portions biasing said cam for pivotal movement with respect to said intermediate pressure plate.