Self-synchronizing clutch

Claim 2

A synchronizing clutch mechanism comprising: a. a rotatable drive member; b. a rotatable driven member; c. friction clutch means; d. pressure means for engaging said friction clutch means for frictionally coupling said drive and driven members; e. positive dental clutch means connected in parallel with said friction clutch means; f. said dental clutch means including first and second ring gear means, having respectively internal teeth and external teeth adapted to be intermeshed when axially aligned; g. means connecting one of said ring gear means to one of said rotatable members and the other to the other of said rotatable members; said connecting means including: g-1. an axially slidable shift member; g-2. means including radially disposed rod members driven rotationally by said one of said rotational members and connecting said one of said ring gear means to said slidable shift member; g-3. means for shifting axially said slidable shift member; g-4. and means, including helical gear means, for moving said one ring gear means rotationally in response to axial sliding movement of said shift member, thereby to align the gear teeth of said first and second ring gear means for intermeshing engagement.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that: a. said one ring gear means comprises an inner ring gear having external helical teeth and an outer sleeve gear having internal helical teeth engaged with the helical teeth of said inner ring gear, said outer sleeve gear having external teeth for engagement with the internal teeth of said other ring gear means.

Claim 4

Apparatus accordiNg to claim 2 characterized in that said radially disposed rod members connect said inner ring gear to said slidable shift member.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 characterized in that said shifting means includes fluid-pressure-actuated piston means, and bearing means connecting said piston means to said slidable shift member.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that wedge-lock means are provided on said piston means to prevent said piston means from backing off in response to torque reversal thrust forces when said first and second ring gear means of said dental clutch are engaged.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in the provision of: a. means for detecting the relative rotational speeds of said drive and driven members and for developing an electrical difference signal which is a function of the difference in the said speed; b. means responsive to said difference signal for actuating said piston means for moving said slidable shift member axially thereby to slide said one ring gear means axially relative to said other ring gear means.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 characterized in the provision of: a. disc brake means including a disc and friction pads; b. means coupling the disc to one of said rotatable member; c. piston means for controlling the engagement of said brake means with said friction pads.

Claim 9

A synchronizing clutch mechanism comprising: a. first and second rotatable means, one of which functions as the drive means and the other as the driven means; b. friction clutch means for coupling together said first and second rotatable means for bringing the driven means up to a rotational speed approaching that of the drive means; c. an internally toothed ring gear connected to said first rotatable means and connectable to said second rotatable means through said friction clutch; d. positive dental clutch means connected to said second rotatable means, said dental clutch means including; d-1. a first ring gear slidably mounted on said second rotatable means and having external helical teeth; d-2. a sleeve ring gear encircling said first ring gear and having internal helical teeth in mesh with the helical teeth of said first ring gear; e. slidable shift means including fluid operated piston means; f. means, including a plurality of radial pins, connecting said shift means to said first ring gear for slidingly shifting said first ring gear axially relative to said second rotatable means; g. said sleeve ring gear being adapted to move both rotationally and axially in response to axial shifting of said first ring gear; h. said sleeve ring gear having external gear teeth adapted, when said first ring gear is slidingly shifted, to be carried into intermeshing engagement with the internal gear teeth of said ring gear connected to said first rotatable means.

Claim 10

A synchronizing clutch mechanism comprising: a. first and second rotatable means, one of which functions as the drive means and the other as the driven means; b. friction clutch means for coupling together said first and second rotatable means for bringing the driven means up to a rotational speed approaching that of the drive means; c. an internally toothed ring gear connected to said first rotatable means and connectable to said second rotatable means through said friction clutch; d. positive dental clutch means connected to said second rotatable means, said dental clutch means including; d-1. a first ring gear slidably mounted on said second rotatable means and having external helical teeth; d-2. a sleeve ring gear encircling said first ring gear and having internal helical teeth in mesh with the helical teeth of said first ring gear; e. slidable shift means including fluid operated piston means; f. means, including a plurality of radial pins, connecting said shift means to said first ring gear for slidingly shifting said first ring gear axially relative to said second rotatable means; g. said sleeve ring gear being adapted to move both rotationally and axially in response to axial shifting of said first ring gear; h. said sleeve ring gear having external gear teeth adapted, when said first ring gear is slidingly shifted, to be carried into intermeshing engagement with the internal gear teeth of said ring gear connected to said first rotatable means.

Claim 11

A synchronizing clutch mechanism comprising: a. a rotatable input member; b. a rotatable output member; c. friction clutch means for interconnecting said input and output members; d. positive clutch means connected in parallel with said friction clutch means for interconnecting said input and output members; e. said positive clutch means including a pair of ring gear means, one having external teeth and the other internal teeth; f. means mounting one of said ring gear means for sliding axial movement relative to the other; g. said one ring gear means comprising an inner ring gear having helical external teeth and an outer sleeve gear having internal helical teeth intermeshed with the external helical teeth of said inner ring gear; h. said mounting means including a plurality of radial members interconnecting said inner ring gear with one of said rotatable members.

Claim 12

A synchronizing clutch mechanism comprising: a. a rotatable input member; b. a rotatable output member; c. friction clutch means for interconnecting said input and output members; d. positive clutch means connected in parallel with said friction clutch means for interconnecting said input and output members; e. said positive clutch means including a pair of ring gear means, one having external teeth and the other internal teeth; f. means mounting one of said ring gear means for sliding axial movement relative to the other; g. said one ring gear means comprising an inner ring gear having helical external teeth and an outer sleeve gear having internal helical teeth intermeshed with the external helical teeth of said inner ring gear; h. said mounting means including a plurality of radial members interconnecting said inner ring gear with one of said rotatable members.