Fluid cooled clutch

Claim 2

A liquid cooled friction clutch system including a rotatable driving member connected to a prime mover; a driven member adapted to be connected to an output shaft; friction surfaces carried by said driven member; a cover plate assembly connected to said driving member; a housing enclosing said driving and driven members; pressure applying means drivingly associated with said cover plate assembly and adapted to place said driven member into engagement with said driving member; resilient means associated with said pressure applying means adapted to normally urge said driving and driven members into engagement; a nonrotatable support member carried by said housing; nonrotatable releasing means coaxial with said output shaft and axially slidable on said nonrotatable support member, said releasing means adapted to disengage said driving and driven members; a fluid reservoir adapted to contain a cooling fluid; a first fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said reservoir to said friction surfaces; pumping means comprising a fluid conduit having an inlet end in communication with an inner periphery of said cover plate assembly, and an outlet end connected to said releasing means whereby said pumping means is effective to circulate cooling fluid through the system; a second fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said pumping means to said fluid reservoir.

Claim 3

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including fluid cooling means disposed in one of said fluid circuits.

Claim 4

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in said system operative to block fluid flow from said pump means until a predetermined pressure is generated by said pumping means in said system.

Claim 5

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in communication with said first fluid circuit operative to block communication between said fluid reservoir and said friction surfaces in the absence of relative rotation between said driving member and said pumping means.

Claim 6

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in communication with said second fluid circuit operative to block communication between said pumping means and said fluid reservoir in the absence of relative rotation between said driving member and said pumping means.

Claim 7

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in communication with said first and second fluid circuits adapted to block communication between said fluid reservoir and said friction surfaces and between said pumping means and said fluid reservoir in the absence of relative rotation between said driving means and said pumping means.

Claim 8

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including a control orifice associated with said First fluid circuit, said orifice adapted to control the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces.

Claim 9

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 3 in which said valve means is carried by said releasing means.

Claim 10

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 3 in which said valve means is carried by said nonrotatable support member.

Claim 11

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 3 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 12

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 6 in which said valve means is carried by said releasing means.

Claim 13

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 6 in which said valve means is carried by said nonrotatable support member.

Claim 14

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 6 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 15

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 4 including means in one of said fluid circuits to selectively bypass said valve means.

Claim 16

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in communication with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits adapted to limit the fluid pressure in said circuit to a predetermined maximum and to thereby limit the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 17

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 15 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 18

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including valve means in communication with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits adapted to limit the fluid pressure in said system to a predetermined maximum, and including a control orifice associated with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits whereby said valve means in conjunction with said control orifice limit the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 19

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 1 including vent means disposed between an inside of said cover plate assembly and an outside of said cover plate assembly adapted to equalize the pressure therebetween.

Claim 20

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 18 in which said vent means is carried by said nonrotatable releasing means.

Claim 21

A liquid cooled friction clutch system including a rotatable driving member connected to a prime mover; a driven member adapted to be connected to an output shaft; friction surfaces carried by said driven member; a cover plate assembly connected to said driving member, said cover plate assembly and said driving member forming a sealed rotatable chamber; a housing enclosing said rotatable chamber, said housing being of the dry-sump type; pressure applying means drivingly associated with said cover plate assembly and adapted to place said driven member into engagement with said driving member; resilient means associated with said pressure applying means adapted to normally urge said driving and driven members into engagement; a nonrotatable support member carried by said housing; nonrotatable releasing means coaxial with said output shaft and axially slidable on said nonrotatable support member, said releasing means adapted to disengage said driving and driven members; a fluid reservoir adapted to contain a cooling fluid; a first fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said reservoir to said friction surfaces; pumping means comprising a fluid conduit having an inlet end within said rotatable chamber in communication with an inner periphery of said cover plate assembly, and an outlet end connected to said releasing means whereby said pumping means is effective to circulate cooling fluid through the system; a second fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said pumping means to said fluid reservoir.

Claim 22

A liquid cooled friction clutch system including a rotatable driving member connected to a prime mover; a driven member adapted to be connected to an output shaft; friction surfaces carried by said driven member; a cover plate assembly connected to said driving member, said cover plate assembly and said driving member forming a sealed rotatable chamber; a housing enclosing said rotatable chamber, said housing being of the dry-sump type; pressure applying means drivingly associated with said cover plate assembly and adapted to place said driven member into engagement with said driving member; resilient means associated with said pressure applying means adapted to normally urge said driving and driven members into engagement; a nonrotatable support member carried by said housing; nonrotatable releasing means coaxial with said output shaft and axially slidable on said nonrotatable support member, said releasing means adapted to disengage said driving and driven members; a fluid reservoir adapted to contain a cooling fluid; a first fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said reservoir to said friction surfaces; pumping means comprising a fluid conduit having an inlet end within said rotatable chamber in communication with an inner periphery of said cover plate assembly, and an outlet end connected to said releasing means whereby said pumping means is effective to circulate cooling fluid through the system; a second fluid circuit adapted to communicate cooling fluid from said pumping means to said fluid reservoir.

Claim 23

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including fluid cooling means disposed in one of Said fluid circuits.

Claim 24

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in said system operative to block fluid flow from said pump means until a predetermined pressure is generated by said pumping means in said system.

Claim 25

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in communication with said first fluid circuit operative to block communication between said fluid reservoir and said friction surfaces in the absence of relative rotation between said driving members and said pumping means.

Claim 26

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in communication with said second fluid circuit operative to block communication with between said pumping means and said fluid reservoir in the absence of relative rotation between said driving member and said pumping means.

Claim 27

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in communication with said first and second fluid circuits adapted to block communication between said fluid reservoir and said friction surfaces and between said pumping means and said fluid reservoir in the absence of relative rotation between said driving means and said pumping means.

Claim 28

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including a control orifice associated with said first fluid circuit, said orifice adapted to control the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces.

Claim 29

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 22 in which said valve means is carried by said releasing means.

Claim 30

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 22 in which said valve means is carried by said nonrotatable support member.

Claim 31

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 22 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 32

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 25 in which said valve means is carried by said releasing means.

Claim 33

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 25 in which said valve means is carried by said nonrotatable support member.

Claim 34

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 25 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 35

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 23 including means in one of said fluid circuits to selectively bypass said valve means.

Claim 36

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in communication with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits adapted to limit the fluid pressure in said circuit to a predetermined maximum and to thereby limit the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 37

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 34 in which said valve means is associated with said fluid reservoir.

Claim 38

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including valve means in communication with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits adapted to limit the fluid pressure in said system to a predetermined maximum, and including a control orifice associated with at least one of said first and second fluid circuits whereby said valve means in conjunction with said control orifice limit the flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir to said friction surfaces to a predetermined maximum.

Claim 39

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 20 including vent means disposed between an inside and an outside of said sealed rotatable chamber adapted to equalize the pressure therebetween.

Claim 40

A liquid cooled friction clutch system as in claim 37 in which said vent means is carried by said nonrotatable releasing means.