Combination motor-clutch apparatus

Claim 1

A combination motor-clutch assembly comprising: an electric motor having a rotor, a stator, a rotatable shaft mounting said rotor, and at least one end shield carrying a bearing means for said shaft; an electro-mechanical clutch positioned around said shaft adjacent said end shield and having a clutch input member driven from said shaft, a clutch output member mounted around said shaft and rotatable with respect to said shaft and an electromagnetic coil for inducing a magnetic field within said output member; a clutch cover supported from said end shield having coil mounting means associated therewith supporting said coil; said coil mounting means also serving as a flux path for the magnetic field produced by said coil to pass said flux to said output member; said output member being axially movable with respect to said input member to effect engagement and disengagement with said input member; a driven member rotatably mounted on said shaft for free rotation with respect to said shaft but constrained from axial movement relative to said shaft; connection means continuously providing a driving connection between said output member and said driven member while permitting axial movement of said output member relative to said driven member; said connection means comprises a plurality of drive pins rigidly carried by said driven member and extending toward said output member; said output member having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough; each of said connection means having an end formation thereon adapted to extend through a separate one of said apertures to drivingly engage said output member; said end formation being adaPted to permit the axial movement of said output member relative to said driven member; biasing means comprising a plurality of compression coil springs, each of said coil springs being concentrically positioned around a separate one of said drive pins between said output member and said driven member to normally bias said output member into driving engagement with said input member; and said electromagnetic coil being operative to overcome the operation of said biasing means and to move said output member axially to control the torque transmitted between said members and to effect disengagement of said members.