Overrunning clutch with centering means and unit handled subassembly therefor

Claim 2

A unit handled subassembly for an overrunning clutch having a first race with a circumferential surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cams thereon, a second race with a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race and a complement of rollers engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface comprising, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal, said cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced windows individually receiving said rollers and a plurality of key slots opening into said windows, a plurality of bearing blocks extending through said windows and said key slots, said bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces which are adapted to engage said circumferential surface and said cylindrical surface respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, keys on said bearing blocks extending from one of said bearing surfaces to enlarged portions forming ledges which overlap said key slots on the side of said cage remote from said one bearing surface on said bearing blocks whereby said bearing blocks are insertable into said key slots in a generally radial direction, roller engaging surfaces on said bearing blocks, axial groove means in said bearing blocks opening away from said roller engaging surfaces, said axial groove means being aligned with portions on said cage adjacent said key slots when said bearing blocks have said key portions disposed in said key slots and said ledges engaging said cage whereby said bearing blocks are indexable to an interlock position where said axial groove means receive portions of said cage adjacent said key slots, and a plurality of springs mounted on said cage and engaging said rollers, said springs biasing said rollers into said roller engaging surfaces on said bearing blocks and maintaining said bearing blocks in said interlock position in the absence of said races whereby said rollers, springs, cage and bearinG blocks are a unit handled subassembly.

Claim 3

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a first race having a circumferential surface which includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced cams interposed with a plurality of parti-cylindrical surfaces, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumfereNtial surface on said first race, a complement of rollers engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal, said cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced windows individually receiving said rollers and a plurality of key slots converging toward and opening into said windows, a plurality of low friction, molded bearing blocks extending through said windows and key slots, said bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces engaging said particylindrical surfaces and said cylindrical surface respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, means to cause said cage to remain stationary with respect to said first race when said clutch is overrunning, and said bearing blocks having keys disposed in said key slots which maintain said bearing blocks in engagement with said parti-cylindrical surfaces when said first race is overrunning.

Claim 4

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a first race having a circumferential surface which includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced cams interposed with a plurality of parti-cylindrical surfaces, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumfereNtial surface on said first race, a complement of rollers engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal, said cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced windows individually receiving said rollers and a plurality of key slots converging toward and opening into said windows, a plurality of low friction, molded bearing blocks extending through said windows and key slots, said bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces engaging said particylindrical surfaces and said cylindrical surface respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, means to cause said cage to remain stationary with respect to said first race when said clutch is overrunning, and said bearing blocks having keys disposed in said key slots which maintain said bearing blocks in engagement with said parti-cylindrical surfaces when said first race is overrunning.

Claim 5

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a first race with a circumferential surface having circumferentially spaced cams thereon, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars comprising angled first and second generally flat portions, said second portions sloping toward one of said races, a plurality of pairs of spaced integral side pieces connecting said first portions on said cross bars to said second portions on adjacent cross bars to form windows between said cross bars, a complement of rollers individually disposed in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, springs mounted on said first portions of said cross bars and engaging said rollers, slots in said second portions of said cross bars opening into said windows, and a plurality of bearing blocks extending through said slots and said windows, said bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces which engage said circumferential and cylindrical surfaces respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, said bearing blocks having spaced groove means sloping toward said one race, said second portions having margins adjacent said slots disposed in said groove means limiting the circumferential movement of said bearing blocks with respect to said cage to the small extent determined by the fit between said margins and said spaced groove means when said cage is disposed between said races whereby said bearing blocks are substantially fixed on said cage and said cage is substantially centered on said bearing blocks.

Claim 6

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a first race with a circumferential surface having circumferentially spaced cams thereon, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars comprising angled first and second generally flat portions, said second portions sloping toward one of said races, a plurality of pairs of spaced integral side pieces connecting said first portions on said cross bars to said second portions on adjacent cross bars to form windows between said cross bars, a complement of rollers individually disposed in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, springs mounted on said first portions of said cross bars and engaging said rollers, slots in said second portions of said cross bars opening into said windows, and a plurality of bearing blocks extending through said slots and said windows, said bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces which engage said circumferential and cylindrical surfaces respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, said bearing blocks having spaced groove means sloping toward said one race, said second portions having margins adjacent said slots disposed in said groove means limiting the circumferential movement of said bearing blocks with respect to said cage to the small extent determined by the fit between said margins and said spaced groove means when said cage is disposed between said races whereby said bearing blocks are substantially fixed on said cage and said cage is substantially centered on said bearing blocks.

Claim 7

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a firSt race with a circumferential surface having circumferentially spaced cams thereon, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars, side pieces connecting said cross bars to form roller windows receiving a complement of rollers individually disposed in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, springs mounted on said cross bars and extending into one end of said windows into engagement with said rollers, key slots in said cross bars opening into the opposite end of said windows, a plurality of bearing blocks extending through said windows, said bearing blocks being of substantially the same width as said windows and having radially spaced bearing surfaces which engage said circumferential and cylindrical surfaces respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, ledges on said bearing blocks, keys on said bearing blocks extending from one of said bearing surfaces to said ledges on said bearing blocks, said keys being disposed in said key slots and limiting the circumferential movement of said bearing blocks into Said windows, said ledges overlying said key slots and engaging the margins of said key slots on the side remote from said one bearing surface, and circumferentially spaced axial grooves in said bearing blocks, said grooves having surfaces coplanar with said ledges and embracing said cross bars.

Claim 8

An overrunning roller clutch comprising, a firSt race with a circumferential surface having circumferentially spaced cams thereon, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars, side pieces connecting said cross bars to form roller windows receiving a complement of rollers individually disposed in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface, springs mounted on said cross bars and extending into one end of said windows into engagement with said rollers, key slots in said cross bars opening into the opposite end of said windows, a plurality of bearing blocks extending through said windows, said bearing blocks being of substantially the same width as said windows and having radially spaced bearing surfaces which engage said circumferential and cylindrical surfaces respectively to center one of said races on the other of said races, ledges on said bearing blocks, keys on said bearing blocks extending from one of said bearing surfaces to said ledges on said bearing blocks, said keys being disposed in said key slots and limiting the circumferential movement of said bearing blocks into Said windows, said ledges overlying said key slots and engaging the margins of said key slots on the side remote from said one bearing surface, and circumferentially spaced axial grooves in said bearing blocks, said grooves having surfaces coplanar with said ledges and embracing said cross bars.

Claim 9

An overrunning clutch comprising, a first race having a circumferential surface including a plurality of cams having shoulders contiguous with one end thereof and parti-cylindrical surfaces contiguous with the other end thereof, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race with an annular space therebetween, the space between said cams and said cylindrical surface diminishing from said one end of said cams to said other end of said cams, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal disposed between said races, said cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars comprising angled first and second generally flat portions, a plurality of pairs of spaced bent-up integral side pieces connecting said first angled portions of said cross bars to said second angled portions of adjacent cross bars to form roller receiving windows, projections on said side pieces engaging said shoulders on said first race, key slots in said second portions of said cross bars opening into said windows, said second portions sloping toward one of said races, a plurality of bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces engaging said parti-cylindrical surfaces and said cylindrical surface respectively, said bearing blocks having keys extending from one of said bearing surfaces to a ledge sloping toward said one race, said key portions being disposed in said key slots and said ledge overlying said key slots on the side of said cage remote from said one race, wings on said bearing blocks disposed in said windows, spaced axial groove means in said wings and said keys respectively, said spaced axial groove means having sloping surfaces coplanar with said ledge and surfaces parallel thereto, said second portions of said cross bars having margins adjacent said key slots disposed in said spaced axial groove means and engaging said ledge whereby said bearing blocks are circumferentially spaced by said cage and center said cage between said races, and a plurality of rollers individually received in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface on said races, springs mounted on said first portions of said cross bars, said springs engaging said rollers and urging them toward said bearing blocks.

Claim 10

An overrunning clutch comprising, a first race having a circumferential surface including a plurality of cams having shoulders contiguous with one end thereof and parti-cylindrical surfaces contiguous with the other end thereof, a second race having a cylindrical surface confronting said circumferential surface on said first race with an annular space therebetween, the space between said cams and said cylindrical surface diminishing from said one end of said cams to said other end of said cams, an annular cage wound from a strip of sheet metal disposed between said races, said cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cross bars comprising angled first and second generally flat portions, a plurality of pairs of spaced bent-up integral side pieces connecting said first angled portions of said cross bars to said second angled portions of adjacent cross bars to form roller receiving windows, projections on said side pieces engaging said shoulders on said first race, key slots in said second portions of said cross bars opening into said windows, said second portions sloping toward one of said races, a plurality of bearing blocks having radially spaced bearing surfaces engaging said parti-cylindrical surfaces and said cylindrical surface respectively, said bearing blocks having keys extending from one of said bearing surfaces to a ledge sloping toward said one race, said key portions being disposed in said key slots and said ledge overlying said key slots on the side of said cage remote from said one race, wings on said bearing blocks disposed in said windows, spaced axial groove means in said wings and said keys respectively, said spaced axial groove means having sloping surfaces coplanar with said ledge and surfaces parallel thereto, said second portions of said cross bars having margins adjacent said key slots disposed in said spaced axial groove means and engaging said ledge whereby said bearing blocks are circumferentially spaced by said cage and center said cage between said races, and a plurality of rollers individually received in said windows and engaging said cams and said cylindrical surface on said races, springs mounted on said first portions of said cross bars, said springs engaging said rollers and urging them toward said bearing blocks.