Energy storage assembly

Claim 1

A spring biased assembly comprising, a pair of relatively movable members having opposed annular surfaces disposed in spaced relation, said movable members constituting a pressure plate and a reaction abutment of a friction couple actuator, said friction couple actuator comprising a housing supporting a first friction element in relatively non-rotative relation thereto and a braking member supported in substantially coaxial relatively rotatable relation to said housing and drivingly supporting a second friction element for selective pressure engagement with said first friction element for retarding or preventing relative rotation between said housing and said braking member, a plurality of conical spring washers disposed in axially biasing relation between said annular surfaces and having a peripheral edge in load bearing relation to each of said annular surfaces, said purality of conical spring washers being serially disposed so as to form a generally V-shaped in cross section, said spring washers resiliently biasing said pressure plate in a selected direction with respect to said friction elements, and a pair of wear washers, one interposed between said spring washers and one of said annular surfaces and the other interposed between said spring washers and the other of said annular surfaces to provide replaceable wear surfaces, said wear washers each including a tubular stop portion of sufficient length to provide a predetermined space between the spaced ends of the washers when said conical spring washers are in an assembled compressed condition to provide a stop limiting movement of said members toward each other.