Friction clutch, especially for motor vehicles

Claim 1

Friction clutch comprising a housing, a pair of torquetransmitting friction discs disposed in said housing, a respective pressure plate located adjacent each of said friction discs, lever means operatively connected to said pressure plates said lever means comprising respective lever systems for each of said pressure plates, said lever systems being actuable substantially in parallel by a common member movable in an axial direction of the clutch for lifting both of said pressure plates, said lever means being adapted to effect a substantially simultaneously instituted, oppositely directed displacement of said pressure plates, said common member being an annular compression member, and at least one of said lever systems has levers formed with support Locations at the ends thereof, said compression member being resiliently biased into engagement with said support locations, said pressure plates having friction surfaces facing away from one another and being formed with annular seats on respective surfaces thereof facing toward one another, a plate spring disposed between said pressure plates and engaging said annular seats, said housing being securable to a flywheel and being formed with a reaction surface engageable by one of said friction discs, the flywheel having a reaction surface engageable by the other of said friction discs, and means for rotationally entraining said pressure plates, both of said friction discs having respective hubs mountable on a single driven member for transmitting torque thereto.