Electromagnetic spring-wound clutch

Claim 2

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted as a unit around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and each of said two coil springs having one end thereof drivingly connected to oppositely disposed portions of said driven member, a pair of abutting clutch armature discs respectively operatively connected to oppositely disposed portions of the other ends of said two coil springs so as to be rotatable therewith and axially movable as a unit relative thereto, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said adjacent clutch armature disc and said coil housing, said coil when energized drawing said pair of abutting clutch armature discs axially into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially restraining said other end of said spring assembly and causing said spRing assembly to grippingly engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 3

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a pair of abutting clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and an axially extending lip portion, an opening formed in each of said axially extending lip portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 4

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a pair of abutting clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and an axially extending lip portion, an opening formed in each of said axially extending lip portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 5

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a radial pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, a plurality of circumferentially aligned arcuate slots formed in said radial pole member, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing having a radial wall portion adjacent said radial pole member both radially outwardly and radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including a pair of coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said output shaft hub member, and a pair of clutch armature disc members each including an axially extending lip portion extending beyond a portion of the other end of said coil-wound spring assembly and rotatable therewith while movable axially relative thereto, said radial pole member being located intermediate said coil housing and the adjacent clutch armature disc member of said pair of armature disc members, a first predetermined air space intermediate said coil housing and said radial pole member, a second predetermined air space intermediate said radial pole member and said adjacent clutch armature disc member, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members as a unit axially through said second air space so as to close said second air space and bring said adjacent clutch armature disc member into frictional contact with said radial pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while causing said pair of coil springs to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft, the flux path being from said coil housing across said first air space to said pole member radially outwardly of said arcuate slots, thence across said variable second air space to said pair of abutting clutch armature disc members and back across said variable second air space to said pole member radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, and across said first air space to said coil housing.

Claim 6

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a radial pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, a plurality of circumferentially aligned arcuate slots formed in said radial pole member, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing having a radial wall portion adjacent said radial pole member both radially outwardly and radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including a pair of coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said output shaft hub member, and a pair of clutch armature disc members each including an axially extending lip portion extending beyond a portion of the other end of said coil-wound spring assembly and rotatable therewith while movable axially relative thereto, said radial pole member being located intermediate said coil housing and the adjacent clutch armature disc member of said pair of armature disc members, a first predetermined air space intermediate said coil housing and said radial pole member, a second predetermined air space intermediate said radial pole member and said adjacent clutch armature disc member, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members as a unit axially through said second air space so as to close said second air space and bring said adjacent clutch armature disc member into frictional contact with said radial pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while causing said pair of coil springs to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft, the flux path being from said coil housing across said first air space to said pole member radially outwardly of said arcuate slots, thence across said variable second air space to said pair of abutting clutch armature disc members and back across said variable second air space to said pole member radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, and across said first air space to said coil housing.

Claim 7

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub membeR, a pulley groove portion and a pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, said pole member including a radial wall portion and a cylindrical wall portion, an output shaft, an output hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a pair of oppositely disposed radial slots formed on an end of said output hub member, a stationary coil housing, said radial wall portion and said cylindrical wall portion each being located a predetermined air space apart from side and peripheral wall portions of said coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threaded together so as to form one unit, an inwardly extending tab formed on one end-loop of each spring of said two coil springs, an outwardly extending tab formed on the other end-loop of each spring of said two coil springs, said unit being mounted around adjacent portions of said input pulley hub member and said output hub member and having said inwardly extending tabs mounted in said radial slots of said output hub member, and a pair of abutting armature discs operatively connected to the other end of said coil-wound spring assembly and movable axially relative thereto, an axially extending lip formed adjacent the outer periphery of each of said armature discs, said lips being positioned so as to be oppositely disposed from one another, an opening formed in each of said lips, said outwardly extending tabs being mounted through said respective openings, said openings being sufficiently wide to permit lateral movement of said discs without laterally moving said outwardly extending tabs, said adjacent armature disc of said pair of discs being located a predetermined air space apart from said radial wall portion of said pole member, said coil when energized drawing said pair of armature discs axially through said last-mentioned air space into frictional contact with said radial wall portion of said pole member causing said two coil springs to wrap around said pulley hub member for rotation therewith to thereby rotate said output hub member and said output shaft with said pulley hub member.

Claim 8

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub membeR, a pulley groove portion and a pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, said pole member including a radial wall portion and a cylindrical wall portion, an output shaft, an output hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a pair of oppositely disposed radial slots formed on an end of said output hub member, a stationary coil housing, said radial wall portion and said cylindrical wall portion each being located a predetermined air space apart from side and peripheral wall portions of said coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threaded together so as to form one unit, an inwardly extending tab formed on one end-loop of each spring of said two coil springs, an outwardly extending tab formed on the other end-loop of each spring of said two coil springs, said unit being mounted around adjacent portions of said input pulley hub member and said output hub member and having said inwardly extending tabs mounted in said radial slots of said output hub member, and a pair of abutting armature discs operatively connected to the other end of said coil-wound spring assembly and movable axially relative thereto, an axially extending lip formed adjacent the outer periphery of each of said armature discs, said lips being positioned so as to be oppositely disposed from one another, an opening formed in each of said lips, said outwardly extending tabs being mounted through said respective openings, said openings being sufficiently wide to permit lateral movement of said discs without laterally moving said outwardly extending tabs, said adjacent armature disc of said pair of discs being located a predetermined air space apart from said radial wall portion of said pole member, said coil when energized drawing said pair of armature discs axially through said last-mentioned air space into frictional contact with said radial wall portion of said pole member causing said two coil springs to wrap around said pulley hub member for rotation therewith to thereby rotate said output hub member and said output shaft with said pulley hub member.

Claim 9

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof, first and second clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and an axially extending lip portion, a recess formed in a face of said second disc member for mounting therein of said first disc member, an arcuate slot formed in said second disc member oppositely disposed from said lip portion thereof for the extension therethrough of said lip portion of said first disc member, an opening formed in each of said axially extending lip portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, an additional pair of axially extending lip portions formed on said second disc member to serve as guides around said retaining cap, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of saId coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 10

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof, first and second clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and an axially extending lip portion, a recess formed in a face of said second disc member for mounting therein of said first disc member, an arcuate slot formed in said second disc member oppositely disposed from said lip portion thereof for the extension therethrough of said lip portion of said first disc member, an opening formed in each of said axially extending lip portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, an additional pair of axially extending lip portions formed on said second disc member to serve as guides around said retaining cap, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of saId coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 11

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof, a pair of identical abutting clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and a plurality of guide portions extending axially past an end portion of said retaining cap, an opening formed in one of each set of said plurality of axially extending guide portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs, a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof, a pair of identical abutting clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion and a plurality of guide portions extending axially past an end portion of said retaining cap, an opening formed in one of each set of said plurality of axially extending guide portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said annular portion of said adjacent clutch armature disc member and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said pair of clutch armature disc members axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 13

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis; a stationary coil housing; an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing; a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs; a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof; a pair of identical clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion; a plurality of guide portions extending axially past an end portion of said retaining cap, a broken portion formed in each of said annular portions oppositely disposed from a radial bend-portion formed in each of said annular portions, said broken portions and said radial bend-portion serving to permit said pair of disc members to be threadedly interconnected such that each face of the assembly includes half of each of said annular portions in the same plane, and an opening formed in one of each set of said plurality of axially extending guide portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs; and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said adjacent planar portion of said clutch armature disc member assembly and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said clutch armature disc member assembly axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said outwardly extending tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 14

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis; a stationary coil housing; an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing; a coil-wound spring assembly including two coil springs threadedly interconnected and mounted around adjacent portions of said driving and driven members and having one end thereof drivingly connected to said driven member and oppositely disposed outwardly extending tabs formed on the respective other ends of said two coil springs; a retaining cap secured to the end face of said driven member and extending axially across said two coil springs radially outwardly thereof; a pair of identical clutch armature disc members each including an annular portion; a plurality of guide portions extending axially past an end portion of said retaining cap, a broken portion formed in each of said annular portions oppositely disposed from a radial bend-portion formed in each of said annular portions, said broken portions and said radial bend-portion serving to permit said pair of disc members to be threadedly interconnected such that each face of the assembly includes half of each of said annular portions in the same plane, and an opening formed in one of each set of said plurality of axially extending guide portions for the respective extension therethrough of said outwardly extending tabs; and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said adjacent planar portion of said clutch armature disc member assembly and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said clutch armature disc member assembly axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring assembly while circumferentially contacting said outwardly extending tabs and thereby causing said spring assembly to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.