Clutch with engine oil cooling

Claim 1

An engine/clutch combination including an engine crankshaft, a flywheel secured to the crankshaft, a clutch housing secured to the flywheel for rotation therewith, a fixed clutch casing enveloping the combined flywheel and clutch housing, a driven shaft co-axial with the crankshaft, at least one clutch plate mounted on the driven shaft within the combined flywheel and clutch housing, an axially movable pressure plate within the combined flywheel and clutch housing between which pressure plate and the flywheel the clutch plate can be frictionally engaged, an engine lubricating oil conduit in the crankshaft, means supplying oil under pressure to the conduit from a sump, an orifice in that end of the crankshaft adjacent the driven shaft which communicates with the conduit and is co-axial with the crankshaft, an axial bore in that end of the driven shaft adjacent the crankshaft for receiving a jet of oil from the orifice, at least one radial hole in the driven shaft communicating with the bore therein for centrifugally directing oil to a chamber bounded by said flywheel and said clutch plate, at least one peripheral drain aperture in the combined flywheel and clutch housing to permit oil to pass from said chamber over said clutch plate and thence directly from the periphery of said housing directly to said casing, and an opening between the bottom of the clutch casing and the engine sump to permit oil to return to the latter.