Counterweighted torque transmitting mechanism

Claim 2

A torque transmitting device for coupling relatively rotatable first and second assemblies to one another, said device including a first assembly having a relatively rotatable frame; said frame being generally cylindrical and U-shaped in cross sectional configuration, said frame including first and second circular side plates and an annular rim secured therebetween, coupling means disposed for radial movement with respect to said frame for engaging said second relatively rotatable assembly, said coupling means including a plurality of shoe assemblies circumferentially spaced in equal increments around said frame, each shoe assembly being defined as an arcuately-extended segmented shoe block and a facing of friction material is secured to said shoe block, each assembly further having a central opening axially extending therethrough, actuating means engaging said coupling means to cause said radial movement thereof and a counterweight arrangement for said device, said counterweight arrangement comprising: mounting means affixed to said frame, said mounting means including a torque bar extending through said opening and secured at its ends to the sides of said frame; a first and a second counterweight pivotable about said mounting means and configured to define a forward end extending on one side of said mounting means and a rearward end extending on the opposite side of said mounting means, said forward ends exerting greater leverage about said mounting means than said rearward ends when said first assembly is rotating, said first counterweight having its forward end extending in a direction opposite said forward end of said second counterweight, each counterweight having an opening axially extending therethrough to receive said torque bar whereby each counterweight is positioned between an axial end face of said shoe assembly and the interior surface of one of said side plates; and force transmitting means affixed to said coupling means and operatively engaged with said rearward end of said counterweight to exert said leverage on said coupling means whereby said counterweight exerts a force tending to counteract the undesirable effects of centrifugal force exerted by said coupling means.

Claim 3

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said force transmitting means interact With said shoe blocks to substantially prevent axially movement of said shoe assemblies relative to said frame.

Claim 4

The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said force transmitting means and said shoe blocks interact by means of interdigitating projections.

Claim 5

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said frame opens inwardly, said actuating means includes a fluid distensible, annular tube between said rim and said shoe block inflatable to bias each shoe assembly radially inwardly, said mounting means further including spring means within said central opening biasing said shoe block against said torque bar, said shoe block having first and second axially-extending openings disposed on each side of said central opening, and said force transmitting means further including a lateral projection extending from said rearward end into one of said first and second openings.

Claim 6

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said frame opens outwardly, said actuating means includes a fluid distensible, annular tube between said rim and shoe block, inflatable to bias each shoe assembly radially outwardly into frictional contact with said driven member, said mounting means further including spring means within said central opening biasing said shoe block against said torque bar, and said force transmitting means further includes a pin extending from each axial end face of said shoe assembly and a slot at the rearward end of each counterweight receiving said pin, each pin at each end face being an equal distance from said central opening.

Claim 7

A fluid-actuated, torque transmitting device comprising two relatively rotatable structures adapted to be in selective torque-sustaining frictional engagement with each other and arranged one inside the other, the outer of said structures comprising: a relatively rotatable frame; said frame including a pair of circular, parallel side plates secured at their outer ends to an annular rim; an inflatable annular tube within said frame; a plurality of arcuate, segmented shoe assemblies movable radially-inwardly into engagement with said inner structure upon inflation of said tube, said shoe assemblies comprising a shoe block having a central opening extending axially therethrough, a first axially-extending opening disposed on one side of said central opening, a second axially-extending opening disposed on the other side of said shoe and an arcuate facing of friction material secured to the bottom of said block; bar means affixed to said frame for securing said shoe assemblies for movement with respect to said frame, said bar means includes a torque bar for each shoe assembly secured to said side plates and extending through said central opening and a spring within said opening biasing said shoe assembly outwardly against said torque bar; and counterweight means secured to and pivotable about said bar means to exert a radially-inwardly force to said shoe assemblies upon rotation of said frame, said counterweight means including a counterweight positioned between each axial end face of each shoe block and the inner surface of each side plate to define two counterweights for each friction shoe assembly, each counterweight having an aperture therein receiving said torque bar for pivotable movement thereabout, a first portion of given mass on one side of said aperture and a second portion on the other side of said aperture of mass greater than said first portion, a laterally-extending projection from the second portion extending into one of said first and second openings and adapted to cammingly engage said shoe block upon rotation of said frame, both counterweights in each shoe assembly orientated to extend in opposite directions from each other, said projection for one of said counterweights extending into said first opening and said projection for the other counterweight extending into said second opening at equal distances from the axial centerline of said shoe assembly.

Claim 8

A fluid-actuated, torque transmitting device comprising two relatively rotatable structures adapted to be in selective torque-sustaining frictional engagement with each other and arranged one inside the other, the outer of said structures comprising: a relatively rotatable frame; said frame including a pair of circular, parallel side plates secured at their outer ends to an annular rim; an inflatable annular tube within said frame; a plurality of arcuate, segmented shoe assemblies movable radially-inwardly into engagement with said inner structure upon inflation of said tube, said shoe assemblies comprising a shoe block having a central opening extending axially therethrough, a first axially-extending opening disposed on one side of said central opening, a second axially-extending opening disposed on the other side of said shoe and an arcuate facing of friction material secured to the bottom of said block; bar means affixed to said frame for securing said shoe assemblies for movement with respect to said frame, said bar means includes a torque bar for each shoe assembly secured to said side plates and extending through said central opening and a spring within said opening biasing said shoe assembly outwardly against said torque bar; and counterweight means secured to and pivotable about said bar means to exert a radially-inwardly force to said shoe assemblies upon rotation of said frame, said counterweight means including a counterweight positioned between each axial end face of each shoe block and the inner surface of each side plate to define two counterweights for each friction shoe assembly, each counterweight having an aperture therein receiving said torque bar for pivotable movement thereabout, a first portion of given mass on one side of said aperture and a second portion on the other side of said aperture of mass greater than said first portion, a laterally-extending projection from the second portion extending into one of said first and second openings and adapted to cammingly engage said shoe block upon rotation of said frame, both counterweights in each shoe assembly orientated to extend in opposite directions from each other, said projection for one of said counterweights extending into said first opening and said projection for the other counterweight extending into said second opening at equal distances from the axial centerline of said shoe assembly.

Claim 9

The device of clAim 6 wherein said shoe block is a casting having a radially inner circumferentially extending wall, a radially outer circumferentially extending wall and contiguous sidewalls between said inner and outer walls, and said lateral projection having an arcuate bottom arcuate surface maintaining said surface normal to said radially inner wall when and as said shoe block moves radially-inwardly upon inflation of said tube as said frame rotates.

Claim 10

The device of claim 6 wherein the bottom portion of each side plate is scalloped in sinusoidal curve form, the lowermost portions of said curves for both plates adjacent said central opening and the uppermost portions of said curves adjacent said first and second openings to provide ventilation therethrough, said second portion of said counterweight sized to extend less than the distance of said first and second openings.

Claim 11

The device of claim 8 wherein a boss is formed on the side of each counterweight adjacent a side plate, a first tolerance is defined between the axial length of said counterweight of said boss portion and the space between said axial end of said shoe assembly and the interior surface of said lowermost portion of said side plates, a second tolerance is defined between said aperture in said counterweight and said torque bar extending therethrough, a third tolerance is defined between the axial length of said counterweight at said forward end and the space between said axial end face of said shoe assembly and the interior surface of said uppermost portion of said side plate, and said second tolerance being less than said first tolerance and said first tolerance being less than said third tolerance to prevent said counterweight from bearing against the uppermost portion of said plate during pivotal movement.

Claim 12

A fluid-actuated torque transmitting device comprising two relatively rotatable structures adapted to be in torque sustaining frictional engagement with each other and arranged one inside the other, the inner one of said structures comprising: a relatively rotatable frame; said frame including a pair of circular, parallel side plate portions and an annular rim portion secured to said side plate portions at their outer ends; an inflatable annular tube within said frame; a plurality of arcuate, segmented shoe assemblies movable radially outwardly into engagement with the outer structure upon inflation of said tube, said shoe assemblies including a segmented, arcuate backing plate and a segmented, arcuate facing of friction material secured to the outer surface of said backing plate, said friction material having a central opening extending therethrough; bar means affixed to said frame for securing said shoe assemblies for said radial movement with respect to said frame, said bar means including a torque bar for each shoe assembly secured to said side plates and extending through said central opening and a spring within said opening biasing said shoe assembly inwardly against said torque bar; and counterweight means secured to and pivotable about said bar means to exert a radially-inwardly force to said shoe assemblies upon rotation of said frame, said counterweight means including a first force receiving member extending from an axial end face of said facing, a second force receiving member extending from the opposite axial end face of said facing, each force receiving member spaced laterally in opposite directions from each other at equal distance from the axial centerline of said shoe assembly, and a counterweight positioned between each axial end face of each shoe assembly and the inner surface of each side plate portion to define two counterweights for each shoe assembly; each counterweight having an aperture therein receiving said torque bar for pivotable movement thereabout, a first portion of given mass on one side of said aperture and a second portion on the other side of said aperture of mass greater thaN said first portion, a groove within the rearward portion of said counterweight and adapted to cammingly engage said force member upon rotation of said frame; and both counterweights in each shoe assembly orientated to extend in opposite directions from each other, said groove in one of said counterweights receiving said first force member and said groove in the other counterweight receiving said second force member.

Claim 13

A fluid-actuated torque transmitting device comprising two relatively rotatable structures adapted to be in torque sustaining frictional engagement with each other and arranged one inside the other, the inner one of said structures comprising: a relatively rotatable frame; said frame including a pair of circular, parallel side plate portions and an annular rim portion secured to said side plate portions at their outer ends; an inflatable annular tube within said frame; a plurality of arcuate, segmented shoe assemblies movable radially outwardly into engagement with the outer structure upon inflation of said tube, said shoe assemblies including a segmented, arcuate backing plate and a segmented, arcuate facing of friction material secured to the outer surface of said backing plate, said friction material having a central opening extending therethrough; bar means affixed to said frame for securing said shoe assemblies for said radial movement with respect to said frame, said bar means including a torque bar for each shoe assembly secured to said side plates and extending through said central opening and a spring within said opening biasing said shoe assembly inwardly against said torque bar; and counterweight means secured to and pivotable about said bar means to exert a radially-inwardly force to said shoe assemblies upon rotation of said frame, said counterweight means including a first force receiving member extending from an axial end face of said facing, a second force receiving member extending from the opposite axial end face of said facing, each force receiving member spaced laterally in opposite directions from each other at equal distance from the axial centerline of said shoe assembly, and a counterweight positioned between each axial end face of each shoe assembly and the inner surface of each side plate portion to define two counterweights for each shoe assembly; each counterweight having an aperture therein receiving said torque bar for pivotable movement thereabout, a first portion of given mass on one side of said aperture and a second portion on the other side of said aperture of mass greater thaN said first portion, a groove within the rearward portion of said counterweight and adapted to cammingly engage said force member upon rotation of said frame; and both counterweights in each shoe assembly orientated to extend in opposite directions from each other, said groove in one of said counterweights receiving said first force member and said groove in the other counterweight receiving said second force member.