Fluid operated centrifugal clutch

Claim 2

A control system, for a rotating clutch, in an engine driven power train having a rotating housing providing a bore therein slidably receiving an actuating piston for engaging the clutch with the piston in the bore defining a radially inwardly open clutch actuatinG chamber within the housing, comprising; a source of relatively low pressure fluid; control valve means for infintely variably supplying said fluid to such chamber so that the actuating piston is biased in a direction to engage the clutch solely through centrifugal force acting on a torus of such fluid; spring means disposed between said housing and said actuating piston for positively disengaging said clutch in the absence of sufficient centrifugal force acting on said torus; bleed passage means in the housing communicating with said chamber to controllably continually exhaust fluid outwardly therefrom by such centrifugal force to reduce the biasing effect of the fluid against the actuating piston so that partial engagement of the clutch can be achieved particularly at relatively high engine speeds in order to effect a disproportionately lower power train speed at any setting of said control valve means below a predetermined maximum setting; inlet passage means in said rotating housing disposed between said control valve means and said chamber; and dump valve means associated with said rotating housing and in said inlet passage means for the immediate exhaust of fluid from said chamber to positively disengage the clutch in the absence of fluid supply from said control valve means.

Claim 3

The control system of claim 1 wherein said inlet passage means includes a radially extending bore, said dump valve means includes a quick dump spool freely slidably disposed in said bore with a flow limiting passage therein through which fluid enters said chamber, and said bleed passage means provides at least one bleed passage of a predetermined size in said housing which is disposed in substantially peripherally aligned relation to said bore for continually exhausting fluid outwardly from said chamber so that the size of said fluid torus may be reduced for partial engagement of the clutch with a reduction of supplied fluid from said control valve means.

Claim 4

A control system, for a rotating clutch having a plurality of interleaved clutch discs and clutch plates, in an engine driven power train having a rotating housing providing a bore for slidably receiving a clutch actuating piston therein, spring means in the housing to bias the piston in a first direction, the piston in the bore defining a radially inwardly open chamber within the housing, comprising; a source of relatively low pressure fluid external of said rotating clutch; control valve means for infinitely variably supplying said fluid through a path leading radially inwardly into such chamber and effective solely through centrifugal force to bias the piston in a second direction in opposition to such spring means; passage means in such housing and communicating with said chamber continually bleeding said fluid outwardly therefrom by centrifugal force and serving to reduce the biasing effect on the piston in the absence of sufficient flow of fluid to said chamber from said control valve means so that continuous partial engagement of the clutch can be optionally achieved at relatively high engine speeds in order to effect a disproportionately lower power train speed at any setting of said control valve means below a predetermined maximum setting; and fluid directing means within the housing for continually conducting lubricating fluid to such interleaved clutch discs and clutch plates through a separate path independently of said path of fluid from said control valve means while limiting access of said lubricating fluid to said chamber where it could otherwise detrimentally influence the biasing of said piston by said fluid from said control valve means.

Claim 5

A control system, for a rotating clutch having a plurality of interleaved clutch discs and clutch plates, in an engine driven power train having a rotating housing providing a bore for slidably receiving a clutch actuating piston therein, spring means in the housing to bias the piston in a first direction, the piston in the bore defining a radially inwardly open chamber within the housing, comprising; a source of relatively low pressure fluid external of said rotating clutch; control valve means for infinitely variably supplying said fluid through a path leading radially inwardly into such chamber and effective solely through centrifugal force to bias the piston in a second direction in opposition to such spring means; passage means in such housing and communicating with said chamber continually bleeding said fluid outwardly therefrom by centrifugal force and serving to reduce the biasing effect on the piston in the absence of sufficient flow of fluid to said chamber from said control valve means so that continuous partial engagement of the clutch can be optionally achieved at relatively high engine speeds in order to effect a disproportionately lower power train speed at any setting of said control valve means below a predetermined maximum setting; and fluid directing means within the housing for continually conducting lubricating fluid to such interleaved clutch discs and clutch plates through a separate path independently of said path of fluid from said control valve means while limiting access of said lubricating fluid to said chamber where it could otherwise detrimentally influence the biasing of said piston by said fluid from said control valve means.

Claim 6

The control system of claim 3 wherein said control valve means includes a manually operated valve for infinitely variably controlling the rate of fluid delivery to said chamber in opposition to fluid flow from said chamber through said passage means to allow full engagement and disengagement of said clutch as well as cOntinuous partial engagement thereof.

Claim 7

The control system of claim 3, wherein said fluid directing means for limiting access of lubricating fluid to said chamber includes fluid relief passage means in said piston for collecting said lubricating fluid adjacent an inner diameter thereof and directing it generally radially outwardly and away from said chamber.

Claim 8

The control system of claim 5 in which said fluid directing means includes a fluid diverting shield disposed within the housing in spaced masking relation to said chamber.

Claim 9

The control system of claim 3 wherein said passage means includes an inlet passage in said rotating housing interconnecting said control valve means and said chamber, and dump valve means disposed in said inlet passage for substantially immediately exhausting fluid from said chamber in the absence of fluid supply from said control valve means.

Claim 10

The control system of claim 7 wherein said inlet passage includes a radially extending bore in said rotating housing and said dump valve means is a cylindrical spool which is disposed within said bore and biased radially inwardly by fluid from said control valve means, said spool having flow limiting means for providing a predetermined maximum rate of fluid flow to said chamber.