Transversely engaged centrifugal clutch

Claim 1

A centrifugal clutch, comprising: a primary shaft having a rotor thereon, for rotation about an axis of rotation; a plurality of shoes surrounding said rotor in radially spaced relation thereto; a plurality of elastomeric members having axes extending parallel to said axis of rotation, disposed in respective pairs of opposing grooves in said rotor on said shoes, each pair of opposing grooves including a first groove surface on said rotor contacting one side of the elastomeric member and a second groove surface radially outward of said first groove surface on an opposing one of said shoes contacting another side of said elastomeric member radially outward of said one side, said first and second groove surfaces having respective surface portions extending radially and converging in a radially outward direction; elastic means, separate from said elastomeric members, for always clamping all of said shoes radially inward around said rotor against said elastomeric members such that a torque applied with respect to said axis of rotation so as to rotate said primary shaft and said rotor about said axis of rotation is transmitted through said elastomeric members to said shoes to rotate said shoes, said elastic means elastically resisting radially outward movement of said shoes from centrifugal forces, said elastomeric members being sufficiently movable in said pairs of grooves that said converging portions of said first and second said groove surfaces direct said elastomeric members radially outward into wedging engagement therewith in response to the centrifugal forces when said primary shaft and said rotor are rotated about said axis of rotation and said shoes are urged centrifugually outward; a secondary shaft; and a cylinder fixed to said secondary shaft so as to enclose said shoes, for engaging said shoes to be rotated therewith when said shoes are urged centrifugally outward thereagainst.