Starter drive assemblies for internal combustion engines of the type having an overrunning clutch

Claim 1

A starter drive assembly of an internal combustion engine, said assembly comprising: an overrunning clutch, a drive pinion defining an inner track of the overrunning clutch, a cam housing axially retained in the clutch relative to said drive pinion and defining an outer track of the overrunning clutch extending around said inner track and a flange-receiving recess, roller means on the overrunning clutch disposed in the assembly between said inner and said outer tracks, a drive sleeve having a flange seated in the flange-receiving recess defined by said housing and an angular fastening portion located on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve, and torque limiting means operatively connected between said cam housing and said drive sleeve for allowing torque to be transmitted from said drive pinion to said drive sleeve through the overrunning clutch when torque applied to said drive pinion is below a predetermined value and for preventing torque from being transmitted from said drive pinion to said drive sleeve through the overrunning clutch when torque applied to said drive pinion exceeds said predetermined value, said torque limiting means including a friction lining disposed against said cam housing, a driving plate disposed against said friction lining and an elastic mechanism exerting a force on said driving plate that urges said driving plate against said friction lining, said driving plate engaging said driving sleeve at the angular fastening portion thereof, the angular fastening portion preventing said driving plate from rotating relative to said drive sleeve.