Centrifugal actuator for limited slip differential
Abstract
Abstract A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM HAVING A NORMALLY DISENGAGED MAIN CLUTCH PRODUCING LOCK-UP WHEN ACTIVATED, WHICH IS OPERATED BY MEANS OF AN ACTUATOR DEVICE IN TURN ACTIVATED BY A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF DIFFERENTIAL ACTION WHICH IS VARIED WITH THE RATE OF CHANGE OF LEVELS OF DIFFERENTIAL ACTION. THE ACTUATOR INCLUDES AN ACTUATOR MEMBER WHICH IS ROTATIONALLY DRIVEN BY DIFFERENTIAL ACTION AND UPON WHICH SPRING-BIASED CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHTS ARE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AND ARRANGED SO THAT AT A PREDETERMINED VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION OF THE ACTUATOR MEMBER ONE OF THE WEIGHTS MOVE OUTWARDLY AND APPLIES A BRAKING FORCE TO THE ACTUATOR MEMBER INHIBITING ITS ROTATION. AN ARRANGEMENT IS PROVIDED FOR ACTUATION OF THE NORMALLY DISENGAGED MAIN CLUTCH IN RESPONSE TO THIS IBHIBITED ROTATION, SO THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL ACTION IS UNIHIBITED AT LOW LEVELS OF DIFFERENTIAL ACTION. A HIGH ROAD SPEED CUTOUT OF THE ACTUATOR IS ALSO PROVIDED SO THAT NO LOCK-UP WILL OCCUR AT RELATIVELY HIGH ROAD SPEEDS.
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