192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Plural clutch-assemblage
Patent
1985-02-11
1986-12-23
Krizmanich, George H.
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Plural clutch-assemblage
192 703, 192 89A, 192 96, 192 98, F16D 2102
Patent
active
046307206
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicle drive arrangements, hereinafter referred to as being of the type described, in which a drive shaft is connected with a first hollow driven shaft via a co-axial first clutch and with second driven shaft (which is rotatable within the first driven shaft) via a co-axial second clutch.
Drive arrangements of the type described are used in, for example, agricultural or industrial tractors of the wheeled or crawler type in which, for example, one of the driven shaft is a gearbox input shaft and the other driven shaft is a PTO (power take-off) shaft.
There is a requirement in such drive arrangements to operate each clutch independently for maximum vehicle operational flexibility. Since the clutches are co-axial and normally axially adjacent each other within a housing, access to operate one clutch is normally straightforward but the operation of the other clutch has hitherto proved more difficult and relatively complex and bulky arrangements have been previously proposed which have involved passing round the outer periphery of the one clutch to operate the other clutch.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of vehicle drive arrangement of the type described.
According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle drive arrangement having a drive shaft, a first hollow driven shaft, a second driven shaft rotatable within the first hollow driven shaft, and first and second clutches co-axial with the driven shafts for coupling the drive shaft with the first and second driven shafts respectively, the arrangement being characterised in that one of the clutches is operated by a force transmitting path which is located outside both driven shafts and which passes axially through the central portion of the other clutch.
It will be appreciated that such an arrangement is more compact since the force transmitting path no longer passes around the other periphery of the one clutch. Also, since the force transmitting path is located outside both driven shafts there is no limit on the distance the two driven shafts can be located one within the other.
In a preferred construction the first clutch is operatively connected with the hollow driven shaft via a central hub portion and the force transmitting path for the second clutch comprises operating members which extend axially through the central hub portion.
The operating members may be axially displaced by an actuating component which encircles the hollow driven shaft.
The actuating component may act on one end of each operating member, the other end of each operating member being operatively connected with a thrust bearing for operation of the second clutch.
Each operating member may comprise a pin which is axially slidable in a bore in the central hub portion.
The first clutch may be operated via a collar which encircles and slides on the actuating component.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a vertical section through a dual clutch arrangement embodying the present invention for use in a crawler tractor.
BEST MOST OF CARRYING OUT INVENTION
Referring to the drawing a flywheel 10 is driven from an engine via a drive shaft 10a. A PTO shaft 11 passes down the centre of a hollow driven shaft 12 which functions as a gearbox input shaft. Power is transmitted from the flywheel 10 to the PTO shaft 11, via a single plate PTO friction clutch 13. The gearbox input shaft 12 is driven from the flywheel 10 via an over-centre clutch 14.
The PTO clutch 13 is disengaged by a thrust collar 15 which acts on an actuating component in the form of a sleeve 16 surrounding shaft 12. The sleeve 16 in turn acts on a number of operating members in the form of pins 17 which in turn are connected with a clutch release bearing 18. To release the PTO clutch 13, collar 15 is displaced in direction "X" using an operating fork 19. This causes a corresponding axi
REFERENCES:
patent: 1993405 (1933-02-01), Heitshu
patent: 2137977 (1938-11-01), Kattwinkel
patent: 2237322 (1941-04-01), West
patent: 3181668 (1965-05-01), Sink
patent: 4445601 (1984-05-01), Hofbauer et al.
Farris Robert L.
Krizmanich George H.
Massey-Ferguson Services N.V.
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