Abstract: A locking differential includes annular friction pack clutch assemblies for normally connecting the drive shaft of a vehicle to a pair of axially aligned driven axle shafts. A pair of clutch members are biased apart by a plurality of spring assemblies exch including a locking pin colinearly arranged relative to a helical spring. At one end, the locking pin is slidably mounted in a corresponding pin bore contained in one face of a first clutch member, the other end of the locking pin extending within an oversized spring bore contained in the opposing face of a second clutch member. The helical spring is mounted in the bottom of the oversized bore and is compressed by the pin when the pin is releasably retained in an extended operable position by a removable fastener member, thereby to compress the friction packs between the clutch members and the adjacent casing internal wall surfaces.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch for a transport refrigeration system including an engine and a compressor is characterized by an improved drive connection between the clutch and the compressor. The clutch includes a rotor assembly connected with the engine, a housing centrifugally activated for rotation with the rotor assembly, and a coupling adaptor for transmitting rotation of the housing to a drive shaft of the compressor. The rotor assembly, housing coupling adaptor, and drive shaft are all coaxially arranged. The housing contains a plurality of radial rubber bushings for receiving drive pins which pass through radial openings in the coupling adaptor and which extend parallel to the axis of the adaptor. The drive pins and bushings minimize noise and vibrations within the clutch and prevent radial forces from being delivered to the compressor drive shaft.

Abstract: An interaxle differential includes a central drive member that continuously connects an input shaft with a first output shaft, a clutch disk normally connecting the central drive member with a second output shaft, a rotational velocity responsive device operable from a deactivated position to an activated position for disengaging the clutch disk when the second output shaft overruns the first output shaft by a given value, a fail safe device for biasing the velocity responsive device toward its deactivated position, a first device for displacing the velocity responsive device toward the activated position, and an override device for selectively disengaging the clutch disk. In a second embodiment, the rear clutch disk is operable by the operator to disconnect the interaxle differential from the first output shaft, thereby to avoid the trapping of torque within the interaxle differential when the vehicle is maneuvered downhill in a turn.

Abstract: A centrifugal clutch apparatus includes an annular adapter assembly adapted for colinear connection with a rotatable driving member, an independent pulley member connected with a colinearly arranged driven member having an annular portion extending toward the adapter assembly, and centrifugal weight members connected with the adapter assembly for engagement with the inner surface of the annular portion when the rotational velocity of the driving member exceeds a given value, the adapter assembly including at least one vibration dampening device including an annular resilient member connected between annular inner and outer concentrically-arranged portions of the adapter assembly for isolating the centrifugal weight members from the driving member.

Abstract: An improved clutch shoe of the type that is mounted on the rotor of a centrifugal clutch for coupling engagement with an outer clutch housing. The shoe is formed by two similar L-shaped shoe half sections which are stamped of sheet metal. Each shoe half section has an arcuate-shaped configuration comprising a web and an integral outer shoe table portion with an annular boss formed on each of the webs. A plurality of annular projections are formed to one of the shoe half webs and extend outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite from the annular boss formed on the web. The other shoe half web is formed with a plurality of holes into which the annular projections are press fitted to connect the two shoe halves together with the webs being placed in abutting relationship. The shoe half table portions lie in juxtaposition with respect to each other and form an outer shoe table on which a strip of friction material is attached.

Abstract: A weight reduced pulley for "K" type poly-v belt systems includes a body having an outer cylindrical surface. A plurality of raised ribs extend from said surface and run circumferentially around said surface. A plurality of trough areas are positioned between the ribs. The ribs and troughs corresponding to the location of indented and raised areas, respectively, on a poly-v belt. The ribs have a cross sectional profile extending radially traverse of the axis of rotation of the pulley, each rib being bounded by a pair of planar side walls at relative angles of 40.degree.+0.5.degree.. The side walls terminate in a 140.degree. arc having a radius of 0.5 mm, the outermost point of said arc terminating 0.96 mm inward of the intersection of the upward projections of the planar side walls or apex. The planar side walls extend radially inward at least 3.44 mm from said apex. The trough areas are bounded by the outer cylindrical surface of said pulley, said surface being 3.57 mm from said apex.

Abstract: A fluid control valve for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid at a high pressure from a primary pump and the flow of the hydraulic fluid at a low charge pressure from a charge pump to cam-lobe type hydraulic motors which are used to assist in driving a vehicle. When energizing the motors, charge pressure is first delivered to the motors. Thereafter, all of the supply and return lines leading to the motors and to the primary pump and the charge pump are connected together to further increase the pressure delivered to the motors. Finally, the charge pressure line is disconnected and the supply and return lines leading to the motors are connected to the high pressure supply and return lines leading to the primary pump. When the supply and return lines leading to the motors are disconnected from the primary pump, the lines leading to the motors are drained into a reservoir. An accumulator is provided within the motors to absorb sudden pressure delivered thereto.

Abstract: A self-aligning pivot bolt for mounting a belt tensioner idler pulley on a base member in which the bolt is formed with upper and lower cylindrical pilot sections separated by an intermediate threaded section. The base member has a bolt receiving opening formed with upper and lower inwardly tapered sections. The bolt and opening are dimensioned so that a lead thread of the threaded section engages an upper portion of the lower tapered section prior to the pilot sections engaging the respective tapered sections of the opening. After partial engagement of the threaded section the lower pilot section begins engagement with the lower tapered section to axially align the bolt within the hole followed by engagement of the upper pilot section with the upper tapered section. The softer metal of the base member flows into the root areas of the bolt threads to trap the bolt in the opening of the base member.

Abstract: A differential is disclosed for driving the steering wheels of a multi-wheel-drive vehicle, including holdout rings for maintaining in a disengaged condition an output shaft that overruns an associated output shaft by a given amount. In order to decrease the turning radius of the vehicle, the lug portions on one holdout ring are angularly displaced relative to the lug portions on the other holdout ring, whereby the overrunning output shaft is maintained in a disengaged condition during a sharp turn that produces overrunning of the output shaft above a given value.

Abstract: An improved clutch shoe of the type that is mounted on the rotor of a centrifugal clutch for coupling engagement with an outer clutch housing. The shoe is formed by two similar L-shaped shoe half sections which are stamped of sheet metal. Each shoe half section has an arcuate-shaped configuration comprising a web and an integral outer shoe table portion with an annular boss formed on each of the webs. A plurality of annular projections are formed on one of the shoe half webs and extend outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite from the annular boss formed on the web. The other shoe half web is formed with a plurality of holes into which the annular projections are press fitted to connect the two shoe halves together with the webs being placed in abutting relationship. The shoe half table portions lie in juxtaposition with respect to each other and form an outer shoe table on which a strip of friction material is attached.

Abstract: A belt tensioning device for engagement with the endless drive belt of a vehicle accessories drive system. A pivot support base is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle engine in a stationary position adjacent the drive belt and has a lever arm assembly pivotally mounted thereon. An idler pulley is mounted on an extended end of the lever arm assembly and is biased into tensioning engagement with the drive belt by a torsional coil spring. An arcuate-shaped plastic bearing strip is located between arcuate surfaces of the pivot support base and an outer cylindrical housing portion of the lever arm assembly and has two distinct bearing surfaces. The lever housing slides on the bearing strip during movement of the lever arm towards and away from the drive belt which provides frictional damping for the lever to reduce undesirable movement of the idler pulley.

Abstract: A belt tensioning device for an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A housing is adapted to be mounted on an engine in a stationary position adjacent the drive belt and has a lever arm pivotally mounted thereon. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the lever arm and is movable into belt tensioning engagement by a torsional coil spring telescopically mounted about the pivot for the lever arm. A brake band ring is mounted on the lever arm and has a friction surface which is biased by the torsional spring into engagement with the housing to provide a damping force when the lever arm attempts to move in either a belt tensioning or non tensioning direction. The damping force is proportional to the torsional spring force generally throughout the tensioning range of the belt tensioner since the same coil spring provides both forces. A pivot shoe is removably mounted on the brake band adjacent the friction surface and a straight end of the torsional spring is engaged with the pivot shoe.

Abstract: A belt tensioning device for an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A bracket is adapted to be mounted on an engine in a stationary position adjacent the drive belt and has lever means pivotally mounted thereon. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the lever means and is movable into belt tensioning engagement by a torsional coil spring telescopically mounted about the pivot for the lever means. The pulley is mounted so that a radial center line through the peripheral belt receiving surface of the pulley also passes generally through the center of the lever means pivot to reduce the frictional force exerted on the pivot. A brake band ring is mounted between the bracket and lever means and is biased by the torsional spring into a camming engagement with the lever means to provide a damping force when the lever means attempts to move in either a belt tensioning or non tensioning direction.

Abstract: A device for maintaining a constant tension on an endless drive belt which supplies power to and drives the vehicle accessories. A mounting bracket is adapted to be mounted on an engine in a stationary position adjacent the drive belt and has an idler pulley rotatably mounted on an end of a lever. The lever is pivotally mounted on a shaft which extends outwardly from the mounting bracket. A torsional coil spring biases the idler pulley into tensioning engagement with the drive belt. The pulley is mounted on a stub shaft which extends parallel with the pivot shaft and is formed with an outer annular belt engaging surface. The pivot shaft is located within the periphery of the pulley belt engaging surface and the radial center line of said belt engaging surface intersects the bearing surface of the pivot shaft to provide a compact, low friction belt tensioner.

Abstract: A sheet steel poly-V-grooved pulley having a special cross-sectional contour is made optionally by any one of three different cold working manufacturing procedures. Special physical properties or characteristics are developed in the pulley by the manner in which the metal in the V-groove body and single and double walled terminal flanges are cold worked. The cold working involves forming in stages of manufacturing from a cup-shaped blank to the finished pulley product a stepped inner body wall surface equivalent to a tapered surface with improved substantially uniform torque transmitting strength in the grooved body from web wall to open end. Also involved in the cold working is an increase in pulley diameter in certain portions of the finished pulley and a decrease in diameter in other portions from the diameter of the side wall of the cup shaped starting blank.

Abstract: A pulley has a planar end wall and an annular wall extending axially outwardly therefrom. The annular wall is formed with belt receiving grooves and the end wall is formed with a central opening for mounting the pulley on a hub or shaft. A stamped sheet metal washer having a generally annular configuration is formed with a central hole and an integral projection extending radially outwardly from the outer edge of the washer. The washer is firmly attached to the end wall of the pulley preferably by welding or by bonding with an acrylic structural adhesive with the central hole of the washer being concentric to the central opening of the end wall. The projection is positioned to counterbalance any unbalance in the annular wall that may have developed therein during forming of the pulley.

Abstract: A tensioning device for maintaining a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A shaft is mounted in a fixed position on the vehicle engine adjacent the drive belt. A housing is pivotally mounted on the shaft and is biased by a torsional coil spring in a belt tensioning direction. The spring is located within an annular space formed by spaced inner and outer housing walls and is telescopically mounted with respect to the shaft. A lever extends generally radially outwardly from the housing and an idler pulley is mounted on an end of the lever and is moved into tensioning engagement with the drive belt by the torsion spring. One end of the spring is attached to the housing and the other end is adapted to be fixed with respect to the shaft. The spring is placed in torsion and biases the lever and housing in the belt tensioning direction.

Abstract: A composite pulley construction intended primarily for use with the endless drive belt for vehicle accessories. The pulley is formed of a sheet metal body and has a multi-V-groove belt-receiving formation molded of plastic on an outer cylindrical wall portion of the metal body. The plastic belt-receiving formation has a series of inverted V-shaped projections forming outwardly opening V-shaped grooves located between adjacent pairs of the V-shaped projections and between a pair of outer, spaced belt-retaining annular projections also formed of plastic. The belt-retaining projections extend radially outwardly beyond the crests of the V-shaped groove-forming projections a predetermined distance and reduce sideways movement of the belt with respect to the intervening V-grooves. The outer surface of the cylindrical wall portion preferably is knurled to enhance the bonding of the plastic to the metal surface.

Abstract: A device for tensioning the endless drive belt for vehicle accessories. A housing is mounted in a fixed position adjacent the drive belt. A shaft assembly is slidably mounted in an axial bore formed in the housing and includes a stub shaft portion extending outwardly from the housing through a slot formed in one of the housing walls. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the stub shaft and is moved into tensioning engagement with the drive belt by a compression coil spring which is adjustably mounted in the housing bore by a spring guide. The spring slidably moves the shaft assembly in a belt tensioning direction within the housing bore. Concavely curved surfaces are formed in certain areas of the shaft assembly within the housing. Roller means are interposed between and are biased by a spring into a wedging relationship with the curved shaft surfaces and adjacent housing walls.

Abstract: A device for tensioning the endless drive belt for vehicle accessories. An L-shaped housing is mounted in a fixed position adjacent the drive belt. A stub shaft is slidably mounted on the housing and has an idler pulley rotatably mounted on an extended end of the shaft. A pair of cam plates having mutually engageable camming surfaces are slidably mounted in the housing. One of the plates is operatively engaged with the stub shaft and imparts sliding movement to the shaft for moving the idler pulley into tensioning engagement with the drive belt. A compression spring biases the camming plates into sliding engagement with each other moving the pulley toward tensioning engagement with the drive belt. The included angles of the cam plate camming surfaces equal 90.degree.