Patents Assigned to Pitts Industries, Inc.
  • Patent number: 4601378
    Abstract: A supporting bracket for an electromagnetic clutch and a hydraulic pump driven through the clutch from a drive shaft, belt pulley or other power input by which the various forces exerted on the pump shaft by the clutch and power input are supported by the bracket thereby eliminating excessive wear on the supporting bearing structure for the pump shaft thereby prolonging the useful life of the hydraulic pump and maintaining the clutch components in properly oriented relation for proper and long lasting operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Pierce, Jack E. West
  • Patent number: 4564092
    Abstract: An electromagnetic drive clutch for the compressor in an air conditioning system for a bus used both in the city and in over-the-road operation incorporating two drive pulleys of different diameters, concentrically arranged armatures connected with the respective pulleys by a spring assembly, concentrically arranged coil assemblies and a common rotor associated with the coil assemblies and armatures to selectively drive the rotor from the smaller or larger pulley thereby varying the drive speed of the compressor and thus varying the output characteristics of the compressor to enable adequate cooling to be provided for the interior of the bus during over-the-road movement when the engine speed of the bus is relatively high and also adequate cooling during city driving when the engine speed of the bus is relatively low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Pierce
  • Patent number: 4296851
    Abstract: An electromagnetic clutch for transmitting driving torque from one rotatable element to another having particular utility for driving a vane-type compressor used in an automotive air conditioning system in a manner to reduce the cost of such clutches as well as the axial length and weight. The clutch includes a rotatably driven pulley assembly connected to a hub affixed to the input drive shaft of the compressor through an armature disk and friction face on the pulley assembly by selectively energizing and deenergizing a magnetic coil with the armature disk being connected to the hub through a plurality of curved leaf springs and a plurality of drive keys received in recesses or notches with the curved springs replacing the normal flat springs which are used to support the armature disk with the curved springs including a linear flexibility and axial flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1981
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Pierce
  • Patent number: 4129026
    Abstract: A clutch pulley assembly primarily designed for use with electromagnetic clutches for driving air conditioning compressors on automobiles and the like wherein the component parts of the clutch pulley assembly are fabricated from stampings with a reduction in the amount of machinery required to complete the device. The method of making and assembling the structure is part of the invention and includes the press forming of a web disc for supporting pulley grooves from sheet steel having desirable magnetic properties to produce an annular flange portion thereon at the outer edge thereof and extending substantially perpendicular thereto, then punching a central hub receiving aperture in the disc and then mounting the central aperture of said disc on a central hub made from a tube section. A die forming method of manufacturing a pulley groove is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1978
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Pierce, Samuel M. Berry, Arthur D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4069572
    Abstract: A clutch pulley assembly primarily designed for use with electromagnetic clutches for driving air conditioning compressors on automobiles and the like wherein the component parts of the clutch pulley assembly are fabricated from stampings with a reduction in the amount of machinery required to complete the device. The method of making and assembling the structure is part of the invention and includes the press forming of a web disc for supporting pulley grooves from sheet steel having desirable magnetic properties to produce an annular flange portion thereon at the outer edge thereof and extending substantially perpendicular thereto, then punching a central hub receiving aperture in the disc and then mounting the central aperture of said disc on a central hub made from a tube section. A die forming method of manufacturing a pulley groove is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1978
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Pierce, Samuel M. Berry, Arthur D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4004335
    Abstract: A clutch pulley assembly primarily designed for use with electromagnetic type clutches for driving air conditioning compressors on automobiles and the like wherein the component parts of the clutch pulley assembly are fabricated from stampings with a reduction in the amount of machining required to complete the device. Another feature is the flexibility permitted by using a central hub structure with different sized pulley grooves. The method of making and assembling the structure is also part of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1977
    Assignee: Pitts Industries, Inc. (Entire)
    Inventors: William C. Pierce, Samuel M. Berry, Arthur D. Johnson