Abstract: A ships propulsion transmission system with at least one engageable friction clutch (10, 18) in the drive line between the ship engine (28, 30) and propeller (26), characterized by a device (20, 70, 6, 14, 76, 108) for setting the operating pressure of the friction clutch (10, 18) during the starting up process time-dependent and sequentially so that the operating pressure during the starting up process, is at least once, at a peak level and then subsequently is at a lower intermediate level, before it then is held at the final level.

Abstract: A hydraulic power transmission device of the viscous shear type provides a rotatable driving connection between first and second shaft assemblies. A centrifugal clutch is interposed between the shaft assemblies to provide an overriding rotatable driving connection therebetween when the angular velocity of the first shaft assembly exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A servo mechanical control for efficiently bringing a rotating turbine wheel of a turbine engine having a multi-stage stator assembly to a non-rotating condition and for maintaining the turbine wheel in a non-rotating condition. The servo mechanical control includes a detector for detecting the direction of rotation of the turbine wheel and a control device interconnected with the multi-stage stator assembly and operable, in response to the detection of the turbine wheel in either predetermined direction, to displace the multi-stage stator assembly to a position causing a reverse torque on the turbine wheel. The detector preferably consists of at least one brake body pivotally interconnected with the vehicle and selectively operable to engage the output shaft of the turbine wheel. When engaged with the output shaft, the brake body is pivoted in response to angular motion of the turbine wheel.

Abstract: A clutch-actuated brake pressure-applying device comprises a housing having a cylinder and piston therein, a piston rod connectable to the clutch pedal rod of a conventional clutch mechanism of a vehicle, float channels through the housing and piston for facilitating the application of braking pressure from the master cylinder outlet to the individual wheel cylinders, and a disc valve within the piston operable to control the brake pressure applied through the device to the wheel cylinders so that during normal operation, braking pressure is applied solely by the brake pedal and that upon actuation of the clutch pedal the braking pressure is applied through the piston and channels to the wheel cylinders, and upon release of the brake pedal the brake pressure is maintained by the clutch pedal in the depressed position with the clutch disengaged.

Abstract: A device for converting linear motion to rotary motion or vice versa employs at least two bearing members mounted for rotation about a crankpin of a rotatable crank, each bearing member being in constant engagement with its own individual bearing surface. A shuttle, which is mounted for reciprocating linear movement, carries the bearing surfaces, which are located on opposite sides of the crankpin and are offset relative to each other. Because the bearing members are in constant engagement with their associated bearing surfaces, the linear motion of the shuttle is continuously converted into the rotary motion of the crank or vice versa.

Abstract: Control system for a pressure medium operated clutch (1) and reduction gear unit (4) to qualitatively improve torque reversal gear shifts by measurement of rotational speeds of the gear unit input shaft (41) and the turbine shaft (320) of a torque converter (3) through sensors (51, 52) and determination of differential speed conditions by an electronic unit (5) to which the sensors are connected. Upon displacement of the gear shift lever from neutral to gear drive position, the electronic unit issues a corrective fuel controlling command through line (22) for a length of time sufficient to obtain equality between the turbine speed (Nt) and the gear input speed (Ni) plus a correction factor (AN). The corrective command is applied to a control lever (71) of the engine fuel injection pump (7) through an automatic operating arrangement (90) superimposed on the fuel control linkage (8) connected to the control lever.

Abstract: A fluid friction clutch for use in differential gears of motor vehicles having a sliding member which has a adjusting disc which changes the spacing of the clutch plates, which adjusting causes the clutch plates to approach closer to one another and increases the clutch torque provided by a viscuous fluid of the fluid of the clutch. Adjustment takes place via starting slopes which are assigned to a cam driving connection employing a special development of the starting slopes with the torque characteristics being changed in a predetermined manner.

Abstract: The transmission control for a vehicle hydraulic transmission includes a sequence control valve that includes a shuttle valve and an interconnected sequence valve which are connected with speed and direction clutches of the transmission. The shuttle valve senses the drop in pressure in the direction clutches when they are shifted to actuate the sequence control valve to initially dump the speed clutch and then to keep that clutch disengaged until the direction clutch has fully re-engaged.

Abstract: One or more slip friction clutches are interposed between two flywheels in the power train between the crankshaft of the engine and the input shaft of the change-speed transmission in a motor vehicle. The torque which is transmitted by at least one of the slip clutches is variable in the drive direction and/or in the coast direction.

Abstract: A magnetic particle clutch or brake structure is provided having a magnetic coupling element comprising a disk and at least one cup formed as an annular and coaxial peripheral flange at the periphery of the disk. The coupling element is mounted between two pole pieces, and a single electromagnetic energizing coil unit is provided which is arranged so as to cause the magnetic flux to pass through the disk and cup in series. The pole pieces are coupled together by an arrangement of magnetic and non-magnetic elements so as to provide for efficient direction of the magnetic flux in the manner contemplated by the invention. The invention is susceptible of being modified by having two cups attached to the same disk.

Abstract: A master cylinder employed in connection with a fluid actuated motor vehicle clutch system. The master cylinder includes an internal reservoir formed by a portion of the same cylindrical housing which makes up the clutch actuating working chamber. A plug is provided within the cylindrical housing to divide the housing into two sections, a working chamber and a reservoir chamber. The plug further includes a check valve system which permits fluid to flow into and out of the working chamber from the reservoir as the fluid capacity of the associated hydraulic circuit changes. Flow into and out of the reservoir is permitted to occur only when an externally applied load to the master cylinder is released. The reservoir chamber includes a slidable piston and a low spring constant helical spring which biases the reservoir plunger to provide a slight hydrostatic pressure for the fluid contained by the reservoir, thereby preventing the ingestion of air or contaminants.

Abstract: A marine drive (10) is provided with a shift mechanism (200) including a detent canister assembly (202). A cylindrical canister (204) contains a ball (206) biased by a pair of concentric springs (208 and 210) into engagement with a shifter lever arm (124) to center the latter in a neutral position. The canister assembly (202) is a self-contained modular unit inserted into the marine drive housing (23). The cylindrical canister (204) has a left end wall (214) with an aperture (216) therethrough and has an open right end containing the ball (206). The first spring bears (208) at its right end against the ball (206) and extends axially leftwardly through the aperture (216) in the left end wall (214) of the canister (204) and bears at its left end against the housing (23). The second outer concentric spring (210) bears at its right end against the ball (206) and is entirely within the canister ( 204) and bears at its left end against the left end wall (214) of the canister (204).

Abstract: A rotary fluid coupling device is provided of the type including a first rotatable coupling assembly (13) comprising a housing member (15) and a die cast cover member (17). An input coupling member (11) is disposed in a fluid operating chamber (33) and cooperates with an adjacent surface of the cover member (17) to define a viscous shear space therebetween. When the shear space is filled with viscous fluid, torque can be transmitted from the input to the output, such torque transmission resulting in the generation of a substantial amount of heat. The cover member (17) includes a plurality of cooling fins which are divided into a plurality of regions (61). Within each of the regions (61) is a radially-extending cooling fin (63) and a plurality of full-length, parallel cooling fins (65). Also included within each region (61) is a plurality of shorter cooling fins (67) and (69) which are also parallel to the radially-extending cooling fins (63).

Abstract: A clutch control system includes an electronic control apparatus for controlling a clutch based on clutch control data stored through a learning process. The clutch control system has a sensor for measuring the temperature of lubricating oil in a gear transmission, a memory for storing a corrective clutch control value commensurate with the temperature of the lubricating oil, and an electronic control apparatus for correcting a learned value used to control the clutch with the corrective clutch control value obtained on the basis of the measured temperature of the lubricating oil.

Abstract: A multiple rotating disk assembly comprises a stack of disks including first disks constrained to rotate with a first of two coaxial members and second disks alternating with the first disks and constrained to rotate with the second of the coaxial members. The first and second disks are movable axially relative to the coaxial members. Elastic separators are disposed between the first disks and adapted to urge them away from one another. The elastic separators have an elastic limit which is sufficiently low as to be systematically exceeded on each increase in the closeness of packing of the disks due to progressive wear of the friction surfaces carried by the latter, for at least part of the service life of the friction surfaces.

Abstract: A device for motor vehicle braking systems, which is designed to facilitate starting on hills. The device comprises a piston cylinder device, controlled by an electronic unit which is coupled to a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure system and acts on the brake pedal. Signals are fed to the electronic unit from a sensor for vehicle speed and direction and from a pair of sensors sensing brake pedal position and gas pedal position. When the signals from the first-mentioned sensor indicate that the vehicle has been brought to a stop after movement in a direction differing from the direction selected via the gear selector and indicated by sensor, at the same time as the two other sensors signal that the brake pedal has been depressed and the gas pedal has been released, the piston cylinder device is activated to brake the vehicle. If the accelerator is then depressed the device is deactivated and the brake is released.

Abstract: A steering control system for applying brakes to engine powered vehicles having power-shifting hydraulic fluid transmissions. An interface value is provided to sense a pressure signal of hydraulic fluid that is proportional to ground speed movement of a vehicle. A control value transforms the signal generated by fluid pressure into associative structure for applying vehicle brakes in a manner proportional to vehicle ground speed, either in a forward or reverse direction. Dual pressure regulating valves are provided wherein one value is set at a higher pressure than the other values for eliminating a need for two sources of pressure and/or a pressure accumulator.

Abstract: A control lever communicates with a plurality of additional levers and an electrical circuit. A PTO brake and electric clutch are responsive to the control lever and circuit for engagement and disengagement. The linkage system includes an electrically responsive inductor and magnetically responsive plate. When the PTO brake is disengaged and the clutch is engaged, the electrical circuit supplies current to the inductor which creates a magnetic field to capture the plate holding the brake and clutch in their respective modes. Upon actuation of the control lever or full application of an associated vehicle's wheel brakes, the circuit is disrupted to the inductor allowing a spring to act upon the linkage assembly to engage the PTO brake and causing the PTO clutch to be disengaged.

Abstract: Provided is an improved fluid operated clutch control system (80) of the normally disengaged type and control system (100) of the normally engaged type that both employ a control valve (22) operative to selectively provide a fluid signal from a fluid pressure supply source (24) to a first fluid operated actuator preferably in the form of a piston (9) operative in the case of system (80) to overcome a reslient biasing device (26) and move the clutch to the engaged condition upon receipt by the control valve of an actuating signal normally provided either by depression of a clutch pedal (50) for a standard transmission or by a sensor (52, 53) for an automatic transmission and in the form of a piston (9A) for system (100) operative to overcome a resilient biasing device (26A) and move the clutch to the disengaged condition.

Abstract: The clutch disc comprises for torsional vibration damping a spring system (35) dimensioned for operation under load and a spring system (51, 53) dimensioned for operation in idling. An idle motion device (5, 7) ensures that in the case of relative rotation angles in the idling operation the idling spring system (51, 53) exclusively is effective. In order to avoid jumps in the spring characteristic of the spring systems in the transition from idling operation to under-load operation, the idling spring system (51, 53) comprises at least one spring (53) which is brought into action within the rotation angle range of the idle motion device (5, 7) on approach to the under-load range and increases the spring rating of the idling spring system. Thus clutch and gear noises in this transitional range are avoided.