Patents by Inventor David J. Fortune

David J. Fortune has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4960190
    Abstract: A torque limiting clutch in which relatively rotatable and axially movable drive members are interconnected by balls and are axially biased together into torque transmitting engagement by air pressure which is released when the drive members move axially apart on disengagement when torque exceeds a predetermined value and in which the balls are guided by a cage so as to be maintained out of engagement with one drive member after disengagement. The cage is thinner than the radius of the balls and springs act on the cage and one drive member to maintain the balls out of engagement with the one drive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: 501 British Autogard Limited
    Inventors: David J. Fortune, David E. Wright
  • Patent number: 4838400
    Abstract: A torque limiting clutch comprises a driving part and a driven part disengagably interconnected in torque transmitting relationship by a torque transmitting element guided by a cage, a spacer movable by the cage into spacing relationship with both the driving and driven parts on disengagement of the clutch by relative movement between the parts in either direction, to maintain the torque transmitting element out of torque transmitting relationship with the parts. The clutch is re-engagable by relative rotation between the driving and driven parts in the opposite direction. The clutch includes two sets of inter-engagable abutments, the abutments of the first set being provided on the cage and the abutments of the second set being provided on one of the parts and being operable to cause abutments of the first and second to inter-engage to cause the cage and one of the parts to rotate together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: GIB Precision Limited
    Inventor: David J. Fortune
  • Patent number: 4541512
    Abstract: An overload clutch comprising a driving part and a driven part releasably interconnected in torque transmitting relationship by balls, held in a cage in engagement with torque transmitting recesses of the parts and which can be disengaged by relative rotation between the driving and driven parts when the torque to be transmitted exceeds a predetermined value and in which spacers are moved by the cage into spacing relationship with the parts to maintain the balls out of engagement with the recesses after disengagement with the clutch, and wherein the clutch can be re-engaged by relative rotation between the parts in the reverse direction to that which caused disengagement by the provision of two pairs of inter-engageable abutments and a first control means to prevent inter-engagement of one pair of the abutments as a result of relative rotation when the clutch is disengaged and to permit of inter-engagement of the abutments of the other pair on resetting by relative rotation in the reverse direction, and secon
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1985
    Assignee: GIB Precision Limited
    Inventors: Andrew J. Beasant, Olaf J. B. Orwin, David J. Fortune