Abstract: A friction facing material and carrier assembly (2) to form a part of a driven plate of a friction clutch. The assembly (2) comprises a circular carrier plate (4) with resilient flexible paddles (14) at its periphery. Two annuli of friction material constituting friction facings (20,22) are each bonded by silicone rubber to opposite sides of the paddles. The silicon rubber on each side of the paddles is in the form of substantially continuous circular concentric strips of rubber substantially centered on axis (X) about which the assembly (2) is intended to rotate. The concentric strips (24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 24E), bonding the friction facing (20) to one side of the paddles (14), are each preferably opposite the gap between two adjacent concentric stripes of rubber bonding the friction facing (22) to the other side of the paddles.

Abstract: A friction material and carrier assembly (which is to be used in the construction of a driven plate of a dry friction clutch) comprises a circular carrier plate having at its periphery radially extending spokes or paddles which are elastically pliable axially of the carrier plate. Two annular friction facings which are resilient and capable of flexing are bonded by respective layers of silicone rubber to opposite sides of the paddles. Each rubber layer can be formed by a plurality of strips or beads of rubber. The paddles arrangement is capable of sinuous flexing circumferentially of the assembly, and when the assembly is in a driven plate in a clutch applying the clamp load specified for the clutch, the overall axial thickness of the combination formed by the paddles and rubber layers and the friction facings is reduced by between 0.05 mm and 2.00 mm.