Abstract: A driven accessory having a clutch that permits selective operation of an accessory portion. The clutch employs rotational inertia to control driving engagement of a wrap spring to an interior clutch surface on a drive member and/or driving disengagement of the wrap spring from the interior clutch surface.

Abstract: A driven accessory having a clutch that permits selective operation of an accessory portion. The clutch employs rotational inertia to control driving engagement of a wrap spring to an interior clutch surface on a drive member and/or driving disengagement of the wrap spring from the interior clutch surface.

Abstract: A driven accessory having a clutch that permits selective operation of an accessory portion. The clutch employs rotational inertia to control driving engagement of a wrap spring to an interior clutch surface on a drive member and/or driving disengagement of the wrap spring from the interior clutch surface.

Abstract: A tensioner assembly for a drive system, including a chain, of an internal combustion engine, includes a housing that is fixedly secured to the internal combustion engine. A piston is disposed within the housing. The piston is moveable between retracted and extended positions. The piston generates a force. A pivoting guide operatively extends between the chain of the drive system and the piston. The pivoting guide applies a first portion of the force against the chain. A lever is operatively connected to the piston between the piston and the pivoting guide. The lever translates the force from the piston to the pivoting guide. The tensioner assembly also includes a cam member that is pivotally coupled to the housing and is slidingly engaged with the pivoting guide. The cam member abuts the lever such that movement of the lever by the piston pivots the cam member in a manner that applies a second portion of the force against the pivoting guide in a varying magnitude.

Abstract: A driven accessory having a clutch that permits selective operation of an accessory portion. The clutch employs rotational inertia to control driving engagement of a wrap spring to an interior clutch surface on a drive member and/or driving disengagement of the wrap spring from the interior clutch surface.

Abstract: A tensioner assembly for a drive system, including a chain, of an internal combustion engine, includes a housing that is fixedly secured to the internal combustion engine. A piston is disposed within the housing. The piston is moveable between retracted and extended positions. The piston generates a force. A pivoting guide operatively extends between the chain of the drive system and the piston. The pivoting guide applies a first portion of the force against the chain. A lever is operatively connected to the piston between the piston and the pivoting guide. The lever translates the force from the piston to the pivoting guide. The tensioner assembly also includes a cam member that is pivotally coupled to the housing and is slidingly engaged with the pivoting guide. The cam member abuts the lever such that movement of the lever by the piston pivots the cam member in a manner that applies a second portion of the force against the pivoting guide in a varying magnitude.

Abstract: A coolant pump for use with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a camshaft driven by the crankshaft includes a pump housing fixedly mountable to the engine. The pump housing includes an inlet opening to receive coolant and an outlet opening to discharge coolant. An impeller shaft is operatively coupled to the camshaft so as to be rotatably driven thereby. A pump impeller is operatively mounted to the impeller shaft within the pump housing, the pump impeller rotatable to draw the coolant into the pump housing through the inlet opening and discharge the coolant at a higher pressure through the outlet opening. The pump impeller includes first and second shrouds separated by a plurality of vanes. The first and second shrouds and plurality of vanes are configured and positioned such that a resultant thrust load acting on the pump impeller and hence the impeller shaft is approximately zero.

Abstract: A coolant pump for use with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a camshaft driven by the crankshaft includes a pump housing fixedly mountable to the engine. The pump housing includes an inlet opening to receive coolant and an outlet opening to discharge coolant. An impeller shaft is mounted directly to the camshaft so as to be concentrically rotatably driven thereby. A pump impeller is operatively mounted to the impeller shaft within the pump housing and includes a plurality of axial extending projections. The pump impeller is rotatable to draw the coolant into the pump housing through the inlet opening and discharge the coolant at a higher pressure through the outlet opening. A seal assembly has a surface engaged with the plurality of axial extending projections of the pump impeller so as to maintain perpendicular alignment of the seal assembly with respect to the impeller shaft.

Abstract: The combination comprises a valve controlled piston and cylinder internal combustion engine and a coolant system. The engine has an output shaft and a camshaft driven by the output shaft. The system includes a coolant flow path which passes through the engine in cylinder cooling relation and thereafter through a cooling zone. The system includes a coolant pump comprising a pump housing within the flow path, an impeller rotating structure, a pump impeller, and a damper assembly. The rotating structure is mounted directly to the camshaft so as to be rotatably driven thereby about an axis concentric to a rotational axis of the camshaft. The damper assembly is disposed within the pump housing and is rotatable to dampen torsional vibrations of the camshaft.

Abstract: A coolant pump for use with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a camshaft driven by the crankshaft includes a pump housing fixedly mountable to the engine. The pump housing includes an inlet opening to receive coolant and an outlet opening to discharge coolant. An impeller shaft is mounted directly to the camshaft so as to be concentrically rotatably driven thereby. A pump impeller is operatively mounted to the impeller shaft within the pump housing and includes a plurality of axial extending projections. The pump impeller is rotatable to draw the coolant into the pump housing through the inlet opening and discharge the coolant at a higher pressure through the outlet opening. A seal assembly has a surface engaged with the plurality of axial extending projections of the pump impeller so as to maintain perpendicular alignment of the seal assembly with respect to the impeller shaft.

Abstract: A coolant pump for use with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a camshaft driven by the crankshaft includes a pump housing fixedly mountable to the engine. The pump housing includes an inlet opening to receive coolant and an outlet opening to discharge coolant. An impeller shaft is operatively coupled to the camshaft so as to be rotatably driven thereby. A pump impeller is operatively mounted to the impeller shaft within the pump housing, the pump impeller rotatable to draw the coolant into the pump housing through the inlet opening and discharge the coolant at a higher pressure through the outlet opening. The pump impeller includes first and second shrouds separated by a plurality of vanes. The first and second shrouds and plurality of vanes are configured and positioned such that a resultant thrust load acting on the pump impeller and hence the impeller shaft is approximately zero.

Abstract: The combination comprises a valve controlled piston and cylinder internal combustion engine and a coolant system. The engine has an output shaft and a camshaft driven by the output shaft. The system includes a coolant flow path which passes through the engine in cylinder cooling relation and thereafter through a cooling zone. The system includes a coolant pump comprising a pump housing within the flow path, an impeller rotating structure, a pump impeller, and a damper assembly. The rotating structure is mounted directly to the camshaft so as to be rotatably driven thereby about an axis concentric to a rotational axis of the camshaft. The damper assembly is disposed within the pump housing and is rotatable to dampen torsional vibrations of the camshaft.

Abstract: A belt tensioner for tensioning a belt for a motor vehicle comprises a pivot shaft, a pivoting structure mounted for pivotal movement on the pivot shaft, and a pulley mounted for rotation on the pivoting structure. A spring biases the pivoting structure in a direction that moves the pulley mounted on the pivoting structure into tensioning engagement with the belt. A bolt is constructed and arranged to mount the belt tensioner on the motor vehicle engine mount. The bolt is constructed and arranged to be tightened to a predetermined extent for installing the tensioner of the motor vehicle, the predetermined extent is the same extent to which the bolt is tightened during normal operation of the tensioner. A clamping structure applies a predetermined clamping force on the pivot shaft after the bolt is tightened to the predetermined extent.

Abstract: A crankshaft decoupler has a mounting hub, a pulley rotatably mounted on the mounting hub, an annular carrier mounted within said pulley, a biasing device mounted therebetween, and a one way clutch mounted between the annular carrier and the pulley. The biasing device cushions the belt drive from crankshaft impulses and lowers the angular resonant frequency of the belt system. The one way clutch prevents sudden reversal of the belt tension in the drive due to start/stop of the engine or sudden deceleration of the engine and prevents momentary reverse slip belt squeal as a result of the tensioners' inadequate output for the reverse mode. The one way clutch limits the maximum amount of torque which may be transmitted preventing belt slippage during momentary overload.

Abstract: A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle in which the sequence of driven assemblies includes an alternator assembly comprising a housing and an armature assembly mounted in the housing for rotation about an armature axis. A hub structure is carried by the armature assembly outwardly of the housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis.

Abstract: A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle in which the sequence of driven assemblies includes an alternator assembly comprising a housing and an armature assembly mounted in the housing for rotation about an armature axis. A hub structure is carried by the armature assembly outwardly of the housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis. A coil spring is disposed in operative relation between the alternator pulley and the hub structure for transmitting the driven rotational movements of the alternator pulley by the serpentine belt to the hub structure such that the armature assembly is rotated in the same direction as the alternator pulley while being capable of instantaneous relative resilient rotational movements in opposite directions with respect to the alternator pulley during the driven rotational movement thereof.

Abstract: A belt tensioner having a sleeve bearing pivotally mounting a pivoted structure on a fixed structure for spring pressed movement between first and second positions. The sleeve bearing is larger than and surrounds a ball bearing assembly rotatably mounting a pulley on the pivoted structure. The pulley has a cantilevered rim which axially overlaps and annularly surrounds the sleeve bearing. One of the structures and the sleeve bearing have slidably interengaging surfaces which are compressed together by the belt load force in the pivoted structure and the reactionary force acting in the fixed structure so as to provide a damping torque resistance to the pivotal movement of the pivoted structure which prevents movements resulting from dynamic changes in the belt load force within a range. The arrangement is such that independent vibrational forces instantaneously release the damping torque resistance to permit instantanteous movements otherwise prevented.

Abstract: A belt tensioning device having an improved damping mechanism for damping movements of the pivoted structure rotatably carrying the pulley with respect to the fixed structure. The damping mechanism includes a strap and a ring mounted on their respective fixed and pivoted structures and with respect to one another such that the strap engages the ring with a gripping action sufficient to provide (1) a relatively high resistance to frictional sliding movement between the strap and ring in one direction correspond to the direction of untensioning of the belt with the pulley and (2) a relatively low resistance to frictional sliding movement between the strap and ring in an opposite direction corresponding to the direction of belt tensioning.

Abstract: A timing belt tensioning device comprising a fixed structure having a spring pressed pivoted structure mounted thereon for pivotal movement about a first axis between first and second limiting positions. The pivoted structure carries a timing belt engaging pulley for rotational movement about a second axis parallel with the first axis. A one-way clutch mechanism is provided for permitting pivotal movement of the pivoted structure in a direction toward a second limiting position and for limiting the pivotal movement of the pivoted structure in an opposite direction toward the first limiting position beyond a predetermined distance measured from the nearest position of the pivoted structure to the second limiting position.

Abstract: A belt tensioner having a sleeve bearing pivotally mounting a pivoted structure on a fixed structure for spring pressed movement between first and second positions. The sleeve bearing is larger than and surrounds a ball bearing assembly rotatably mounting a pulley on the pivoted structure. The pulley has a cantilevered rim which axially overlaps and annularly surrounds the sleeve bearing. One of the structures and the sleeve bearing have slidably interengaging surfaces which are compressed together by the belt load force in the pivoted structure and the reactionary force acting in the fixed structure so as to provide a damping torque resistance to the pivotal movement of the pivoted structure which prevents movements resulting from dynamic changes in the belt load force within a range. The arrangement is such that independent vibrational forces instantaneously release the damping torque resistance to permit instantaneous movements otherwise prevented.