Abstract: A clutch-brake unit for a mechanical drive, such as used on a press, has a hub which fits over a spindle at the end of a driven shaft, which may be a crankshaft, and locates against a flange on the driven shaft, thereby enclosing the entire spindle. The hub has a flange portion which carries an annular piston, and the chamber in which this piston is located is in communication with the hub interior. The hub has a drive disk mounted on it by machine screws that extend axially through the drive disk, the flange portion of the hub, and thread into the flange on the driven shaft so as to secure the hub to the shaft. The drive disk is spaced from the flange portion of the hub, and interposed between the two is a brake disk, a pressure plate, and a transfer disk. The brake disk is connected to an anchor attached to the press frame, and the pressure plate is spring loaded so as to urge the brake disk against the flange portion of the hub and thereby impede rotation of the hub.

Abstract: A bearing arrangement for use in a power drive having coaxially aligned input and output shafts. The bearing arrangement includes a spread-bearing structure disposed between first and second drive components carried on their respective shafts for maintaining mutually coaxial parallelism of the drive components.

Abstract: A clutch and brake device for the impeller of a hydrodynamic device in which the clutch is engaged by selectively admitting pressure from a source of pressure to a clutch servomotor, this pressure being conducted to a release chamber for the brake servomotor to automatically release the brake, thus insuring proper timing of release of the brake and engagement of the clutch. The brake is applied by the charge pressure within the hydraulic torque converter which is applied to the opposite side of the piston for the brake with respect to the pressure from the source of pressure. Thus, when the pressure from the source of pressure is exhausted releasing the clutch, the charge pressure of the converter will automatically engage the brake. The charge pressure is also conducted to the release side of the piston for the clutch device, thus insuring the clutch will be fully released when the brake is engaged.

Abstract: The specification discloses a low inertia clutch and brake system which includes a rotatable shaft and high speed and low speed clutch assemblies spaced apart along the shaft. A brake assembly is disposed between the high and low clutch assemblies and includes a stationary housing enclosing friction surfaces mounted about the shaft which are normally engaged with the housing to prevent rotation of the shaft. A pair of pistons are slidably mounted in the housing and are operable in response to fluid pressure to selectively disengage the brake assembly and to engage one of the clutch assemblies. Structure is provided to selectively apply fluid pressure to either of the pistons. The pistons include spring carrying rods which extend through the housing in order to normally bias the pistons toward the housing to normally engage the brake assembly.

Abstract: The specification discloses a transmission system for a press. A rotatable shaft is mounted within an oil lubrication housing and a flywheel is rotatably mounted in the housing about the shaft. A shaft extends through the oil housing for transmitting rotation to the flywheel within the oil housing. Low and high speed clutch assemblies are spaced apart along the shaft and include pistons selectively movable to engage the clutch assemblies. Gears are provided to transmit rotation from the flywheel to the clutch assemblies. A brake assembly is mounted between the clutch assemblies and includes friction surfaces carried about the shaft. The brake assembly also includes a stationary housing mounted about the friction surfaces and engaging the friction surfaces to brake the shaft when the friction surfaces are engaged. Brake plates are mounted on opposite sides of the brake assembly for causing engagement of the friction surfaces.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing drag forces between spaced components which are moving relative to each other while immersed in a liquid bath includes the introduction of a quantity of gas, such as air, into the liquid bath with a gas injecting means.

Abstract: The output shaft of an automotive friction clutch may be braked during shifting of the transmission into higher gear by a brake disc secured against rotation on the shaft and axially moved into engagement with a friction member on a non-rotating element of the vehicle by a pressure plate backed by a resilient wall of a chamber to which a pressure fluid is admitted when the driver depresses the clutch pedal further than needed for only disengaging the clutch. A switch closed by the pedal opens a solenoid valve in the pressure line to the chamber.

Abstract: High and low speed clutch assemblies are spaced apart along a rotatable shaft. Each of the clutch assemblies includes a plurality of annular friction plates which may be engaged by movement of annular pistons. A brake assembly is mounted between the clutch assemblies and includes friction surfaces carried about the rotatable shaft and annular brake plates mounted on opposite sides of the friction surfaces. A stationary housing is mounted about the brake assembly. Adjacent ones of the pistons and the brake plates are interconnected, such that the friction surfaces of the brake assembly are disengaged when either of the clutch assemblies are engaged by application of fluid pressure. The pistons and brake plates are spring-loaded such that when both of the clutch assemblies are disengaged, the brake plates move to engage the friction surfaces with the stationary housing to brake the shaft.

Abstract: A rotatable drum for reeling in and releasing a cable has drive means which includes a normally disengaged drive input clutch, a normally engaged brake and a normally engaged disconnect clutch which may be used to uncouple the drum from the drive system so that it may be turned manually to withdraw cable. The input clutch may be selectively engaged and the brake and disconnect clutch may each be selectively disengaged by fluid pressure from a control valve connected to a source of fluid pressure. The valve has a Hold or Brake-On position at which each of the clutches and the brake are unpressurized, a Reel-In position at which the input clutch and the brake are pressurized, a Brake-Off position at which only the brake is pressurized and further has a Free-Spool position at which the disconnect clutch is pressurized to free the drum from the resistance or drag of the drive system. Centering springs resist movement of the control valve away from the Brake-On position.

Abstract: A brake with multiple friction plates supplied with both a steady, plate cooling and lubrication flow, and a controlled supplemental flow specially provided therefor. The specially provided flow is delivered onto, and leaves from, the friction plates being cooled thereby, under automatic control when needed, by utilization and adaptation of a simple gravity head and of operating parts already at hand in a standard traction drive mechanism.

Abstract: An axially compact clutch and brake mechanism. Inner and outer concentrically mounted clutch and brake drums intermittently coupled respectively by packs of interleaved friction discs and plates are operated by a pressure plate disposed intermediate the clutch and brake disc and plate packs and responds to an annular hydraulic piston to alternately engage the clutch or engage the brake. Brake and clutch packs are axially spaced along the length of concentric input and output shafts while the piston is located radially inwardly of one of the packs and is not axially spaced therefrom so as to reduce the axial length of the assemblage. The mechanism further includes structure whereby the piston is not forced to rotate within its cylinder to thereby lengthen the life of the same.

Abstract: A planetary-gear coupling between a torque converter and a load, such as an automotive engine, comprises a transmission housing with two fluidically actuated clutches serving to couple an input shaft with either of two coaxial output shafts carrying respective sun gears of two planetary-gear trains. The input shaft, driven by the rotor of the torque converter, and a surroundng tube, secured to its stator, define between them an annular clearance bounded by two sealing rings, one of these rings being interposed as a journal bearing between the tube and a first clutch housing positively connected with the input shaft. The annular clearance can be pressurized from the output of a fluid pump and communicates through a bore in the first clutch housing with the interior thereof which contains a first piston displaceable to consolidate that housing with the inner output shaft.

Abstract: A clutch assembly is located in the bore of a flywheel for drivingly connecting a coaxially located shaft. The assembly is comprised of a first series of discs mounted for rotation with the shaft, and a second series of interleaved plates supported for rotation with the flywheel. The flywheel is connected to the drive shaft in response to displacement of an actuating means which compressively engages the discs and plates. A separate brake assembly is provided which can be located at either axial end of the shaft, and in one form of the invention, hydraulic fluid is circulated through each of the clutch and brake assemblies from a common source.