Plate Clutch Patents (Class 475/328)
  • Patent number: 9046139
    Abstract: A transmission clutch cooling system includes a clutch housing defined between a drive hub of a drive member and a clutch hub of a driven member and a clutch assembly housed in the clutch housing. The clutch hub includes a hub deck having a plurality of bores therethrough, an inner annulus extending axially from the hub deck, and an outer annulus extending axially from the hub deck, the outer annulus including a plurality of radial orifices therethrough and a lip flange extending from a distal end towards the inner annulus. The clutch assembly includes a plurality of clutch plates secured to the drive hub and a plurality of friction plates secured to the driven member. A piston assembly is provided for engaging or disengaging the plurality of friction plates against the plurality of clutch plates to cause or release integrated rotation of the drive member and the driven member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Gerard Meyer, Jason Robert Allen, James Hill, William McClure
  • Patent number: 8398521
    Abstract: The invention discloses a mechanical torque converter (100) having a casing (6), an input shaft (2) entering casing (6) and rotatable within the casing (6). An output shaft (5) exits casing (6) and is rotatable within casing (6). A gearbox (1) is located within casing (6) and coupled to input shaft (2). An escapement device (3) is within casing (6) and coupled to gearbox (1) to brake gearbox (1) under low speed and a clutch (4) co-operates with output shaft (5) and gearbox (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventors: Hu Meng Bu, Xiao Ling Bu
  • Patent number: 8066605
    Abstract: A planetary transmission includes a sun gear, which constitutes an input drive to the planetary transmission, a ring gear arranged around the sun gear, and a planet carrier which is designed to rotate and which carries at least one planet wheel, which planet wheel meshes with the sun gear and the ring gear. The planet carrier constitutes an output drive from the planetary transmission. The planetary transmission further includes a wet disk brake, a first set of brake disks in the brake being rotationally locked to the planet carrier and thereby in operation rotating at the rotational speed of the planet carrier. The planetary transmission further comprises an arrangement for circulation of a cooling fluid through the brake which is rotationally locked to the sun gear and thereby in operation rotates at the rotational speed of the sun gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Tim Kingston, Mats Åkerblom
  • Patent number: 8038569
    Abstract: A transmission includes: a plurality of rotating elements interposed between a driving source and an output portion; a rotating member that rotatably supports one of the rotating elements and is formed at a radially outer portion thereof with a plurality of recesses or protrusions; a support member having a surface, that is facing the rotating member, and a plurality of protrusions or recesses that are formed in a radially inner portion thereof and engage with the recesses or protrusions of the rotating member, the rotating member being mounted in the support member such that the rotating member is not able to rotate; and a friction producing mechanism that is provided between the rotating member and the above-indicated surface of the support member and is arranged to produce a frictional force between the rotating member and the surface of the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Hideto Watanabe, Kunio Takeda, Masayuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7806797
    Abstract: An axial setting device includes two discs which are centered on a common axis. One is axially supported and the other one is axially displaceable, and at least one is rotatingly drivable. The two discs on their end faces, each have a plurality of circumferential ball grooves. The ball grooves each comprise a depth which decreases in the same direction, and each pair of opposed ball grooves accommodates a ball. At least the ball grooves of one of the two discs, starting from the region of the greatest groove depth, comprise a first groove portion with a greater pitch and an adjoining second groove portion with a smaller pitch, wherein the first groove portion extends over a smaller circular-arch-shaped portion than the second groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: GKN Driveline International GmbH
    Inventors: Theodor Gassmann, Mark Schmidt, Kurt Müller, Kai Sorge
  • Patent number: 7534186
    Abstract: A reversing gearset of a continuously variable transmission, in particular a continuously variable belt transmission has a drive input shaft (6), a primary shaft (10), a simple planetary gearset with a sun gear (2), a web (3) for the planetary gears (4) and an annular gear (5) and two shift elements (7, 8) for shifting to the forward or the reverse directions. The transmission ratio of the reversing gearset (1), in the reverse direction, is greater than one (i.e., it is a speed-drop ratio), such that in the forward direction, the transmission ratio of the reversing gearset (1) is equal to one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: ZF Transmission Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Rudolf Kauffeldt
  • Patent number: 7179193
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for driving a wheel of a vehicle in which the arrangement includes a planetary gear transmission (6) which in turn has a sun gear (7) connected to a driving axle (4), a planet carrier (11) on which at least one planet gear (8) is arranged and the planet gear is also arranged in engagement with the sun gear (7), and a ring gear (9) arranged around, and also in engagement with the planet gear. The driving arrangement also includes a braking device (16) and a wheel hub (12), which hub is connected to the planet carrier (11). The braking device is adapted to brake the planet carrier relative to a static part (18) arranged outside the planet gear carrier in the radial direction. The ring gear (9) and the outer, static part (18) are constructed in one piece in the form of an annular member (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment Components AB
    Inventors: Timothy Kingston, Mats Åkerblom
  • Patent number: 6916265
    Abstract: A power transfer apparatus including a clutch having a biasing device for biasing the clutch piston in a direction in which the clutch discs engage with the clutch plates, a transmission brake disposed in line in an axial direction of the clutch, an actuator disposed in line in an axial direction of the transmission brake for disengaging the clutch at the same time of applying the transmission brake, and a planetary carrier sub-assembly disposed in line in the axial direction of the clutch, wherein the power transfer apparatus provided between an input shaft and an output shaft which are accommodated within a casing for selectively changing the speed of the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Imamura
  • Patent number: 5538482
    Abstract: In a powertrain, including a multiple-speed transmission, an axle shaft driven through differential mechanism, a two-speed axle mechanism includes an input shaft connected to the drive shaft, a multiple speed gear mechanism driveably connected to the differential mechanism. One form of the two-speed axle includes a planetary gearset, an overrunning brake, a brake band, and a friction clutch. Another form of the axle mechanism includes gears formed on the input shaft and output shaft, a planet gear wheel rotatably supported on a carrier, the gears of the wheel meshing with the gears on the shafts. A spring-applied clutch connects the output shaft to the carrier, and an hydraulically-actuated brake releases the clutch and holds the carrier against revolution on a casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: John H. Tanzer, Ernie C. Besler, Rex R. Corless, Suresh C. Bansal
  • Patent number: 5525115
    Abstract: A mechanical transmission for drive wheels, especially for mobile work machines, has a sprocket keyed on a drive shaft rotatably supported to a frame, an internally-cogged crown connected to a hub of a drive wheel of a work machine, and at least one intermediate gear wheel coupled to the sprocket and the crown and rotatably supported by an intermediate member. Two gear couplings are provided, each of which is equipped with own externally-activated means for command. The gear couplings connect the intermediate member with the frame and the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Inventor: Oddone Vanzini
  • Patent number: 5480361
    Abstract: A space-saving compart change direction planetary gearing includes a reverse brake, a forward clutch and a planetary gear set. The brake includes a cylindrical portion integral with a pinion carrier of the planetary gear set. The clutch drum and planetary gear set including pinions carried by the pinion carrier are received in the cylindrical portion. In mounting the component parts within a casing, a brake piston is inserted into the casing. Then, an assembly of the clutch, planetary gear set including the pinion carrier integral with the cylindrical portion and an input shaft is inserted into the casing. Then, a brake frictional plate assembly is engaged between the cylindrical portion and a cylindrical inner wall of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Murakami, Hirofumi Okahara, Akito Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Maeda