The present invention is concerned with improvements in free-wheel mechanisms adapted to couple together or to disconnect two members capable of relative rotation. The free-wheel mechanism is intended to cooperate with two circular tracks, an inner track and an outer track, one of said tracks comprising ramp means, a plurality of jamming members such as rollers, an assembly cage for said jamming members, said cage having a circular series of windows adapted to receive said jamming members, elastic means such as a ring for urging said members directly or indirectly into the jamming position, abutment means carried by said cage and provided so as to limit the radial movement of said jamming members, said mechanism further comprising, at least on one side, an abutment side-plate immobilized in rotation with respect to said track with ramps by means of a part of said elastic ring adapted to co-operate with a groove formed in said abutment side-plate. These free-wheel mechanisms find numerous advantageous applications in transmission systems for vehicles, for example, in hydraulic torque converters.
An overrunning clutch comprising a clamping ring provided with clamping ramps and spring-loaded clamping rollers housed in pockets of a cage and associated with the clamping ramps, the clutch being switchable from a first indexing position into a second by rotation of the cage with respect to the clamping ring. The cage is characterized by either directly or with the help of an intermediate member on the one hand, and the clamping ring with projections and recesses on the other, engage in each other in such a way after the fashion of a screw thread that when the cage or the intermediate member, as the case may be, is axially displaced, the cage executes a movement of rotation with respect to the clamping ring.
An overrunning clutch capable of being shifted to free wheeling in both directions and capable of being shifted to a camming position in one direction or free wheeling in opposite direction comprising an outer race provided with camming surfaces and an inner race, a plurality of cam rollers accommodated in a cage rolling on said races, a circular spring with one end secured to the outer race and the other end engaging the roller cage designed with a shift means at the latter end whereby the roller cage can be shifted from a camming position to a free wheeling position in both directions.
The retainer is entirely made of resilient molded plastic. A plurality of molded plastic bars interconnect a pair of axially spaced rims. A molded plastic spring is connected to each of a plurality of the bars at a point adjacent one rim. The springs extend angularly from said one rim toward the other rim. The rims, bars, and springs are one integral molded plastic unit.
An overrunning clutch of the type having a clamp roller with a first coupling portion which is provided with clamp ramps for the rollers and a second coupling part which forms a cylindrical running surface or journal and a cage which is provided with axially displaced lateral disks of annular shape between which the clamp rollers and associated compression springs are disposed. The construction is such that the clutch can be assembled even when both the two shafts or the like with which the clutch has to be connected are already fixed and in position. To this end the contour of the first disk facing the first coupling portion is essentially cylindrical while the corresponding contour of the second disk is provided with additional projections which support the first coupling part in recesses of the first coupling part after the cage has been assembled.
A one-way clutch includes an internal rotary member and an external rotary member, wherein a surface of the internal rotary member and a surface of the external rotary member define a clutch member space so that a width of the clutch member space varies from a wider portion to a narrower portion. A clutch member is disposed in the clutch member space so that (i) relative rotation between the internal rotary member and the external rotary member is inhibited when the clutch member is disposed in the narrower portion of the clutch member space; and (ii) relative rotation between the internal rotary member and the external rotary member is allowed when the clutch member is disposed in the wider portion of the clutch member space. A clutch member support is provided for supporting the clutch member within the clutch member space, and a coupling member is provided for increasing a coupling force between the clutch member support and one of the internal rotary member or external rotary member when the clutch rotates in a drive direction.
