An adjustable torque clutch assembly is provided for use in a motor operator. The clutch assembly includes a cylinder ring disposed between upper and lower clutch plates and houses a pair of friction discs, a drive plate disposed between the friction discs, and a spring for forcing the friction discs together to create a frictional coupling force between the drive plate and the friction discs. The exact amount of frictional force is determined by the distance between the upper and lower plates. A rubber gasket is disposed between the housing and one of the clutch plates for allowing adjustment of the distance between the clutch plates, thereby allowing the frictional force, and hence the overall clutch torque to be adjusted. A plurality of screws are provided to secure the clutch plates together once the distance between them, and hence the frictional force has been adjusted to a desired amount.

A polyphase induction motor prevents the transmission of excessive torque to the load upon starting of the motor by connecting a pair of friction clutches between the rotor of the motor and the power shaft. When a torque higher than the pressure on the clutches occurs, the clutches will slip, permitting the output shaft to rotate at a lower speed than the rotor. An adjustment varies the pressure of a spring pressing on the clutches to adjust the torque at which slippage of the clutch occurs.

A slip clutch and cutter blade apparatus for cane stalk harvesters provides a machine frame with a cutting mechanism in the form of cutter shafts powered by hydraulic motors. The cutter shafts have a plurality of knives thereon that pinch the cane therebetween as the shafts rotate to chop the cane wholestalks into billets. A flywheel is mounted on a flywheel shaft. A gearbox interfaces the flywheel and cutter blades. A flywheel clutch is used as a overload protection device for the chopper system. If overloading occurs, the flywheel slips and therefore limits the torque. The flywheel is placed on the bushing and clamped between the friction linings with the aid of the thrust plate, the cup springs, brake plate, brake plate cover, and bolts. The more the cup springs are compressed by the bolts; the higher the torque at which the flywheel slips.

A laminating machine including an improved laminating pull roll mounting assembly and an improved roll height adjustment mechanism. The roll mounting assembly is formed of a pair of inwardly and downwardly extending slots. The slots include a recess on which one hub of a pull roll can be placed prior to placing the roll into the slot. The recess allows a second roll to be placed on the machine while a first roll is being secured to the machine frame. The second roll is then secured to the frame of the machine by a height adjustment mechanism including a pair of pivoting plates connected to the frame by springs. The springs push the plates upwardly to increase the space between the first and second rolls. A winding mechanism also connected between he frame member and the plates can be selectively operated to adjust the space between the first and second rolls by acting against the bias of the springs.

A reciprocating saw including a housing, a spindle mounted for reciprocating motion within the housing, a gear rotatably mounted within the housing, a wobble shaft rotatably mounted within the housing, a wobble plate rotatably mounted on the wobble shaft and connected to the spindle, and a clutch drivingly connecting the gear to the wobble shaft. The clutch includes a clutch driver rotatably positioned within the housing adjacent the wobble shaft, and the clutch driver includes a recess for insertably receiving a portion of the wobble shaft. The clutch driver can also include a relief ledge for providing clearance between the clutch driver and the wobble plate. The clutch can further include a first clutch disk connected with the gear and positioned between the gear and the clutch driver, and a second clutch disk connected with the clutch driver and positioned between the gear and the first clutch disk.