July 28, 1942~ F./ L.

LAWRENCE 2,291,241l
MULTIPLE CLUTCH
Filed nay 19) 1941. 2 sneets-sheet` 1

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July 28, 1942.` F. L.. LAWRENCE- 2,291,241
MULTIPLE CLUTCH
Filed May, 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

TURNEY,
 Patented July 19.42`
I 2,291,241

UNITED l STATES PATENT oFFlcE

2,291,241 Y

MULTIPLE CLUTCH _

'Frank Lendrum Lawrence, Renton, Wash.

Application May 19, 1941, Serial No. 394,153
5 Claims. (Cl. 192-87)
My invention relates to improvements in mul secured to the face or the nyvwhee1 is a. mu1
tiple clutches for controlling planetary gear tiple clutch I8 consisting of two separate clutches
change speed transmissions. This application is II and I2 capable oi' selective operation. Ro-'
a continuation in part of my co-pending appli >tatable with the iiywheel and secured thereto by
cation entitled improvement in Transmissions, bolts I5, one only of which is shown, is a cyl
Serial Number 394,154, filed May 19, 1941. inder head I6 walled as at I1 on its periphery to
The objects of the invention are to provide provide cylinders I8 and I9 and having at the
an assembly oi.' two coaxial clutches capable of outer extremity an annular clutch flange 20.
direct mounting to an engine iiywheel and hav 'I'he walls of the cylinders are splined and are
ing external coaxial driving members adapted 10 fitted with annular pressure plates 22 and 23.
for connection to diierent steps of the gear train; The cylinder I8 is tted with a piston 25 having
f to provide means whereby the clutch parts are peripheral lugs 28, one only shown in Figure l, '
so segregated from the transmission gear that to which the pressure plate 22 is connected by
lubricating oil cannot pass from the transmission bolts 2l. This piston is provided with a spring
gear to the clutch parts, and to provide means 15 pressed thrust plate 28 to return the piston to
whereby the driving connection between the~ normal position of rest, this thrust plate abuts
I clutch and the transmission may be withdrawn the >ywheel. 2 and is held in position by- bolts
from the clutch without' removal of fastenings v 29 so that on removal oi the clutch assembly
or other parts. _ the thrust plate and its parts will remain as a
The invention consists essentially of a clutch 20 unit attached to the piston 25.
assembly having two coaxially mounted clutches The cylinder- I9 is provided with a piston 3|!
and uid means for jointly or severally operat which is provided with lugs 3|, one only shown
ing said clutches, as will be more fully described in Figure 1, to which the pressure plate 23 is
inthe following specication and shown in the secured by bolts 82. Springs 33, one only shown, ~
accompanying drawings, in which: 25 serve to return the piston 30 to normal posi
Fig. 1 is a, longitudinal sectional view of the tion. ` '

invention showing the clutches and the change
speed transmission to' which it is attached.
Fig. 2 is a reduced scale view of the outer clutch
ilange taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the planetary train
taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the
clutch and brake control. y tuate the piston 3|).-A
Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the
preferred type of control valve.
Figs. 6 and 7 are face views of the valve parts
taken on the lines 5-5 and 1-`-I of Figure 5.
In the drawings like characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each iigure.
The numeral I indicates the crank shaft an'ge
of a motor to which isl iitted a ilywheel 2. The
motor is provided with _the usual crank shaft
housing, not shown, and to said housing a clutch
and transmission housing 3 is secured. The
housing 3 is made in sections to facilitate as
sembly and is provided with transverse walls 4
and 5 between which an oil sump 6 is deiined.
The walls 4 and 5 support main bearings 1 and
8 respectively in which the entire transmission
and the clutch driving .members are rotatably
carried, so that by simply removing the fasten
ings between the housing 3 the transmission can
be removed from the motor flywheel and the
clutch parts mounted thereon. - 55 in which planet gears 63 in mesh with the sun
Communicating with the cylinder I8 is an axi--
ally- mounted tube 34 ythrough which operating
iiuid is adapted to be forced from' a suitable
30 source of supply. Concentrically mounted around
the tube 34 is a tube 35 which is axially slidable
with and communicates with the cylinder I9,
leading from the same source of supply to ac
Clutch plates 3'I and 38 each splined on their
outer periphery are fitted between the iiywheel
2 and pressure plate 22 and between the pres
sure plate 23 and the clutch flange 20 respec
tively. The clutch plate 3l is connected by
40 splines 4I! to a bell 4I and the clutch plate 38
is connected by splines 42 to a bell '43, which
bell is concentric within the bell 4|. The'bell
43 is provided with a hub 44 which is splined
upon a hollow shaft 50 which is concentric with
the operating iiuid pipes 34 and 35. 'I'he shaft
50 is fitted with a sun gear 52. The rear end
vof the shaft 50 is iitted with the hub 53 of a
brake drum 54 and the hub is Journalled in a
bearing 55 carried from anl open brake housing
56 from the wall 5 of the housing 3.
Journalled in the main bearings 1 and 8 is a
mainsleevell which istted intermediate its
length with a power take 0E pinion or sprocket
6I and has formed at its inner end a cage 52
2 2,291,241
gear 62 are rotatably carried. 'I'he planet gears the springs of the thrust plate 28 and the springs
63 mesh with- a ring gear 6l which is carried . 33 respectively. When the handle |88 of the
on annular members 66 and 88. The member control valve is moved to right or left to cause
65 form's part of the bell 4I and both members the arcuate passage Ill to register with the inlet
are journalled in bearings 61 which are carried port 88 and both transfer ports, pressure will be
on the hubs of the cage 62. The left hand end, exerted to both clutches II and I2 to actuate
see Figure l, of the cage is a bushing 68 which them and cause both bells I and 43 to rotate
journals the hub of the bell I3. The ring gear and also to thrust the pistons of both brake cyl
6l and the members 65 and 66 form a rotating .inders II8 and III forward against the counter
housing 68. Supported from the member 66 is 10 pressure from the supply line 36 to take of! the
a brake drum 18 which obviously rotates in unison brakes. It will be obvious that the effective pis
with the bell 4I. . . ton area is less on the piston rod side than on the
The brake drums 64 and 18 are provided with rear side adjacent the cylinder head, therefore,
brake bands respectively indicated by the numer in spite of the pressure per unit of area being
als 12 and 13, mounted to be self energizing and 15 equal, the eilort upon the rear side of each pis
which are actuated by suitable iluid means to be .ton will be greater than on the piston rod side
hereinafter described. and the brake bands will be slackened. When
Mounted in a subsidiary housing 'I6 is a gear the lever is moved over until the arcuate passage
11 driven from a pinion 18 upon the main sleeve |86 covers one only of the transfer ports. say for
68 and mounted outside the housing 16 is an oil 20 instance port I88, then the pressure will be
pump 19 driven by the gear 11. The pump 19 exerted only to operate clutch I2 and release the
derives its supply from a suction pipe 88 com brake band 12, while clutch II will remain inac
municating with the housing 6 and delivers its tive and the constant pressure from pipe 86 will
oil through a pipe 8I to the interspace between keep the band 13 engaged to its drum 18.
the hollow shaft 58 and the main sleeve 68 and 25 The operation of the transmission is as follows:
through outlets 83 in a branch pipe 84 into the When the hollow shaft 58 is rotated through
housing 6 and onto the main sleeve 68 and its the engagement of the clutch I2 and the ring gear
associated parts. The oil passing between the 64 is held at rest, the planet gears 63 are rotated
shaft 58 and the main sleeve 68 discharges into and caused to travel around the ring gear, thus
the cage 62 where it lubricates the planetary 30 imparting rotation through the cage 62 and the
train and through a duct 85 to the planet gears main sleeve 68 and the take oil pinion 6 I. When
63 and the rotatable housing 68, finally passing the clutch II is engaged and the clutch I2 disen
out through the openings in wall of 66 into a col gaged the sun gear is held at rest and the ring
lector ring 86 and through an opening 81 lead gear rotated about it, consequently the planet
ing into the housing 6. Oil will fill the subsidi gears 63 will travel around the sun gear and ro
ary housing 16. . tate the take oil pinion 6I at intermediate speed.
The outer end of the tubes 34 and 35 leads When both clutches II and I2 are engaged both
into suitably gladed chambers indicated by the brakes are released the planetary train, the hol
numerals 88 and 83 whichare in communica low shaft 58 and the main sleeve 68 will rotate as
tion with suitable sources of supply of fluid pres 40 ilunit, giving _engine speed to the take oi! pinion
sure to actuate the clutches II, and- I2.
Fluid pressure for actuating the brakes and What I claim as my invention is:
clutches is derived from a suitable source of sup 1. A clutch adapted for mounting upon a iiy
ply through a pipe 95 (Figure 4) which connects wheel, a central member secured to and spaced
with a manual control valve 96. The control 45 from the face of the flywheel, said central mem
valve 96 consists of a body 91, see Figures 5 and 6, ber forming an integral, cylinder centrally lo
having an inlet port 88 connecting with the pipe cated, a co-axially mounted disc consisting of a
95, a central exhaust port 89 and transfer ports piston for the cylinder and a pressure plate, a
I8I-and I8I to which are connected pipes |82 clutch plate interposed between the pressure
and |83. Fitted within the body 81 is a rock 50 plate and the face of the flywheel, means for ad
ingly mounted disc |85 having an arcuate ported mitting nuid to the cylinder to move the pressure
passage |86 capable of simultaneous registry with plate into engagement with the clutch plate and
the inlet port 98 and one or both of the transfer' a driving bell surrounding the pressure plate and
ports 188 and I8I and a T-shaped ported passage engaging the outer periphery of the clutch plate
|81 which communicates with either or both the 55 adapted for connection to a driven shaft.
transfer ports and the exhaust port 98. 'I'his 2. A multiple clutch adapted .for connection to
disc is iitted with a lever I 88 ~by which it may be Athe face of an engine flywheel comprising a cen
rocked. tral member spaced from the face of the flywheel,
The brake bands 12 and 13 are actuated by said member forming a pair of opposing cylin
cylinders II8 and III .respectively which are 60 'ders with a head common to both, an annular
shown diagrammatically in Figure 4, each cylin-Y plate carried from the central member and being
der includes a piston II2 and piston rod II3, secured in spaced relation to the face ot the ily-_
which latter is connected to the brake band. wheel, a piston for each of the cylinders adapted
Pressure is constantly applied to the front of to be moved in one direction by manually con
each cylinder II8 and III from the supply pipe 65 trolled means and returned in the opposite direc
35 to apply theV brakes when the rear end of the tion by other means, a pressure plate connected
cylinders is open to exhaust through the pipes to each piston, a clutch disc interposed between
|82 and |83, the transfer ports |88 and I8I and the flywheel and one pressure plate and a, clutch
the exhaust port 83 ofthe control valve 86. The disc interposed between the second pressure plate
pipes |02 and I 83 connect not only with the 70 and the annular plate, and means for connecting
brake bands but with the cylinders of the each clutch disc to its driven member.
clutches II and I2, so that when the valve 96 is 3. A multiple clutch adapted for connection to
set as shown in Figure l both clutches are in the face of an engine ywheel comprising a cen
active and their pistons, 26 of cl'utch II and 38 tral member spaced from the face of the flywheel.
of clutch I2, are returned to normal position by 75 said member forming a pair of opposing cylinders
 2,291,241 3
with a head common to both, an annular plate second pressure plate and the annular plate and
carried from the central member and being se a pair of coaxially arranged driving bells for
cured in spaced relation to the face of the iiy
wheel, a piston for each of the cylinders, coax-. transmitting the drive from the flywheel to a
pair of aligned driven members, clutch plates and
iaily aligned tubes for admitting uid under pres 5 said
sure to each of the pistons to move them in one driving bells being engaged to provide driv
direction, and means for returning the pistons in ing means between each' clutch plate and its
the opposite direction, a pressure plate connected driving bell, the driving bell of the clutch plate '
to each piston, a clutch disc interposed between between the iiywheel and the first mentioned
the ywheel and one pressure plate and a clutch 10 thepressure plate being of greater diameter than
second named driving bell. ~
plate interposed between the second pressure
plate and the annular plate and a pair of co 5. A-multiple clutchI adapted for connection to
axially arranged driving bells for transmitting the face of an engine ywheel comprising two
` the drive from the ywheel to a pair of aligned- coaxial clutches, one of said .clutches being
driven members, clutch plates and said driving' adapted for connection to a driven shaft in align
bells being s_plined to provide driving means be ment with axis of the flywheel and the second
_tween each clutch plate and its driving bell. clutch being adapted for connection to a driven
4. A multiple clutch adapted for connection to sleeve surrounding the shaft, an annular ange
the face of an engine iiywheel comprising a cen supported by the ywheel and spaced therefrom,
tral member spaced from the' face of the iiy a pair of opposed cylinders having a common
wheel, said member forming a pair of opposing 20 cylinder
each
head carried by said ange, a piston for
cylinder and . pressure plate carried by
cylinders with a head common to both, an annu each piston, said pressure plates being disposed
lar plate carried from the central member and
being secured in spaced relation to the face of between the face of the ywheel and the annular
the ywheel, `a piston for each of the cylinders, ange, a clutch plate between'the iiywheel and
coaxially aligned tubesv for admitting uid under 25 the pressure plate of one cylinder and a second
clutch plate between the pressure plate of the
pressure to each of the pistons to move them in
one direction, and means for' returning the pis second cylinder and the annular flange, a driv
tons in the opposite direction, a pressure plate ing bell for connecting each clutch plate to its
connected at each piston, a clutch disc inter driven member, means for admitting uid tol each
posed between the ywheel and one pressure 30 landmeans
cylinder to move their pistons in one direction
for returning the pistons.
plate and a clutch plate interposed between the
FRANK LENDRUM LAWRENCE.