Clutch

“ The clutch used in automobile construction of the present day becomes a necessary part of the equipment upon the adoption by manufacturers of the progressive and selective types of sliding gear transmissions.
When the engine is started the clutch is “in,” that is, in contact with the flywheel, and all parts of the clutch revolve with it at the same speed. The shaft on which the clutch is mounted extends into the transmission gear case, but as the transmission gears are in a neutral position, the movement of the car is not affected. ”

“ When the clutch makes x-1-x fast to either gear 2 or gear 2x, it causes it to let go of the other one, and that other one, thus released, runs around on the shaft independently, at the rate it is carried by its connection with the gear back of it. ”

“ I have said above that the forward end of the arbor shaft is connected to the engine shaft by a clutch, and this brings me to another almost universal and very important portion of the transmission gear. In belt-driven cars a clutch is rarely used, the slip of the belt being relied on to give the necessary immunity from shock, but in cars which are driven by chains, arbor shaft, or gearing, a clutch is a necessity, otherwise the sudden application of power would strip the teeth of the gear, break the chain, or cause other damage, and something is needed to ease the shock. ”

“ The power of the release clutch spring E, acting through the throwout-collar F, and the bell crank pivot G, drives the thrust shoes outwardly with a lever wedge toggle combination of powers against the overhanging, inward beveled face to the thrust ring H, since the parts on which they are mounted are backed against the cover wall or rigid end of the clutch casing. ”

“ As a general rule, it is most advisable to set a clutch to take as hard a grip as it can without interfering with its releasing power. Where a clutch grips weakly, it is subject to undue wear owing to slippage, whereas a strongly regulated clutch absolutely prevents slippage wear. ”

“ The purchaser of a traction engine should see that it has a Friction [Pg 12] Clutch as an engine with a clutch is much more practical, convenient and safe to handle upon the road than one without a clutch. The matter of brackets, braces, gearing, traction wheels, axle, the manner in which the engine is mounted upon the boiler should be well considered as there are many kinds and styles, all of which have their merit “more or less.” ”

“ The engine shaft has on its rear end the fly-wheel, which has a broad and heavy rim, turned to a conical shape inside. Close to this, revolving loosely on the shaft, is the clutch plate, a heavy disc with a broad edge so shaped as to fit the inside of a fly-wheel. It is generally faced with leather. A very strong spring presses the plate into the fly-wheel, and the resulting friction is sufficient to prevent any slip. Projections on the rear of the clutch engage with the gear-box shaft. The driver throws out the clutch by depressing a lever with his foot. ”

“ When the clutch is disengaged there is no friction between the shaft B, and the throw out sleeve D. The thrust bearing takes the rotating drag of the clutch shaft, thereby eliminating the necessity for a brake to check the spinning action. The friction and power action is readily understood as, when the clutch is thrown in, all the rotating parts are friction locked into a single combination and revolve as one with the flywheel. ”

“ The motor and the main clutch shaft must be truly in line, but if these two main parts of the mechanism are separately attached to a weak frame, the frame twists and bends sufficiently to cause trouble with the clutch, because the one part of the clutch is not parallel with the other, and the inner cone only presses locally in the outer cone instead of fitting all round. Clutches used much when this is the case slip most when slipping is least wanted, soon cause much trouble, and only complete refitting and renewal of the cone surface can secure perfect action. ”

“ The clutch lever should be held in one hand when first starting, so that in case of anything being wrong with gearing, it can be stopped immediately by quickly loosening the lever. With the other hand, the steering wheel should be operated to guide the engine upon the road. When all is found to be working properly, and you wish to run the engine any distance, the clutch lever should be placed in notch provided for it; this will hold the friction shoes securely to the wheel, and the engine will move along the road at full speed. ”

“ The roller over which these chains pass is operated by a silent clutch, and in order to give an additional motion to the chains when a pan is full, and it is desired to bring the next pan into position, an additional clutch is caused to operate upon the roller. This clutch is kept out of gear with its pulley by means of a projection upon it bearing against a disk slightly greater in diameter than the pulley, and provided with two notches, into which the projection passes when the additional feed is required. ”

“ Plate clutches are often made with more than three plates; some makes run in a bath of oil, and some are intended to work dry. [Pg 149]
In a cone clutch, the overhanging rim of the flywheel is funnel-shaped, and into it fits a cone-shaped disk carried on the end of the drive shaft. To engage the clutch, the disk is slid along the shaft against the flywheel, the friction between the two being sufficient to drive the shaft.
When a clutch is thrown in it should take hold gradually, slipping at first, but finally having a firm grip. ”

“ A fork or clutch rotates along with the shaft, and is capable of being moved longitudinally by a handle. When the clutch is moved towards the hoop, its arms catch those of the hoop, and cause the hoop to rotate and to communicate its rotation to the pulley by friction. ”

“ Apropos of clutches, great care must be exercised in tightening them up while the shafting is in motion, for if the least bit overdone the clutch may start up or, on being locked for trial (according to the clutches' structure) , continue running without possibility of release until the main source of power be cut off. Nothing can exceed the danger of a clutch on a sprung shaft.
Heavily loaded shafting runs to much better advantage when center driven than when end driven, and what often constitutes an overload for an end drive is but a full load for a center drive. ”

“ After the car starts, and it is apparent that the engine is running strong, depress the clutch pedal with the left foot, and quickly change the transmission lever to the next speed, and the clutch is then again deliberately thrown in. ”

“ As soon as the engine fires the starting pedal should be released immediately, as the overrunning motor clutch is operating from the time the engine fires until the starting gears are out of mesh. Since they operate at a very high speed, if they are held in mesh for any length of time, there is enough friction in this clutch to cause it to heat and burn out the lubricant. There is no necessity for holding the gears in mesh.
The motor clutch operates between the flywheel and the armature pinion for the purpose of getting a suitable gear reduction between the motor generator and the flywheel. ”

“ Pressure on a forked lever fulcrumed to the base of the machine, one end of which encircles the collar and the other end touching the lower stop lever, holds the clutch out of action. When the pressure of the forked lever against the collar is released, the clutch spring expands and the clutch rod moves the collar inward until the leather buffers are pushed against the inner surface of the driving pulley, causing the shaft to rotate. ”

“ A clutch must be of such a nature that it does not apply the power of the engine instantly, but gradually, [Pg 113] so that the car starts slowly and without jerking. If the power were to be applied suddenly, the effort of starting the stationary car would either overcome the momentum of the engine and stop it, or would jerk the car into such sudden motion that it might be badly wrenched. By making the clutch so that it is permitted to slip when first applied, the part that is driven is gradually brought to the speed of the part that drives, when slipping ceases and the two make firm contact. ”

“ Ninth.—To shift to second speed advance the gas throttle until the car gathers a smooth rolling motion, press in the clutch pedal and allow three to five seconds for the brake to retard the speed of the clutch, then shift the lever to second speed and release the clutch pedal easily. ”

“ Fig. 41 gives the starting-handle in part section. The handle H is attached to a tube which terminates in a clutch, C. A powerful spring keeps C normally apart from a second clutch, C1, keyed to the engine shaft. When the driver wishes to start the engine he presses the handle towards the right, brings the clutches together, and turns the handle in a clockwise [Pg 95] direction. As soon as the engine begins to fire, the faces of the clutches slip over one another. ”

“ When operating a friction clutch, always draw or push the lever over gradually. By doing this the engine will start slowly and easily, while if the lever is jammed over suddenly, the engine will start with a jerk, which is liable to damage the traction gear. ”

“ But the good engineer knows better than to treat his engine that way.
Never attempt to pull your loads over a steep hill without being certain that your clutch is in good shape, and if you have any doubts about it put in the tight gear pin. Most all engines have both the friction and the tight gear pin. The pin is much the safer in a hilly country, and if you have learned the secret of the throttle you can handle just as big load with the pin as with the clutch, and will never tear your gearing off or lose the stud bolts in boiler. ”

“ By moving the clutch over to the left, wheel a is held fast to and driven by the shaft upon which the clutch slides, whilst by moving it in the opposite direction, wheel a is freed, and wheel b held fast, and if the clutch be held stationary at a point midway between the two, both wheels are free and neither is driven. ”

“ Should the machine have an inclination to creep forward when cranking, it indicates that the clutch lever screw which bears on the clutch lever cam has worn, and requires an extra turn to hold the clutch in neutral position. When the clutch is released by pulling back the hand lever the pedal should move forward the distance of 13⁄4′′ in passing from high speed to neutral. See that the hub brake shoe and connections are in proper order so that the brake will act sufficiently to prevent the car creeping very far ahead. ”

“ Sometimes you may come to an obstacle in the road, over which your engine refuses to go, you may perhaps get over it in this way, throw the clutch-lever so as to disconnect the road wheels, let the engine get up to full speed and then throw the clutch level back so as to connect the road wheels. ”

“ In the crank-clutch cycles the clutch is used for the purpose of detaching the cranks from the spindle when the machine requires no driving, as in running down grade, but when once the clutch is gripped, it remains so till further power ceases to be required. Now, this is also just the action of all belt-pulley clutches, and between such action and that required in a lever-clutch cycle the difference is exceedingly conspicuous. In the crank-clutch cycle, as in other uses, the immediate solid grip is a matter of little concern ”

“ The clutch-levers alternately engage with the rims or pulleys on the axle, as their outer ends are pressed downward by the backward walking movement of the foot of the rider, and releasing them as the foot rises in stepping forward, the rope reeving through the pulleys in each direction alternately as the levers are alternately raised and depressed. ”

“ To start the car, release emergency brake, release the clutch with left foot, grasp the gear-shifting lever with the right hand and shift from the neutral position to the first speed notch, accelerate slightly, then allow the clutch to engage slowly and the car will start. ”

“ Study the friction clutch adjustments, but do not change them every time something stops the machine. It is much easier to break an adjustment than to make one.
A piece of metal from a squirt lodged between the mold disk guide or back of the rim on the disk will cause it to bind, placing more pull on the clutch. ”

“ When the clutch slips, it is due to wear, or to insufficient spring pressure, and a new adjustment is necessary; and it is frequently the case that the rod between the clutch and pedal must be taken up, this being the case, usually, where there is any wear in the clutch itself.
The disks are, usually, wholly of metal. Among other materials, cork is used to face friction surfaces of different clutch designs, and a variety of materials are constantly added to the list, which have good wearing qualities. ”

“ One's the "advance sparking lever," the other the "mixture lever." There are no horrid belts to break themselves-and your heart at the same time, but instead a "change speed gear" and a "clutch." I had my first lesson in driving, sitting by Brown on the way to Amboise. ”

“ On expensive machinery whose time really is money it pays to renew the lacing at regular intervals so as to avoid the loss of time occasioned by a sudden giving out of the lace.
Never throw a belt on to a rim-friction or other kind of clutch while the shaft is in full motion. Belts, when being thrown on, have a knack, peculiarly their own, [Pg 13] of jumping off on the other side of the pulley. And should a belt jump over and off on the wrong side and get caught in the clutch mechanism, as the saying goes, "there will be something doing" and the show usually comes high. It pays to slow down. ”

“ A. The first one toward the left operates the clutch, and by it the car is started and its operations largely controlled. When pressed forward the clutch pedal engages the low speed gear. When halfway forward the gears are in neutral (i. e., disconnected from the driving mechanism of the rear wheels) , and, with the hand lever thrown forward the releasing of the pedal engages the high-speed clutch. The right hand pedal operates the transmission brake. ”