Hydraulic brake clutch

• US 5,573,092 A
• Filed: 02/02/1995
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goizper S. Coop
• Original Assignee: Goizper S Coop LTDA
• Inventors: Gabilondo, Francisco L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Andrea L.
• Application Number:
  US08/382,697
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 192/18 A, 192/18 R, 192/12 C, 192/35
• US Class Current: 192/18.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/10 Brakes specially adapted for presses brakes in general F16D
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2055/0058 Fully lined, i.e. braking surface extending over the entire disc circumference
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 55/36 Brakes with a plurality of rotating discs all lying side by side
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 67/04 fluid actuated

Abstract

A piston driving a brake and a clutch is split into a main piston and a secondary piston that can travel axially and that are related through limiting bolts. The main piston has a larger surface for the pressurized fluid than the secondary piston. The main piston has a duct through which the fluid flows to the secondary piston which is in turn fitted with springs that bias it, against the fluid tension, against the main piston. Therefore, when connection is made, the secondary piston first approaches the clutch discs without actually contacting the latter. After the brake is released, there is a first connection stage at which the secondary piston approaches the main piston and a second stage, after both pistons come into contact, at which the assembly works conventionally, as a single piston.

Claims

1. A hydraulic brake clutch coupled to a machine shaft and comprising:

a clutch having a clutch body,

a brake comprising a brake disc packet,

a piston fitted between said clutch and said brake,

a plurality of springs which permanently bias said piston against the brake disc packet, said plurality of springs secured on the clutch body, said piston being hydraulically movable against said springs towards the brake disc packet,

characterised in that said piston is split into a main piston and a secondary piston operating in sequence,

the secondary piston is mounted upon the main piston and has axial movement but no angular travel with respect to said main piston,

the secondary piston defines an operative surface acted upon by hydraulic pressure, that is smaller than an operative surface of the main piston,

pressurized fluid enters a secondary piston chamber through a duct within the main piston, and further comprising;

a plurality of limiting bolts by which the secondary piston is connected to the main piston, each of the limiting bolts having a head and mounting one of a plurality of respective springs which bias the secondary piston against the main piston so that, in a connection operation, the pressurized fluid arrives first, through the duct within the main piston, to the operative surface of the secondary piston and causes the secondary piston to approach the clutch without actually contacting the clutch, contact between the secondary piston and the clutch occurring only after the main piston begins to move and the brake is released so that when said main piston begins to move, only the secondary piston acts upon the clutch, the tension generated by the respective springs works with the main piston, and the pressurized fluid returns towards the main chamber until both the main piston and the secondary piston contact each other axially, contact between the main piston and the secondary piston occurring when all pressure received by the main piston is conveyed to the clutch.

2. A hydraulic brake clutch as defined in claim 1, and further comprising screws upon which the plurality of springs which permanently bias said piston against the brake disc packet are mounted, said screws including heads oriented towards the main piston and which pass through the clutch and are externally fitted with nuts directly accessible from outside of the clutch, said nuts permitting movement of some of said screws into the clutch to render some springs of the plurality of springs inoperative so as to regulate braking torque.