Racing centrifugal clutch assembly

Claim 2

In a centrifugal clutch having a drive shaft and a pulley flange mounted for slidable movement on said drive shaft to engage said clutch, apparatus for sliding said pulley flange, comprising: a cam ramp in spaced relationship with said slidable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement between said pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for retaining the centrifugal weight against radial movement below a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity, and further comprising means selectively attachable to said clutch for by-passing said centrifugal weight retaining means.

Claim 3

In a centrifugal clutch having a drive shaft and a pulley flange mounted for slidable movement on said drive shaft to engage said clutch, apparatus for sliding said pulley flange, comprising: a cam ramp in spaced relationship with said slidable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement between said pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for retaining the centrifugal weight against radial movement below a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity, and wherein: said means for retaining the centrifugal weight against radial movement includes a recess formed in said slidable pulley flange and adapted to receive a portion of said centrifugal weight therein and means biasing said slidable pulley flange toward said centrifugal weight, and further comprising means selectively attachable to said clutch for by-passing said recess in the slidable pulley flange by precludinG the engagement of said notch with said centrifugal weight.

Claim 4

In a centrifugal clutch having a drive shaft and a pulley flange mounted for slidable movement on said drive shaft to engage said clutch, apparatus for sliding said pulley flange, comprising: a cam ramp in spaced relationship with said slidable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement between said pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for retaining the centrifugal weight against radial movement below a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity, and wherein: said means for retaining the centrifugal weight against radial movement includes a recess formed in said slidable pulley flange and adapted to receive a portion of said centrifugal weight therein and means biasing said slidable pulley flange toward said centrifugal weight, and further comprising means selectively attachable to said clutch for by-passing said recess in the slidable pulley flange by precludinG the engagement of said notch with said centrifugal weight.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said selective by-passing means is adjustable for providing selectable slidable movement of the pulley flange with respect to the cam ramp to vary the speed at which clutch engagement occurs.

Claim 6

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanges, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a pair of wheels mounted on said rod for rolling engagement with said cam ramp, and a bearing of smaller diameter than the wheels on said rod between said wheels for rolling engagement with said pulley flange, and wherein said pulley flange includes a guideway extending toward the cam ramp outwardly therealong, and said wheels are mounted on the rod in positions spaced laterally away from the sides of the guideway such that the wheels are guided thereby.

Claim 7

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanges, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a pair of wheels mounted on said rod for rolling engagement with said cam ramp, and a bearing of smaller diameter than the wheels on said rod between said wheels for rolling engagement with said pulley flange, and wherein said pulley flange includes a guideway extending toward the cam ramp outwardly therealong, and said wheels are mounted on the rod in positions spaced laterally away from the sides of the guideway such that the wheels are guided thereby.

Claim 8

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanes, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a pair of wheels mounted on said rod for rolling engagement with said cam ramp, and a bearing of smaller diameter than the wheels on said rod between said wheels for rolling engagement with said pulley flange, and wherein a pair of guide members are mounted on the cam ramp, spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive both wheels therebetween.

Claim 9

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanes, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a pair of wheels mounted on said rod for rolling engagement with said cam ramp, and a bearing of smaller diameter than the wheels on said rod between said wheels for rolling engagement with said pulley flange, and wherein a pair of guide members are mounted on the cam ramp, spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive both wheels therebetween.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of guideways are mounted on said pulley flange equidistantly therearound, a rolling weight is mounted on each guideway and a pair of guide members are mounted on the cam ramp to receive both wheels of each rolling weight therebetween.

Claim 11

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanges, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley Flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a wheel bearingly mounted on said rod for rotation with respect thereto and rolling engagement with said cam ramp, a guideway mounted on said pulley flange and extending therefrom towards said cam ramp, said guideway having a recess therein to accept a portion of said wheel therein to accept a portion of said wheel therein, and the bearing of said roller weight being mounted for rolling engagement with said guideway on both sides of said recess.

Claim 12

In a centrifugal clutch including a drive shaft, a pair of pulley flanges mounted on said drive shaft and providing therebetween a groove for a V-belt, one of the pulley flanges being axially movable on the drive shaft to vary the radial position of the V-belt with respect to the pulley flanges, apparatus for axially moving said movable pulley flange in response to the angular velocity of the drive shaft, comprising: a cam ramp fixedly mounted to said drive shaft in spaced relationship with the side of the movable pulley flange away from the other pulley flange, said cam ramp including a portion curved toward said movable pulley Flange, a centrifugal weight mounted for radial movement with respect to said movable pulley flange and said cam ramp, and means for inhibiting the radial movement of said centrifugal weight until a predetermined drive shaft angular velocity is reached, and wherein said centrifugal weight includes: a rod, a wheel bearingly mounted on said rod for rotation with respect thereto and rolling engagement with said cam ramp, a guideway mounted on said pulley flange and extending therefrom towards said cam ramp, said guideway having a recess therein to accept a portion of said wheel therein to accept a portion of said wheel therein, and the bearing of said roller weight being mounted for rolling engagement with said guideway on both sides of said recess.