A clutch with wear state indicator

• Main Author: GERHARD HUEBNER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.11.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BLASTING; BRAKES; CLUTCHES; COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; TESTING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A clutch 10 comprises a wear take-up device 12 having wear compensating components, eg wear take-up rings 56, 58 which, as friction linings 42, 44 wear, are urged by springs 60 to rotate relative to each other so that inclined surfaces 64, 66 axially enlarges the wear take-up device 12. Each of the take-up rings 56, 58 are provided with an indication section 72, 74 which, as the rings 56, 58 relatively rotate, are displaced, eg staggered, by a corresponding amount (see fig 4c) that is proportional to the wear on the friction linings 42, 44. Stationary sensor means 78, eg a magnetic induction sensor etc, detects a passage of both of the sections 72, 74 as they rotate about axis A with the clutch 10 and emits signals (see figs 5a-5c) dependent upon the extent of the stagger. Because of this stagger the signals emitted by the sensor 78 have peaks (82, 82', fig 5c) which are detected by a wear-determining unit (86, fig 4a) that, due to the relative position of these peaks, ascertains that a predetermined state of wear has occurred. In another embodiment the take-up ring 58 is provided with a lever part (94a, fig 6) having an end section (96a, fig 7) that rotates as the take-up rings 56, 58 rotate relative to each other.