CLUTCH

A clutch is a machine member used to

connect a driving shaft to a driven
shaft so that the driven shaft may be
started or stopped at will, without
stopping the driving shaft.
The use of a clutch is mostly found in
automobiles. A little consideration will
show that in order to change gears or
to stop the vehicle, it is required that
the driven shaft should stop, but the
engine should continue to run.
It is therefore, necessary that the
driven shaft should be disengaged
from the driving shaft. The
engagement and disengagement of the
shafts is obtained by means of a clutch
which is operated by a lever.
Types of Clutches
Following are the two main types of clutches used in engineering
practices:

1. Positive clutches
2. Friction clutches
Types of Clutches
1. Positive clutches
The positive clutches are used when a positive drive is required.
The simplest type of a positive clutch is a jaw or claw clutch.
The jaw clutch permits one shaft to drive another through a direct contact of interlocking jaws. It consist
of two halves, one of which is permanently fastened to the driving shaft by a sunk key.
The other half of the clutch is movable and it is free to slide axially on the driven shaft, but it is prevented
from turning relatively to its shaft by means of feather key.

The jaws of the clutch may be of square type or of spiral type.

a. A square jaw type is used where engagement and disengagement in motion and under load is not
necessary. This type of clutch will transmit power in either direction of rotation.
b. The spiral jaws may be left-hand or right-hand, because power transmitted by them is in one
direction only. This type of clutch is occasionally used where the clutch must be engaged and
disengaged while in motion.

The use of jaw clutches are frequently applied to sprocket wheels, gears and pulleys. In such a case, the
non-sliding part is made integral with the hub.
Types of Clutches

Square jaw clutch Spiral Jaw clutch

Types of Clutches
2. Friction clutches
• A friction clutch has its principal application in the
transmission of power of shafts and machines
which must be started and stopped frequently.
• Its application is also found in cases in which power
is to be delivered to machines partially or fully
loaded.
• The force of friction is used to start the driven shaft
from rest and gradually brings it up to the proper
speed without excessive slipping of the friction
surfaces.
• In automobiles, friction clutch is used to connect
the engine to the drive shaft. In operating such a
clutch, care should be taken so that the friction
surfaces engage easily and gradually bring the
driven shaft up to proper speed.
• The proper alignment of the bearing must be
maintained and it should be located as close to the Friction Clutch
clutch as possible.
Materials for Friction Surfaces
The material used for lining of friction surfaces of a clutch should have
the following characteristics :
1. It should have a high and uniform coefficient of friction.
2. It should not be affected by moisture and oil.
3. It should have the ability to withstand high temperatures caused by
slippage.
4. It should have high heat conductivity.
5. It should have high resistance to wear and scoring.
Materials for Friction Surfaces
The materials commonly used for lining of friction surfaces and their
important properties are shown in the following table.
Considerations in Designing a Friction Clutch
The following considerations must be kept in mind while designing a friction clutch.

1. The suitable material forming the contact surfaces should be selected.

2. The moving parts of the clutch should have low weight in order to minimize the
inertia load, especially in high speed service.
3. The clutch should not require any external force to maintain contact of the
friction surfaces.
4. The provision for taking up wear of the contact surfaces must be provided.
5. The clutch should have provision for facilitating repairs.
6. The clutch should have provision for carrying away the heat generated at the
contact surfaces.
7. The projecting parts of the clutch should be covered by guard.
Types of Friction Clutches
1. Disc or plate clutches (single disc or multiple
disc clutch),
2. Cone clutches, and
3. Centrifugal clutches
Types of Friction Clutches
1. Disc or plate clutches (single disc
or multiple disc clutch)

Consists of a clutch plate whose both

sides are faced with a frictional
material (usually of Ferrodo).
It is mounted on the hub which is free
to move axially along the splines of
the driven shaft.
A multiple disc clutch may be used
when a large torque is to be
transmitted.
Applications:
Automobiles, motorcycles, trucks
Types of Friction Clutches
2. Cone clutches

A cone clutch was extensively used in

automobiles, but now-a-days it has
been replaced completely by the disc
clutch.
It consists of one pair of friction
surface only.
In a cone clutch, the driver is keyed to
the driving shaft by a sunk key and
has an inside conical surface or face
which exactly fits into the outside
conical surface of the driven.
Applications:
Low-speed/high-torque(marine
engines)
Types of Friction Clutches
3. Centrifugal clutches

The centrifugal clutches are usually incorporated into

the motor pulleys.
It consists of a number of shoes on the inside of a rim
of the pulley.
The outer surface of the shoes are covered with a
friction material.
A centrifugal clutch uses centrifugal force to engage
and disengage the clutch automatically. It has shoes
or pads connected to the driving shaft, which press
against the drum when the rotational speed
increases.
Applications:
Common in scooters, small motorcycles,
lawnmowers, go-karts, and chainsaws.
Comparison
Design of a Disc or Plate Clutch

In designing a plate clutch, you must determine this

key factors:
1. Friction Power
2. Torque transmitted by the clutch, T
3. Axial force by the clutch, P
4. Deflection of the spring
5. Coefficient of the friction surface
6. Maximum pressure, Pmax
Design of a Disc or Plate Clutch
Recap on Springs

Do = Dm + Dw
Di = Dm – Dw
Problem: Plate or Disc Clutch
The large diameter and face of the discs of a multiple disc clutch are
255 mm and 25 mm respectively. The helical compression spring used
to engage the clutch has 9.5 effective coils of 10 mm diameter steel
wire. The outside coil diameter is 80 mm. The free length of the spring
is 185 mm, but when in place with the clutch engaged, its length is 130
mm. Assume that there are 10 pairs of contact surface; the motor runs
at 1200 rpm; and the coefficient of friction on the contact surfaces as
0.15. Let the spring modulus of rigidity be 80 GN/m2.
Determine:
a. Axial force available for the clutch in N
b. Power in kW that the clutch can transmit
Design of a Cone Clutch
Problem: Cone Clutch
The large and small cone diameter of a cone
clutch are 255 mm and 205 mm respectively.
The helical compression spring used to engage
the cone clutch has 9.5 effective coils of 10 mm
diameter steel wire. The outside coil diameter
is 80 mm. The free length of the spring is 185
mm, but when in place with the clutch
engaged, its length is 130 mm. The motor runs
at 1200 rpm; and the coefficient of friction on
the contact surfaces as 0.15. Let the spring
modulus of rigidity be 80 GN/m2. The face
angle of the cone clutch is 12.5o.
Determine:
a. Axial force available for the clutch in N
b. Power in kW that the clutch can transmit
c. Face width (b) of the friction surface, mm
end
Sample Problem 1:
A cone clutch is to transmit 30 kW at 1250 rpm. The face angle of the
cone clutch is 12.5o and the mean diameter is to be 355 mm. The
coefficient of friction between the contacting surfaces is 0.20 and the
maximum normal pressure is 83 kPa.
a. Determine the torque in kN-m that can be transmitted. 0.229 KN.m
b. Determine the axial force needed to transmit the power using
uniform wear method. 1.396 KN
Sample Problem 2:
Determine the power capacity in kW, of a cone clutch, under uniform
pressure, with the following operating data:
major diameter = 250 mm; minor diameter = 200 mm; length of conical
elements in contact = 125 mm; rotational speed = 870 rpm; coefficient
of friction = 0.30; and allowable pressure = 70 kPa

Answer = 19.1 kW
Sample Problem 3:
A multiple disk clutch consists of 10
steel discs and 9 bronze discs. The
effective outside and inside diameters
are 203 mm and 152 mm respectively.
If an axial force of 445 N is applied
and the shaft turns at 1000 rpm,
determine the power in kW
transmitted. Assume a coefficient of
friction of 0.25 and base the design
on uniform pressure.
a. 18.77 kW c. 16.5 kW
b. 21.3 kW d. 14.3 kW
Sample Problem 4:
Determine the maximum pressure in a plate clutch when the axial force
is 4 kN. The inside radius of the contact surface is 50 mm and the
outside radius is 100 mm. Assume uniform wear.

Answer = 0.255 N/mm2

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