Introduction

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 commonly used in engineering practice :

1. Positive clutches, and

2. Friction clutches

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 consists 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. 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. 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.

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 clutch as possible. It may be noted that :

1. The contact surfaces should develop a frictional force that may pick up and hold the load with reasonably low pressure between the contact surfaces.

2. The heat of friction should be rapidly

3. The surfaces should be backed by a material stiff enough to ensure a reasonably uniform distribution of pressure.

Material 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.

Design Of A Disc Or Plate Clutch

Consider two friction surfaces maintained in contact by an axial thrust (W) .Forces on a disc clutch.

2. Considering uniform axial wear. The basic principle in designing machine parts that are subjected to wear due to sliding friction is that the normal wear is proportional to the work of friction. The work of friction is proportional to the product of normal pressure ( p) and the sliding velocity (V). Therefore,

It may be noted that when the friction surface is new, there is a uniform pressure distribution over the entire contact surface. This pressure will wear most rapidly where the sliding velocity is maximum, and this will reduce the pressure between the friction surfaces.

This wearing-in process continues until the product p.V is constant over the entire surface. After this, the wear will be uniform.

Let p be the normal intensity of pressure at a distance r from the axis of the clutch. Since the intensity of pressure varies inversely with the distance, therefore