Clutch Question

[kmrobinson]

Not your typical clutch for a bike engine, but more for an industrial application.

I'm looking for some kind of clutch to install on our dyno setup, since we share half of it with another group doing some diesel emissions research. They have a hand actuated clutch on the PTO (power-take-off) that bolts right up to their engine, our drive shaft bolts directly to the dyno drive shaft. After each time we run, we have to unbolt the drive shaft from the dyno so they don't tear our equipment up. Anyone know where I could find some sort of mechanical clutch that can be installed inline to the driveshaft? I've tried the usual engineering searches, but so far nothing has be specific enough to what we need. If push comes to shove, I'll have to put some real engineering into it, but we have bigger fish to fry, so I'd like this to be as off-the-shelf as possible.

Thanks in advance!

[kmrobinson]

Not your typical clutch for a bike engine, but more for an industrial application.

I'm looking for some kind of clutch to install on our dyno setup, since we share half of it with another group doing some diesel emissions research. They have a hand actuated clutch on the PTO (power-take-off) that bolts right up to their engine, our drive shaft bolts directly to the dyno drive shaft. After each time we run, we have to unbolt the drive shaft from the dyno so they don't tear our equipment up. Anyone know where I could find some sort of mechanical clutch that can be installed inline to the driveshaft? I've tried the usual engineering searches, but so far nothing has be specific enough to what we need. If push comes to shove, I'll have to put some real engineering into it, but we have bigger fish to fry, so I'd like this to be as off-the-shelf as possible.

Thanks in advance!

[Steve O]

Since you don't actually need any slippage, why don't you just machine up something like a CV mount... just mill two pieces with interlocking triangles. Make a lever that pulls it (the 2 half assembly) into place and locks it before use. You can only engage it with the motor stopped of course but it should work and be fairly simple to machine. Not sure how much travel your driveshaft has to move back and forth if the plate was mounted to the shaft, but continuing the whole CV joint design throw in a 3 ball sliding axle into it and fix that to your drive shaft. This would allow you to move the "CV" joint on the end by a couple of inches allowing it to move forward to lock with the one bolted onto the dyno and backward to disengage. You could attach your lever arm to the "axle" side of it with a thrust bearing that allows it to wrap about the axle and press against the cv without creating too much friction.

It's not off the shelf but if you have any parts lying around from a rear axle from a previous car or even if not you should be able to make it in one day providing you have a mill and some bar stock. I definitely understand not wanting to spend too much time on something like this though... maybe make it a summer of freshman project?

[Pete Marsh]

What about a dog clutch from a dirt track sprint car? Should do the job and be easy to get.

[kmrobinson]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve O:
Since you don't actually need any slippage, why don't you just machine up something like a CV mount... just mill two pieces with interlocking triangles. Make a lever that pulls it (the 2 half assembly) into place and locks it before use. You can only engage it with the motor stopped of course but it should work and be fairly simple to machine. Not sure how much travel your driveshaft has to move back and forth if the plate was mounted to the shaft, but continuing the whole CV joint design throw in a 3 ball sliding axle into it and fix that to your drive shaft. This would allow you to move the "CV" joint on the end by a couple of inches allowing it to move forward to lock with the one bolted onto the dyno and backward to disengage. You could attach your lever arm to the "axle" side of it with a thrust bearing that allows it to wrap about the axle and press against the cv without creating too much friction.

It's not off the shelf but if you have any parts lying around from a rear axle from a previous car or even if not you should be able to make it in one day providing you have a mill and some bar stock. I definitely understand not wanting to spend too much time on something like this though... maybe make it a summer of freshman project? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, we might end up doing that. The easier the better. Thanks for the advice.

[Mike Sadie]

im not sure how these work or if it would be much help, but they make quick disconnect pto yokes. you probably could talk to a baja team for more details. (they seem to know all about tractors)

http://www.partsco.ca/pto.html