Force Parameters and Operating Characteristics of Safety-Overrunning Ball-Type Clutch.

The article investigates the force interaction of the elements and operation characteristics of a ball-type safety-overrunning clutch with modified semi-clutch grooves. Grooves modification provided through grooves sides to the semi-couplings radius inclination. Through balls with other clutch parts force interaction consideration, taking into account inertia and friction forces, obtained expressions for calculating of clutch parts loadings, main moments of the clutch: rating, operation beginning and ending. Those make possibility to evaluate main clutch operation characteristics - coefficients of accuracy, sensitivity, and rating torque exceeding. Influence of main design parameters on clutch operation characteristics is studied. Particularly it is shown that grooves to clutch axe inclination angle exerts a great influence on parts load and clutch operation characteristics in overload mode. It is shown that in highly loaded high-speed drives it is advisable to install clutches with inclined to the radius grooves sides. It is shown that from the point of view of increasing clutch operation characteristics, it is more advantageous to make the grooves at smaller angles to the clutch axe. It is established that characteristics of clutch with inclined to the radius grooves sides are not very sensitive to changes in operation rotating frequency. Reducing the balls diameter makes a positive effect on the clutch operation characteristics in overload mode through inertia and friction forces impact decreasing and reducing contact stresses in balls with grooves contact zone. Practically significant ratios for the design and verification calculations of presented clutch parts loads and stresses are obtained. Presented results are useful for engineers dealing with mechanical driving design. Keywords: clutch, torque, overload, gearing, stress, operation accuracy, contact strength, operation characteristics