A PRESENTATION

ON CLUTCHS

CRSSIET, JHAJJAR
NAME: SUMIT MISHRA
BRANCH: MECH. ENGG.
ROLL NO: 221901576
A Clutch is a machine member used to connect the
driving shaft to a driven shaft, so that the driven shaft
may be started or stopped without stopping the driving
shaft. A clutch thus provides an interruptible
connection between two rotating shafts.
A popularly known application of clutch is in
automotive vehicles where it is used to connect the
engine and the gear box.
 Functions of the clutch
To connect and disconnect the shafts
To start or stop a machine (or a rotating
element) without starting and stopping the
prime mover.
To maintain constant speed, torque and
power.
To reduce shocks transmitted between
machine shafts.
For automatic disconnect, quick start and
stop, gradual starts, and non-reversing
and over running functions.
 Principles of operation of clucth
When two friction surfaces are brought in connect with
each other and pressed, they are united due to the friction
between them.
The friction between the two surfaces depends upon the
area of the surfaces, pressure applied upon them and
coefficient of friction of the surface materials.
The two surfaces can be separated and brought into
contact when required. One surface is considered as
driving member and the other as driven member.
The driving member is kept rotating. When the driven
member is brought in contact to the driving member, It is
also starts rotating.
 Required qualities of a good
friction material
A high and uniform coefficient of friction.
The ability to withstand high temperatures, together
with good heat conductivity.
Good resilience.
High resistance to wear, scoring.
Resistance against environmental conditions, such as
moisture, salt water or fungi.
Adequate mechanical and thermal strengths.
 Commonly used Friction
Materials
Wood
Cork
Leather
Asbestos based friction materials – asbestos
fibres, woven around brass, copper or zinc
wires. Moulded or composite type.
Powdered ( or sintered) metal friction
materials
Classification of clutches
 Friction Clutches
The friction clutches work on the fact that
friction is caused when two rotating discs
come into contact with each other
Principle of Friction Clutches
Let the shaft A and Disc C be revolving at some
speed say N rpm. Shaft B and disc D keyed to it
are stationary, initially when the clutch is not
engaged.
Now apply some axial force W to disc D , so that it
comes in contact with Disc C.
As soon as the contact is made the force of friction
between C and D will come into play and
consequently the disc D will also start revolving
The speed of D depends upon friction force
present, which in turn is proportional to the force
W applied.
If W is increased gradually , the speed of D will be
increased correspondingly till the stage comes
when speed of D becomes equal to speed of C.
Then clutch is said to be fully engaged.
 DRY FRICTION CLUTCHES
Types:
Single Plate clutch
Multi plate clutch
Cone clutch
Semi-centrifugal clutch
Centrifugal clutch
SINGLE PLATE CLUTCH
Design of single plate
clutch
 Working of Single plate clutch
Basically, the clutch needs three parts. These are
the engine flywheel, a friction disc called the
clutch plate and a pressure plate.
There are springs which provide axial force to
keep the clutch in engaged position.
When the engine is running and the flywheel is
rotating, the pressure plate also rotates as the
pressure plate is attached to the flywheel. The
friction disc is located between the two .
When the driver has pushed down the clutch pedal
the clutch is released. This action forces the
pressure plate to move away from the friction disc
against the force of springs.
With this movement of pressure plate , the friction
plate is released and the clutch is disengaged.
 Advantages
• With single plate clutch , gear changing is
easier than with the cone clutch , because
the pedal movement is less in this case.
• More reliable ( As it does not suffer from
disadvantage of cone clutch , i.e. binding of
cones)
 Disadvantages
As compared to cone clutch , springs have to
be more stiff and this means greater force
required to be applied by driver while
disengaging.
 Multiple plate
clutch
Pressure plates

1 2 3 4 5 6

driver driven

Friction plates
 Multiplate Clutch
The multiplate clutch is an extension of single
plate type where the number of frictional and
metal plates is increased.
Increase in number of friction surfaces obviously
increases capacity of the clutch to transmit torque.
Alternatively, the overall diameter of the clutch is
reduced for the same torque transmission as a
single plate clutch
This type of clutch is therefore used in some heavy
transport vehicles and racing cars where high
torque is to be transmitted.
This finds application in case of scooters and
• When your foot is off the pedal, the springs
push the pressure plate against the clutch disc,
which in turn presses against the flywheel.
This locks the engine to the transmission input
shaft, causing them to spin at the same speed.
• The amount of force the clutch can hold
depends on the friction between the clutch
plate and the flywheel, and how much force the
spring puts on the pressure plate
When the clutch pedal is pressed, piston
pushes on the release fork, which presses the
throw-out bearing against the middle of the
diaphragm spring. As the middle of the
diaphragm spring is pushed in, a series of
pins near the outside of the spring causes the
spring to pull the pressure plate away from
the clutch disc This releases the clutch from
the spinning engine.
Design of multiplate
clutch
Cone Clutch
1. Cones: female= green, male= blue
2. Shaft: male cone is sliding on splines
3. Friction material
4. Spring: brings the male cone back after
using the clutch control
5. Clutch control: separating both cones by
pressing
6. Rotating direction: both direction of the
axis are possible
In the engaged position the friction surface
are in complete contact. This is done by
means of spring which keep the male cone
pressed all the time.
When the clutch is engaged the torque is
transmitted from engine via the flywheel and
the male cone to splined gear box shaft.
For disengaging the clutch , the male cone is
pulled out by means of lever system operated
through clutch pedal thereby separating the
contact surfaces.
 Advantage
The advantage of cone clutch is that the
normal force acting on contact surface in this
case is larger than axial force( as compared
to single plate clutch in which the normal
force acting on contact surfaces is equal to
the axial force)
 Disadvantages
This type of clutch is practically obsolete
because of following reasons:
1) If the angle of cone is made less than about
20 degree, it will be difficult to disengage the
clutch.
2) A small amount of wear on the cone surface
results in considerable amount of axial
movement of the male cone for which it will
be difficult to allow.
 Centrifugal clutch
In fully centrifugal type clutches ,the springs
are eliminated altogether and only centrifugal
force is used to apply the required pressure
for keeping the clutch in engaged position
Advantages of centrifugal clutches
No separate clutch plate is required
Clutch is operated automatically depending
upon engine speed
THANK YOU