Torque limiting starter drive clutch assembly

摘要

An electric starter having an electric motor with a rotatable shaft, a pinion gear for driving a flywheel, and a friction clutch for transmitting torque which includes a drive plate connected to the shaft and a friction coupling for frictionally transmitting torque between the drive plate and pinion gear wherein the coupling is compressible and a stop limits compression to a predetermined maximum compression so as to set a predetermined slip torque or limit torque transfer to a predetermined maximum torque.