COUPLING CLUTCH AND A SELF-CONTAINED NON-REMOVABLE GUARD

摘要

A clutch according to the present invention includes first and second hubs (48, 148) having first and second splined friction discs (68, 168) received thereon. The first friction disc (68) is biased away from the second friction disc (168) and is movable towards the second friction disc (168) preferably by a piston (90) reciprocally mounted in a housing (12) and rotatably mounted on the friction disc by a bearing (102). The second friction disc (168) is substantially prevented from sliding on the splines with the second hub (148), the splines (158, 176) allowing the second friction disc (168) to cant to compensate for axial angular misalignment of the first and second hubs (48, 148). The guard (120) according to the invention includes a plurality of ring members (122) held in a spaced realtion by bars (124). The bars (124) are received within apertures (26) formed in the first shell (14) and are captured therein when the second shell (12) is secured thereto. The guard (120) cannot be removed without disassembly of the housing.