| 摘要 |
A clutch and variable ratio torque multiplier having an input shaft upon which a housing having a power output device is coaxially journaled A plurality of balls carried in a disc are rotatably driven by the input shaft and are free to move radially due to centrifugal force, with such rotational and radial movement of the balls taking place in an opposed pair of special axially biased races that are carried in the housing for rotation therewith. At idle RPM of the input shaft, the balls roll freely in the races and zero rotational output of the housing results, and as shaft RPM increases, centrifugal force moves the balls radially and frictional engagement of the balls and the races increases for rotatably driving the housing at ratios which vary with the input shaft RPM. As the ratio approaches 1:1, the races engage friction clutches to lock the housing to the shaft to prevent slippage at higher RPM. In this manner, the device will smoothly and quietly shift from zero rotational output to direct drive as the RPM of the input shaft is increased.
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