Chain drive

Abstract: For further improvement of the reliability and safety of machines the automatic early detection and localization of faults is of high interest. The conventional approach is to monitor some important variables like temperatures, pressures, vibrations and to generate alarms if certain limits are exeeded. However, developing internal faults are in this way only detected at a rather late stage. By applying static and dynamic process models and common process input and output measurements the inherent relationships and redundancies can be used to detect faults earlier and to localize them better. Changes in process and signal parameters are very well suited for fault detection. The paper describes a general methodology for machines and other processes by using few measurements, dynamic process and signal models and parameter estimation to generate symptoms. The detected symptoms are fed into a knowledge based fault diagnosis procedure. Analytical and heuristic knowledge is treated via fault-symptom trees, process history and plausibility measures. The considered machines consist of a motor, a drive chain and a working process or load. They may be electrical motor or combustion engine driven pumps, fans or machine tools with gear or belt drive chains. The described methodology was developed and tested experimentally for several machines. As one example, experimental results are shown for a d.c. motor powered feed drive of a machine tool.

Abstract: The drive chain (1) comprises an engine (2) whose crankshaft (3) is linked to the electric motor (8) via shaft (7). A clutch (4) is disposed between the drive engine and motor and the gearbox (6).

Abstract: A transfer case includes a clutch assembly having a disc pack clutch, a cone clutch and a lockup hub or collar. All three clutch components are disposed in mechanical parallel between the primary transfer case shaft and the secondary output. The disc pack clutch includes a plurality of interleaved discs and an electromagnetic operator which effects compression of the disc pack to transfer torque from the primary transfer case output shaft to a chain drive sprocket, through a chain, to a secondary output shaft. The cone clutch is disposed adjacent the disc pack and is also actuated by the electromagnetic operator. The cone clutch includes a conical drive member driven by the primary transfer case output shaft. A conical driven member provides torque to the drive chain and, in turn, to the secondary output shaft. Preferably, the driven cone member is integrally formed with the chain drive sprocket. Splined to the conical drive member is a axially moveable lockup hub or clutch collar having gear teeth, splines or, in an alternate embodiment, lugs which mate with complementary gear teeth or splines on the chain drive sprocket. Preferably, a second operator translates the lockup hub.