Diaphragm spring clutch mechanism is used in testing the relative merits of eddy-current and hysteresis dampers. The dampers are alternately coupled to a single damping boom shaft. The floating clutch mechanism enables the inoperative damper to remain completely isolated from the damping boom shaft during test of the other damper

Rosenberg, H. W.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Ipper 
ooved 
g Ring 
lutch 
rrent 
Shaft 
Upper 
Clutch 
Face 
Spool Lo 
Face 
August 1966	 Brief 66-10297 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U. S. space 
program and to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public from 
the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Diaphragm Spring Gives Clutch Over-Center Toggle Effect 
fl
The problem: 
A requirement existed to alternately couple an eddy-
current damper and a hysteresis damper to a single 
damping boom shaft to test the relative merits of the 
two dampers. Because of the miniscule damping forces 
involved it was required that the inoperative damper 
be completely isolated from the damping boom shaft 
during test of the other damper. 
The solution: 
A diaphragm spring clutch mechanism (solenoid 
actuated) which, when engaged in either direction, is
essentially floating and completely free from the actu-
ator and disengaged components. 
How it's done: 
The diaphragm spring has two stable positions and 
operates as an over-center toggle. In the left figure, 
the spring is deflected through center on its mounting 
ring by the actuator spool upper face so that the spring 
exerts force on the eddy-current damper shaft thus 
engaging the lower shaft grooved flange with the 
lower clutch face of the damping boom shaft. This 
drives the damping boom shaft with no restraining 
(continued overleaf( 
NW
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external force present since the hysteresis damper 
shaft is completely disengaged and the actuator spool 
area is clear due to the over center "throw" of the 
diaphragm spring. 
In transferring torque to the damping boom shaft 
from the hysteresis damper shaft, the actuator is 
moved upward so that its spool lower face contacts 
the diaphragm spring, driving it flat and then over 
center so it assumes a conical shape as shown in the 
right figure. This exerts force on the hysteresis damper 
shaft by engaging the upper shaft grooved flange with 
the upper clutch face of the damping boom shaft. 
Thus, the hysteresis damping effect alone is imposed 
on the damping boom shaft as the eddy-current 
damper shaft and actuator spool area are completely 
disengaged. 
Notes: 
1. The fluted configuration of the diaphragm spring 
permits a wide range of load-deflection combina-
tions that are readily calculated.
2. The beryllium copper spring is made in a flat 
(on-center) position and is deflected at assembly 
in one direction or another since the diameter of 
the mounting ring is smaller than the free diameter 
of the flat spring. 
3. The V-grooves of the two damper flanges and mat-
ing surfaces of the damping boom shaft ensure that 
the parts will repeatedly engage in a concentric 
manner and with parallel faces. 
4. Inquiries concerning this innovation may be di-
rected to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 
Reference: B66-10297 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: Henry W. Rosenberg 
of General Electric Company 
under contract to 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
(GSFC-499) 
Brief 66-10297	 Category 05


Diaphragm spring gives clutch over-center toggle effect

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