A cone clutch serves the same purpose as a disk or plate

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

; however, instead of mating two spinning disks, the cone clutch uses two conical surfaces to transmit

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

by friction. The cone clutch transfers a higher torque than plate or disk clutches of the same size due to the wedging action and increased surface area. Cone clutches are generally now only used in low-peripheral-speed applications, although they were once common in automobiles and other

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

s. They are usually now confined to very specialist transmissions used in racing, rallying, or extreme

off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle (ORV), also known as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle or adventure vehicle, is a type of transportation specifically engineered to navigate unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads, and ...

s, although they are common in

power boat A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats". Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the intern ...

dredge Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing ...

pumps and other ship-drive lines. This is because the clutch does not have to be pushed in all the way, which allows the gears to be changed more quickly. Small cone clutches are used in synchronizer mechanisms in

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...

s and some

limited-slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the ...

Applications

* Cone clutches are used in various manual transmissions, such as synchronisers. * They are used in various heavy machines, since they can transmit high torque. * These clutches are generally used in low-peripheral-speed applications. * Cone clutches are commonly used in power racing boats. * Cone clutches are used in racing and rallying vehicles. * Cone clutches are used in some automobiles and other combustion engine transmissions.

References

External links

{{commons category, Cone clutches
Automobile Informer
(2021) , By Krushna Sawant - What is a Cone Clutch mechanism?

Clutches Automotive transmission technologies