Logan Clutch Corp. has spent the better part of the last quarter-century establishing itself as a leading manufacturer of clutches and brakes, primarily for machine tools and industrial machinery But it's very likely that over the next few years, a lot of mobile equipment manufacturers will be getting more familiar with the Cleveland, Ohio, company.
In a significant expansion of its focus, Logan Clutch has developed a range of heavy-duty, self-contained PTO clutches for auxiliary and direct drive applications on mobile and stationary equipment. The PTO 250 and PTO 500 clutches have maximum torque ratings of 250 and 500 lb.ft., respectively and are used to save fuel and wear in hydraulic systems by allowing engine driven hydraulic pumps to be operated intermittently.
"Prior to this, our focus was machine tools and industrial machinery" said Andrew Logan, president of Logan Clutch and son of company founder William Logan. "We modified our standard product line to meet the specific needs of our machine tool customers, but found only mild interest from our base of off-road customers -- since our clutch was better suited to be installed inside a machine's transmission housing as opposed to a self-contained clutch that could bolt on between an engine, pump or auxiliary driveWhat we've done now is modify our standard clutch line, which consists of a clutch that operates in a wet or dry environment, and enclosed it within a self-contained housing with an SAE or an ISO metric mount. We've basically packaged our product into something that can be off-the-shelf, yet meets the needs of our customers."
The PTO clutches allow auxiliary hydraulic systems to be operated only when required. Typical applications include construction and marine equipment, ag equipment, oilfield equipment, industrial, utility vehicles, rail equipment and specialty vehicles such as fire/emergency vehicles and refuse vehicles. "Any application where the customer wants to connect or disconnect an attachment from the main PTO for intermittent use," said Logan. "For instance, when you're driving down the highway to and from a job site, you don't want your auxiliary drive to be engaged just because it's attached to main PTO."
The Logan PTO clutches can be actuated hydraulically or pneumatically and are usually mounted on a pump drive or bell housing. In either case, air or hydraulic fluid pressurizes a cylinder-piston arrangement, which locks friction and separator discs together making the output shaft turn. When the pressure is removed, release springs separate the discs, essentially disconnecting the output shaft.
There have been other clutch brands circulating in the market over the years and it was problems with some of those early designs and brands that prompted Logan to begin working on its own version of a self-contained PTO clutch. "Customers would come to us with what they were using and ask if we could develop a better clutch that would last longer under tough operating conditions," he said. "We reviewed their application, transferred some of our proven technology in the machine tool industry over to this new clutch and in the process satisfied the customer and found a new market."
The PTO 250 is designed for use in engine systems up to 190 hp, while the PTO 500 can be used with engines as large as 286 hp. Operating speeds range from 3000 rpm for the PTO 500 to 3500 rpm for the PTO 250. The units share a number of similar features, including bidirectional rotation with manual engagement standard. Minimum actuation pressure for both clutches is 80 psi, while maximum engagement pressure is 120 psi.
Additionally, both clutches incorporate anodized aluminum housings and flanges, alloy steel shafts, and heavy-duty sintered bronze clutch discs. Lubrication ports are available for a forced flow of fluid throughout the enclosed housing.
Maximum overhung load for the PTO 250 is 100 lb., with the larger unit able to accommodate a peak overhung load of 200 lb. Dry weight is 34 lb. (PTO 250) or 46 lb. (PTO 500).
A range of SAE and ISO sizes and mounting configurations are available, with custom splines, bores and keyways.
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