A clutch assembly for an aircraft drive wheel drive system to move an aircraft independently on the ground is provided. The clutch is mounted within an aircraft drive wheel to be operatively engaged and disengaged to selectively actuate a roller traction or other drive system to activate a non-engine drive means to drive the wheel and the aircraft. One embodiment of the clutch assembly includes a plurality of pivoted sprag elements selectively activatable to transmit torque between inner and outer clutch members and activate the drive wheel drive system. The clutch assembly may also include mating crown gear and straight gear elements integrated with the drive system to reduce stresses on the drive system as the drive means is actuated. Various arrangements of sprags and clutch assembly components may be provided to monitor and selectively control disengagement of the clutch assembly and communicate disengagement to selectively prevent drive system actuation.

A transaxle includes a transaxle casing, a bi-directional overrunning clutch in the transaxle casing, a friction mechanism, and a clutch-off biasing mechanism. The bi-directional overrunning clutch includes coaxial input and output members journalled by the transaxle casing, and includes a cage disposed between the input member and the output member. Rollers carried by the cage are rotatable to follow rotation of the output member. The cage is rotatable relative to the input member according to the rotation of the rollers following the output member until the rollers contact the input member to engage the bi-directional overrunning clutch. The friction mechanism applies a friction resistance to the cage to rotate the cage relative to the input member. The clutch-off biasing mechanism biases the cage to the initial position. The friction mechanism and the clutch-off biasing mechanism are distributed in the transaxle casing at first and second end portions of the cage.

A transaxle includes a transaxle casing, a bi-directional overrunning clutch in the transaxle casing, a friction mechanism, and a clutch-off biasing mechanism. The bi-directional overrunning clutch includes coaxial input and output members journalled by the transaxle casing, and includes a cage disposed between the input member and the output member. Rollers carried by the cage are rotatable to follow rotation of the output member. The cage is rotatable relative to the input member according to the rotation of the rollers following the output member until the rollers contact the input member to engage the bi-directional overrunning clutch. The friction mechanism applies a friction resistance to the cage to rotate the cage relative to the input member. The clutch-off biasing mechanism biases the cage to the initial position. The friction mechanism and the clutch-off biasing mechanism are distributed in the transaxle casing at first and second end portions of the cage.

It is preferable to reduce an uncomfortable feeling arising from an abrupt driving force generated in an automatic starting clutch in an automatic clutch vehicle. When an automatic clutch operating device is about to automatically engage a starting clutch, a brake controller drives a brake actuator to forcibly actuate a brake device, thereby braking a driving wheel WR. Here, a brake pressure to be applied to the driving wheel WR can be set as a brake pressure such as to change an expected driving torque which is accompanied by an uncomfortable feeling in the absence of control by the brake controller into a norm driving torque which is not accompanied by the uncomfortable feeling, taking into account the clutch capacity and an engine control output.

It is preferable to reduce an uncomfortable feeling arising from an abrupt driving force generated in an automatic starting clutch in an automatic clutch vehicle. When an automatic clutch operating device is about to automatically engage a starting clutch, a brake controller drives a brake actuator to forcibly actuate a brake device, thereby braking a driving wheel WR. Here, a brake pressure to be applied to the driving wheel WR can be set as a brake pressure such as to change an expected driving torque which is accompanied by an uncomfortable feeling in the absence of control by the brake controller into a norm driving torque which is not accompanied by the uncomfortable feeling, taking into account the clutch capacity and an engine control output.

A power train for an amphibian operable in land and marine modes includes a prime mover having an integral speed change transmission, at least a first land propulsion unit, at least a first marine propulsion unit, and a power transmission unit including a drive member configured to couple the prime mover to the at least first marine propulsion unit, wherein the prime mover is arranged to drive the at least first land propulsion unit through/via the integral speed change transmission in the land mode, and the prime mover is arranged to drive the at least first marine propulsion unit through/via the power transmission unit in both the marine mode and the land mode.

An electric power equipment includes a drive source, a clutch provided in a power transmission path between the drive source and the travel unit and a controller for controlling an operation of the drive source. Wherein the controller is configured that in a process of increasing a speed in accordance with a rotational speed command value, when a rotational speed of the drive source reaches the clutch connection rotational speed, the increasing of the speed in accordance with the rotational speed command value is interrupted, and when the rotational speed of the drive source reaches a predetermined rotational speed, the increasing of the speed in accordance with the rotational speed command value is performed.

An electric power equipment includes a drive source, a clutch provided in a power transmission path between the drive source and the travel unit and a controller for controlling an operation of the drive source. Wherein the controller is configured that in a process of increasing a speed in accordance with a rotational speed command value, when a rotational speed of the drive source reaches the clutch connection rotational speed, the increasing of the speed in accordance with the rotational speed command value is interrupted, and when the rotational speed of the drive source reaches a predetermined rotational speed, the increasing of the speed in accordance with the rotational speed command value is performed.