clutch

engineering

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

A clutch is a mechanical device used to connect or disconnect two rotating shafts. It's typically found between a driving motor and a machine's input shaft, allowing for easy starting and stopping, and enabling the motor to start without a load.1

There are two main types of mechanical clutches:
* Positive clutches: These use interlocking jaws for a non-slip connection.1
* Friction clutches: These employ mating surfaces (conical, disk, or ring-shaped) that are pressed together. The pressure can be generated by springs or levers.1

An automatic centrifugal clutch engages as the driver's speed increases, and an overrunning clutch allows the driven shaft to continue rotating even when the driver stops, useful for coasting on bicycles. The term "clutch" can also refer to grasping, control, or a critical situation.12

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harbours and sea works
Design
…grooves or guides, known as clutches, along each edge of the section. Each pile is engaged, clutch to clutch, with a pile previously driven and then driven itself as nearly as possible to the same depth. In this way a continuous, impervious membrane is inserted into the ground. In most…
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…grooves or guides, known as clutches, along each edge of the section. Each pile is engaged, clutch to clutch, with a pile previously driven and then driven itself as nearly as possible to the same depth. In this way a continuous, impervious membrane is inserted into the ground. In most…
Read More