Cone Clutch

1. Cones: female cone (green), male cone(blue)

2. Shaft: male cone is sliding on splines
3. Friction material: usually on female cone, here on male cone
4. Spring: brings the male cone back after using the clutch control
5. Clutch control: separating both cones by pressing
6. Rotating direction: both direction of the axis are possible

A cone clutch is a type of clutch that utilizes a conical friction surface which
meshes into a conical flywheel, wedging itself into a locked position. The act
of the cone clutch wedging into the cone-shaped flywheel produces a much
stronger lock up than that of a flat clutch and a flat flywheel. Used in early
automobiles, the cone clutch is now found mainly in high-performance racing
applications as well as off-shore racing boats.
One of the benefits of a cone clutch is that the clutch pedal does not need
to be depressed completely in order to shift the transmission. Unlike a
typical flat clutch system that requires complete pedal depression in order
to release the clutch from the flywheel, the cone clutch requires only partial
depression to break the friction bond of the clutch and allow easy shifting.
In racing applications this often means an advantage in coming up to speed.
In off-shore racing boats, this can mean faster acceleration from plane.
A clutch provides grip through friction, and wear is a by-product of this
friction. As the clutch material is allowed to slip against the flywheel, the
clutch material is worn away. In a cone clutch application, less material is
worn away due to the nature of the cone pulling into its cone-shaped
flywheel. The need to depress the clutch pedal minimally in order to shift
means less slippage between gear selections, which results in less wear.
One factor making the cone clutch system popular in racing applications is its
ease of reconditioning. A cone clutch can be rebuilt and reused many times
instead of replacing the clutch with a new unit. The materials used in the
typical flat clutch are far more lightweight than those used in a cone system.
Where the clutch disk in a flat system is made of very thin and lightweight
steel, the cone unit is made of heavy, solid steel machined into the correct
tolerances.

The very strength of a cone clutch unit eliminates the need for a flywheel.
By packaging the entire clutch unit into a smaller rotating mass, the vehicle
is able to accelerate much more quickly and the engine is able to reach its
peak operating power level much faster than a flat clutch system model. In a
racing application, this means that the vehicle can accelerate faster out of a
corner and reach its top power-producing abilities much quicker than noncone clutched competitors.