Cone clutch

[[Image:Cone clutch.svg|right|thumb|Schematic drawing of a cone clutch:

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

2. Shaft: male cone is sliding on the 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 serves the same purpose as a disk or plate clutch; however, instead of mating two spinning disks, the cone clutch uses two conical surfaces to transmit torque by friction.{{cite book |title=Design Of Machine Elements, Volume 2 |author=Rao, T Krishna |publisher=I. K. International Pvt Ltd |year=2010 |page=453 |isbn=9789380026633 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HsN_j4i90zoC&pg=PA453}}

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 transmissions.{{cite book |title=Auto Racing Comes of Age: A Transatlantic View of the Cars, Drivers and Speedways, 1900-1925 |last=Dick |first=Robert |publisher=McFarland |year=2013 |pages=22, 69, 80, 111, 164, 201 |isbn=9780786488117 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1xFg2-s2w0C&dq=cone+clutch&pg=PA22}}

They are usually now confined to very specialist transmissions used in racing, rallying, or extreme off-road vehicles, although they are common in power boats,{{cite journal |title=Diesel Power '88 |journal=Motor Boating & Sailing |volume=160 |issue=1 |page=74 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-fitxomdn8UC&dq=cone+clutch&pg=RA2-PA74|date=July 1987 }} dredge pumps and other ship-drive lines.{{Cite web|title=MESLU clutch system|url=https://www.vulkan.com/en-us/couplings/Documents/Technische-Datenbroschueren-original/technical_data_meslu_012019.pdf.pdf|url-status=live|website=VULKAN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202062055/https://www.vulkan.com/en-us/couplings/Documents/Technische-Datenbroschueren-original/technical_data_meslu_012019.pdf.pdf |archive-date=2022-02-02 }} 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 transmissions and some limited-slip differentials.{{cite book |title=TechOne: Manual transmissions |author=Erjavec, Jack |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2003 |isbn=9781401834005 |page=215 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ca8HQKz6l0MC&pg=PA215}}