The clutch band of the present invention relates to the class of band clutch constructions and configurations as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,453, issued Aug. 15, 1950 to J. M. Dodwell and particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,773, issued May 8, 1973 to M. Austin and N. Boulton. The above identified patents disclose a band-type, free wheeling clutch embodying drive and driven clutch members, one of the members being provided with a V-groove into which the narrowed end of at least one clutch band is positioned. The wide end of at least one clutch band is anchored to the other of the clutch members such that upon rotation of the drive member in one direction, the driven member is driven in the same direction through the engagement of the side edges of the narrow end of at least one clutch band with the side walls of the V-groove. When the driven member rotates at a faster speed than the drive member, at least one clutch band permits the driven member to overrun the drive member.
In the development of band-type, free-wheeling clutch assemblies of the above type, one of the major problems was in providing an adequate anchor at one end of the clutch band. Various structural arrangements have been proposed wherein the clutch band is formed as an elongated structure having a wider, heavier end portion to provide an adequate anchor to engage one of the clutch members and a narrower, lighter end portion extending into the V-groove of the other clutch member. In the operation of the overrunning type clutch assemblies containing at least one band, during the overrunning condition, the wider portion, being heavier, flies radially outwardly with more force than the narrow portion, being lighter, such that the wider portion pulls the narrower portion into the V-groove of the inner member thus prematurely wearing out the narrower portion of the band. Such premature wear has severely reduced the number of clutching cycles obtainable with such clutch assemblies.