Clutches & Brakes

Formsprag Clutch, together with its sister company Stieber Clutch in Germany, is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of Overrunning Clutches and Backstops for use in numerous Industrial Power Transmission applications including Conveyor & Conveying Equipment, Food Processing Machinery, Gear Reducers, Hoists & Cranes, Mining Machinery, Machine Tools, Paper Converting Machinery, Packaging Machinery, Pumping Equipment, and many other types of Specialty Machinery. Formsprag and Stieber offer the broadest range of both Sprag and Ramp & Roller type overrunning clutches and backstops available world-wide.

Clutch Couplings are used for dual drives on a pump or fan, and when there is a need to connect in-line shafts. The clutch coupling prevents backdriving of the other drive source when operating at motor speeds. Clutch couplings allow for the transition from one drive source to another without controls.

Backstopping Clutches

In backstopping (or holdback) applications, one race is always fixed to a stationary ground member. The function of the clutch is to permit rotation of the mechanism connected to the other race, in one direction only, and to prevent any rotation in the reverse direction at all times. Although the clutch normally overruns most of the time, it is referred to as a holdback or backstop in conveyors, gear reducers and similar equipment because its function is to prevent reverse rotation.