🔍 Key Concepts

• Air bladder clutch construction and how it engages/disengages power • How reversing reduction gears provide ahead and astern through clutches • Difference between friction plate clutches and jaw / positive engagement clutches

💭 Think About

• Think about what an air bladder actually does when it inflates inside a clutch—does it press surfaces together, slide collars, or lock teeth? • Which of these choices sounds like it would allow smooth, gradual engagement instead of sudden metal-to-metal connection? • In a reversing reduction gear, how is torque usually transmitted—through friction surfaces, through jaws/teeth, or by having two completely separate clutches?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option clearly uses friction surfaces that can be squeezed together by air pressure. • Eliminate any options that sound like positive, tooth/jaw engagement rather than friction-based engagement. • Ask yourself which construction is common in marine reversing reduction gears for smooth clutching and reduced shock loading.