by 
The Curious Bag
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Used in many small-engine applications, the centrifugal clutch is pervasive enough that it would probably not be difficult to find one within 100 feet of where you're sitting now. These versatile devices may be the dominant factor in making light-engined machines both inexpensive and practical.
Purpose
A centrifugal is essentially an automatic clutch that allows the engine to idle without user interaction and automatically engages the drive when needed.
Drum-Type Clutches
An engine spins a central hub, which is attached to a set of spring-mounted, weighted clutch pads. As the central hub spins, centrifugal force pushes these pads out against a drum, which is connected to the drive output.
Disc-Type Clutches
The second type of centrifugal resembles a traditional disc-type clutch. These are primarily used in motorized kart racing and use a set of weighted engagement forks to press a friction disc against the engine's flywheel.
Household Applications
Centrifugal clutches can be found in practically every home device that uses a small gas engine. This includes lawnmowers, weed whackers and chain saws.
Vehicle Applications
These devices can also be found in motorized karts, snowmobiles, golf carts, mopeds, minibikes and ultralight aircraft.
Source:
Resource:
How a Centrifugal Clutch Works (Video)
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