Disengaging clutch

Disengaging clutch for protecting machine parts, such as drive shafts and the like, comprising a clutch hub having a central axis, a clutch sleeve laterally enclosing said hub and extending in parallel relation with the central axis of said hub, catch members for releasably interengaging said clutch hub and clutch sleeve, one of said clutch hub and clutch sleeve having first recesses therein for receiving and guiding said catch members in the radial direction relative to the central axis of said hub, the other one of said clutch hub and clutch sleeve having second recesses therein for receiving said catch members and interengaging said clutch hub and clutch sleeve, first spring means for biasing said catch members into engagement within said second recesses, said catch members being radially displaceable out of said second recesses when a predetermined torque is exceeded, wherein the improvement comprises that each said catch member has an end surface positionable within one of said second recesses and a radially extending side surface located in a plane extending transversely of the central axis of said hub, a first wedge-shaped cam on and extending outwardly from said side surface of said catch member, said first wedge-shaped cam extending in the axial direction of the central axis, a control ring encircling the central axis of said clutch hub and having a first surface and a second surface each extending transversely of the central axis with said first surface facing toward said catch members and said second surface facing in the opposite direction, second spring means associated with said control ring and arranged to hold said control ring against said catch members, said control ring being rotatably displaceable around the central axis of said clutch hub, said control ring having a second wedge-shaped cam formed on said first surface, said second cam arranged to contact said first cams for holding said catch members in one of a torque-transmitting position and a floating position, said second spring means providing an axially directed force against said control ring and via said second cam thereon effecting a radially acting force on said first cams in the torque-transmitting and floating positions, said control ring being rotatably displaceable from the position for holding said catch members in the torque-transmitting and floating positions to another position for displacing said catch members from the floating position and re-engaging the catch members in the torque-transmitting position, and third spring means for biasing said control ring from the re-engaging position back into the torque-transmitting position.