Clutch for electrophotocopier reciprocating carriage

Abstract

Apparatus in an electrophotocopying machine having a reciprocating carriage moved by an endless drive member for reversing the direction of the carriage output drive member without reversing the direction of the endless drive member. The apparatus includes a shaft fixedly mounted to the housing for the electrophotocopying machine, the shaft having a flange extending radially outwardly from a central portion thereof, an input drive member rotatably mounted at one end of the shaft and axially slidable along the shaft, the input drive member having apparatus for drivingly engaging the endless drive member, and an output drive member rotatably mounted at the other end of the shaft, the output member having apparatus for frictionally engaging the input drive member and apparatus for driving the reciprocating carriage. The apparatus also includes a plurality of rollers mounted in the flange of the shaft, the bearings being engagable with the input drive member and the output drive member, biasing apparatus for maintaining frictional engagement between the input drive member and the output drive member, and apparatus for sliding the input drive member out of frictional engagement with the output drive member and into frictional engagement with the plurality of rollers, whereby when the input drive member is rotated by the endless drive member and frictionally engages the output drive member, the output drive member is caused to rotate in the same direction as the input drive member, and when the input drive member is rotated by the endless drive member and frictionally engages the rollers, the output drive member is caused to rotate in the opposite direction of the input drive member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.