Overrunning pawl clutch

A two-way over-running clutch applicable to vehicle drive lines comprising

• a driving member mounted for powered rotation,
• a driven member mounted for rotation adjacent the driving member in radially inner and radially outer relationship,
• one of said members having pawl-receiving portions thereon and the other of said members having pawl-holding portions, said pawl-holding portions provided on the radially inner member,
• first and second pawls interposed between said driving and driven members mounted on said pawl-holding portions for shifting independently of each other between engaging positions extending between said pawl-holding and pawl-receiving portions and non-engaging positions, with said first pawl when in an engaging position being disposed to produce driving engagement between the driving an driven members in one direction, and the second pawl when in an engaging position being disposed to produce driving engagement between the driving and driven members in the opposite direction, and
• a control element mounted for shifting movement between said driving and driven members operable to control the positions of said pawls, said control element when in a first position holding said first pawl in a non-engaging position and permitting movement of the second pawl to its engaging position, and when in a second position holding said second pawl in a non-engaging position and permitting movement of the first pawl to its engaging position.

A two-way overrunning pawl clutch for an automotive drive line comprising:

• a drive member mounted for rotatable movement in first and second directions of rotation;
• a driven member adjacent said drive member and mounted for rotatable movement in said first and second directions of rotation;
• a pawl assembly positioned between said drive and driven members and having first and second positions of engagement;
• said pawl assembly in said first position being in engagement with both the drive and driven members for imparting rotative movement from the drive member to the driven member in the first direction of rotation, said pawl assembly in said second position being in engagement with both the drive and driven members for imparting rotative movement from the drive member to the driven member in the second direction of rotation;
• and
• a biasing member biasing the pawl assembly into said first and second positions and a control member including a friction coupling that is responsive to the direction of rotation of the drive member and in cooperation with said biasing member selectively shifting the pawl assembly between the first and second positions.