Locking clutch

A locking clutch comprising:

• a toothed member;
• said toothed member being, at least partially, in the shape of a ring and has both an inner surface and an outer surface and comprising a plurality of outer teeth extending from said toothed member outer surface and a plurality of inner teeth extending inwardly from said toothed member inner surface;
• an outer slide assembly;
• said outer slide assembly comprising a body having an inner surface and a plurality of channels formed on said an inner surface;
• a slide member in each of said channels, said slide member being movable relative to said channel between an extended position and a retracted position;
• a resilient member in each of said channels to bias said slide member to its extended position;
• and a stop positioned in said channel to prevent said slide member from fully exiting said channel;
• an inner slide assembly;
• said inner slide assembly comprising a body having an outer surface;
• a plurality of channels formed in outer surface;
• a slide member received in each said channel and moveable between an extended and a retracted position;
• and a resilient member in said channel which urges said slide members towards their extended positions;
• said toothed member surfaces and said slide assembly surfaces being positioned such that when said toothed member and at least one of said slide assemblies are urged into engagement, at least one of said slide members is received in a tooth gap of said toothed member;
• and the remaining of said slide members are moved to their retracted positions.

A locking clutch comprising:

• a toothed member;
• the toothed member comprising a cylindrical surface and a plurality of teeth spaced about and extending from said cylindrical surface;
• and
• a slide assembly;
• the slide assembly comprising a base and a wall extending from an end surface of said base;
• said base and wall defining a shoulder;
• a plurality of pockets formed in said shoulder;
• a slide member received in said pocket;
• and a resilient member in said pocket which urges said slide member axially;
• said slide member being moveable between an extended position and a refracted position;
• said resilient member biasing said slide member to its extended position;
• the teeth of said toothed member being spaced apart to define a gap between said teeth sized to receive said slide members;
• whereby, when said toothed member and said slide assembly are urged into engagement, at least one of said slide members is received in a tooth gap of said toothed member;
• and the remaining of said slide members are moved to their retracted positions;
• there being an angular clearance D between a slide member and a tooth, the maximum angular clearance being determined by as follows:
• D = 2 ⁢ π ⁡ ( S - T ) S · T ⁢ ⁢ radians , ⁢ where
• T=the number of teeth in the toothed member, and
• S=the number of slide members in the slide assembly.

A locking clutch comprising:

• a toothed member;
• the toothed member comprising an outer cylindrical surface and a plurality of teeth spaced about and extending from said outer cylindrical surface;
• and
• a slide assembly;
• the slide assembly comprising a body having an inner surface;
• a plurality of channels formed in said surface;
• a slide member received in each said channel moveable between a retracted position and an extended position;
• and a resilient member in each said channel which urges said slide members to their extended positions;
• said slide assembly having more slide members than does the toothed member have teeth wherein the teeth of said toothed member being spaced apart to define a gap between adjacent teeth;
• said gap being sized to at least partially receive said slide members;
• whereby, when said toothed member and said slide assembly are urged into engagement, at least some of said slide members are received in said gaps to be in an operative position;
• and at least some of said slide members are urged to their retracted positions to be in an inoperative position.

A clutch comprising:

• a toothed member comprising an cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface;
• a plurality of outer teeth spaced about and extending from said outer surface;
• and a plurality of inner teeth spaced about and extending from said inner surface;
• an outer slide assembly;
• the outer slide assembly comprising a body having an inner surface;
• a plurality of channels formed in outer body inner surface;
• a slide member received in each channel moveable between an extended position and a retracted position;
• and a resilient member in each said channel which urges said slide members to their extended position;
• and a stop to prevent said slide members from fully exiting said channels;
• and
• an inner slide assembly;
• the inner slide assembly comprising a body having an outer surface;
• a plurality of channels formed in inner body outer surface;
• a slide member received in each said channel moveable between an extended position and a retracted position;
• and a resilient member in each said channel which urges said slide member to its extended position;
• and a stop to prevent said slide members from fully exiting said channels;
• the inner and outer teeth of said respective toothed members being spaced apart to define gaps between said inner teeth and gaps between said outer teeth;
• said gaps being sized to receive said slide members of said inner and outer slide assemblies, respectively;
• whereby, when said toothed member and said inner slide assembly are urged into engagement, at least one of said inner slide assembly slide members is received in an inner tooth gap of said toothed member to rotationally fix said inner slide member relative to said toothed member;
• and the remaining of said inner slide assembly slide members are urged to their retracted positions;
• and, when said toothed member and said outer slide assembly are urged into engagement, at least one of said outer slide assembly slide members is received in an outer tooth gap of said toothed member to rotationally fix said outer slide assembly relative to said toothed member;
• and the remaining of said outer slide assembly slide members are urged to their retracted positions.

A clutch comprising a toothed member and a slide assembly;

• said toothed member and slide assembly being moveable between a first position in which they are engaged with each other to transmit power and/or torque and a second position in which they are disengaged from each other to prevent the transmission of power and/or torque;
• said toothed member comprising a surface which is generally cylindrical and a plurality of teeth extending from said surface;
• said slide assembly member comprising a body having a circumferential surface which is generally cylindrical;
• a plurality of axially extending channels formed in said circumferential surface;
• said channels having a radial opening and a stop;
• a slide member and a resilient member received in each said channel;
• said slide member being moveable radially between an extended and a retracted position and including a tooth engaging portion which is sized and shaped to extend through said channel opening and a shoulder which engages said stop;
• said resilient member biasing said slide member to an extending position in which said tooth engaging portion extends through said opening and said slide member shoulder engages said stop;
• said toothed member surface and said slide assembly surface being positioned such that when said toothed member and said slide assembly are urged into engagement, at least one of said slide members is received in a tooth gap (p) of said toothed member;
• and the remaining of said slide members are moved to their retracted positions;
• wherein p is defined as follows:
• p≧ws+δ;
• where
• ws=the width of the slide member;
• and δ = πφ ⁢ [LeftBracketingBar] S - T [RightBracketingBar] S · T ;
• ⁢ where:
• φ=tooth pitch diameter;
• S=the number of sliding members;
• T=the number of toothed members;
• and
• |S−T| denotes the absolute value of the difference between the number of sliding members and the number of toothed members.