Means for coupling transmission gears

Claim 1

A CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR A CONSTANT MESH TRANSMISSION HAVING A PAIR OF COAXIAL GEARS PRESENTING AXIALLY CONFRONTING SIDES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID GEARS AND PRESENTING A HUB INTERMEDIATE SAID GEARS, AXIALLY STRAIGHT EXTERNAL SUPR TEETH FORMED ON SAID GEARS, RESPECTIVELY, ADJACENT SAID HUB, EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH FORMED ON SAID HUB, A FACE FORMED ON ONE OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH IN PARALLEL RELATION TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT, A FACE FORMED ON THE OTHER OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH INCLUDING A CENTRAL PORTION PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS AND CAMMING PORTIONS TAPERING TOWARD SAID ONE SIDE FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION TO OPPOSITE AXIAL ENDS OF SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH, A CLUTCH COLLAR PRESENTING INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH IN AXIALLY SHIFTABLE RELATION TO AND TORQUE TRANSMITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH FORMED ON SAID HUB, A FIRST FACE ON EACH OF SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ENGAGEABLE RELATION TO SAID FACE FORMED ON SAID ONE SIDE OF EACH OF SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH ON SAID HUB, AND A SECOND FACE FORMED ON EACH OF SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS AND IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONFRONTING RELATION TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION ON THE MATING EXTERNAL SPLINE TOOTH WHEN SAID COLLAR IS IN A NEUTRAL POSITION, SAID SECOND FACE OF SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH INCLUDING CAMMING SURFACES TAPERING IN AXIALLY OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION TOWARD SAID FIRST FACE OF SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH TO OPPOSITE AXIAL ENDS OF THE LATTER, SAID COLLAR BEING SHIFTABLE IN OPPOSITE AXIAL DIRECTIONS TO ALTERNATE AXIALLY SPACED COUPLING POSITIONS TO SELECTIVELY CONNEC SAID GEARS TO SAID SHAFT, SAID CAMMING PORTIONS AT ONE AXIAL SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID EXTERNAL SPLINE TEETH BEING IN TORQUE TRANSMITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH COMPLEMENTARY CAMMING SURFACES OF SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH AND SAID FIRST FACE ON SAID INTERNAL SPLINE TEETH BEING IN TORQUE TRANSMITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPUR TEETH ON ONE OF SAID GEARS WHEN SAID COLLAR IS SHIFTED TO ONE OF SAID POSITIONS.