Torque controlled clutch mechanisms for power transmissions

Claim 1

A TORQUE-CONTROLLED CLUTCH MECHANISM COMPRISING TWO CLUTCHES EACH HAVING TWO OPERATIVE CONDITIONS IN ONE OF WHICH IT IS ENGAGED TO TRANSMIT TORQUE APPLIED THERETO, AND IN THE OTHER OF WHICH IT IS DISENGAGED TO INHIBIT TRANSMISSION THEREBY OF APPLIED TORQUE; TORQUE RESPONSIVE MEANS WHICH IS COUPLED IN MECHANICAL SERIES WITH A FIRST OF THE TWO CLUTCHES TO RECEIVE TORQUE TRANSMITTED BY THE FIRST CLUTCH, THE TORQUE RESPONSIVE MEANS HAVING TWO MEMBERS ONE OF WHICH IS DISPLACED WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER, IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE MAGNITUDE OF TORQUE APPLIED TO THE TORQUE RESPONSIVE MEANS, THE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID ONE MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER BEING OF A FIRST EXTENT IN RESPONSE TO THE APPLIED TORQUE OF A FIRST PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE AND OF A SECOND, LARGER EXTENT IN RESPONSE TO APPLIED TORQUE OF A SECOND PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE LARGER THAN SAID FIRST MAGNITUDE; CONTROL MEANS FOR THE FIRST CLUTCH WHICH MEANS IS RESPONSIVE TO THE EXTENT OF SAID DISPLACEMENT TO MAINTAIN SAID FIRST CLUTCH ENGAGED TO TRANSMIT TORQUE WHEN SAID DISPLACEMENT IS LESS THAN SAID FIRST EXTENT AND TO DISENGAGE SAID FIRST CLUTCH WHEN SAID DISPLACEMENT IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO SAID FIRST EXTENT; MEANS COUPLING THE SECOND CLUTCH IN MECHANICAL SERIES WITH SAID FIRST CLUTCH, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR THE SECOND CLUTCH WHICH MEANS IS RESPONSIVE TO DISPLACEMENT OF SAID ONE MEMBER TO SAID SECOND EXTENT TO DISENGAGE SAID SECOND CLUTCH SO THAT NO TORQUE IS TRANSMITTED BY THE SECOND CLUTCH.