Drive arrangement and clutch assembly therein

Claim 1

A DRIVE ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: A FIRST PRIME MOVER HAVING A ROTARY OUTPUT SHAFT; A SECOND PRIME MOVER HAVING A ROTARY OUTPUT SHAFT; A LOAD COMMON TO BOTH PRIME MOVERS AND HAVING A FIRST ROTARY INPUT SHAFT TO BE DRIVEN BY THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID FIRST PRIME MOVER AND A SECOND ROTARY INPUT SHAFT TO BE DRIVEN BY THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID SECOND PRIME MOVER; A CLUTCH ASSEMBLY CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID FIRST PRIMER MOVER AND SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT TO THE LOAD, SAID CLUTCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF CLUTCHES, EACH, WHEN APPLIED, COUPLING THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID FIRST PRIME MOVER TO SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT TO THE LOAD, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CLUTCHES BEING DEFLECTABLE UNDER LOAD, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING AND RELEASING SAID CLUTCHES ALTERNATIVELY TO SHIFT THE ANGULAR ROTATIONAL POSITION OF SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID FIRST PRIME MOVER WHILE MAINTAINING THE DRIVE FROM SAID FIRST PRIME MOVER TO SAID FIRST INPUT SHAFT; AND MEANS COUPLING SAID OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE SECOND PRIME MOVER TO SAID SECOND INPUT SHAFT TO THE LOAD.