Electro-magnetically actuated normally disengaged spring clutches

Claim 1

AN ELECTRO-MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED NORMALLY DISENGAGED SPRING CLUTCH MECHANISM COMPRISING TWO COAXIAL CLUTCH DRUM MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE ROTATION IN FIXED POSITION AXIALLY, A HELICAL CLUTCH SPRING OPERATINGLY SECURED TO ONE OF THE DRUM MEMBERS TO ROTATE THEREWITH AND HAVING A SERIES OF COILS AROUND A CLUTCHING SURFACE OF THE OTHER DRUM MEMBER BUT NORMALLY OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, A CONTROL MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE DRUM MEMBERS AND SHIFTABLE ALONG SAID AXIS RELATIVE TO THE DRUM MEMBERS, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING TORQUETRANSMITTINGLY SECURED TO A TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID SERIES OF COILS, A FRICTION MEMBER AXIALLY BETWEEN THE CONTROL MEMBER AND SAID OTHER DRUM MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO ESTABLISH A TORQUE-TRANSMITTING CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT DRUM MEMBER AND THE CONTROL MEMBER AS A FUNCTION OF AXIAL SHIFTING OF THE CONTROL MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION, A CIRCULAR RADIAL FLANGE OF MAGNETIZABLE MATERIAL ON THE CONTROL MEMBER, AND A NON-ROTATABLE ELECTROMAGNET UNIT HAVING POLE PORTIONS DISPOSED AXIALLY ADJACENT AND IN SPACED RELATION OF THE FLANGE AND OPERATING VIA THE FLANGE TO MOVE THE CONTROL MEMBER AGAINST THE FRICTION MEMBER TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH.