Synchronous self-shifting clutch arrangements

Claim 1

A POWER TRANSMISSION ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS MOUNTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISHING OR INTERRUPTING A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS, ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTION OF RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE SHAFTS, THE SAID MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST ROTARY CLUTCH MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID FIRST SHAFT, A SECONDARY ROTARY CLUTCH MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SECOND SHAFT, AN INTERMEDIATE MEMBER, MEANS CONSTRAINING SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER FOR HELICAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER, FIRST CLUTCH TEETH BEING SPACED APART MEMBER, SECOND CLUTCH TEETH ON SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH TEETH BEING SPACED APART IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF THE CLUTCH, THRID CLUTCH TEETH ON SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER, SAID THIRD CLUTCH TEETH BEING DRIVABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST CLUTCH TEETH BY HELICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER AND DISENGAGEABLE THEREFROM THE HELICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH ON SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER, SAID FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH BEING DRIVABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SECOND CLUTCH TEETH BY HELICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER AND DISENGAGEABLE THEREFROM BY HELICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER IN SAID OTHER DIRECTION, FIRST STOP MEANS FOR LIMITING SAID HELICAL MOVEMENT IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, SECOND STOP MEANS FOR LIMITING SAID HELICAL MOVEMENT IN SAID OTHER DIRECTION, SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED ADJACENT ONE END BY THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE TIPS OF ONE SET OF SAID SECOND AND FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH WITH THE ROOTS OF THE INTER-TOOTH SPACES OF THE OTHER SET, COACTING MEANS ON SAID SECOND CLUTCH MEMBER AND SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING AND CENTERING SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF WHEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH ARE DISENGAGED FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH TEETH, SAID COACTING MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPORT AND CENTER SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER WHEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH ARE DRIVABLY DISENGAGED FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH TEETH, AND BEING INOPERATIVE WHEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH ARE DRIVABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH TEETH, SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED AT SAID OTHER END, WHEN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CLUTCH TEETH ARE DRIVABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND TEETH, BY THE INTERENGAGEMENT OF SAID THIRD TEETH WITH SAID FIRST TEETH.