Rapid-action clutch assembly

Claim 1

A RAPID-ACTION CLUTCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF MOTIVE POWER; A SECOND MEMBER JOURNALED FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST MEMBER COAXIALLY THEREWITH AND CONNECTED TO A LOAD; A FIRST CLUTCH ELEMENT FIXEDLY MOUNTED UPON SAID FIRST MEMBER AND PROV IDED WITH AN ANNULAR CONTACT SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID AXIS; A SECOND CLUTCH ELEMENT MOUNTED UPON SAID SECOND MEMBER WITH FREEDOM OF AXISL AND ROTARY DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR CONTACT SURFACE CONFRONTING THE CONTACT SURFACE OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT; MECHANISM FOR AXIALLY SHIFTING SAID SECOND ELEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID SURFACES ARE IN FRICTIONAL INTERENGAGEMENT AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID SURFACES ARE SPACED APART, SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID SECOND ELEMENT INTO ONE OF SAID POSITIONS AND TEMPERATURERESPONSIVE MEANS THERMALLY DEFORMABLE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS FOR COUNTERACTING SAID RESILIENT MEANS AND SHIFTING SAID SECOND ELEMENT INTO THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED CHANGE IN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; FLEXIBLE LINK MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SECOND MEMBER AND SAID SECOND ELEMENT FOR LIMITING THEIR RELATIVE ROTATION; AND A COARSE-THREAD COUPLING BETWEEN SAID SECOND MEMBER AND SAID SECOND ELEMENT FOR ACCELERATING A MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER INTO SAID FIRST POSITION UPON INCIPIENT ROTARY ENTRAINMENT OF SAID SECOND ELEMENT BY SAID FIRST ELEMENT.