Rotatable shaft locking means

Claim 1

A SHAFT LOCKING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A CIRCULAR BRAKING SURFACE; DRIVING AND DRIVEN ELEMENTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING COAXIAL WITH THE AXIS OF SAID BRAKING SURFACE AND FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO; DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LOBES CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID LOBES HAVING A CAMMINGWEDGING SURFACE SPACED FROM AND FACING SAID BRAKING SURFACE; A PAIR OR ROTATABLE WEDGING LOCKING MEMBERS DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH CAMMING-WEDGING SURFACE AND THE ADJACENT BRAKING SURFACE; RESILIENT MEANS NORMALLY URGING EACH PAIR OF LOCKING MEMBERS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER INTO LOCKING POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE ASSOCIATED CAMMING-WEDGING SURFACE AND SAID BRAKING SURFACE FOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SAID ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS TO THE HOUSING TO HOLD IT IN ADJUSTED RELATIVE POSITION; AND FINGERS CARRIED BY THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED ADJACENT THE ENDS OF EACH CAMMINING-WEDGING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID FINGERS HAVING AN ABUTMENT SURFACE ENGAGEABLE WITH A SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT LOBES UPON PREDETERMINED REVERSED DIRECTIONS OF ROTATION OF THE DRIVING ELEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT OF ESTABLISH A DIRECT DRIVING RELATION THEREBETWEEN, AND PRIOR TO SUCH DIRECT DRIVING RELATION RELEASE THE EFFECTIVE RESILIENTLY URGED LOCKING MEMBER DEPENDING UPON THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE DRIVING ELEMENT.