Gear

Claim 1

A DIFFERENTIAL GEAR MECHANISM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, DRIVING MEANS; A PAIR OF DRIVEN ELEMENTS; A CLUTCH DRIVING MEMBER ROTATED BY SAID DRIVING MEANS; A PAIR OF CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBERS COAXIAL WITH SAID CLUTCH DRIVING MEMBER ON AXIALLY OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND EACH IN DRIVING RELATION WITH A RESPECTIVE DRIVEN ELEMENT; MEANS BIASING SAID CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBERS TO ENGAGE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CLUTCH DRIVING MEMBER NORMALLY TO DRIVE SAID DRIVEN ELEMENTS IN SYNCHRONISM; THE FACING SURFACES OF SAID CLUTCH DRIVING AND DRIVEN MEMBERS HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING INTERENGAGEABLE TEETH AND NOTCHES TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE DRIVE OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBERS FROM SAID DRIVING MEMBER; SAID TEETH BEING ON ONE OF SAID CLUTCH DRIVING AND DRIVEN MEMBERS AND SAID NOTCHES BEING ON THE OTHER THEREOF; SAID CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBERS BEING DISPLACEABLE AXIALLY TO DISENGAGE SAID TEETH FROM SAID NOTCHES; SAID NOTCHES BEING UNDERCUT AT THEIR ENDS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENDS OF SAID TEETH AND HAVING ARCUATE EXTENTS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THOSE OF SAID TEETH, WHEREBY A PREDETERMINED RELATIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH DRIVING MEMBER AND A CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBER IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FOR RELATIVE AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBER; AND CAM MEANS INTERACTING BETWEEN SAID CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBERS AND OPERABLE, RESPONSIVE TO SUCH PREDETERMINED RELATIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF ONE CLUTCH DRIVEN MEMBER, TO DISPLACE THE LATTER AXIALLY TO DISENGAGE IT FROM THE CLUTCH DRIVING MEMBER.