Synchronizing mechanism adapted for friction clutch use

Claim 1

IN SYNCHRNOIZING MECHANISM ADAPTED FOR USE IN COOPERATION WITH TWO FRICTIONALL-ENGAGEABLE RELATIVELY ROTATABLE ELEMENTS, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF NORMALLY COROTATABLE ACTUATABLE MEMBERS OPERATIVELY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FRICTION ELEMENTS, WITH ONE OF SAID MEMBERS CONNECTED FOR CO-ROTATION WITH ONE OF SAID FRICTION ELEMENTS; A RING-LIKE BRAKE AND DRIVE ELEMENT HAVING CONTINUOUS FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH A COMPLEMENTAL FRICTIONAL SURFACE ON THE OTHER OF SAID TWO FRICTION ELEMENTS; A MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID RING-LIKE ELEMENT AND THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF ACTUATABLE MEMBERS TO EFFECT CO-ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREOF; A LOST-MOTION MECHANNEL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF ACTUATABLE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO PREDETERMINED LIMITS; CAMMING MEANS OPERATIVELY INCORPORATED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF ACTUATABLE MEMBERS AND ADAPTED TO CONVERT SAID RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN INTO AXIAL OPERATING MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER ACTUATABLE MEMBER; SPRING MEANS INCLUDING A NORMALLY COMPRESSED SPRING REACTING BETWEEN SAID RING-LIKE ELEMENT AND THE ONE FRICTION ELEMENT FOR MAINTAINING SAID RING-LIKE ELEMENT IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID FRICTION ELEMENTS WHEREBY RELATIVELY OVERSPEED OF THE OTHER FRICTION ELEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE ONE FRICTION ELEMENT ROTATES THE OTHER ACTUATABLE MEMBER TO EFFECT ONE OF ITS AXIAL OPERATING POSITIONS DEFINED BY ONE OF SAID PREDETERMINED LIMITS, AND RELATIVE UNDERSPREED OF SAID OTHER FRICTION ELEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE ONE FRICTION ELEMENT ROTATES THE OTHER ACTUATABLE MEMBER TO EFFECT ITS OTHER AXIS OPERATING POSITION DEFINED BY THE OTHER OF SAID PREDETERMINED LIMITS; ELEMENT TO ROTATE AS A UNIT THERETO SAID ONE FRICTION ELEMENT TO ROTATE AS A UNIT THEREWITH; CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED DEFINING THE TORQUE OUTPUT OF SAID TORQUE-PRODUCING MEANS; AND A CONTROL DEVICE OPERABLE TO TWO OPERATING POSITIONS OF CONTROL IN RESPONSE TO THE TWO AXIAL OPERATING POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID OTHER ACTUATABLE MEMBER FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE SAID CONTROL MEANS TO EFFECT REGULATION OF THE SPEED OF SAID TORQUE-PRODUCING MEANS INTO SYNCHRONISM WITH THE OVERSPEED OR UNDERSPEED OF SAID OTHER FRICTION ELEMENT PRIOR TO ESTABLISHMENT OF CO-ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE TWO FRICTION ELEMENTS AFORESAID.