Synchronizing clutch with multiple conical discs

Claim 1

A SYNCHRONIZING CLUTCH FOR USE WITH A FIRST MEMBER COAXIALLY AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO A SECOND MEMBER AND BEING OPERATIVE TO COUPLE SAID MEMBERS FOR UNITARY ROTATION IN A TORQUE TRANSFERRING RELATIONSHIP COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, (A) A SHIFTABLE ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND MEMBER FOR UNITARY ROTATION THEREWITH AND AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, (B) SAID ELEMENT HAVING A NEUTRAL POSITION AND BEING SHIFTABLE AXIALLY TOWARD SAID FIRST MEMBER TO A FIRST POSITION AND BEING FURTHER SHIFTABLE AXIALLY TOWARD SAID FIRST MEMBER FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION, (C) FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND PORTION FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER FOR FRICTIONALLY COUPLING SAID MEMBERS, (1) SAID FIRST PORTION BEING CARRIED BY SAID FIRST MEMBER FOR UNITARY ROTATION THEREWITH AND SAID SECOND PORTION BEING CARRIED BY SAID ELEMENT FOR UNITARY ROTATION THEREWITH. (2) SAID PORTIONS OF SAID FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT FROM ITS NEUTRAL POSITION TO ITS FIRST POSITION AND BEING OPERATIVE WHEN ENGAGED TO FRICTIONALLY SYNCHRONIZE THE ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER, (3) SAID PORTIONS OF SAID FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS BEING DISENGAGED UPON RETURN OF SAID ELEMENT TO ITS NEUTRAL POSITION, (D) RELEASEABLE MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECOND PORTION AND SAID ELEMENT FOR UNITARY AXIAL MOVEMENT WHILE SAID ELEMENT MOVES FROM ITS NEUTRAL POSITION TO ITS FIRST POSITION AND FOR ALLOWING SAID ELEMENT TO MOVE AXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND PORTION UPON MOVEMENT FROM ITS FIRST POSITION TO ITS SECOND POSITION, (E) BLOCKING MEANS FOR BLOCKINGLY ENGAGING SAID ELEMENT AND INHIBITING THE SAME FROM MOVING FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION WHILE SAID MEMBERS ARE ROTATING RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND FOR ALLOWING SAID ELEMENT TO MOVE TO SAID SECOND POSITION UPON SUBSTANTIAL SYNCHRONIZATION OF THE ROTATION OF SAID MEMBERS, (F) POSITIVE CLUTCH MEANS HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND COUPLING PORTION POSITIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER FOR POSITIVELY COUPLING SAID MEMBERS, (1) SAID FIRST COUPLING PORTION BEING CARRIED BY SAID FIRST MEMBER FOR UNITARY ROTATION AND SAID SECOND COUPLING PORTION BEING CARRIED BY SAID ELEMENT FOR UNITARY ROTATION, (2) SAID COUPLING PORTIONS BEING POSITIVELY ENGAGED UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT TO ITS SECOND POSITION, (G) CHARACTERIZED IN THAT (1) SAID FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS IS A MULTIPLE CONE CLUTCH, AND (2) TORQUE RESPONSIVE MEANS ARE CARRIED BY SAID FIRST PORTION AND SAID FIRST MEMBER AND TORQUE RESPONSIVE MEANS ARE CARRIED BY SAID SECOND PORTION AND SAID ELEMENT FOR URGING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS AXIALLY APART RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND RESPECTIVELY RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST MEMBER AND SAID ELEMENT UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT FORM ITS SECOND TO ITS NEUTRAL POSITION.