Reciprocable clutch means for feeding sewer tool drive rod

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SEWER TOOL DRIVE ROD CONSISTING OF ROD SECTIONS JOINED END-TO-END BY COUPLINGS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BARREL COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER SUCH AS TO PERMIT FREE PASSAGE OF A DRIVE ROD COUPLING THERETHROUGH, SAID BODY HAVING A FORWARD END WITH A PLURALITY OF SOCKET APERTURES PROVIDING A BALL-RETAINER CAGE, AND SAID BARREL HAVING AN ANNULAR HEAD OF ENLARGED DIAMETER AT ITS REAR END; AND ANNULAR ARRAY OF CLUTCH BALLS CAGED IN SAID SOCKET APERTURES WHILE MOVABLE RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A DRIVE ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BARREL; AN ACTUATOR COLLAR ENCIRCLING SAID BARREL AND SAID ARRAY OF BALLS, SAID COLLAR HAVING A FRUSTO-CONICAL INNER WALL ENGAGEABLE AGAINST SAID BALLS WITH A WEDGING EFFECT SUCH AS TO MOVE SAID BALLS RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVE ROD IN RESPONSE TO A FORWARD STROKE IMPARTED TO SAID COLLAR AND TO THEN IMPART FORWARD FEED TO SAID DRIVE ROD IN A CONTINUATION OF SAID FORWARD STROKE, SAID COLLAR HAVING A MOUTH DEFINED NEAR THE FORWARD-END THEREOF, OFF A DIAMETER SUCH AS TO PERMIT SAID BALLS TO SPREAD APART RADIALLY SUFFICIENTLY TO PERMIT A COUPLING TO PASS THROUGH SAID ARRAY OF BALLS, WHILE RETAINING SAID BALLS IN CAGED CONDITION; AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING RECIPROCATING STROKES OF SAID COLLAR AXIALLY OF SAID BARREL, SAID COLLAR BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID HEAD AT A REAR LIMIT OF RETRACTTING MOVEMENT, AND THEREBY OPERABLE TO TRANSMIT RETRACTING MOVEMENT TO SAID BARREL SO AS TO REPOSITION IT.