Over-load clutch

Claim 1

AN OVER-LOAD CLUTCH COMPRISING DRIVING AND DRIVEN CLUTCH MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A COMMON AXIS IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO PRESENT AXIALLY OPPOSED FACES, SAID MEMBERS HAVING TORQUE TRANSMITTING OPENINGS PROVIDED IN SAID AXIALLY OPPOSED FACES, TORQUE TRANSMITTING BALLS ENGAGING IN SAID OPENINGS TO TRANSMIT TORQUE FROM THE DRIVING TO THE DRIVEN CLUTCH MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID TWO CLUTCH MEMBERS FOR RELATIVE AXIAL DISPLACEMENT AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER AGAINST LOADING MEANS URGING SAID MEMBERS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER, A BALL RETAINING ELEMENT DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TWO CLUTCH MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR FREE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS RELATIVE TO BOTH MEMBERS, SAID ELEMENT HAVING BALL RECEIVING SLOTS, ONE PORTION OF EACH OF WHICH SLOTS IS IN ONE RELATIVE POSITION OF THE TWO CLUTCH MEMBERS IN REGISTER WITH A TORQUE TRANSMITTING OPENING IN BOTH OF SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS, WITH ONE END OF EACH SLOT BEING OUT OF REGISTER WITH THE TORQUE TRANSMITTING OPENINGS OF BOTH CLUTCH MEMBERS FOR ALL RELATIVE ROTATIONAL POSITIONS THEREOF, ONE OF SAID TWO CLUTCH MEMBERS HAVING CONNECTED THERETO TO ROTATE THEREWITH BALL DISPLACING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BALL ENGAGING ABUTMENTS SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE CLUTCH AND ADAPTED ON RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OCCURRING BETWEEN THE TWO CLUTCH MEMBERS EACH TO ENGAGE WITH ONE OF THE SEVERAL BALLS AND POSITIVELY TO DISPLACE THE SAME IN A DIRECTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ASSOCIATED SLOT IN THE BALL RETAINING ELEMENT TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE BALLS ARE OUT OF REGISTER WITH THE TORQUE TRANSMITTING OPENINGS IN BOTH THE DRIVING AND THE DRIVEN CLUTCH MEMBER.