Forward-reverse clutch

Claim 1

IN A FRICTION CLUTCH HAVING INTERLEAVED SETS OF FRICTION DISCS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTABLE TO INPUT AND OUTPUT ROTARY PARTS AND AXIALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER FOR FRICTIONAL TORQUE TRANSMITTING INTERENGAGEMENT AND CLAMPING MEANS FOR URGING SAID DISCS INTO SAID ENGAGEMENT, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A COAXIAL ANNULAR MEMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL SURFACE DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID CLAMPING MEANS WITH A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED AXIALLY EXTENDING GROOVES THEREIN EACH DEFINED BY A BOTTOM WALL AND A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS, A PLURALITY OF LEVER MEANS INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVES EACH HAVING A GENERALLY V-SHAPED SURFACE WITH THE VERTEX THEREOF SLIDABLY ABUTTING SAID BOTTOM WALL OF THE ASSOCIATED GROOVE, SAID LEVER MEANS HAVING A NOTCH IN A SECOND SURFACE THEREOF GENERALLY OPPOSITE SAID VERTEX OF SAID V-SHAPED SURFACE, A RETAINING RING EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID ANNULAR MEMBER ADJACENT SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF AND THROUGH SAID NOTCHES RADIALLY RETAINING SAID LEVER MEANS IN SAID GROOVES, MEANS RESTRAINING SAID RING AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID ANNULAR MEMBER WHEREBY SAID RING RESTRAINS AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID ANNULAR MEMBER AND SERVES AS A FULCRUM FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID LEVER MEANS IN THE ASSOCIATED GROOVES, AND MEANS OPERABLY ENGAGING SAID SECOND SURFACES OF SAID LEVER MEANS TO PIVOT SAID LEVER MEANS IN SAID GROOVES IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS AXIALLY OF SAID ANNULAR MEMBER, SAID LEVER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BEAR AT AN END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID NOTCH AGAINST SAID CLAMPING MEANS WHEN SAID ONE END IS PIVOTED TOWARD SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID GROOVE BY AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS TOWARD SAID CLAMPING MEANS.