Arcuately indexable rotary drive connector

Claim 1

MECHANISM CONNECTING TWO ROTATABLE MEMBERS IN DRIVING, RETAINING AND INDEXING RELATION, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DRIVE MEMBER HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING GROOVE THEREIN IN SPACED ADJACENT RELATION TO ONE END TO DEFINE A LAND BETWEEN SAID GROOVE AND SAID END, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LAND HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPLINES FORMED THEREIN, A ROTATABLE DRIVEN MEMBER HAVING A BORE IN ONE END AND A BORE INNER WALL FORMED WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPLINES MATING WITH SAID LAND SPLINES IN ROTATING DRIVING RELATION, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER INCLUDING THE SPLINED BORE INNER WALL HAVING LONGITUDINAL SLOTS THEREIN TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF CANTILEVER SPRING FINGERS, AND DETENT MEANS INCLUDING SAID GROOVE AND AN INWARDLY EXTENDING DETENT FORMED ON THE END OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER ADJACENT SAID BORE WALL SPLINES AND RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE AND AXIALLY RETAINING SAID DRIVE AND DRIVEN MEMBERS TOGETHER, SAID FINGERS BEING RADIALLY EXPANDABLE BY THE APPLICATION OF A PREDETERMINED TORQUE ON ONE MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE OTHER MEMBER AND RESULTANT CAMMING ACTION OF SAID SPLINES TO INDEX SAID MEMBERS ANGULARLY IN STEPS DEFINED BY THE NUMBER OF SPLINES ON SAID DRIVE MEMBER LAND.