Electro-mechanical linear motion actuator

Claim 1

A LINEAR MOTION ACTUATOR WHICH ALLOWS THE POWER OF A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SHAFT TO BE INTERMITTENTLY APPLIED DIRECTLY AS A LINEAR FORCE TO PRODUCE LINEAR MOTIONS OF A RECIPROCATING KIND COMPRISING POWER TAKEOFF MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SHAFT, A NUT AND SCREW GEAR MECHANISM, A FIRST CLUTCH SPRING HAVING ONE END OPERATIVELY ATTACHED TO SAID SCREW, SAID FIRST CLUTCH SPRING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID POWER TAKEOFF MEANS TO PROVIDE A TRANSMISSION PATH FOR THE ROTATIONAL MOTION OF SAID CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SHAFT TO SAID SCREW, A SECOND CLUTCH SPRING HAVING ONE END FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID NUT, SAID SECOND CLUTCH SPRING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID POWER TAKEOFF MEANS TO PROVIDE A TRANSMISSION PATH FOR THE ROTATIONAL MOTION OF SAID CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SHAFT TO SAID NUT, FIRST BREAKING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST CLUTCH SPRING OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION FOR DISENGAGING SAID FIRST CLUTCH SPRING FROM SAID POWER TAKEOFF MEANS TO THEREBY LOCK SAID SCREW AGAINST ROTATION, SECOND BRAKING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND CLUTCH SPRING OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION FOR DISENGAGING SAID SECOND CLUTCH SPRING FROM SAID POWER TAKEOFF MEANS TO THEREBY LOCK SAID NUT AGAINST ROTATION, AND ELECTRICAL ACTUATION MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRAKING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ACTUATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRAKING MEANS WHEREBY SAID SCREW IS MADE TO TRANSLATE IN ONE DIRECTION BY SAID NUT THREADING ONTO SAID SCREW WHILE SAID SCREW IS LOCKED AGAINST ROTATION AND SAID SCREW IS MADE TO TRANSLATE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BY SCREWING INTO SAID NUT WHILE SAID NUT IS LOCKED AGAINST ROTATION, THERE BEING NO TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SCREW WHILE SAID SCREW AND SAID NUT ARE ROTATING TOGETHER.