Electrostatic clutches

Claim 1

AN ELECTROSTATIC CLUTCH OF THE KIND (A) OPERATED BY MEANS OF AN ELECTROSTATIC ATTRACTION PRODUCED BETWEEN A SURFACE OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MEMBER A CLOSELY ADJACENT SURFACE OF A SEMICONDUCTIVE MEMBER WHEN A VOLTAGE IS APPLIED BETWEEN THE SAID MEMBERS (1) WHICH VOLTAGE IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PRODUCE A SAID ELECTROSTATIC ATTRACTION OF SUCH MAGNITUDE AS TO CAUSE ADHESION BETWEEN THE SAID SURFACES, AND (B) SAID CLUTCH COMPRISING TWO COMPONENTS EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A MAIN BODY HAVING A SURFACE MEMBER DIRECTLY ENGAGEABLE WITH A SURFACE MEMBER OF THE OTHER COMPONENT, THE SAID SURFACE MEMBERS BEING COMPOSED RESPECTIVELY OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL AND A SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, (I) WHICH COMPONENTS ARE CAPABLE OF RELATIVE MOTION WHEN THE SAID MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBERS ARE DISENGAGED, IN THE ABSENCE OF A SAID APPLIED VOLTAGE, THE SAID SURFACE MEMBERS BEING IN SLIPPING CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER WHEN DISENGAGED, AND (H) BETWEEN WHICH COMPONENTS THERE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NO RELATIVE MOTION WHEN THE SAID MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED AS A RESULT OF THE APPLICATION OF A SAID VOLTAGE; (C) WHEREIN THE SAID ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBER OF A FIRST SAID CLUTCH COMPONENT CONSISTS OF A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE SECTIONS (1) EACH INDIVIDUALLY MOUNTED ON A BALL BEARING LOCATED IN A RECESS IN THE MAIN BODY OF THE SAID COMPONENT SO AS TO BE CAPABLE OF UNIVERSAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID MAIN BODY, (A) WHEREBY, WHEN THE SAID MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBERS IN THE DISENGAGED INDIVIDUALLY MOUNTED SECTION IN AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNED WITH, SO AS TO BE WHOLLY IN CLOSE INTERFACIAL CONTACT WITH, THE ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBER OF THE SECOND OF SAID CLUTCH COMPONENTS, (1) FOR ENABLING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN EACH SECTION OF THE ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBER OF SAID FIRST CLUTCH COMPONENT AND THE ENGAGEABLE SURFACE MEMBER OF SAID SECOND CLUTCH COMPONENT TO TAKE PLACE RAPIDLY ON THE APPLICATION OF A SAID VOLTAGE BETWEEN THE SAID MEMBERS.