Clutch control apparatus

Claim 1

CLUTCH CONTROL APPARATUS OR A TRANSMISSION, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ENGINE SWHAFT MEANS; A TRANSMISSION SHAFT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED WITH A TRANSMISSION; CLUTCH MEANS CONNECTING SAID ENGINE SHAFT MEANS AND TRANSMISSION SHAFT MEANS; ELECTROMAGNETIC OPERATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CLUTCH MEANS; FIRST AND SECOND GENERATOR MEANS DRIVEN FROM SAID ENGINE SHAFT MEANS AND SAID TRANSMISSION SHAFT MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, TO PRODUCE FIRST AND SECOND VOLTAGES RESPECTIVELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE ROTARY SPEEDS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS; DIFFERENTIAL CONTROL MEANS RECEIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND VOLTAGES AND INCLUDING CONTROL SWITCH MEANS HAVING OPEN AND CLOSED SWITCHING POSITIONS AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, AND TO EQUALITY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND VOLTAGES TO ASSUME ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID SWITCHING POSITIONS, SAID CONTROL SWITCH MEANS BEING CONNECTED INTO THE CIRCUIT OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC OPERATING MEANS TO ENERGIZE AND DE-ENERGIZE THE SAME IN SAID SWITCHING POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO CAUSE ENGAGEMENT OR DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLUTCH MEANS; AND A MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CONTROL SWITCH MEANS AND THEREBY SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC OPERATING MEANS TO DISENGAGE SAID CLUTCH MEANS SO THAT SAID ENGINE SHAFT MEANS AND SAID TRANSMISSION SHAFT MEANS ROTATE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND SAID CONTROL MEANS RECEIVE DIFFERENT VOLTAGES SO THAT SAID CONTROL SWITCH MEANS CAUSE SAID CLUTCH MEANS TO REMAIN DISENGAGED UNTIL SAID ENGINE SHAFT MEANS AND SAID TRANSMISSION SHAFT MEANS ROTATE AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED AND SAID VOLTAGES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL WHEREUPON SAID CONTROL SWITCH MEANS CAUSES ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLUTCH MEANS.