Rotation transmission mechanism

Claim 2

A rotation transmission mechanism comprising: a. a housing; b. an input shaft supported for rotation in said housing and connected to a source of rotary power to be rotated by the latter; c. an output shaft disposed in axial alignment with said input shaft and supported for rotation in said housing; d. a cam element coaxially and telescopically arranged relative to said input and output shafts and having a threaded bore; e. said input shaft having a threaded peripheral surface portion receivable within and in mesh with said threaded bore of the cam element so as to provide rotative and rectilinear movement of the cam element relative to the input and output shafts and transmission of rotation from the input shaft to the output shaft; and f. means supported by said housing to engage said cam element and restrain the latter against rotation so as to cause the cam element to move only rectilinearly and thereby cease transmission of rotation from the input shaft to the output shaft.

Claim 3

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cam element is substantially cylindrical in shape and has at least one camming groove in the periphery thereof which groove has a portion of helical configuration in registry with at least one straight portion extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cam element, and wherein said second means includes at least one cam follower supported by the housing and disposed to ride within said camming groove to prevent rotation of the cam element when in the straight portion of the camming groove and allow rotation of the cam element when in the helical portion of the camming groove.

Claim 4

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said cam follower is a roller means.

Claim 5

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said camming groove has tapered side walls and said cam follower is a roller having a tapered peripheral surface complementary to the tapered side walls of the camming groove.

Claim 6

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said cam element is substantially cylindrical in shape and has two camming grooves beginning diametrically opposite each other in the outer surface thereof, each groove having a helical portion in registry with at least one straight portion extending parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cam element, and wherein said second means includes a pair of juxtaposed cam followers supported by the housing so that a cam follower rides in each of said camming grooves to prevent rotation of the cam when in the straight portions of the grooves and allow rotation of the cam element when in the helical portions of the camming grooves.

Claim 7

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cam element is substantially cylindrical and has longitudinally extending first splines and at least one camming groove in the outer surface thereof and wherein said second means includes second splines carried by the housing and disposed to mesh with the cam element splines to restrain the cam element against rotation, said second means also includes at least one cam follower supported by the housing to engage the camming groove after a predetermined amount of rectilinear movement of the camming element and before disengagement of the first and second splines.

Claim 8

A rotation transmission mechanism comprising: a. an elongated housing; b. an input shaft supported for rotation in said housing and connected to a source of rotary power to be rotated by the latter; c. the input shaft having a threaded surface portion; d. a cylindrical cam element having an axial, threaded bore meshing with the threaded surface portion of the input shaft to receive torque from said input shaft so as to be moved rectilinearly and rotatively; e. an output shaft supported for rotation in said housing in axial alignment with the input shaft axis and connected to a member to be actuated; f. said output shaft being spline connected to said cam element to effect the transmission of rotation from the cam element to the output shaft and also allow axial rectilinear movement of the cam element relative to the output shaft, and g. means supported by said housing to engage said cam element and in one operative condition restrain the latter against rotation so as to cause the cam element to move only rectilinearly relative to the input shaft during rotation of the latter and thereby cease transmission of rotation from the cam element to the output shaft and, in another operative condition, allow rotation of the cam element together with rectilinear movement and hence rotation of the output shaft.

Claim 9

A rotation transmission mechanism comprising: a. an elongated housing; b. an input shaft supported for rotation in said housing and connected to a source of rotary power to be rotated by the latter; c. the input shaft having a threaded surface portion; d. a cylindrical cam element having an axial, threaded bore meshing with the threaded surface portion of the input shaft to receive torque from said input shaft so as to be moved rectilinearly and rotatively; e. an output shaft supported for rotation in said housing in axial alignment with the input shaft axis and connected to a member to be actuated; f. said output shaft being spline connected to said cam element to effect the transmission of rotation from the cam element to the output shaft and also allow axial rectilinear movement of the cam element relative to the output shaft, and g. means supported by said housing to engage said cam element and in one operative condition restrain the latter against rotation so as to cause the cam element to move only rectilinearly relative to the input shaft during rotation of the latter and thereby cease transmission of rotation from the cam element to the output shaft and, in another operative condition, allow rotation of the cam element together with rectilinear movement and hence rotation of the output shaft.

Claim 10

The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said cam element has at least one camming groove in the peripheral surface thereof, which groove has helical and straight portions, and wherein said means includes at least one cam follower supported by the housing and disposed to ride within said camming groove to prevent rotation of the cam element when in the straight portion and allow rotation of the cam element when in the straight helical portion of the camming groove.

Claim 11

The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said cam element has two camming grooves in the peripheral surface thereof each of which grooves consist of helical and straight portions, and wherein said means includes two cam followers supported in juxtaposed positions in said housing so that each cam follower rides within a camming groove, the cam followers and side walls of the camming grooves coacting to prevent rotation of the cam element when in the straight portions of the camming grooves and allow rotation of the cam element when in the helical portion of the camming groove.

Claim 12

In combination with a motor means for providing rotary power and a first and a second member to be actuated in sequence, a rotation transmission mechanism comprising: a. housing; b. an input shaft supported for rotation in said housing and connected to actuate said first member; c. said motor means being connected to rotate the input shaft and thereby effect actuation of said first member to be actuated; d. an output shaft supported for rotation in said housing in axial alignment with the input shaft and connected to the second member to be actuated; e. a cam element mounted within the housing for rotative and rectilinear movement; f. the cam element disposed to coaxially surround and connect with the input shaft to receive a torque force from the latter as well as being connected to the output shaft to transmit rotation to the latter upon rotation; g. at least one camming groove in said cam element having straight and helical portions; h. means including at least one cam follower mounted on said housing to engage said camming groove and, when in the straight portion, prevent rotation of the cam element and effect only rectilinear movement of the cam element and allow rotation when the cam follower enters the helical portion of the camming groove to thereby transmit rotation to the output shaft and actuation of said second member to be actuated after predetermined amount of rectilinear movement of the cam element and after initial actuation of said first member to be actuated.

Claim 13

In combination with a motor means for providing rotary power and a first and a second member to be actuated in sequence, a rotation transmission mechanism comprising: a. housing; b. an input shaft supported for rotation in said housing and connected to actuate said first member; c. said motor means being connected to rotate the input shaft and thereby effect actuation of said first member to be actuated; d. an output shaft supported for rotation in said housing in axial alignment with the input shaft and connected to the second member to be actuated; e. a cam element mounted within the housing for rotative and rectilinear movement; f. the cam element disposed to coaxially surround and connect with the input shaft to receive a torque force from the latter as well as being connected to the output shaft to transmit rotation to the latter upon rotation; g. at least one camming groove in said cam element having straight and helical portions; h. means including at least one cam follower mounted on said housing to engage said camming groove and, when in the straight portion, prevent rotation of the cam element and effect only rectilinear movement of the cam element and allow rotation when the cam follower enters the helical portion of the camming groove to thereby transmit rotation to the output shaft and actuation of said second member to be actuated after predetermined amount of rectilinear movement of the cam element and after initial actuation of said first member to be actuated.

Claim 14

The mechanism of claim 10 wherein said cam element is provided with splines which mesh with splines provided on said housing, the splines coacting to prevent rotation of the cam element and hence translatory movement only under the torque force imposed on the cam element by the input shaft.

Claim 15

The mechanism of claim 10 wherein the input shaft has a threaded exterior surface and the cam element has a threaded bore adapted to mesh with the threaded exterior surface of the input shaft to impose a torqUe force on the cam element upon rotation of the input shaft.