Rotation transmitting mechanism

Claim 1

A rotation transmitting system, comprising: a hollow cylindrical stationary member having a radially outwardly facing first surface generated about an axis; rotary drive means and rotary driven means mounted for rotation about said axis, said driven means including a shaft rotatable about said axis and extending through said stationary member, said driven member also including a sleeve having first and second cylindrical protions, said first portion extending coaxially around said shaft and joined thereto for common rotation, said second portion of said sleeve including a radially inwardly facing second surface generated about said axis and facing said first surface, said first and second surfaces being spaced apart radially with reference to said axis to form a circumferentially extending space therebetween, said space including first and second wedge portions, each said wedge portion extending circumferentially and being of gradually radially expanding dimension so as to present a radially enlarged end and a radially restricted end, said first wedge portion expanding radially in one circumferential direction, and said second wedge portion expanding radially in an opposite circumferential direction; first and second bodies disposed within said first and second wedge portions, respectively, each of said first and second bodies being circumferentialy movable within its associated wedge portion between said radially enlarged and radially restricted ends of said respective wedge portion, said first and second bodies being larger than said first and second restricted ends and smaller than said enlarged ends, so that rotation of said driven means relative to said first surface ineither direction of rotation is prevented by a respective one of said first and second bodies when said respective body is located at the restricted end of its associated wedge portion, and such rotation is permitted when said respective body is located at the enlarged end of its associated wedge portion; and biasing means for yieldably biasing said first and second bodies circumferentially toward said restricted ends of their respective wedge portions; said rotary drive means including body-moving means disposed in said space for displacing said first body toward said enlarged end of its associated wedge portion when said rotary drive means is rotated by a predetermined distance in one direction, and for displacing said second body toward said enlarged end of its associated wedge portion when said rotary drive means is rotated by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction; said rotary drive means and rotary driven means including a lost-motion connection therebetween for permitting said rotary drive means to rotate relative to said rotary driven means by said predetermined distance in both directions of rotation, and then positively connecting said rotary drive means and rotary driven means for common rotation.