The invention is a clutch system which engages and disengages without any friction between a powered input shaft and an output shaft, as illustrated by FIG. 1 through FIG. 4 in the Drawings.
FIG. 1 is an input shaft, consisting of a driveshaft with an attached universal joint. One end of the universal joint is attached to the shaft and the other is elongated to act as a hollow tube.
FIG. 2 is an output shaft, consisting of a driveshaft shaped as shown with a pivoting shaft attached as shown.
FIG. 3 shows the input and output shafts aligned on the same axis with the pivoting section of the output shaft inserted into the elongated hollow tube of the universal joint on the input shaft. In this illustration, the input shaft is positioned laterally along the axis such that the universal joint hollow tube and the pivoting shaft are at an approximately 45 degree angle with regard to the axis of the input and output shafts. In this position, the powered input shaft will spin without moving the output shaft, thus in a disengaged or declutched condition.
FIG. 4 shows the same arrangement as described above in FIG. 3, except that the input shaft is positioned laterally along the axis such that the universal joint hollow tube and the pivoting shaft are at an approximately 60 degree angle with regard to the axis of the input and output shafts. In this position, the universal joint will exceed its ability to continue revolving in its usual capacity and will lock up, resulting in the universal joint hollow tube and the pivoting shaft moving together along with the output shaft, thus in a fully-engaged or clutched condition.
The patent is for the system as described above. Lateral movement of the input shaft along the axis and dynamic balancing of the moving parts can be accomplished by commonly used means not a part of the patent.
The invention covered in this patent is for a system which accomplishes a clutch connection with no wearing friction components. Advantages: