Patent ID: 8578804

Claim:
A power transmitting device comprising: a shaft; a power transmitting member having a bore, the bore having a bore surface that is disposed about the shaft; an inner race coupled for rotation with the shaft, the inner race having a plurality of cam surfaces, the inner race defining a first actuator notch formed through a first circumferentially extending lip member; an outer race disposed about the inner race and received in the bore, the outer race being a circumferentially extending band having a pair of end segments that are spaced apart from one another to define a slit therebetween, the outer race having a race surface and defining a second actuator notch formed through a second circumferentially extending lip member, the second actuator notch aligned with respect to the first actuator notch and including a first portion, a transition portion and a second portion, the first portion being defined by a first width, the second portion being defined by a second width that is smaller than the first width, the transition portion coupling the first and second portions; a plurality of wedging elements between the inner race and the outer race, each wedging element being disposed between an associated one of the cam surfaces and the race surface; and an actuator having a hub and an actuator member, the hub being fixedly mounted on the shaft adjacent to the power transmitting member and defining an annular cavity and an actuator slot, the first and second circumferentially extending lip members being disposed within the annular cavity and the actuator member being disposed within the actuator slot for aligning the actuator member for movement relative to the first and second actuator notches, the actuator member being selectively positionable in a first position and a second position relative to the hub, wherein positioning of the actuator member in the first position places the actuator member in the first actuator notch and the second portion of the second actuator notch to permit the wedging elements to be maintained in a radially inward position that disengages the outer race from the bore surface of the power transmitting member to thereby rotationally disengage the power transmitting member from the shaft, wherein positioning of the actuator member in the second position places the actuator member in the first actuator notch and the first portion of the second actuator notch to permit the wedging elements to be maintained in a radially outward position that engages the outer race to the bore surface of the power transmitting member to thereby rotationally engage the power transmitting member from the shaft.