Patent ID: 7717249

Claim:
A gear-clutch assembly organized about an axis and comprising: a gear having grooves that open inwardly toward the axis and extend axially; a hub located within the gear where it is capable of rotating within the gear, the hub having grooves that open outwardly away from the axis and extend axially; keys located within the grooves of the hub and being capable of moving radially toward and away from the axis, the keys being arranged such that when the keys are permitted to move away from the axis, at least one key will enter one of the grooves of the gear to couple the gear and hub so that they will rotate in unison; the grooves of the gear being arranged relative to the keys located within the grooves of the hub so that at least one key is positioned to enter one of the grooves of the gear at any angular alignment between the gear and the hub; wherein the number of keys is evenly divisible by the difference in the number of grooves between the hub and the gear; and an actuator for effecting radial displacement of the keys.