Patent ID: 8683883

Claim:
A rotary actuator mechanism for applying torque to a shaft and comprising: (a) an actuator housing forming an actuator path including a curved portion; (b) an actuator pinion rotatably supported in said housing and having said shaft secured thereto, said pinion having peripheral notches of a selected shape and positioned within said curved portion of said actuator path; (c) a train of discrete actuator elements having opposite ends and positioned in said actuator path, each of said actuator elements being of said selected shape to enable reception in said peripheral notches, a plurality of said elements engaging said notches; (d) said path being formed in part by a block extending into said pinion to position a surface thereof closely adjacent said shaft to thereby guide said actuator elements into engagement with said notches of said pinion and from said notches into another portion of said path; and (e) at least one linear actuator supported by said housing and engaging one of said ends of said train of actuator elements, said linear actuator being selectively activated to push said train of discrete actuator elements through said actuator path to thereby serially engage said actuator elements with said notches of said pinion and thereby apply torque to said shaft.