Patent ID: 7100354

Claim:
A shut-off system for the avoidance of an overspeed condition in the event of a respective shaft failure, comprising: a coaxial reference shaft connectable to an energy-consuming end of the respective shaft; a signal trip element attached to the reference shaft and being axially and rotatably located on an energy-generating end of the respective shaft; at least one loading item exerting an axial force on the signal trip element; at least one driver pin protruding radially from a periphery of the signal trip element; at least one latch engageable with the at least one driver pin to hold the signal trip element in a releasable locking position; and at least one laterally facing rotary driver attached to the energy-generating end of the respective shaft which, upon a failure of the respective shaft and a corresponding relative rotation of the reference shaft to the respective shaft, rotatably engages the at least one driver pin to disengage the at least one driver pin from the at least one latch and release the signal trip element from the locking position to enable the signal trip element to move axially towards at least one of a sensor or an electric switching element arranged axially opposite of the signal trip element to generate a signal to an electronic control to interrupt an energy supply to the respective shaft.