Patent ID: 7900760

Claim:
A multi-position clutch for selectively coupling at least two of at least three rotatable power transmitting shafts, the three rotatable power transmitting shafts being respectively coupled to power input/output devices, the clutch comprising: at least three cooperation elements each respectively associated to one of the at least three rotatable power transmitting shafts for selective engagement therebetween; each of said at least three cooperation elements being mounted to one of said at least three rotatable power transmitting shafts so as to be sequentially positioned for selective coupling of at least two adjacent cooperation elements, where: first and second cooperation elements of the at least three cooperation elements respectively include contact rings secured to respective first and second of the at least three rotatable power transmitting shafts; and a third cooperation element of the at least three cooperation elements is positioned between the first and second cooperation elements for reciprocal movement from a freewheeling position to a first or second engagement position with the respective first or second cooperation element; the third cooperation element including first and second contact disks mounted to a third of the at least three rotatable power transmitting shafts; where one of the at least three rotatable power transmitting shaft is concentrically and rotatably mounted in one of the other rotatable power transmitting shaft; and an actuating mechanism associated to the third of the at least three cooperation elements for selectively coupling the first and second contact disks of the third cooperation element to the contact rings of the first and second cooperation elements; whereby selective coupling of at least two adjacent cooperation elements from said at least three cooperation elements couple respective power transmitting shafts which couple respective power input/output devices.