Patent ID: 8758184

Claim:
A rotary connector for transferring power between first and second rotatable shafts, comprising: an elongated spindle shaft having first and second ends with the first end connected to the first rotatable shaft; a plurality of ball bearings supported along the length of the spindle shaft; a two part separable rotary connector having one part connected to the second end of the spindle shaft and the other part connected to said second rotatable shaft; and an actuator adapted to move one part of the separable rotary connector along the axis of the spindle shaft between a retracted position wherein the other part of the separable rotary connector can be moved into position relative to the first part of the separable rotating connector, and an extended position in which the first part of the separable rotary connector makes rotary driving connection with the second part of the separable rotary connector; wherein the first part of the rotary connector comprises a first plate moveable between said extended and retracted positions and carrying a plurality of spring biased pins supported for motion along the axis of the rotary connector at regularly spaced intervals in a circular pattern about said plate, and the second section comprises a second plate having a circular array of semicircular lobes spaced along the second plate, each lobe having two radial end sections having the same spacing as each pair of the pins on the first section, whereby upon the first part of the rotary connector moving from a retracted to an extended position in which it engages the second part, those pins which intersect the lobes on the second part enter the lobes, and the other pins are compressed against their spring biases, and upon rotation of the first part relative to the second part two adjacent pins in the first section enter the opposed radial end sections of each lobe to create a rotary driving connection between the first part and the second part.