Patent ID: 8348273

Claim:
In an apparatus including a first component mounted within the apparatus and having a shaft, and a second component rotatably mounted within the apparatus in proximity with the first component, wherein the first component is translatable relative to the second component, a separator device for use in separating the second component and the first component, the separator device comprising: a first segment having an aperture for mounting on an end portion of the shaft, the aperture having an inner bearing surface defined by a plurality of circular arcs of differing radii; and a second segment extending from the first segment and having an outer contact surface for contacting the second component and spacing a portion of the first component from the second component when the device is in a first rotational position about the shaft and being disengaged from the second component when the device is in a second rotational position about the shaft so as to allow an outer surface of the second component and an outer surface of the portion of the first component to contact each other.