Patent ID: 6994195

Claim:
A clutch assembly comprising: a fixed, non-rotating housing having a housing keyway and defining an interior space; a clutch mechanism connecting a rotating shaft to an outer member of the clutch mechanism having a clutch keyway, the clutch mechanism being adapted to permit the shaft to rotate in a normal direction and to prevent the shaft from rotating in a reverse direction when the outer member is rotationally fixed to the housing, the clutch mechanism being further adapted to permit the shaft to rotate in both the normal direction and the reverse direction when the outer member is not rotationally fixed to the housing; a key adapted to be moved into an engaged position wherein the key extends into both the housing keyway and the clutch keyway to rotationally fix the outer member of the clutch mechanism to the housing, and the key being adapted to be moved into a disengaged position wherein the key does not extend into both the housing keyway and the clutch keyway, thereby permitting the outer member of the clutch mechanism to rotate relative to the housing; a piston to which the key is attached, the piston having a shaft being adapted to enable movement of the key between the engaged position and the disengaged position; and a cover plate attached to the housing and adapted to interfere with the shaft of the piston to maintain the key in the engaged position while the cover plate is attached to the housing.