Patent ID: 8079453

Claim:
A controllable coupling assembly comprising: first and second coupling members that are supported with respect to each other for relative rotation about a common rotational axis, the first and second coupling members having a first pair of annular coupling faces that oppose each other and are oriented to face axially along the rotational axis and a second pair of annular coupling faces that oppose each other and are oriented to face radially with respect to the rotational axis; a first coupling face of the first pair having a first set of pockets spaced about the rotational axis, each pocket of the first set having a pivotal reverse strut received thereby; a first coupling face of the second pair having a second set of pockets spaced about the rotational axis, each pocket of the second set being sized and shaped to receive and allow pivoting movement of a pivotal forward rocker; a second coupling face of the second pair having a first set of locking formations that are engaged by the forward rockers upon projecting outwardly from the second set of pockets to prevent relative rotation of the coupling members with respect to each other in a first direction while permitting relative rotation of the coupling members with respect to each other in the opposite second direction by pivoting of the forward rockers in the second set of pockets; a second coupling face of the first pair having a second set of locking formations that are engaged by the reverse struts upon projecting outwardly from the first set of pockets to prevent relative rotation of the coupling members with respect to each other in the second direction while permitting relative rotation of the coupling members with respect to each other in the first direction by pivoting of the reverse struts in the first set of pockets; and a control member mounted for controlled, shifting movement between the first pair of coupling faces relative to the first set of pockets and operable for controlling position of only the reverse struts without controlling the position of the forward rockers, the control member allowing at least one of the reverse struts to engage at least one of the second set of locking formations in a first position of the control member and wherein the control member maintains the reverse struts in their pockets in a second position of the control member.