Patent ID: 8522941

Claim:
A clutching arrangement for a positive feed drill, said clutching arrangement comprising a first shaft secured to a housing and defining a first axis of rotation, a second shaft mounted in said housing and defining a second axis of rotation, said second axis of rotation generally aligned with said first axis of alignment, a first clutch gear assembly rotatably mounted on said first shaft, said first clutch gear assembly comprising a first tooth, a second clutch gear assembly rotatably mounted on said second shaft, said second clutch gear assembly comprising a second tooth, said first tooth and said second tooth being positioned between said first clutch gear assembly and said second clutch gear assembly, and said second clutch gear assembly and said second shaft being adapted to move axially along said second axis of rotation toward said first clutch gear assembly and said first shaft such that said first tooth and said second tooth can selectively engage each other and such that said first shaft and said second shaft do not overlap each other in an axial direction parallel to said first axis of rotation; wherein the first clutch gear assembly comprises a first surface and the second clutch gear assembly comprises a second surface, the first surface facing the second surface, the first tooth extending toward the second surface from the first surface and the second tooth extending toward the first surface from the second surface; and wherein the first surface and the second surface do not contact when the first shaft and the second shaft contact.