The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 14, 1977
Filed:
Apr. 09, 1976
Guilford Edwin Kindig, Rochester, NY (US);
Henry Stanislaus Adamski, Webster, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A self-releasing pawl and ratchet clutch is described that is particularly suitable for use as a single revolution clutch in a self-processing camera. At the end of one revolution of the clutch, the pawl is uncoupled from the ratchet wheel by a translatable and pivotable clutch release finger. The finger is spring biased towards a first position and includes a ramp at one end thereof that is locatable in the path of the pawl to stop the pawl from further rotation with the ratchet wheel. In the process of stopping the pawl, the finger is translated from the first position and held by the pawl in a second position against the bias of the spring. After the pawl is unseated from its interdental seat on the ratchet wheel the finger is restored by the spring to the first position. An enlarged tooth formed on the ratchet wheel forces the pawl to be moved generally radially outwardly along the ramp so that the pawl is held away from the tips of the smaller teeth of the ratchet wheel. With the pawl held in this manner there will not be repeated clicking of the tips of these smaller teeth against the disengaged pawl. The pawl is flexible and adapted to automatically disengage from the ratchet wheel in the event the clutch is overloaded. A toothless segment is provided on the ratchet wheel and ensures that the pawl cannot engage the ratchet wheel at a location on the wheel in which the enlarged tooth would be in a position to force the pawl to uncouple from the wheel under loads substantially lower than that desired.