A magnetically hinged, overrunning clutch is disclosed. Sprags containing rare-earth permanent magnets, and arranged in pairs of opposite magnetic orientation, are located within the gap between the inner surface of a hollow, circularly cylindrical shaft and the external surface of a smaller diameter, second circularly cylindrical shaft. Pairs of rare-earth permanent magnets encircling the second cylindrical shaft are located at, or just beneath, the surface of the shaft and are arranged in pairs having alternating magnetic orientation. The sprags are cylinders having a pseudo-spiral cross-section and are sized, and the ferromagnetic region located, such that when the sprags are attracted to the shaft-magnets, the first shaft may be rotated with respect to the second shaft in a first, overrunning direction of rotation, but the first shaft does not rotate with respect to the second shaft in an opposite, or lock-up direction.

The invention provides a device and a method for processing slaughter animals, in particular slaughtered poultry such as chickens, and/or parts thereof. The device comprises a driving system for driving an element to be driven of the device. The, driving system comprises a driving element, a transfer element, which is driven by the driving element in use and which is rigidly connected during normal operation to the element to be driven, as well as overload protection means which are configured to rigidly connect the processing element and the transfer element during normal operation and to allow relative movement between the processing element and the transfer element in an overload situation if a force that acts between the processing element and the transfer element exceeds a threshold value. The overload protection means comprise a first connecting element forming part of one of the transfer element and the element to be driven and a second connecting element forming part of the other one of the transfer element and the element to be driven, wherein the first connecting element is configured as a first magnet element (36) and the second connecting element is either magnetisable or configured as a second magnet element.

An electro-mechanical clutch apparatus includes a stationary member (22,122) having a center portion extending along an axis A and a stationary coil assembly (34,134) fixed about the center portion. A rotatable member (46,146) extends along the axis A and includes an annular projection (52,152) radially spaced from the coil assembly. A ratchet surface (29,129) presents a plurality of teeth disposed in axially aligned and radially spaced relationship with the annular projection. The rotatable member includes a magnetic pole piece (62,162) disposed in radially spaced and concentrically aligned relationship with said coil assembly. The rotatable member includes a locking member (58,158) pivotably attached to the annular projection and pivotable between an engaged position in engagement with one of the teeth in response to the coil assembly being de-energized and a released position displaced from engagement with the teeth and attracted towards the magnetic pole piece in response to the coil assembly being energized.

A magnetic clutch comprises: a) two concentric rings; b) an equal number of magnets connected to the inner ring and to the outer ring; and c) an opposite orientation of the poles of each couple of facing magnets, wherein one magnet is placed on the inner ring, and its facing magnet is placed on the outer ring; wherein the first of said two concentric rings is rotatable around an axis by the application of a force not applied by the second ring, and wherein when said first concentric ring rotates, the second ring rotates as well by the action of magnetic forces.

A magnetic clutch comprises: a) two concentric rings; b) an equal number of magnets connected to the inner ring and to the outer ring; and c) an opposite orientation of the poles of each couple of facing magnets, wherein one magnet is placed on the inner ring, and its facing magnet is placed on the outer ring; wherein the first of said two concentric rings is rotatable around an axis by the application of a force not applied by the second ring, and wherein when said first concentric ring rotates, the second ring rotates as well by the action of magnetic forces.

A bi-directional coupler that selectively couples and de-couples a driving element to a driven element. The coupler includes an outer shaft having an outer shaft slot and an inner shaft having an inner shaft slot, where the inner and outer shafts are configured to rotate independently of each other. The coupler also includes a ball bearing provided within the inner shaft slot and having a size so that when the ball bearing is located at a center portion of the inner shaft slot it does not interfere with rotation of the outer shaft, where the ball bearing is held in that location by a magnet located in the inner shaft. Rotation of the inner shaft above a predetermined rotational speed causes the ball bearing to engage the outer shaft slot so as to cause the inner shaft to be locked to the outer shaft and rotate therewith.

A bi-directional coupler that selectively couples and de-couples a driving element to a driven element. The coupler includes an outer shaft having an outer shaft slot and an inner shaft having an inner shaft slot, where the inner and outer shafts are configured to rotate independently of each other. The coupler also includes a ball bearing provided within the inner shaft slot and having a size so that when the ball bearing is located at a center portion of the inner shaft slot it does not interfere with rotation of the outer shaft, where the ball bearing is held in that location by a magnet located in the inner shaft. Rotation of the inner shaft above a predetermined rotational speed causes the ball bearing to engage the outer shaft slot so as to cause the inner shaft to be locked to the outer shaft and rotate therewith.

A bidirectional magnetic clutch for an additive manufacturing system, comprising a concentric arrangement of an inner drive member (2) and an outer drive member (3) enclosing the inner drive member (2), the inner and outer drive members (2,3) being rotatable relative to each other. The inner drive member (2) comprises at least two outward facing recesses (5, 6) and the outer drive member (3) comprises at least two inward facing recesses (8,9). Each outward facing recess (5,6) comprises a radially moveable roller member (10,11) of ferromagnetic material. The inner drive member (2) further comprises a magnetic biasing system (12) configured to magnetically bias the roller members (10,11) into the outward facing recesses (5,6). The bidirectional magnetic clutch further comprises a magnet actuator (13) at least partially circumferentially arranged around the outer drive member (3) and configured to maintain an engaged state or disengaged state of the bidirectional magnetic clutch.

A wheel end disconnect system includes an inner race connected to one of an axle half shaft and a wheel hub, an outer race connected to the other of the axle half shaft and the wheel hub, and a plurality of radially actuatable pawls, circumferentially spaced apart, oriented between the inner and outer races, and movable between an outboard locked position and an inboard unlocked position to connect and disconnect the wheel hub from the axle half shaft. The system further includes a plurality of pins attached to an actuator ring. The actuator ring is axially shift-able between a locked and unlocked position. The system also includes one or more permanent magnets forming a permanent magnet ring attached to the actuator ring, with axially spaced apart north and south poles, and an annular tri-pole electromagnet having two counter-wound axially spaced apart coils concentric with the annular permanent magnet.

A wheel end disconnect system includes an inner race connected to one of an axle half shaft and a wheel hub, an outer race connected to the other of the axle half shaft and the wheel hub, and a plurality of radially actuatable pawls, circumferentially spaced apart, oriented between the inner and outer races, and movable between an outboard locked position and an inboard unlocked position to connect and disconnect the wheel hub from the axle half shaft. The system further includes a plurality of pins attached to an actuator ring. The actuator ring is axially shift-able between a locked and unlocked position. The system also includes one or more permanent magnets forming a permanent magnet ring attached to the actuator ring, with axially spaced apart north and south poles, and an annular tri-pole electromagnet having two counter-wound axially spaced apart coils concentric with the annular permanent magnet.