Self regulating gear reduction mechanism

Claim 1

A GEAR REDUCTION MECHANISM WHICH IS SELF-REGULATING TO LIMIT ITS OUTPUT TORQUE TO A PREDETERMINED VALUE, COMPRISING AN INPUT GEAR, A RING GEAR DISPOSED AROUND SAID INPUT GEAR AND MOUNTED FOR BOTH ROTATION AND LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENT, AT LEAST ONE PLANET GEAR ENGAGING SAID INPUT GEAR AND SAID RING GEAR, A ROTATABLE CARRIER MOUNTING SAID PLANET GEAR FOR PLANETARY MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID RING GEAR AND SAID INPUT GEAR, ALL OF SAID GEARS HAVING HELICAL TEETH AND SAID RING GEAR HAVING A CLUTCH SURFACE FORMED THEREON, A NON-ROTATABLE BRAKE MEMBER MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID RING GEAR AND HAVING A CLUTCH SURFACE ARRANGED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CLUTCH SURFACE OF SAID RING GEAR, A ROTATABLE SUPPORT PLATE POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID RING GEAR FOR SUPPORTING SAID RING GEAR, A STATIONARY MOUNTING SURFACE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT PLATE FOR SAID RING GEAR AND BEARING SAID PLATE, SPRING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT PLATE AND SAID RING GEAR FOR BIASING SAID RING GEAR TOWARDS SAID BRAKE MEMBER THEREBY NORMALLY TO HOLD SAID CLUTCH SURFACES IN ENGAGEMENT AND RESTRAIN SAID RING GEAR FROM ROTATION, AN OUTPUT MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIER AND DRIVEN THEREBY AT A SPEED SLOWER THAN SAID INPUT GEAR DURING THE PLANETARY MOVEMENT OF SAID PLANET GEAR, AND MEANS COMPRISING SAID HELICAL TEETH OF SAID OUTPUT GEAR AND SAID RING GEAR FOR PRODUCING AN AXIAL FORCE ON SAID RING GEAR OPPOSING SAID SPRING MEANS AND TENDING TO SEPARATE SAID CLUTCH SURFACES THEREBY TO RELEASE SAID RING GEAR FOR ROTATION AT A PREDETERMINED VALUE OF THE OUTPUT TORQUE AND INTERRUPT THE PLANETARY MOTION OF SAID PLANET GEAR, SAID SPRING MEANS RETURNING SAID RING GEAR TO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BRAKE MEMBER UPON THE DECREASE OF THE OUTPUT TORQUE BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE THEREBY TO CAUSE SAID PLANET GEAR TO RESUME THE DRIVE OF SAID CARRIER AND SAID OUTPUT MEMBER.