US12281867 - Clutch assembly for a rotary machine gun
A clutch assembly for a rotary machine gun includes a drive sleeve mountable to the gun, a clutch gear slidably and rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a clutch housing on the sleeve, a shifter in the housing, and a solenoid assembly secured to the housing. The clutch gear is configured to engage and rotate with the sleeve. A plunger on the sleeve urges the clutch gear away from engagement with the sleeve. The shifter is configured to push the clutch gear into engagement with the sleeve when actuated. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid housing, a plunger configured to actuate the shifter, a plunger rod, a biasing member, and a lever on the plunger rod. The lever is manually pivotable to move the clutch gear to a neutral position wherein the gear is rotatable about the sleeve in either of two opposing directions until the solenoid assembly is electrically actuated.