Bidirectional drive and brake mechanism

摘要

A space transport vehicle including a body movably mounted on an elongated guide member disposed in outer space and driven therealong. A drive wheel is mounted on a drive shaft in rolling engagement with the elongated guide carrying the vehicle. A brake member on the drive shaft moves into and out of engagement with an adjacent surface of the drive wheel. An actuator on the body manually moves back and forth between spaced positions in an arc of movement. A rachet-and-pawl mechanism operates upon movements of the actuator in one direction between first and second positions for coupling the actuator to the drive wheel to incrementally rotate the wheel in one rotational direction and to operate upon movements of the actuator in the opposite direction for uncoupling the actuator from the wheel. The brake member is threadedly coupled to the drive shaft in order that the brake member will be operated only when the actuator is moved on beyond its first and second positions for shifting the brake member along the drive shaft and into frictional engagement with the adjacent surface on the drive wheel.