A drive shaft having an annular groove is placed in driving connection with a coupling sleeve by engagement members which constitute spherical balls radially movable within apertures in the coupling sleeve for engagement within the annular groove of the drive shaft. A locking ring engaging around the engagement members holds them in the locked position within the annular groove and when the mechanism is in the unlocked position, the locking ring is held axially away from the locked position by a latching member which engages within the apertures of the coupling sleeve to hold the locking ring in the unlocked position against the biasing force of a spring. A guide ring affixed to the coupling sleeve guides the locking ring by means of a gripping sleeve affixed thereto for movement relative to the coupling sleeve axially and nonrotatively with the guide ring including apertures through which the latching member engages when it is moved between the latched and the unlatched positions.
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