>> Only problem is... what sort of clutch do you use to enguage a gear if 
>> a beam is rotating above a certain speed? ._.
> 
> There are several options to choose from.  First one that comes into my 
> mind is to have some weights (small ball bearings) that move outwards 
> from the rotation axis as speed increases due to the centripetal force.  
> This linear motion outwards can be used to engage a clutch between two 
> other shafts. Similar concept is used to govern the speed on some engines:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
> 
> Another option (simpler but not as long lasting) could be to have a 
> simple frictional contact with another shaft that is constrained to 
> rotate by a torsional spring.  As the input shaft speeds up the 2nd 
> shaft will reach some static equilibrium position, again this could be 
> used to move another clutch that connects two different shafts.

Yeah, this sounds like the two options I came up with.

I was wondering if something like the "Bendix drive" used in a starter 
motor might work, but looking at how it operates, it seems unsuitable.

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