An apparatus is configured to facilitate in an appliance various operating modes including a spin mode and an agitation mode in a vertical-axis washing machine. The apparatus comprise a drive system with a shaft, on which is secured engagement features, and stops that are fixed with respect to the position of the engagement features. Engagement of the engagement features and the stops couple together elements of the appliance such as an agitation device and a wash basket. In one embodiment, the stops and engagement features are distributed on different contact planes located along the shaft, thereby permitting clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft and the engagement features through an angle of at least about 180° and up to about 680°.