Indexing mechanism

Claim 1

IN AN INDEXING MECHANISM OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A FIXED BASE PLATE, A MOVABLE INDEXING PLATE MOUNTED ON AND OVERLYING SAID BASE PLATE AND ROTABLE THEREON ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID INDEXING PLATE BEING MOVABLE VERTICALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BASE PLATE IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION BETWEEN A LOWERED PROXIMATE POSITION AND A RAISED REMOTE POSITION, A CIRCULAR ROW OF SPHERICAL HARDENED STEEL BALLS OF THE PRECISION BALL BEARING VARIETY FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE JUXTAPOSITIONED FACE OF EACH PLATE, ALL OF SAID BALLS BEING OF EQUAL DIAMETER, THE BALLS OF EACH ROW BEING EQUAL IN NUMBER, THE ADJACENT BALLS OF EACH ROW BEING IN MUTUAL TANGENTIAL CONTACT SO THAT ALL OF THE BALLS IN THE ROW PRESENT A CIRCULAR SOLID STEEL COLUMN ENCIRCLING SAID VERTICAL AXIS, THE MEAN DIAMETER OF EACH ROW OF BALLS BEING EQUAL, THE ROW OF BALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDEXING PLATE BEING ADAPTED TO SEAT UPON THE ROW OF BALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BASE PLATE WHEN THE INDEXING PLATE IS IN ITS PROXIMATE POSITION WITH EACH BALL IN A ROW TANGENTIALLY CONTACTING TWO ADJACENT BALLS IN THE OTHER ROW, AND ACTUATING SHAFT FOR SAID INDEXING PLATE ROTATABLY DISPOSED ON SAID BASE PLATE, A LIFTING CAM ON SAID SHAFT AND EFFECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INDEXING PLATE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE SAME, A LOCKING CAM ON SAID SHAFT AND EFFECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INDEXING PLATE FOR DRAWING SAID PLATE DOWNWARDLY TO PLACE THE TWO ROWS OF BALLS UNDER COMPRESSION WHEN SAID INDEXING PLATE IS IN ITS PROXIMATE POSITION, AND A SPRING-PRESSED DETENT CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID PLATEAND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OTHER PLATE, SAID DETENT BEING IN THE FORM OF A PIN HAVING A ROUNDED END, SAID OTHER PLATE BEING FORMED WITH A CIRCULAR ROW OF DETENT HOLES, ONE FOR EACH BALL IN A ROW, SAID HOLES BEING POSITIONED FOR SELECTIVE REGISTER WITH SAID DETENT PIN WHEN SAID INDEXING AND BASE PLATES ARE IN CORRESPONDING POSITIONS OF INDEXING, THE ROUNDED END OF SAID DETENT PIN BEING POSITIONED FOR CAMMING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID DETENT HOLES DURING ROTATION OF THE INDEXING PLATE WHEN THE LATTER IS IN ITS REMOTE POSITION TO THE END THAT AUDIBLE CLICKS MAY BE EMITTED DURING SUCH ROTATION, SAID DETENT PIN BEING TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVABLE IN SAID DETENT HOLES WHEN THE INDEXING PLATE IS IN ITS PROXIMATE POSITION.