Pawl and ratchet mechanisms

Claim 1

IN A PAWL AND RATCHET MECHANISM, THE COMBINATION OF A RATCHET MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF MAJOR TEETH AND A PLURALITY OF MINOR TEETH, SAID MAJOR TEETH BEING DISPOSED IN A SPACED SERIES WITH THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID MAJOR TEETH EQUAL, SAID MINOR TEETH BEING DISPOSED EACH BETWEEN A DIFFERENT ADJACENT PAIR OF SAID MAJOR TEETH, MEANS MOUNTING SAID RATCHET MEMBER FOR REVERSIBLE MOVEMENT TO CAUSE SAID TEETH ALL TO FOLLOW THE SAME FIXED PATH, EACH OF SAID MAJOR TEETH BEING DEFINED BY TWO FLAT SIDE SURFACES WHICH CONVERGE OUTWARDLY AND INTERSECT TO DEFINE AN APEX, SAID MINOR TEETH BEING SHORTER THAN SAID MAJOR TEETH AND EACH HAVING A FLAT SIDE SURFACE SLANTING FROM ONE ADJACENT MAJOR TOOTH TOWARD THE APEX OF THE OTHER ADJACENT MAJOR TOOTH, THE PLANE OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED FLAT SIDE SURFACE PASSING THROUGH THE APEX TOWARD WHICH IT SLANTS; AND A PAWL; MEANS MOUNTING SAID PAWL FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID RATCHET MEMBER TO ACTUATE SAID RATCHET MEMBER THROUGH PREDETERMINED INCREMENTS OF MOVEMENT ALONG SAID PATH IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID PAWL COMPRISING AN END DISPOSED FOR SUCCESSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH A SIDE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID MAJOR TEETH, AND A FLAT SIDE FACE OF SUCH LENGTH AS TO BE SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SIDE SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID MINOR TEETH AND THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID APEXES WHEN SAID PAWL HAS ENGAGED ONE OF SAID MAJOR TEETH AND ACTUATED SAID RATCHET MEMBER THROUGH ONE OF SAID PREDETERMINED INCREMENTS OF MOVEMENT.