Stepping mechanism for a measurement marking and inscribing machine

Claim 1

A STEPPING MECHANISM FOR A MARKING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A STEPPING RACK CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, SAID STEPPING RACK INCLUDING SPACED TOOTH-LIKE PROJECTIONS, AN AXLE CARRIED BY SAID FRAME IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID STEPPING RACK, A FIRST HINGED LEVER HAVING A STEPPING PAWL MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF REGISTRATION BETWEEN SAID TOTH-LIKE PROJECTIONS, A SWINGING ARM HAVING A LOCKING PAWL MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF REGISTRATION BETWEEN SAID TOOTH-LIKE PROJECTIONS, A CAM CARIED BY SAID FRAME, SAID CAM BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FIRST HINGED LEVER, SAID FIRST HINGED LEVER BEING NORMALLY OUT OF REGISTRATION WITH SAID RACK, SAID LOCKING PAWL BEING NORMALLY IN REGISTRATION WITH SAID RACK, MEANS BIASING SAID FIRST HINGED LEVER AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT IN A FIRST DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LOCKING PAWL OUT OF ITS NORMAL REGISTRATION WITH SAID RACK, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST HINGED LEVER AND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID CAM FOR SHIFTING SAID FIRST HINGED LEVER AXIALLY AGAINST SAID BIASING MEANS UPON THE MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING PAWL BY SAID MOVING MEANS, AND MEANS LIMITING THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST HINGE LEVER IN A SECOND DIRECTION OPPOSITE SAID FIRST DIRECTION A DISTANCE BETWEEN ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SPACES.