Harness safety device for aircraft seats

Claim 1

IN A VEHICLE SEAT, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A HARNESS STRAP; (C) A REEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, A PORTION OF SAID STRAP BEING ATTACHED TO SAID REEL; (D) SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID REEL IN THE SENSE TO WIND SAID STRAP THEREON; AND (E) RESTRAINING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID REEL TO RESTRAIN ROTATION THEREOF IN THE SENSE TO PAY OUT SAID STRAP, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE ACTUATING MEANS FOR INDEXING SAID REEL INCREMENTALLY IN A SENSE TO WIND SAID STRAP THEREON, SAID RESTRAINING AND ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING (1) A RATCHED WELL SECURED TO SAID REEL, (2) A PISTON MEMBER, (3) GUIDE MEANS GUDING SAID PISTON MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF TANGENTIALLY TOI SAID WHEEL BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION, (4) A PAWL MOUNTED ON SAID PISTON MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OPERATIVE AND A RETRACTED POSITION, AND PAWL BEING SPACED FROM SAID RATCHET WHEEL WHEN IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION, (5) FIRST YIELDABLY RESILIENT MEANS BIASING AND PAWL TOWARD THE OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RATCHET WHEEL WHEN SAID PISTON MEMBER APPROACHES SAID FIRST POSITION FROM SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF, (6) ENGAGEMENT MEANS ON SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID PAWL IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION THEREOF WHEN SAID PISTON MEMBER IS NEAR SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF, AND (7) SECOND YIELDABLY RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID PISTON MEMBER TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION.