Ratchet mechanism

Claim 1

IN A REVERSIBLE RATCHET MECHANISM, THE COMBINATION OF TWO BODY MEMBERS MOUNTED TOGETHER FOR RELATIVE ROTARY MOTION, ONE OF THE SAID BODY MEMBERS HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND THE OTHER OF SAID BODY MEMBERS HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE, SAID SURFACE BEING COMPLEMENTARY AND POSITIONED ONE INSIDE THE OTHER, SAID ONE BODY MEMBER HAVING A SERIES OF RATCHET TEETH ON THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE THEREOF AND SAID OTHER BODY MEMBER HAVING A RECESS THEREIN CONFRONTING SAID RATCHET TEETH, A PAWL CARRIED IN THE RECESS HAVING AN ARCUATE SIDE PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF TEETH, THE TEETH OF SAID PAWL BEING ADAPTED TO CONCURRENT DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RATCHET TEETH OF SAID ONE BODY MEMBER, THE PAWL BEING SUFFICIENTLY SMALLER THAN THE RECESS TO PERMIT CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISPLACEMENT THEREIN AS WELL AS WITHDRAWAL OF THE PAWL FROM THE RATCHET TEETH OF SAID ONE BODY MEMBER, SAID PAWL HAVING AN INCLINED BEARING SUFACE ON EACH END OF THE ARCUATE OF THE PAWL WITH EACH BEARING SURFACE BEING GENERALLY INCLINED TOWARD THE OTHER, IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE ARCUATE SIDE OF THE PAWL, SAID RECESS HAVING TWO BEARING SURFACES POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE PAWL BEARING SURFACES, ONE RECESS BEARING SURFACE SERVING AS THE THRUST BEARING FOR ONE DRIVING DIRECTION AND THE OTHER RECESS BEARING SURFACE SERVING AS THE THRUST BEARING FOR THE OTHER DRIVING DIRECTION, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR URGING THE PAWL INTO REVERSIBLE DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RATCHET TEETH OF SAID ONE BODY MEMBER, SAID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT CONTROL ELEMENT ENGAGING THE PAWL CENTRALLY OF SAID PAWL TEETH FOR URGING THE PAWL SELECTIVELY AGAINST EITHER BEARING SURFACE OF THE RECESS, SAID CONTROL MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING A MANUALLY OPERABLE SHIFT ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER BODY MEMBER FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT AND ENGAGING SAID CONTROL ELEMENT SUCH THAT ON MANUAL ROTATION OF SAID SHIFT ELEMENT SAID CONTROL ELEMENT IS ANGULARLY DISPLACED TO URGE THE PAWL AGAINST A SELECTED BEARING SURFACE OF THE RECESS.