Category
Locking & Indexing
4 articles in this category.
Locking & Indexing
Geneva Drives: Turning Spinning into Perfect Stepping
The Geneva mechanism converts smooth rotation into exact, dwell-separated steps — the mechanical secret behind film projectors, indexing tables and counting machines.
Locking & IndexingIndexing Mechanisms: How Machines Move Exactly One Step at a Time
Turrets, carousels and counters all share one need: move precisely one station, then hold. See how pawls, star wheels and detents convert rotation into counted steps.
Locking & IndexingOverrunning Clutches: The Bearing That Decides When to Grip
A one-way clutch locks instantly in one direction and freewheels in the other — with no switch, no sensor, nothing but wedge geometry. See how sprags, rollers and ramps do it.
Locking & IndexingRatchet and Pawl: The Mechanism That Only Says Yes
A ratchet lets motion through in one direction and slams the door on the other. See how the pawl rides and catches the teeth, and why this humble pair of parts runs winches, sockets and seatbelts.