LEONARDO DA VINCI - Ratchet wheel with vertical pawl

Madrid Ms. I (BNM), fol. 116v (detail)

This version exhibits some major changes with respect to the previous device: the wheel carries asymmetrical peg-teeth; the pawl is placed in a vertical position and pressed against the teeth by a spring; moreover, the pawl meshes with three teeth rather than one, enhancing the mechanism's safety.

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