Ratchet Mechanism
A #PaperEngineering project
This is an experimental paper mechanism to use in your own paper projects. I’ve fitted a clockwork style key to the drive shaft for illustration purposes but basically, anything that needs driving could be added to the shaft. In this project, the strips are pulled in and out and the main axle turns. The project is driven by a double action ratchet. It is double action in the sense that the axle is driven both as the tabs and pulled out and as they are pushed in.
The ratchet wheel is made from a double thickness card wheel surrounded by ratchet teeth and fitted to a short axle stub.
The ratchet pawls are made from simple rectangles of card glued by one edge onto a strip of card. Adding a second strip with the pawls facing the other way allows the mechanism to be driven on both directions.
The two strips fit on either side of the ratchet wheel…
The ratchet mechanism comes as a downloadable pdf file with parts and fully illustrated step by step instructions ready for you to print out and make.
Paid subscribers to this newsletters can download the file at the end of the page. Thank you for your support! Free subscribers can join in the fun at the www.robives.com website for £2.50 or equivalent