Patent ID: 11871862
Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICES
Field: Furniture, games (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A  E | IPC A  E

Claim 8:
9. A method of operating a retraceable arm comprising:
disposing an inner tube at least partially within a channel of an outer tube in a first position, the inner tube having a pawl rotatably connected thereto and the outer tube having a first opening formed therein proximate to a first end of the outer tube and a second opening formed therein proximate to a second end of the outer tube;
moving a first portion of the inner tube out of the outer tube to an intermediate position;
rotating the pawl out of the first opening and into the outer tube;
moving a second portion of the inner tube out of the outer tube to a second, extended position;
rotating the pawl out of the outer tube to partially extend through the second opening,
contacting a planar surface of the pawl with an inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is transitioning from the first position to the second position; and
contacting a curved surface of the pawl with the inner surface of the outer tube when the inner tube is transitioning from the second position to the first position.