Patent ID: 8643321
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: E06B,F16H,H02H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An operator ratchet mechanism for effecting reciprocatable lateral movement of an element of a geared drive train in a door, gate or barrier operator so that in one lateral position drive in the geared drive train will be effected to permit the operator to open and close a door, gate or barrier, and so that in another lateral position drive in the geared drive train will be disconnected so the door, gate or barrier can be manually operated, said element being coaxial with at least one drive axle of one gear within the geared drive train, and wherein said element is biased in a direction towards said one lateral position, said ratchet mechanism comprising a user operable member mounted for user initiated arcuate rotation about an axis between a first position and a second position, and being biasable to return to said first position in the absence of user initiation arcuate rotation, said user operable member being able to ratchet index rotate a first cam plate about said axis by an amount corresponding to the angular displacement between said first position and said second position, and to bias return to said first position after being rotated to said second position whilst leaving said first cam plate indexed at said second position, said first cam plate having a cam face on an end face thereof and being for engaging with a complimentary cam face on an end face of a second cam plate mounted coaxial with said axis in an axially laterally disposed alignment relative to said first cam plate, said second cam plate being constrained for non axial rotation about said axis but arranged for longitudinal displacement along said axis, whereby when said first cam plate is rotated by said user operable member, said first cam plate will angularly rotate and said cam face thereon will drive said second cam plate to a longitudinally displaced position along said axis, said second cam plate having a face for engaging with said element so that when in said longitudinally displaced position said element will be able to move against said bias to said another lateral position so drive in the drive train will be disconnected and wherein when said user operable member is next rotated said first cam plate will be ratchet index rotated in the same angular direction so said second cam plate can be laterally moved in the opposite direction along said axis, so said element can move under bias to said one lateral position.