Patent ID: 7484882

Claim:
A device comprising a controlling mechanism, a releasing mechanism including a primary and a secondary output signal mechanisms, and a housing; said controlling mechanism comprising a rotating main shaft having an inboard end connected to a winding spring and an outboard end attached to a dial knob located outside the housing, the main shaft being axially affixed to a first gear proximate the outboard end but inside the housing; whereby turning the dial knob winds the winding spring to energize the primary output signal mechanism and simultaneously rotates the first gear in the direction of dial knob rotation, and subsequent release of the knob permits controlled unwinding of the winding spring with consequent rotation of the main shaft and dial knob to the point of relaxing of the winding spring; said secondary output signal mechanism comprising a second gear rotatably meshed with said first gear and axially affixed on a generally flat rectangular secondary shaft, the secondary shaft being oriented parallel to the main shaft and having an inboard end and an outboard end, with the inboard end of the secondary shaft extending inward into a central cavity in the housing and having a curved portion proximate its inboard end, and said outboard end of the secondary shaft truncated proximate a front outer surface of the second gear; the curved portion of the secondary shaft being rotatably engaged to a lever arm, such that when the winding spring is in a fully unwound position, the curved portion presses upon the lever arm to displace the lever arm, and thereby, compressing a compression spring, and when the winding spring is partially to frilly wound, the curved portion is not in contact with the lever arm and the compression spring is fully extended to apply a force upon a pivoting plate; said compression spring, when extended, causing said pivoting plate against an extending plate with the relative positions of the plates maintained by means of engaging wedge blocks comprising a first wedge block located on the mating surface of the pivoting plate and a second engaging wedge block located on the mating surface of the extending plate; said extending plate being axially connected, at an inner end thereof, to an end of a main spring with an opposite end of the main spring affixed to the inside bottom of the housing, such that the main spring exerts a radially outward force on the extending plate whereby when the lever arm compresses the compression spring to disengage the wedge blocks from each other, the extending plate will extend outwardly from the main spring due to the radially outward force of the main spring; and said extending plate is connected at an outer end thereof to at least one pop-up visual indicator whereby as the extending plate extends outwardly from the main spring, the at least one pop-up visual indicator extends outward from the housing.