Patent ID: 8052216

Claim:
An actuator comprising: a reference plate having one or more apertures for receiving a ball bearing; a trigger plate configured to rotate about one side of the reference plate; a power plate configured to rotate about an opposite side of the reference plate; a chaser spring connected to the reference plate and the trigger plate, the chaser spring configured to rotate the trigger plate in a locking direction; a power spring connected to the reference plate and power plate, the power spring configured to rotate the power plate in an actuation direction; wherein each of the trigger plate and power plate include apertures corresponding with the apertures of the reference plate such that ball bearings received within the apertures are free to move therebetween; wherein the apertures in the trigger plate and power plate each include an incline to force at least part of the ball bearings out of the apertures of the same; wherein the trigger plate and power plate are moveable between loaded and fired positions, the loaded position corresponding with the ball bearings being positioned within the apertures such the ball bearings are located within a portion of the apertures of the power plate that causes the ball bearing to prevent the power spring from rotating the power plate in the actuation direction, the fired position corresponding with the ball bearings traveling along the incline of the apertures of the power plate to a position within the apertures of the trigger plate that permits the power spring to rotate the power plate in the actuation direction; and wherein the chaser spring rotates the trigger plate in the locking direction from the fired position to the loaded position such that the ball bearings travel along the incline of the apertures of the trigger plate to the position within the apertures of the power plate that prevents the power spring from rotating the power plate in the actuation direction if the power plate is reset.