ratchet wheel

noun

1. a wheel, with teeth on the edge, into which a pawl drops or catches, as to prevent reversal of motion or convert reciprocating motion into rotatory motion.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratchet wheel¹

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

It failed, as the others had done, because they required ratchet wheels, pulleys, &c.

From Project Gutenberg

The L lever carries a pawl which operates a ratchet wheel, placed on the handle end of the slide rest cross feed screw.

From Project Gutenberg

The running board was rotten and full of holes; the brake at the north end of the car would not hold on account of having a loose ratchet wheel.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a stop mechanism within the alarm so that each revolution of the crank caused the ratchet wheel supporting the disk of names to advance one tooth at a time.

From Scientific American

The first impulse sent out is a long impulse and pulls up both armatures, thereby causing the pawls above and below the small ratchet wheel, shown in Fig.

From Project Gutenberg