Abstract:
AN ENDWISE SLIDABLE ROD, SUCH AS A BRAKE ROD, IS RELEASABLY LOCKED AGAINST SLIDING IN ONE DIRECTION BY A DISC-LIKE ANNULAR CATCH COAXIALLY SURROUNDING THE ROD AND HAVING ITS PERIPHERY ENGAGING AN ANNULAR SEAT THAT HOLDS THE CATCH AGAINST BODILY AXIAL DISPLACEMENT. THE CATCH IS FRUSTOCONICAL, CONVERGING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND HAS SLITS RADIAL ITS CENTRAL APERTURE, DEFINING SPRING SEGMENTS THAT FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE THE ROD. A SLEEVE AROUND THE ROD, HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATABLE IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION, DISENGAGES THE SPRING SEGMENTS FROM THE ROD TO RELEASE THE ROD FOR MOVEMENT IN SAID ONE DIRECTION.