"This is a very typical gear component from the Warring States period."
The Historian pointed at the bronze hardware pieces in Chen Yiyang's hand and explained, "These components are rare and particularly complete. This is the pawl, this is the rocker, this is the detent pawl, and this is the ratchet.
When these components are assembled together, they form a complete ratchet gear. The gear has a square hole, which allows effective transmission; it is a highly efficient anti-reverse mechanism. Although it can only rotate in one direction, it has great practicality."
After listening to the Historian at the museum for a while, Chen Yiyang curiously asked, "Then what is this gear used for?"
"The last ratchet gear from the Warring States period was found near a granary site from that era, so possibly these ratchet gears were used to hoist grain during the Warring States period. Because once a regular gear slips, the hoisted heavy object would immediately fall down.
