Mechanism of the Week:

Geneva Drive Mechanism

The Geneva mechanism converts continuous rotary motion into intermittent rotary motion. A driving wheel with a single pin engages slots in a driven wheel, rotating it a fixed angle and then locking it completely during the rest of the cycle thanks to a curved locking disk. Originally developed to wind watches without overtensioning the mainspring, it's now a staple in indexing tables, film projectors, and assembly line turntables. The beauty is its precision: no electronics, no sensors, just geometry doing the work. One pin, one slot, one perfectly timed pause. It's a great example of pure mechanical intelligence and simple parts producing controlled, repeatable, intermittent motion. You can find a free download of 3D printer STL files of a Geneva Mechanism Demo for free below.