Gear train design enabling mechanical accelerometers and latches

A machine capable of generating relative motion of a central element in a direction perpendicular to input forces, said input forces being contact or non-contact type forces, said input forces oriented along a particular axis, said machine comprising:

• said central element, which translates along said axis in a void disposed between a stopping means 1 and a stopping means 2;
• said stopping means 1, whose geometry, at the initial points of interface with the central element, imposes initial support forces on said central element when a first stage input force aligned with said axis compels together the central element and the stopping means 1, a vector component of the net resulting force of said stopping means 1 initial support forces on the central element acting in a direction to encourage a first stage finite intended motion of the central element by translation or rotation in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said first stage input force, after which said first stage finite intended motion of the central element the geometry, interfaces, and forces of the stopping means 1 and the central element are no longer described as initial and the geometry of the stopping means 1 at the post-initial points of interface with the central element is designed such that a vector component of the net resulting force of the post-initial support forces of the stopping means 1 on the central element acts in a direction to oppose any further motion of the central element relative to the stopping means 1;
• said stopping means 2, whose geometry, at the initial points of interface with the central element, imposes initial support forces on said central element when a second stage input force compels together the central element and the stopping means 2, a vector component of the net resulting force of said stopping means 2 initial support forces on the central element acting in a direction to encourage a second stage finite intended motion of the central element by translation or rotation in a direction identical to the direction of the rotation or translation which resulted from said first stage finite intended motion, after which said second stage finite intended motion of the central element the geometry, interfaces, and forces of the stopping means 2 and the central element are no longer described as initial and the geometry of the stopping means 2 at the post-initial points of interface with the central element is designed such that a vector component of the net resulting force of the post-initial support forces of the stopping means 2 on the central element acts in a direction to oppose any further motion of the central element relative to the stopping means 2;
• a structural means to constrain the stopping means 1, the stopping means 2, and the central element such that said void is disposed which allows the central element to translate along said axis between said stopping means and to perform said intended stage 1 and stage 2 motions, and such that the positioning of the interface between the stopping means 1 and the central element relative to the interface between the stopping means 2 and the central element introduces an offset, said offset dictating that when the geometry of the central element is interlocked with the geometry of the stopping means 1 to the maximum extent permitted by the design and encouraged by the stopping means 1 support forces in the presence of a force along said axis compelling together the central element and the stopping means 1, the central element and the stopping means 2 are relatively oriented such that a subsequent force solely along said axis and compelling together the central element and the stopping means 2 would encourage a rotation or translation of the central element in said direction of intended motion before the central element becomes interlocked with the stopping means 2 to the maximum extent permitted by the design.