Tilter catch mechanism

A tilter catch mechanism for a tipping device, said tipping device having a frame, a flat tiltable platform tiltably supported on said frame between a first horizontally aligned position and a second position inclined to the horizontal and a first pneumatic driven means for effecting a driving tilting movement of said platform between said first and second positions, said tilter catch mechanism comprising:

• a ratchet gearing device interposed between said frame and said tiltable platform, said ratchet gearing device including a toothed ratchet gear attached to at least one of said frame and said tiltable platform and a pivotal pawl pivotally supported on the other of said at least one of said frame and said tiltable platform, said pawl being pivotal between a first position engaging one of a plurality of teeth of said toothed ratchet gear and a second position spaced from said toothed ratchet gear and teeth thereon;
• resilient means for continually urging an edge on said pawl toward said first position;
• a pneumatic control means for controlling a flow of pressurized gas from a pressurized gas supply to and from said first pneumatic driven means to cause said tiltable platform to be moved between said first and second positions, said pneumatic control means causing, when said tiltable platform is in the second position and there exist a tendency for said tiltable platform to be moved toward the first position without a change of state of said pneumatic control means, an engagement of said pawl with said one of a plurality of teeth on said toothed ratchet gear to thereby prevent said tiltable platform from moving further toward said first horizontally aligned position.