Editing Gear (section)

=== Cage ===
[[File:Cage Gear.png|thumb|left|300px|Cage gear in Pantigo Windmill, Long Island (with the driving gearwheel disengaged)]]

A ''cage gear'', also called a ''lantern gear'' or ''lantern pinion'', is one of those artisanal  gears having cylindrical rods for teeth, parallel to the axle and arranged in a circle around it, much as the bars on a round bird cage or lantern. The assembly is held together by disks at each end, into which the tooth rods and axle are set. Cage gears are more efficient than solid pinions,{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} and dirt can fall through the rods rather than becoming trapped and increasing wear. They can be constructed with very simple tools as the teeth are not formed by cutting or milling, but rather by drilling holes and inserting rods.

Sometimes used in clocks, a cage gear should always be driven by a gearwheel, not used as the driver. The cage gear was not initially favoured by conservative clock makers. It became popular in turret clocks where dirty working conditions were most commonplace. Domestic American clock movements often used them. {{cn|date=July 2024}}