Spring Toggle

The leather boot beside my shelter carried a black plastic barrel clamped onto its cord laces. I stepped onto the tongue of the boot, testing the tautness of the weave underfoot. The barrel housed an internal coil mechanism. Kneeling on the leather flap, I aligned both palms against the ribbed push-button at the top and leaned my weight down. The spring compressed cleanly. The inner cylinder dropped, aligning the twin holes and releasing the bite on the braided lace. When I eased my pressure, the spring kicked upward, locking the cords instantly against the plastic wall. A reliable miniature friction clutch.