Adding to the post by
Dennyd the mechanism is quite simple to make but becomes interesting to say the least in the design. The ones we used had all different traversing profiles, such as slow, speedup, slowdown, pause. All our traverse mechanisms were designed and built in house on a combination tracer and hydraulic milling machine. In most our mechanisms the worm was case hardened steel, the pall was made of nylon covered steel or bronze, the shoe had bronze bushings, some allowed a small adjustment pall position. All operated essentially 24/7/365 with very few problems.
I was checking on the design parameters when I was made aware that the designer, retired in 1990, of all the traverse mechanisms on site, sadly is in a nursing home.
No one at the site has his design expertise and his files and books were cleaned out because it was deemed he had nothing of value since he was a self taught machine designer and I might add a good one.
There should be current information on design as they are still used in some textile industry and as noted in the winch industry in place of fairleads.
Here is a better picture of different type cams.
Also note that they are called differents names.
Anecdotal:
The book he used for traverse mechanisms was small with a reddish cover and gold leaf edges on very thin paper pages, it looked like the old Audel Handbooks.