As it drops back down, the reels spin (caused by an arm reaching up to the reel discs when that piece is lifted high enough) and then the clock spins and cause the brakes to operate, the reels to stop, the payout slides to operate if necessary, etc. As you pull the arm all the way down, the latch lifts the back piece up to a certain point until it finally slips off the latch. This causes the reel mechanism to spin, the clock to turn, the brakes to work, etc. When you pull the handle, this latch lifts up on the other piece. On the right side of the mech (if facing from the front) there is a little latch in the area that gets pulled down by the handle that is supposed to click under a piece that is attached to the back area that has the brake and causes the reels to spin. I'm working on a Mills Poinsettia in the shop, and the handle just pulls down and back up without spinning the reels.
