Remember those pull down ceiling lamps from the 80s? A lamp hanging on a steel cable and you could adjust the height by just pulling or pushing the lamp and it would stay there. There was probably a gear and a spring in there, because you could adjust the balance by rotating a knob inside the mechanism. And it would click when moved down. But I cannot find any details.
Does anyone know how this mechanism is called and how it works?
EDIT: I found a picture.