Spring release retarder

[Cleric]

Hey all, I have a quick mechanical question regarding using springs to mechanize something. I want to use a small rod to push a quarter-sized object, it only needs about 0.5 inches of travel. My current plans involve having it compress a spring and locked into position, when I release the spring power, I would like for it to gradually release, say to travel that 0.5" in anywhere from 1.5 to 2 seconds?

Is there an "easiest" way to accomplish this? Currently I'm entertaining the thought of using something like those spring loaded things you might find on the draw strings of a jacket's hood. I don't really know what to call those things.

A good visual example of what I would like to do is akin to those promotional flip-open calculators:

A vid for anybody unfamiliar with these gizmos.


I haven't lots of space to work with, so a triggerable+adjustable wedge system to slow the spring release just enough. Thoughts/musings?

 

[dropshipbob]

I don't know if this will help, but I have a dollar store book light that has a similar mechanism. I just took it apart, looks like it has several cylinders that have one end that move in a clock-wise direction to flip the body open.

If you have a Dollar Tree close to you, you could try looking for it there, or I could send you the remains of the one I just opened. All I need is the LED and the battery compartment, all the parts that made it open are intact.

 

[terryr]

I had a tonka dump truck with a sprung cylinder, and it used a felt disc pressed against the shaft to make it realistic.