I wish I could see a visual of how it operates, because I'm sure it's something simple about it that I'm not seeing right away.
The thing that I'm having trouble comprehending is how the symmetrical teeth design would be capable of engaging the spring/blocker (pawl?). I mean that the pawl doesn't seem like it will be able to work as a stop; it seems like it would just allow the gears to bypass it regardless of rotation direction. Is this incorrect? I know you said there is a mirrored assembly to block the rotation in the other direction, but that still doesn't help me understand the pawl/teeth engagement quandary that my mind has created.
The sound signature you mentioned is a nice detail that I'm glad you included. I definitely wouldn't have thought of that right away if I was designing something similar.