Abstract:
The counter contains a counting member with a rotational shaft extended from the counting member; a base member for positioning the counting member with the rotational shaft extended outside the base member; a cover member with an opening that is jointed to the base member to house the counting member in between and to expose the digits of the counting member by the opening; and a pressing member sleeving over the rotational shaft for engaging the counting member. The counter is structurally simple, convenient to use, not powered by a battery, and of a lower production cost.

Description:
(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is generally related to counting devices, and more particular to the counters applied in manufacturing processes. 
       (b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    Counters are widely applied in manufacturing processes for keeping track of the number of items produced or processed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,539 teaches a counter or monitor for a casting process. The device is installed on a work station and is powered by a battery. 
         [0003]    Conventional counters are complicated structured and costly to produce. And most of them are powered by a battery. If the electricity of the battery is depleted, the counter would fail to work. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A major objective of the present invention is to provide a counter that is structurally simple, convenient to use, and not powered by a battery. 
         [0005]    To achieve the objective, the counter contains a counting member with a rotational shaft extended from the counting member; a base member for positioning the counting member with the rotational shaft extended outside the base member; a cover member with an opening that is jointed to the base member to house the counting member in between and to expose the digits of the counting member by the opening; and a pressing member sleeving over the rotational shaft for engaging the counting member. 
         [0006]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0007]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective break-down diagram showing the various components of a counter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective diagram showing the counter of  FIG. 1  from two viewing angles. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective diagram showing the internal of the counter of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing the interaction between the flipping piece, the flipping teeth, and the stopping piece. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 5 to 7  are perspective diagrams showing the advancement of digits on an auxiliary wheel by a driving wheel. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram showing a counter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a counter  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention contains a base member  11 , a cover member  12 , a counting member  13 , and a pressing member  15 . 
         [0016]    The base member  11  is a rectangular box with an open top side and four channels along four vertical edges for bolts, respectively. For the two shorter lateral sides of the base member  11 , one has a curved notch and one has a curve bulge. On the side with the curved bulge, an axial hole  115  is within the curved bulge and another axial hole  116  is beneath the axial hole  115 . Adjacent to the side with the curved notch, a wall  111  is configured and a through hole  112 , a positioning hole  113 , and an axial hole  114  are configured on the wall  111 . The through hole  112  and the axial hole  114  are aligned with the axial holes  114  and  116 , respectively. 
         [0017]    The cover member  12  is also a rectangular box with an open bottom side matching the base member  11  and also four channels along four vertical edges for bolts, respectively. For the two shorter lateral sides of the cover member  12 , a curved notch is configured, respectively. On a top side of the cover member  12 , an opening  121  is configured. 
         [0018]    The counting member  13  contains the following components. There is a rotational shaft  131  with a perpendicular rod  1311  at one end and an engaging element  1312  with an axial hole at the other end. 
         [0019]    A resilient element  132  is a helix spring sleeving over the rotational shaft  131 . 
         [0020]    A restoration element  133  is a metallic wire bended into an l shape with resilience. An end of the restoration element  133  is further bended to form a perpendicular section  1331 . 
         [0021]    A transmission piece  134  has an embedding hole  1343  matching the engaging element  1312  of the rotational shaft  131 , a blocking rod  1341  running perpendicularly through the transmission piece  134 , and a pressing element  1342  extended from a circumference of the transmission piece  134 . 
         [0022]    A flipping piece  135  has a through hole and a flexible element  1351 . 
         [0023]    A master wheel  136  has a through hole in the center and a number of flipping teeth  1361  on one side around the through hole. On the other side, there are two stopping teeth  1362 . Digits  0  to  9  are marked on the circumference of the master wheel  136 . 
         [0024]    A stopping piece  137  has a flexible stopping element and engages the flipping teeth  1361  of the master wheel  136 . 
         [0025]    There are a number of auxiliary wheels  138 , each having a through hole in the center, a number of biting teeth  1381  on one side, two stopping teeth  1382  running perpendicularly through, and digits  0  to  9  marked on the circumference. 
         [0026]    There are a number of driving wheels  139 , each having a through hole in the center, a number of long and short teeth  1391  and  1392  alternately configured on the circumference. 
         [0027]    A first pin  140  is threaded through the through holes in the center of the auxiliary wheels  138  and the master wheel  136 . 
         [0028]    A second pin  141  is threaded through the through holes in the center of the driving wheels  139 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the second pin  141  along with the driving wheels  139  are placed inside the base member  11 . The two ends of the second pin  141  are embedded into the axial holes  116  and  114 . The rotational shaft  131  is threaded through the through hole  112  and extended out of the curved notch of the base member  11 . The perpendicular rod  1311  then runs perpendicularly through the rotational shaft  131 . The restoration element  133  is sleeved over the engaging element  1312  by its through hole in the center. The perpendicular section  1331  is plugged into the positioning hole  113 . The transmission piece  134 &#39;s embedding hole  1343  receives the engaging element  1312  of the rotational shaft  131 . The transmission piece  134  is positioned against the wall  111 . A side of the restoration element  133  is against a side of the blocking rod  1341  of the transmission piece  134 . The flipping piece  135  is jointed to the other side of the blocking rod  1341 . The flexible element  1351  is against an upper edge of the pressing element  1342 . The first pin  140  which is threaded through the auxiliary wheels  138  and the master wheel  136  has one end embedded into the axial hole  115  and the other end embedded into the axial hole of the engaging element  1312  of the rotational shaft  131  through the through hole  112  of the wall  111 . As such, the driving wheels  139  are adjacent to the master wheel  136  and the auxiliary wheels  138 . The long teeth  1391  selectively engage the stopping teeth  1362 ,  1382 , and biting teeth  1381 . The short teeth  1392  selectively engage the stopping teeth  1362  and  1382 . The counting member  1  is housed between the cover member  12  and the base member  11 , and the digits on the master and auxiliary wheels  136  and  138  are exposed out of the opening  121  of the cover member  12 . 
         [0030]    The resilient element  132  sleeves over the rotational shaft  131 . The pressing member  15  has a slant slot  152  inside a storage space  151  on one side with flanges  153  on the side&#39;s upper and lower edges. The slant slot  152  receives the perpendicular rod  1311  of the rotational shaft  131 , and an end of the resilient element  132  is embedded into the storage space  151 . The flanges  153  then fit in the curved notches of the base member  11  and the cover member  12 . The resilient element  132  is then confined between the pressing member  15  and the wall  111 . 
         [0031]    When the pressing member  15  is pressed, the perpendicular rod  1311  and therefore the rotational shaft  131  are engaged by the slant slot  152  to spin. The transmission piece  134  and in turn the flipping piece  135  are engaged. Through the flipping teeth  1361 , the master wheel  136  is engaged to spin. Due to the locking between the stopping piece  137  and the flipping teeth  1361  as shown in  FIG. 4 , the mater wheel  136  does not turn in the opposite direction, and the digits on the master wheel  1361  therefore advances. When the number advances to the next place, the blocking teeth  1362  drive the short teeth  1392  and a driving wheel  139  starts to turn. The long teeth  1391  engage the stopping teeth  1362  and the biting teeth  1381 . The master wheel and the auxiliary wheel  136  and  138  as such are engaged simultaneously and the digits on the auxiliary wheel  138  advances. Similarly, when the number advances to the next place, as shown in  FIGS. 5 to 7 , the blocking teeth  1382  push the short teeth  1392  and a driving wheel  139  starts to turn. The long teeth  1391  engage the stopping teeth  1382  and the biting teeth  1381  of another auxiliary wheel  138 . The two auxiliary wheels  138  as such are engaged simultaneously and the digits on the second auxiliary wheel  138  advances. When the pressure on the pressing member  14  is removed, the resilient element  132  pushes the pressing member  15  back to its original position so that the pressing member  15  is ready for the next pressing. The flexibility of the restoration element  133  makes the transmission piece  134  and the flipping piece  135  to return to their initial position. The flexibility of the flexible element  1351  also makes the flipping piece  135  back to its initial position. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 8  which illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention, the base and cover members  21  and  22  are jointed into a cylindrical shape. The cover member  22  also has an opening  221  to reveal the digits of the counting member  23 . The counting member  23  is also engaged by a pressing member  25 . 
         [0033]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.