Patent GB-458178-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to counter mechanisms
IPC: B67D7/08
Filed: 1935-03-12
Abstract: 458,178. Counting-apparatus. VEEDERROOT, Inc., Sargeant Street, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.-(Assignees of Slye, E. A.) March 12, 1935, No. 7736. Convention date, March 21, 1934. [Class 106 (i)] In counting -mechanism comprising a train of driving gears and zeroizing mechanism the zero resetting operating member is associated with means for eliminating error due to backlash in the operation following the zeroizing operation the said means preventing movement of the driving train by holding one of the elements of the train stationary during the resetting operation as the counting wheels are moved forward to zero position. The counting mechanism is shown applied to a liquid dispensing apparatus and is adapted to register the gallons dispensed and the total cost. The cost counter is driven through a variable speed gear of the type described in Specification 425,473 whereby the rate of actuation is adjusted in accordance with the price per unit quantity. The various counters are arranged in duplicate and visible from opposite faces of the casing. The meter delivering the liquid drives a shaft 3, Figs. 1 and 6, on which is mounted a bevel pinion 60 that gears with a bevel gear 61, Figs. 9 and 11, forming one element of a clutch 61<1> the other member of which is secured to a shaft 62 supported in brackets 30. The shaft carries gears 63, 63<1> which mesh with the driving gears 64, 64<1> of the oppositely disposed counters 4, 4<1> registering the quantity. The shaft 3 through the variable speed mechanism drives a shaft 24 in accordance with the unit price setting on which is mounted a bevel pinion 80 that meshes with a gear 81 of a clutch 81<1> on a shaft 82 with gears 83, 83<1> actuating the driving gears 84 of the total cost counters 5, 5<1>. The shafts 3, and 24, also carry worm gears 70, 85 that are operatively connected to counters 7, 8, Fig. 7, for registering the total quantity and cost of a succession of deliveries. Each counter comprises a set of wheel units 90. 91 and 92 as shown in Fig. 12 arranged on a resetting shaft 93. The lowest denominational numeral wheel 92 is secured to a sleeve 94 rotatable on the shaft and has fixed thereon the driving gear 84. The numeral wheel and gear are further connected by spaced studs 97 on one of which is mounted a reset pawl 100, Fig. 14, pressed by a spring 101 into a longitudinal groove in the shaft 93 through a slot in the sleeve 94. Carry over to the next higher denomination is effected by a Geneva type transfer mechanism comprising a locking member 105, Fig. 17a with a toothed space projection 109 that co-operates with a long and short toothed transfer pinion 115 in engagement with a gear 112 associated with the numeral wheel 91. To the gear 112 is secured a ratchet wheel 121, Fig. 15, engaged by spring controlled pawls 123 pivoted on a disc 120 to which the next sleeve 94 and the numeral wheel 91 is attached. Between the gear 112 and the locking member 105 a zero stop means is provided comprising a carrier 129, Fig. 17a, with a pivoted pawl 131 controlled by a spring 132 the carrier being mounted for rotation with the sleeve 94 and the pawl for co-operation with the cam surface 135 of the toothed projection 109. The numeral wheel 90 is of similar construction and is actuated from the lower wheel 91 by a similar transfer-mechanism. Zeroizing mechanism.-To reset the counters a key 6, placed on one or other end of a main reset shaft 142 journalled in the support frames 30, is given a single rotation to rotate the shaft 142 which through spur gearing 145.. 150, Fig. 7, imparts a single rotation to gears 151, 152, 156, 157 on the reset shafts 93 of the various counters. The shafts 93 on rotation pick up the reset pawls 100 to rotate the numeral wheels forward to the zero position overthrow being prevented by the engagement of the stop members 131 with the stop surfaces 135 of the lower locking members 105. Overthrow of the wheel 92 of lowest denomination is prevented by the provision of stop lugs 160, 161, Fig. 23, on the driving gears 83, 63 adapted to co-operate with the ends of a controlling lever 163 when displaced during the zeroizing operation. This lever is mounted on a collar 162, Fig. 22, between spring pressed friction discs 163<1> and carries a pin 17<1> disposed in the plane of movement of a pivoted cam member 173. On the main reset shaft is mounted a segmental cam 177, Fig. 18, which on the initial movement of the shaft rocks the cam member 173 by engaging projection 178 to set the control lever 163 to a position adjacent the stop lugs 160, 161, that is from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that in Fig. 18, where the pin 172 engages the shoulder 176. On further movement of the cam 177 the end 179 of the cam member 173 is met thereby the pin 172 is moved over the shoulder to cause the control lever 163 to move to arresting position. The cam member 173 and control lever 163 are returned to initial position by a pin 185 on a T-shaped lever 183 under control of a spring 181. To eliminate the error due to backlash in the driving gear the clutches 61<1>, 81<1> and a braking mechanism is provided. The clutches each comprise a peripheral surface 190, Figs. 21 and 22, on the bevel gears, a clutch part 191 with an arm 193, and metal spring band 192, the band being mounted at one end in a slot in the arm and engaged at the other end by a coiled spring 195. The brake mechanism comprises bifurcated arms 205, 206 pivoted on a member 199 mounted on a collar 196 secured to the reset shaft and frictionally gripped by spring pressed discs 199<1>. By this means during the initial operation of the reset shaft the arms 205, 206 are moved to hold the clutch against movement and prevent the dragging forward of the drive train of gears. To prevent fraudulent manipulation of the reset shaft a notched cam 210, Figs. 6, and 18, is secured to the shaft the purpose of which is to rock the T- shaped lever 183 to tension the spring 181 and reverse movement of the shaft is prevented by a pawl 215 falling in behind the raised part of the cam 177. To hide the numeral wheels from view during the resetting operation a shutter mechanism is provided for each of the counters. This mechanism includes pivoted shutters 220 operatively connected by links 219, 227, and by a link 225 and pin and slot means to the T-shaped lever 183. The return of the lever 183 under spring action restores the shutters to inoperative position and the pin 213 thereon, when it re-engages the notch on the cam 210 imparts a slight backward movement to the reset shaft to insure the exact positioning of all the members. In a modification the cost counter is provided with an additional wheel to count tenths of cents which wheel may be visible or not, as desired.