Patent GB-411215-A (GB)
Abstract: 411,215. Gounting - apparatus. HANDLEY, J., 22, Sandringham Road, Golders Green, and TOTE EQUIPMENT, Ltd., 21, Maddox Street, both in London. Jan. 23, 1933, No. 2096. [Class 106 (i).] Counting-apparatus.-Counting mechanism operated by high speed electrical impulses stores energy, during the receipt of ten impulses by an electromatic step-by-step device, in a spring associated with the tens indicating member which is released and carried around by the spring at the end of each set of ten impulses, while each impulse rotates a contact member so arranged that battery is applied at any moment to nine out of ten contacts in a bank co-axial with the units indicator so that an electromagnetic self-stepping drive for this indicator may hunt leisurely for the contact having absence of battery and comes to rest on such a contact when impulses cease. The invention is applicable to a disc or co-axial drum type of counter in totalisators or other signalling systems, and impulses from two sources may be summed by the use of differential gearing. In the disc indicator shown in Fig. 1, the incoming impulses operate magnet 15 associated with the tens disc 12 and having a stepping pawl for rotating a 100-toothed ratchet wheel 16 and so wind up a spring having one end fixed in relation to wheel 16 and the other fixed to the indicating disc which is normally prevented from rotation by a pawl and a fixed 10-toothed ratchet wheel. At the end of each set of 10 impulses the pawl is released by a pin rotating with the 100-toothed ratchet wheel and the tens disc 12 is rotated by the spring through one-tenth of a revolution. A conducting disc 17 rotates with the ratchet wheel 16 and has ten notches in its periphery so that in any position of the ratchet wheel one of the contact springs 0 ... 9 (5 as shown) is out of engagement with disc 17. The contact springs are cross-connected to ten contacts 5a of a bank co-axial with the units disc 11. As shown this bank has two levels each with 5 contacts 5<a> spaced by longer contacts 5<b> which are permanently connected to battery. Battery is also applied to the disc 17 and therefore at any particular moment to all the short contacts 5a except one, and the self-stepping magnet 23 of the units disc consequently drives the wiper 19 in search of such contact and, when impulses cease, stops the wiper on the contact finally left without battery. The wiper is double ended and the ends wipe over the two levels of the bank in succession. Transfer mechanism.-The spindle of the tens disc 12 carries a spiral cam 34 operating on a lever 35 so that during rotation of the cam, pawl 36 pivoted to the lever takes up a tooth on ratchet wheel 37 of the hundreds disc. At the end of one revolution of the tens disc, lever 35 is released and drawn back by a spring 38 so that the hundreds disc takes one step. The transfer to the thousands disc is similar. Zeroizing-mechanism.-Link 39 is pulled to the right thereby rotating the linked plates 41 to which the pawls 36 and holding pawls 40 are pivoted. The pawls are withdrawn by the stops 42 on the plates 41, and the downward thrust on the cams of the spring urged levers restores the hundreds and thousands discs. To zeroise the tens disc, a circuit is made for the stepping magnet 15 through interrupter springs 26 and a spring 24, so that the disc is rotated until a large gap 25 in conducting disc 17 comes opposite spring 24 and opens the circuit. The units disc follows automatically. In order to show blanks instead of noughts for the zero position, cover plates 60, Fig. 6, are adapted to be raised manually and simultaneously by rods 63 and released, after zeroizing has been effected, so that projections 64 rest on stops 62 carried by the indicator discs. When each disc moves from normal, the corresponding cover plate drops down.