Patent GB-620150-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a machine operation register
IPC: G07C1/08
Filed: 1946-05-17
Abstract: 620,150. Checking use of machines; time of waiting of vehicles. MARKLEY, M. D., and MARKLEY, J. M. May 17, 1946, No. 14942. Convention date, Oct. 6, 1939. [Classes 106 (iii) and 106 (iv)] A device for registering the operation of a machine comprises a registering mechanism and means for moving a member to one of two operating positions responsive to the starting of the machine and time-operated means for moving it to its other position and means controlled by said member at each operating position to actuate the registering mechanism. As applied to a vehicle, control mechanism, operated by vehicle-driven and time-driven means, is set to give an impulse each time a vehicle stop exceeds, say, ten minutes, to actuate a "stop" indicator and to close a circuit to allow further time-driven means to give minute impulses to actuate an " excess time " indicator. Vehicle driven means. A shaft 23, see Fig. 14, is inserted in driving connection between a driven shaft 24 of the vehicle transmission mechanism and a speedometer shaft c. A worm fixed to the shaft 23 drives a worm-gear 28a frictionally coupled to a shaft 29 between a pin and resilient arms of a fixed sleeve. A ratchetwheel 31, loose on the shaft 29, has a cam 32 one side and a pin 31a the other, which is engaged by a radial pin fixed in the shaft 29 so that in each revolution thereof, the ratchetwheel 31 and cam 32 are driven until a spring 33 passes its dead centre position and suddenly completes the revolution, causing the high of the cam to close a circuit 35, see Fig. 16. A pair of dogs 35a on a rocker 35a<SP>1</SP> retard the motion of the cam sufficiently for flux to build up in a coil 43 of an electromagnet in the circuit 35 and also prevent reverse action when the vehicle reverses by looking the ratchet-wheel 31 so that the worm-gear 28a slips. The gear ratio is so chosen that the circuit 35 is closed once in each 250 feet of forward vehicle travel. Control mechanism. The electromagnet 43 in the circuit 35 has two pivoted armatures 43a<SP>1</SP>, 43a, see Fig. 8a. The first, 43a<SP>1</SP>, has an earthed resilient extension 44 with a contact 44a capable of engaging a contact 44a<SP>1</SP> to close a circuit 42a, while the second, 43a has an extension 46 connected by a link 47 to a lever 48, fulcrummed on a clock-driven minute-hand shaft 39. The lever 48 carries a pivoted dog 53 spring-biassed into engagement with a ratchetwheel 38a, fixed to the shaft 39, over which it rides when the lever 48 is locked against a stop 52 due to the bias of a spring 501, in which position a spring 49 biasses a wing 441 of the extension 44 into contact with the low of a cam 50 fixed to the shaft 39 to hold the contacts 44a, 44a<SP>1</SP> open. When the vehicle moves forward 250 feet and the electromagnet 43 is energized, the armature 43a<SP>1</SP> causes the contacts 44a, 44a<SP>1</SP> to close the circuit 42a through the coil of an electromagnet 54 and the armature 43a swings the lever 48 to rotate the cam 50 so that its high holds the contacts closed and to bring the dog 53 into effective engagement with the ratchet-wheel 38a, which then drives the lever 48 so that when it is approaching the stop 52, the wing 44<SP>1</SP> slips off the high of the cam 50 and opens the circuit 42a. The angular position of the cam 50 on the shaft 39 is adjusted so.that the time the cam takes to turn back to effect this release may be set to, say, 10 minutes. For every 250 feet of forward vehicle travel, the lever 48 will be returned to its position as shown in Fig. 8a, so that the electromagnet 54 will not be de-energized until the vehicle has stopped for 10 minutes. " Stop " and " excess-time " indicators. When the electromagnet 54, see Fig. 5, is deenergized, its armature 54a actuates escapement mechanism 57 and closes a contact 60 to allow a cam fixed to a seconds hand shaft 40 to control a switch 57 to energize an electromagnet 61 once a minute so long as a night switch 66 is closed. An indicator biassed to turn clockwise over a dial by a spring 6a is geared to a disc 58 with a shoulder in the path of pawls 57b on arms of the escapement 57 which oscillate with the armature 54a, i.e. upon the vehicle starting and stopping after or for, say, 10 minutes, so that the indicator moves half a graduation each time and indicates the number of stops. Through similar spring and escapement mechanism, oscillation of the armature of the electromagnet 61 will cause hands 5, 5a to indicate the time of stops of over 10 minutes, during which time a lamp 67 is arranged to light. Resetting mechanism. Gears 12 on resetting spindles 13, see Fig. 5, are normally spring- pressed and locked out of engagement with the indicator gear trains, through which zeroizing is effected, being limited by stops 6c, the springs 6a being rewound during the process. Locking mechanism. Recesses in blocks, see Fig. 5, and pins 19 guide locking plates 18, which are drawn together by a spring to withdraw their ends from the path of the resetting spindles 13, unless pushed into their path by a bar 22a engaging extensions 22 of the plate 18 when a key actuates the lock, which may comprise a barrel and spring-operated tumblers. Night switch. An arm 6b on the stop indicator opens the switch 66 in the " excess time " circuit 56 when the indicator is zeroized and reopens it when the indicator moves the first half graduation upon the vehicle starting again. In a modification, also applied to a vehicle, the impulses from the control mechanism at starting and stopping cause printing from mileage and time discs and subsidiary marks are printed when a speed limit is exceeded or resetting attempted. Control mechanism as described in the first embodiment causes a switch 73, see Fig. 48, to remain closed unless the vehicle stops for ten minutes, when it will remain open until the vehicle starts. Mileage printing discs. While the vehicle is moving and the switch 73 closed, a normally open switch 70 is caused to close a circuit through an electromagnet 72<SP>1</SP> once for every mile traversed by the operation of a cam 69a on a shaft 69, see Fig. 26, driven by worm-gear 68a and worm 68 fixed to a sleeve 30<SP>1</SP> driven as in the first embodiment. A number of discs 82, loosely mounted on a shaft 83, see Fig. 31, carry printing numerals 0-9 and have wellknown carry-over mechanism, the units disc having fixed thereto a ratchet wheel 118. Each mile the electromagnet 72<SP>1</SP> is energized and its armature 114 causes the units disc to advance through pawl and ratchet 117, 118 and linkwork 115, 116, 116a. A spring-pressed roller yieldingly restrains the ratchet 118 in each position. Time printing discs. Similar discs, also loosely mounted on shaft 83, carry printing characters to indicate minutes, hours, a.m. and p.m., with suitable carry-over means. A timecontrolled switch 89<SP>1</SP> causes an electromagnet 91<SP>1</SP> to be energized once a minute and its armature 91a, through linkwork, actuates a pawl-and-ratchet 93a<SP>1</SP>, 94a. see Fig. 36, to turn a shaft 94 which, through disc and clutch 95, 96 and gear 96a, advances a ratchet-wheel fixed to the adjacent time disc. A spring-pressed roller bearing on the ratchet 94a yieldingly restrains it in each position. The gear 96a is fixed to a sleeve 99 with fixed pinion 99a, which drives through gear-train 100, see Fig. 29, minute and hour-hands over a clock dial. Impression mechanism. Upon the vehicle starting or stopping to close or open the contacts 731, a circuit 122<SP>1</SP> to a motor 122 is closed and opened through contact 129 or 129a, see Fig. 28A, and a shaft 126 is driven one revolution, as controlled by circuit-breaking mechanism 141, through pairs of worms and wormwheels 124, 124a and 125a, 125b, the latter wheel carrying a crank-pin 127. Reciprocation of the crank pin 127 raises and lowers a platen 84, to effect printing on a web 76, through links 128a, 128b, see Fig. 44, pivoted to a rod 130, bearing in openings in a pair of rockers 131, pivoted at 131a to a fixed frame and screwed at its ends to the ends of a shaft 132 on which the platen 84 is rotatable. In each revolution of the shaft 126, pinions 142, 142a drive a shaft 143 half a revolution, see Fig. 28A, which, through an eccentric 144 thereon and slot 144a in a pivoted lever 145 moves an extension 147 thereof from one limit to the other. In so doing one of two stops 148 on the extension 147 cooperates with an extension 149 of an armature 122x of an electromagnet 122b<SP>1</SP>, energized when the switch 73<SP>1</SP> is closed, to cause a contact 127a to move against the pull of the electromagnet or against a spring 122e, to open the motor circuit through the contact 129a or 129 and so limit rotation of the shaft 126 to one revolution so that printing can take place once only upon each closing or opening of the switch 73<SP>1</SP>. " Paper " feed. A U-member fulcrummed on a shaft 133a is operatively connected to the shaft 130 and one side thereof carries a pawl 136a to drive a ratchet fixed to the platen 84, a roller yieldingly restraining it in each position. The web 76 unwinds from a coil, passes over a roller 133, see Fig. 29, over part of the platen 84 guided by rollers 134 and out through a shoot 135. Springs 137 urge the rollers 134 to press the web 76 against the platen 84 to insure its advance therewith. The web has erasuredetective surface and has consecutive numbers marked at equal spaces to detect unauthorized removal of a part thereof. Ribbon feed and reversing. A plate 151, see Fig. 44, with lateral arms 151a, is slidably mounted on pins 152 and printing disc shaft 83 and operatively connected to the second arm 139a of the U-member by a screw 153a and spring. The arms 151a carry pawls 156 pivoted on a bar 158 slidably mounted on the plate 151 so that in one extreme position one pawl 156 engages a ratchet 157 on a ribbon spool 150 at each downward movement of the plate 151, t