Patent GB-698286-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to counter mechanisms
IPC: G06M1/14
Filed: 1951-04-19
Abstract: 698,286. Transfer mechanism. SPERRY CORPORATION. April 19, 1951 [April 20, 1950], No. 9176/51. Class 106 (i). A counter mechanism having a plurality of numeral-carrying members comprises first and second driving means alternatively operable at will and respectively associated with continuous and step-by-step transfer mechanism between two orders of the numeral-carrying members. The invention is applied to a counter, the indication of which is at times rapidly altered to a desired value by an operator. The counter comprises five numeral drums 10, 11,12,13,14,Fig.l. The units drum 10 and a data shaft 20 are normally driven at a very fast rate from a motor 15 when a switch 16 is closed. Between the " units " drum 10 and the " tens " drum 11 there is a continuous drive comprising gears 22, 24 rotatable on a shaft 8, gears 25, 27 rotatable on a shaft 26 and gears 28, 31 also rotatable on the shaft 8. The gears 28 and 31 are interconnected by a pin 30 on the gear 31 and a slot 29 on the gear 28. A similar transfer mechanism connects the " tens " drum 11 with the " hundreds " drum 12, but ordinary Geneva transfer mechanisms are used for the higher orders. A gear 59 rotating with the gear 22 drives a gear 58 loose on the shaft 26. A cam 57 having a high and low portion each extending over 180 degrees rotates with the gear 58 and co-operates, when desired, with two rollers 49<SP>1</SP>, 50<SP>1</SP> carried respectively by levers 49, 50 mounted on shafts 51, 52. The levers 49, 50 are urged together by a spring 48. Integral with the levers 49, 50 respectively are levers 46, 47 each carrying a roller 55, 56 which co-operate with a star-wheel 45 integral with the gear 31. The levers 46, 47 have horizontal extensions 61 which lie above and co-operate witli a plunger 60 of a solenoid 19. A similar mechanism, not shown, is provided between the " tens " drum 11 and " hundreds " drum 12. During setting of the counter, as described above, the plunger 60 is positioned against the lever extensions 61 to hold the levers 46, 47, 49, 50 so that the rollers 55, 56 and 49<SP>1</SP>, 50<SP>1</SP> are out of engagement with the star-wheel 45 and cam 57 respectively. When the switch 16 is opened the motor 15 stops and the plunger 60 moves down to allow the levers 46, 47, 49, 50 to be moved by the spring 48 so that the rollers 55, 56 engage and move onwards the star-wheel 45 and the gear 31 to bring the drum 11 to a true numeral position. If the reading on the drums is not that desired, the drums can be rotated in either direction to the correct reading by manual actuation of a handle 40 which rotates the drum 10 through a clutch 41, bevel gears 42, the shaft 20 and gears 21, 22. During such actuation, the cam 57 acts on the rollers 49<SP>1</SP>, 501 to rock the levers 49, 50, 46, 47 so that the rollers 55, 56 step-on the star-wheel 45, the gear 31 and the drum 11. The drum 12 is stepped-on in the same manner. The length of the slot 29 in the gear 28 is such as to ensure that the star-wheel 45 is moved in the correct direction by the rollers 55, 56. In another embodiment, Fig. 2, the cam 57 is replaced by an eccentric 70 which rocks the levers 146, 147 through an hydraulic or pneumatic system. The levers 146, 147 carry rollers 155, 156 which co-operate with the wheel 145 connected through gearings to the " tens " drum 11.