Patent GB-833374-A (GB)
Title: Electrical signalling means for counters
IPC: G06M1/274
Filed: 1957-07-12
Abstract: 833,374. Electric signalling systems. VEEDER-ROOT Inc. July 12, 1957 [July 12, 1956], No. 22202/57. Class 40 (1). [Also in Group XIX] A numeral wheel counter is provided with means whereby the value of the count is transmitted electrically to a remove counter. Transmitter, Fig. 2.-As shown, the cost wheels C, Fig. 2, of a liquid dispensing apparatus are adapted to control over a plurality of electrical leads (not shown) remotely located cost wheels C<1>, Fig. 5. To the left of each numeral wheel C is provided a stator plate 38, Fig. 3, bearing a printed circuit on one side and on the other side a plurality of saturable reactance core . coils 40-49 which co-operate with permanent magnets 68 mounted one on each numeral wheel hub 21. An A.C. voltage of about 15 kc/s. supplied to a transformer 81, Fig. 8, is rectified by the coils 40 which each consist of two windings 40a, 40b supplied from the opposite ends of the secondary of the transformer 81, and appears across the solenoids 70-79 which are located at the receiver, but is normally of a relatively low value due to the normally high impedance of the coils 40. However, when the magnet 68 is opposite one of the coils 40, its core is saturated so that its impedance is low and a high voltage is operative to energize the corresponding solenoid 70. To ensure that the energized solenoid 70 is immediately de-energized when the magnet 68 moves away, selenium diodes 83, 85 with a capacitance effect or other diodes with parallel-connected capacitors are connected in series with the windings 40a, 40b to give a non-linear resonant circuit in which the resonant frequency with the core of the coil 40 unsaturated is below the frequency of the applied A.C. voltage, but with the core saturated is above the applied frequency. Receiver, Fig. 5.-The numeral wheels C<1> are yieldingly mounted by rubber washers 120 on a shaft 106 continuously rotated at about 40 r.p.m. by a motor 108. To the right of each numeral wheel is mounted a stator plate 124 bearing the circularly arranged solenoids 70-79 which are electrically connected as shown in Fig. 8 by a printed circuit on the other side. Mounted on the inner periphery of each numeral drum, Fig. 6, is an elongated flexible member 154 of non-magnetic material having a magnetizable end portion 156. On energization of a solenoid such as 70 the end 156 is attracted and rotation of the numeral wheel is prevented. Deenergization of the solenoid 70 causes the friction drive to rotate the numeral wheel until it is subsequently arrested by energization of the solenoid 71. To prevent false reading of the receiver wheels C<1> during transfer, means are provided to prevent premature numeral wheel movement. These means comprise at the transmitter a saturable core 174 adapted to cooperate with a permanent magnet 178 attached to the lowest order numeral wheel at a position such that the core 174 is magnetized just before the numeral changes from registering " 9 " to registering " 0." This causes energization of a solenoid 170 in the receiver, Figs. 5 and 6, to rotate an arm 158 anticlockwise thereby engaging brake arms 162, 164 with the two highest order numeral wheels. On subsequent passage of the magnet 178 beyond the core 174 the numeral wheels of the receiver are released for advancement. The lever 158 also bears a stop arm 180 engageable with a lug 184 on the lowest order numeral wheel on energization of the solenoid 170, so that transfer movement takes place simultaneously in all the numeral wheels on de-energization of the solenoid. Specification 833,375 is referred to.