Patent Publication Number: US-3877303-A

Title: Sport speedometer

Description:
France 73/228 h Umted States Patent 11 1 [111 3,877,303  
 Beckmann Apr. 15, 1975 1 SPORT SPEEDOMETER 230,439 7/1969 U.S.S.R 73/228 [75] Inventor: Gerhard Beckmann, Todiweg 51,  
  D&#39;7988 wangen Primary Examiner-James J. Gill [73] Assignee: Raum Italia, Kurtatsch, Italy Attorney, g FirmSP6nC6r &amp; K y  
 [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1973 I 21 A l. N 339 945 l 1 pp 0 57 ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data Sport speedometer composed of a pivotally mounted Mar. 1 l, 1972 Germany 221 1887 paddle blade arranged to be pivoted by the air flowing past the object whose speed is to be measured, the [52] U.S. Cl. 73/228; 116/129 B; 1 16/129 T amount of pivoting being dependent on the velocity of [51] Int. Cl. G01f l/00 the air flow, the speedometer mechanism being dis- [58] Field of Search 73/189, 228, 379, 186; posed in a housing having an air flow entrance and 1 16/129 B, 129 T connected to a fastening device in such a manner that the housing can be pivoted relative to the fastening [56] References Cited device, and automatically retained at the set position, UNITED STATES PATENTS to cause the air flow entrance to face in the direction 925,814 6/1909 Jones 116/129 B l Velocity/S be meiisured regardless 3 040 698 6/1962 Gray u 6/129 R orientation of the ObjfiCt carrying the fastening device. 3:096:647 7/1963 Cox 73/228 The blade is Com/6X11 Curved and its Convex Surface 3,287,971 l1/1966 Bahniuk 73/22g X faces the air flow to minimize paddle blade flutter. A 3,380,302 4/1968 Gelinas 73/228 drag pointer pivots with the paddle blade in the direc- 3,404,566 10/1968 Cordova 73/228 tion of increasing speeds and remains at the highest 3,564,917 2/1971 Cronin et a] 73/228 speed indication attained until being manually reset. $681,983 8/1972 Alexander 73/228 The inertia of the mechanism is increased by connect- 3,681,987 8/1972 -Ruskm 73/228 ing a counterweight to the paddle blade.  
 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 51975 FIG. 1  
 SPORT SPEEDOMETER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sport speedometer operating according to the principle of an air flow speedometer, and of the type including an indicator scale. a paddle blade for deflecting an indicator needle. or pointer, and a fastening device provided with a securing member similar to a watchband.  
  A device of this type is disclosed. for example. in US. Pat. No. 3.564.917.  
  A sport speedometer of the above-mentioned type includes an air guide channel in which the paddle blade is located and the air entrance to the channel is invariably and fixedly disposed opposite the fastening device. The speedometer can thus be used only in certain situations where the fastening device will always have the air entrance aligned in the prescribed orientation.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a sport speedometer of the above-mentioned type which provides optimum accuracy with the lowest possible manufacturing cost. and which can be used under the most varying conditions. for example, for skiing, bicycling. horseback riding. boating. and the like.  
  This is accomplished by providing a position retaining connection between the speedometer housing and the fastening device so that the relative position of the housing can be changed by manually rotating it relative to the fastening device and so that the housing will automatically remain in its set position relative to the fastening device. This is preferably achieved by establishing a sufficient friction force between the housing and the fastening device. With this type of connection, it becomes possible to assure that the air entrance opening can always be pivoted into the flow of air independently of the position of the fastening device. The rotatability between the speedometer housing and fastening device permits the alignment of the air entrance opening of the speedometer in the direction of the impinging air flow independently of the orientation of the object on which the speedometer is mounted. According to a particular feature. the connection between the housing and the fastening device is such that the opening plane for the air entrance of the housing is approximately perpendicular to the pivot plane between the fastening device and the speedometer housing, the pivot plane being normal to the pivot axis.  
  In further accordance with the invention. guide vanes are disposed inside the air entrance opening of the housing to deflect and direct the air flow in the direction toward. and approximately normal to, the surface of the paddle blade. This contributes to an increase in the accuracy of the measurement and prevents turbulences within the speedometer. According to another feature of the invention. flutter of the paddle blade is prevented by making the blade slightly convexly curved in a manner such that its convex side faces the air stream. In order to simplify fabrication it may be provided that the longitudinal axis of the convex curvature is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade.  
  In order to increase the inertia of the speed indication and thus prevent fluttering of the pointer, another feature of the invention involves extending the paddle blade past its pivot axis to provide a support for a counterweight.  
  In many cases the sportsman is interested in the maximum speed which he has reached. This is of interest particularly when races are held where no third person notes the time and winning is based on the maximum speed attained. According to a further feature of the present invention it is therefore provided that a drag pointer which is controlled by the regular pointer is mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to. and preferably coaxial with the pivot axis of the paddle blade. the paddle blade being itself an instantaneous speed indicator. The drag pointer is mounted to be pushed by the paddle blade in the direction of increasing speeds and to automatically remain. e.g. under the influence of a friction linkage. at the highest speed level attained. The drag pointer thus serves to reliably record the maximum attained speed even if shocks are experienced. It is further provided that the drag pointer has a reset handle extending into the housing so that the drag pointer can be returned to its starting position to again be available to measure a new maximum speed.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the speedometer according to the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a side view in the direction of arrow II of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line IIIllI of FIG. 2. i.e. showing the speedometer mechanism with the housing cover removed.  
  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVIV of FIG. 3.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 as a group. the mechanical parts of the speedometer are disposed in a housing I which is covered by a cover 2. Cover 2 is connected with housing 1 by fastening screws 3. Cover 2 has a viewing window 4 atthe top and a viewing window 5 at the side. Speed scales 6 and 7 connected with housing 1 can be seen from two sides. from the outside. through these viewing windows 4 and 5, respectively. The speed scale 6 can be seen from the top and speed scale 7 can be seen from the side. Cover 2 can also be provided with a wind force scale, as shown in FIG. I.  
  The direction of the incident air flow is shown in FIG. 3 by arrows 8. The air enters the housing I in the area of the housing entrance opening 9. It flows out of housing 1 through the exit opening 10. Guide vanes II to deflect and direct the air flow are disposed in air entrance opening 9. Theresult of this deflection is that air is caused to flow inside the housing in the direction indicated by the flow arrows 12 shown in the vicinity of vanes 11. The air flow within the housing is such that the air is directed in the most favorable manner toward paddle blade 13.  
  This paddle blade 13 is mounted within housing I to be supported by. and rotate about, a bearing pin 14. Paddle blade 13 is extended beyond pivot pin 14 in the direction away from the portion subjected to the air flow, the extension forming a short lever arm 15. One end of a tension spring 16 is connected to lever arm 15, while the other end of spring 16 is fastened to a post 17 which is stationary with respect to housing 1. In the vicinity of lever arm 15 a counterweight 18 is also connected to blade 13 to increase the inertia of the paddle blade.  
  As can be seen in FIG. 4, the paddle blade 13 is designed to be slightly convexly curved, with its convex side facing the air flow. It can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 that sufficiently dimensioned air gaps for the passage of air around the blade are provided at the outer end and along the longitudinal sides of paddle blade 13, the gaps being between the blade and the adjacent surfaces of housing 1 and cover 2. A drag pointer 19 is mounted in housing 1 for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of paddle blade 13. In the area of its pivot axis. drag pointer 19 is loaded. or biased, by a rod or leaf spring 20, which is also permanently connected with the housing 1 via post 17. Spring 20 normally retains pointer 19 at the highest speed position reached by blade 13.  
  Furthermore, a reset handle 21 is disposed in cover 2 to be longitudinally displaceable in the direction of arrow 22. It extends into the pivot range of drag pointer 19 and serves to return the drag pointer from its indicating position (FIG. 3) to its starting position.  
  For return the reset handle 21 is moved upwards in respect of FlGS. 1 and 4. In doing so the inside end of reset handle 21 contacts the lower edge of the drag pointer 19 and pushes it upwards. After return of the drag pointer 19 to its starting position (position of reset handle 21 see FIG. 2) reset handle 21 is released. Then reset handle 21 is moved back automatically by spring 21a into its downward position which is outwards of the pivot range of drag pointer 19.  
  Spring 20 contacts pointer 19 and urges it against a bearing plate being situated between paddle blade 13 and pointer 19 and connected with housing 1. The bearing plate also locates bearing pin 14 of paddle blade 13.  
  .In the area of its bottom, housing 1 is rotatably connected to a fastening device 23. The rotary connection is effected by a pin 24 in such a manner that the fastening device 23 rests on the bottom of housing 1 over a certain peripheral range of device 23. In this range the fastening device 24 is provided with protruding knurls 25 which bear against the bottom of housing 1 with a given pressure force and assure that the device 23 will be automatically retained in the position in which it has been manually set relative to housing 1. An annular groove may be disposed at the bottom of housing 1 into which the knurls 25 engage to thus produce an increase in the frictional holding force.  
  The fastening device 23 is provided with slits 26 for the passage of a buckle strap 27. The buckle strap 27 cooperates with the fastening device 23 in the manner that awatchband cooperates with a wrist watch. With such arrangement, it is of course possible to position the speedometer at any point around the users wrist.  
  The opening plane of the air entrance is defined by the limiting edges 28 and 29. The paddle blade 13 as well as the drag pointer 19 are provided with pointers at their ends which cooperate with scales 6 and 7, the pointer 13a on blade 13 cooperating with scale 7.  
  It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims. Within the exit opening 9 guide vanes 31 are positioned.  
 I claim:  
  1. In an air flow measuring sport speedometer composed of a housing carrying an indicator scale and defining an air guide channel and an air entrance opening via which air moving past an object whose velocity is to be measured passes from the region outside the housing into the channel, and an air velocity indicator including a paddle blade mounted in the housing to extend into the channel and arranged to pivot relative to the housing under the influence of the air flowing through the channel, the improvement comprising: means for fastening the housing to the object whose velocity is to be measured in such a manner that the housing has any desired orientation about a first axis defined by the object; means providing a pivot connection between said fastening means and said housing for permitting said housing to be given any desired orientation relative to said fastening means about a second axis normal to said first axis; retaining means disposed between said fastening means and said housing for automatically retaining said housing in the selected orientation relative to said fastening means, whereby said entrance opening can be placed in the desired orientation relative to the air flow independently of the orientation of said fastening means; and wherein said paddle blade is provided at its end with a velocity indication pointer arranged to cooperate with said indicator scale, said housing carries two indicator scales oriented transverse to one another and said paddle blade and its associated pointer are arranged to cooperate with both of said indicator scales.  
  2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said air entrance opening lies in a plane approximately perpendicular to the pivot plane between said housing and said fastening means.  
  3. An arrangement as defined in claim 2 further comprising air guide vane means disposed in said air guide channel at said air entrance opening for directing air flowing through said opening toward said paddle blade.  
  4. In an air flow measuring sport speedometer composed of a housing carrying an indicator scale and defining an air guide channel and an air entrance opening for the passage, from the region outside the housing into the channel, of air past an object whose velocity is to be measured, an air velocity indicator including a paddle blade mounted in the housing to extend into the channel and arranged to pivot relative to the housing under the influence of the air flowing through the channel, and means for fastening the housing to the object whose velocity is to be measured, the improvement comprising: means connected between said fastening means to said housing for permitting the orientation of said housing relative to said fastening means to be selectively varied; retaining means disposed between said fastening means and said housing for automatically retaining said housing in the selected orientation relative to said fastening means, whereby said entrance opening can be placed in the desired orientation relative to the air flow independently of the orientation of said fastening means; and counterweight support means connected to said paddle blade, said counterweight support means and said paddle blade being located at respectively opposite sides of the pivot axis of said paddle blade.  
  5. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 further comprising a tension spring connected to said paddle blade for applying to said blade a biasing force tending to urge said blade toward its minimum air velocity indicating position.  
  6. ln an air flow measuring sport speedometer composed of a housing carrying an indicator scale and defining an air guide channel and an air entrance opening via which air moving past an object whose velocity is to be measured passes from the region outside the housing into the channel. and means for fastening the housing to the object whose velocity is to be measured. the improvement comprising: means connected between said fastening means to said housing for permitting the orientation of said housing relative to said fastening means to be selectively varied: retaining means disposed between said fastening means and said housing for automatically retaining said housing in the selected orientation relative to said fastening means, whereby said entrance opening can be placed in the desired orientation relative to the air flow independently of the orientation of said fastening means; an instantaneous air velocity indicator including a paddle blade mounted in the housing to extend into the channel and arranged to pivot relative to the housing under the influence of the air flowing through the channel, a velocity indication pointer provided at the end of said paddle blade and arranged to cooperate with said indicator scale; and a drag pointer disposed in said housing and mounted to pivot relative to said housing about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of said paddle blade. said drag pointer being mounted to be pivoted by said paddle blade to traverse said scale in the direction of increasing air flow velocity indications and to automatically remain at the maximum air flow velocity indication attained by said paddle blade and wherein said housing carries two indicator scales oriented transverse to one another and said paddle blade and its associated pointer are arranged to cooperate with both of said indicator scales.  
  7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6 further comprising reset means mounted on, and extending to the region outside, said housing and operatively associated with said drag pointer for returning said drag pointer to its minimum velocity indication position.