Improvements in Revolution Counters.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolution Counters.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS LINTNER of No. 30 Main Street in the City of
Gloversville, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to improvements upon that class of devices which are
termed revolution counters, and which are used to determine the speed of revolving
shafts or wheels; and my improvements have for their object a manner of con-
structing the spindle of such devices with a ball-bearing to take up the end thrust,
and constructing the spindle with a right and left-hand worm gear that is adjustable
thereon for meshing engagement with the dial wheel registering the number of
revolutions, and by which the dial-wheel is adapted to turn in one direction even
when operated by oppositely revolving shafts. My invention also relates to a
manner of producing the geared connection between the indicating dial-wheel, and
the adjustable worm gears on the spindle by means of a trigger-form lever, operated
in a pistol-form handle. My invention and improvement is shown as applied to
the revolution counter which is illustrated and described in Letters Patent of the
United States dated December 31st, 1889, No. 418,411.
Accompanying this Specification to form a part of it there are two plates of
drawings containing eight figures illustrating my invention, with the same
designation of parts by letter reference used in all of them.
Of these illustrations
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a revolution counter showing my improvement
and invention as applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the revolution counter illustrated at
Figure 1, said section being taken from end to end and illustrated with the rear
one of the worm gears as moved outwardly and in engagement with the perimetral
teeth of the dial-wheel.
Figure 3 is another section corresponding in all respects to that shown at
Figure 2, but with the outer one of the worm gears shown as having moved
inwardly and in meshing engagement with the perimetral teeth of the dial-wheel.
Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on the line ', x', of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cover-plate and grasping pin by which the
worm gears and sleeve on which they are formed are moved outwardly and
inwardly on the spindle.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sliding-cover-plate with the grasping pin
removed.
Figure 7 is a section taken on the line a², ², of Figure 2, and Figure 8 is a plan
view of the ball bearing end plate.
The several parts of the revolution counter thus illustrated as well as the parts
containing my improvement are designated by letter reference and the function of
the parts is described as follows:
The letter S designates the spindle made with a bearing B, and an end ball
bearing B, formed in the stock S2, in which and against which bearings the
spindle arm turns by causing the contact end d to engage under pressure with
e end of a revolving shaft. This stock is cut away upon its upper face in
an arc-form at e, and has a pistol-form handle H, by which it is grasped for
use. The letter F designates a frame which at is made to tongue into an
offset O, projected from the stock S², and pivoted therein at n, and the

page_text: letter m designates a spiral spring arranged between the frame at ƒ³ and the
stock S2. This frame F is slotted at its bottom f4, and has journalled centrally
within it the dial-wheel D', having perimetral teeth or gears t2, with this wheel so
arranged within the frame F, that the lower edge of it will extend below the frame
edge in the slot f*.
The letter P designates a projection formed on the side of the frame F, and Ta
trigger-form lever which is arranged within a slot A, made in the stock longi-
tudinally, with said lever therein pivoted at p², with its upper L-form l, resting upon
the top of the frame projection P, so that as thus constructed when the trigger-form
lever T is pulled rearwardly its upper L-form end will engage with the pro-
jection P, and pull-down-the-frame on its pivoted connection to enter the arc-form
recess e, in the stock, and the teeth of the dial-wheel D', where projecting through
the frame at f, will engage with either of the worm-gears, as either may be in
position. The dial-wheel D₁ designates tens of revolutions and by means of a
pinion d, communicates motion to a dial-wheel D², designating hundreds of
revolutions, and the latter dial-wheel operates the dial-wheel D³, indicating
thousands of revolutions.
The letter b designates a recess that is formed round the spindle S, by which the
latter is reduced in diameter between the shoulders 63, and the letter g designates a
sleeve arranged on said spindle adapted to slide thereon between the shoulders, and
constructed to turn with said spindle by means of a flat key-face 6, made on the
inner surface of the sleeve and a correspondingly flat key-face 6, made on the
outer face of the spindle-part, as indicated at Figure 4.
The letters W¹ and W2 designate two worm-gears, one having a right hand, and
the other a left hand thread, each of which is secured to one of the ends e¹, of the
sleeve but so as to leave an intermediate space e², between said worm gears.
The letter J designates a semi-tube-form plate arranged on the spindle-part,
hetween the worm gears, and in which plate the spindle may turn.
The letter N designates a slot made longitudinally in the bottom of the stock,
and C a pin that is passed through a hole O2 in the cover-plate L, the latter
having a contour in cross section corresponding to the under surface of the stock S³,
and this pin after passing through this cover-plate is screwed into the plate J, so
as to be securely attached thereto. The letter 2 designates a head formed on the
pin C, for grasping and moving it. As thus constructed and connected when the
pin C is moved back and forth in the slot N, the sleeve g, and the worm-gears are
moved back and forth, with the sleeve adapted to turn in the plate J, by which
in connection with the pin C, it is operated. As thus actuated either of the
worm-gears may be positioned so as to mesh into the perimetral gears of the
dial-wheel D¹.
To have the dial-wheel register from O upwardly in amounts from the pointer E,
and have the dial-wheel move in the same direction with the spindle operated in
opposite direction, there are arranged on the stock, arrows R and R2, pointing
oppositely, and there are arrows R¹ and R2, on the cover-plate L, also pointing
oppositely, with the direction of the arrows on the latter at each end corresponding
to that of the arrows on the stock. These arrows indicate by their direction which
of the worm gears must be brought into meshing engagement with the dial-
wheel D', to have the latter move in the proper direction to register.
Thus with the shaft to be tested turning in the direction indicated by the
arrow R', on the stock, the cover-plate L, sleeve g, and worm-gears W' and W³,
are moved on the spindle so as to bring the worm-gear W₁, in meshing engagement
with the dial-wheel D', as shown at Figure 2, which will cause the dial-wheel to
nove in the direction of the arrow R², upon the dial-wheel.
When the revolution
of the shaft to be tested is moving in the direction of the arrow R², on the stock,
the sleeve, the worm-gears and plate J, are moved by the pin C to bring the worm-
gear W into a position to engage with the teeth of the dial-wheel D', as
shown at Figure 3, and this worm-gear having an opposite thread will move the
dial-wheel in the same direction as the worm-gear W', although the shaft

page_text: operating the spindle moves in a direction opposite to that when the worm-
gear W, was acting.
The letters & designate balls forming the ball bearing to take up the end thrust
of the spindle when the outer end of the latter is by pressure forced to engage with
a revolving shaft; and the letters * designate a bearing-plate made with an
inwardly projecting pin ³, around which latter the balls are free to move. This
end bearing-plate is in contact with the inner end of the spindle, and when the
latter is turning, turns with it, and bears on its inner face on the balls k.
As thus made and arranged to be operated the dial-wheels move in the same
direction when recording the revolutions made by oppositely revolving shafts.
This prevents mistakes in reading the revolutions recorded, and does away with
the necessity of two sets of figures in the dial and the moving of the latter with
opposite rotation to record the revolution of oppositely revolving shafts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tiou, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In a revolution counter the combination with a spindle adapted to make a
contact engagement with a revolving shaft, and to be turned with and by the
latter; of a right hand and left hand threaded worm gear, each mounted upon,
adapted to slide together upon, and to turn with said spindle; and a dial-wheel
having perimetral teeth adapted to engage with and be operated to turn by
either of said worm gears, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes
set forth.
i
Second. In a revolution counter the combination with a spindle adapted to make
an engagement with a revolving shaft, and having a bearing in which to turn, and
a ball bearing to take the end thrust; of a right hand and left hand threaded
worm gear mounted upon, adapted to slide together upon, and to turn with said
spindle; and a dial-wheel having perimetral teeth to engage with and be operated
to turn by either of said worm-gears, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Third. In a revolution counter the combination with a spindle constructed to
make a contact engagement with a revolving shaft, and actuated to be turned
thereby within a stock, of a sleeve arranged on said spindle and constructed to
slide longitudinally thereon and to turn therewith; of a right hand threaded worm
gear upon end of said sleeve; a left hand threaded worm gear upon its other end ;
a semi-tube-form plate on said spindle between said worm gears, and a pin
connected to said plate by which the latter and the sleeve may be moved
laterally on said spindle, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes
set forth.
Fourth. In a revolution counter having a pistol-form handle, and provided with
a stock, having a spindle adapted to turn therein, and make a contact engagement
with a revolving shaft; the combination of a sleeve made with a right hand and
left hand worm-gear arranged on said spindle to be moved laterally thereon, and
to turn therewith; a dial-wheel arranged in a frame pivoted to said stock, said
dial-wheel having perimetral teeth adapted to mesh into either of said worm-gears;
and a trigger-form lever constructed to cause said dial-wheel to engage with either
of said worm-gears against the force of a spring, substantially in the manner as and
for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 19th day of Sentember 1893
WILLIAM THOMAS LINTNER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.