Improvements in Devices for Taking Impressions of the Indications of Counter Mechanisms or Clocks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
Improvements in Devices for Taking Impressions of the Indications
of Counter Mechanisms or Clocks.
I, OSKAR PAUL LOCHMANN, of Gohlis-Leipzig, Germany, Managing Director.
of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in counter mechanism of the known
construction in which dials carrying numerals, and the pointers thereof are formed
as type so that impressions of the indications can be taken therefrom.
Figs. 1 to 11 of the accompanying drawings shew such apparatus constructed
according to my invention;
Fig. 1 shews a front view of a counter the lower part of the front plate being
broken away in order to show the internal mechanism;
Fig. 2 shews an underside view of the impression mechanism of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shews an impression taken therefrom.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a similar counter to the foregoing ;
Fig. 6 shews an impression thereof.
Figs. 7 to 11 shew a special construction of the counter in which a clock is
combined therewith, Fig. 7 shewing the front view, Fig. 8 the underside view,
Fig. 9 an impression thereof, Fig. 10 a side view, and Fig. 11 a back view.
Counter mechanism with impression devices have heretofore been so arranged
that two dials with pointers were provided, the circle of figures and pointers of the
one dial being formed to give impressions, so that on taking an impression of the
types, the position of the pointers of the main dial was permanently indicated, so
that it was not required to make a memorandum of the position of the pointers,
while the impression affords an indelible record of the condition of the counter at a
particular time.
With known apparatus of this construction the connection of the pointers of the
main dial with the type pointers of the impression device was either such that
the said two sets of pointers were carried by one and the same set of spindles, the
two dials with their pointers being situated on opposite sides of the casing, or
the separate spindles of the two sets of pointers were geared together by bevil
gearing.
With these counters the disadvantage arises that the stoppage to which the
pointers of the impression device are subject during the taking of the impression is
directly transmitted to the pointers of the main dial, thus producing a retardation
of the latter, more particularly on frequent usage, and consequently causing
incorrect indications to be given.
In order to obviate this inconvenience I construct such counting apparatus in
such manner that the driving mechanisms of the type dials are to a certain extent
independent of the mechanism of the main dial, so that the stoppage produced in
the former on taking an impression has no effect upon the action of the main dial.
In Figs. 1 and 2 a counting apparatus is shewn by way of example in which
there are three dials and three pointers. The one pointer a has a separate dial,
within the concentric dials of the pointers and c. The smaller pointer a indicates
units, the largest pointer the tens, and the medium pointer c the hundreds.
The transmission of the motion of these pointers to the pointers abc of three
impression dials situated on another side of the apparatus is not effected directly by
the same spindle, nor directly through the medium of a pair of bevil wheels, but

page_text: through a wheel on the spring barrel of the main counting mechanism or from
any other wheel of such mechanism having a very slow motion.
The spindles of the type pointers a' are connected through suitable toothed
wheels, the number of teeth of which are so proportioned as to impart to the
pointers the requisite relative speed; the motion is imparted to all three pointers
from the spindle of the first pointer a', and this spindle is connected to the
wheel of the spring casing by means of gearing having precisely the same number
of teeth as the gearing connecting the, wheel & with the spindle of the pointer a, so
that this pointer and the pointer a' rotate at a uniform speed.
If now an impression be taken by means of the type dials Fig. 2, the short
stoppage thus produced will have no effect upon the main counting mechanism as
the short time during which the type pointers a¹ b c¹ remain stationary while the
impression takes place, has no perceptible effect upon the very slow motion of
the wheel k, and the teeth of the wheels between the spindle h and the wheel k
have sufficient play to cause the pointers a b c to be brought into correct position
again relatively to a, b, c, after they have been lifted off the surface on which the
impression is taken.
In Fig. 4 the pointers a, b, c, of the main counter mechanism are arranged side
by side each on a separate dial and the position of the pointers ac of the
impression counter correspond exactly to that of the pointers a, b, c, 50 that the
impression Fig. 6 will give an exact representation of the dials and pointers, at
Fig. 4.
It will be evident that the arrangement of the dials of the main counter can be
considerably varied without altering the nature of the invention.
Figs. 7 to 11 shew, as above stated, an apparatus in which an ordinary clock is
combined with the above described impression dials. In this case the described
independent action of the type pointers is of particular advantage. Thus, if for
example the type pointers. were connected directly with the spindles, of the clock
hands, whether: by fixing both on the same spindle or. by a direct bevil wheel
transmission, the stoppages produced by the impressions would in a short time
produce a perceptible retardation of the clock. The connection between the clock
mechanism and that of the impression dials is in this case effected in precisely.the
same manner. as above described.
The impression device for the clock Fig. 7 has, in addition to the dials, and
pointers, an, arrangement of impression types for the date and year which are
adjusted by hand, so that, as shown at the impression Fig. 9, these data are given
in addition to the dial impressions. In further addition, the types M and A are
provided for indicating. whether, the impression was taken in the morning, or
afternoon.
The construction shewn at Figs. 7 to 11 can be used for a great variety of
purposes; thus it may be used as the date stamp of a firm, as a checking stamp
carried, by watchmen or conductors of tramcars to make. impressions at various
places on their rounds at various, times or other like purposes.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
4.
1. A counting apparatus with impression mechanism, wherein a counter driven by
a suitable motor such as clockwork, weight, &c. is provided with one or more dials
in duplicate, of which the one set is arranged as ordinary dials, while in the other
set both the circles of figures, and the pointers are formed as impression types, the
last, named set, being actuated by the motor, through the medium of a separate
train of wheels so that an impression of the type dials and pointers give, an exact
representation of the position of the pointers on the main counter, substantially as
described.
2. The special construction of the counting apparatus, referred to in the preceding

page_text: claim, wherein the type dials and pointers are combined with a clock and a date
stamp, so that an impression taken from the apparatus will indicate the date, hour
and time of day when the impression was taken, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of June 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.