Improvements in or relating to Cyclometers or like Registering or Recording Mechanism,
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cyclometers or like Registering or
Recording Mechanism,
I, ARTHUR AUGUST HERRMAN WILLIAM LEUCHTER, of 5, Harley Avenue, Everett,
in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Mechanician,
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:-
My invention is an improved registering or recording mechanism, particularly
intended for such instruments as cyclometers and the like.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved measuring device
in its complete embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing a more compact form thereof.
Figs. 3 and 4 are central, vertical, longitudinal, sectional views respectively of
the instrument shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view of of a form of my device to be explained.
Fig. 6 is a vertical, transverse section, taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is a similar sectional view, taken on the line 7-7, Fig. 3.
Fig. 8 is a sectional detail illustrating the position of the parts shown in Fig. 7
when the detent is moved into operative position.
Fig. 9 is a top plan view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the
number wheels in operative position.
Figs. 10, 11 and 13 are perspective views respectively of one of the sleeves and
its head, the central actuating shaft and its gear, and intermediate gear and
epicyclic pinion forming part of the reducing mechanism.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 12-12, Fig. 3, showing the above parts
in assembled position within the barrel, this view also showing the stationary
ring of Fig. 20.
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the star wheel and a threaded annulus carried
thereby.
•
Figs. 15 and 16 are opposite views in perspective of a stationary disc co-operating
with said threaded annulus, to make a close housing and joint at one end of the
instrument, and also showing a pair of idlers for communicating motion.
Fig. 17 is a perspective view of one of the number wheels.
Fig. 18 is a similar view of one of the number wheels and its connected re-
setting hub,
Figs. 19, 21, 22 and 24 being perspective views of other details of the resetting
attachment:
Figs. 20 and 23 are perspective views of details to be referred to.
I have mounted my improved mechanism in a barrel or cylindrical casing A
for compactness, convenience, and neatness of appearance, this casing being pro-
vided with one or more sight openings a, a, and preferably having a lug a², at
its underside, split for the reception of a slotted bracket 6 secured therein by a
clamping screw b₁, for properly mounting the cyclometer on a bicycle or in other
desired location.

page_text: Heretofore various devices and expedients have been resorted to, with more or
less success, for rendering instruments of this character moisture-proof and dust-
proof, but, so far as I am aware, they have either been awkward in appearance
or unsuccessful in accomplishing their purpose; accordingly, I have provided means
which effectually accomplishes its purpose, said means consisting of a sheet of
celluloid or other preferably transparent flexible material a extending from one
end of the barrel to the other, and lining the entire inner surface thereof, the
ends of the celluloid being carefully matched together, as indicated at a Figs. 6, 7,
and being perforated to receive retaining screws a, a, for the internal parts,
and preferably held in extended position by a flange a7 of an end retaining ring a³,
in connection with other parts, all of which will be more particularly described
in the proper place later on..
Within the barrel A next to its closed head a, I mount a circular plate a¹º,
shown in detail in Figs. 15 and 16, where it will be seen that it has at one side a
projecting lug or nib all, to prevent its rotation this plate being held in an edge
flange a, see Fig. 10, of a drum-like head a3 of a sleeve a
Said head a¹3 has a notch a to receive the nib al, and is held rigidly in place
within the barrel by the set screw a³, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
Within the drum-like head a13 and the sleeve a I mount a central actuating
shaft a, preferably polygonal, and which constitutes a very important feature of
my invention, and carries at its forward or left hand end, Figs. 3 and 4, an internal
toothed gear a fast to the shaft and rotating therewith, a stationary internal
gear or toothed ring a18, Fig. 20, being mounted immediately adjacent the rotating
gear a¹, said ring being held against rotation by a nib or other suitable means
engaging the slot a before mentioned.
The two gears last mentioned constitute a part of the reducing mechanism for
properly reducing the speed of movement transmitted from a star wheel a20
earried at the extreme forward end of the instrument and having its spindle a²¹
provided at its inner end with a pinion a, in mesh with idlers a, shown as
two in number in order to give a balanced effect, these idlers being mounted on
studs projecting from the inner face of the plate a¹0, as shown in detail in Fig. 16.
The idlers a transmit the motion from the pinion a22 to an internal toothed.
dise 2, Fig. 13, which carries a planetary or epicyclic wheel or pinion having
a width sufficient to overlap and engage the teeth of both the gears a, a18, as
clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4.
Viewing Fig. 12, it will be observed that the teeth of the gears a17, as, do not
exactly correspond, but that, as herein shown, the gear or ring 18 has one more
tooth than the gear a¹, the result being, it being remembered that the former is
stationary and the latter rotatable, that the gear a¹ is moved a distance of one
tooth for every revolution of the pinion a, and thereby the speed is reduced to
the desired amount, in order to transmit a recording motion from the shaft 416
to the number wheels.
I regard the placing of the reducing mechanism between the star wheel and the
actuating shaft as of much importance, and as constituting a main novelty of
my invention.
Viewing Figs. 14 and 15, in connection with Figs. 3, 4, it will be observed that
the plate is provided on its outer side with a threaded hub 26, and that tho
spindle a of the star wheel has a fixed collar a27, and a loose cap nut 28 between
which and the collar is a spring a, the cap nut being internally threaded to
screw onto the hub 26.
By this provision the adjacent bearing of the cyclometer is not only closed tight
but the star wheel is held forcibly by the spring against the nut, so as still
further to ensure that the closure shall be absolutely dust-tight, and also the
spring acts as a brake to prevent the star wheel from being otherwise than
positively moved, this construction having also many other obvious advantages.
As many number wheels may be employed as desired, and preferably these will
all be substantially similar, so that a description of one will answer for all.

page_text: Viewing Fig. 3, it will be observed that I have provided at the left hand part of
the instrument four number wheels a30, 31, 2, 3, the last having the lowest
denomination, and increasing by multiples of ten toward the left, so that the whole
number will read properly through the sight opening a when holding the instru-
ment with the star wheel to the left in the position shown in Fig. 2.
These number wheels are properly mounted on the sleeve a¹ as shown in Fig. 3,
and a wheel a³, Fig. 17, but preferably unnumbered, is then mounted on the
shaft a to be turned thereby, and thereby actuate the train of number wheels
as will now be described.
Viewing Fig. 10, it will be observed that the sleeve a is provided with a
plurality of knobs or lumps 5 having narrow slots 6 between them.
These slots receive respectively the several number wheels and permit the
latter to rotate freely on the sleeve at the proper times, said wheels being each
provided with an internal notch a37, as shown in Fig. 8, to permit it to be placed
on the sleeve over the lump a35.
Within and next to each number wheel I place rigidly on the sleeve a dwell
wheel, Fig. 7, provided with a plurality of notches or peripheral dwells adapted
to receive a spring a carried by the adjacent number wheel, so as to permit the
latter to be moved a notch at a time, this movement being accomplished by the
mechanism shown in Fig. 7 and consisting of a dog or detent 10 freely pivotted
at to the back of the preceeding number wheel, as clearly shown in Fig. 3
and a pinion or idler a4 also freely pivoted on the preceding number wheel, said
pinion normally idly engaging the internal teeth 3 of the next succeeding higher
number wheel, and being in range with the free end of the detent, so that every
time the latter is raised by coming in contact with the adjacent lump 35, in the
position shown in Fig. 8, the detent locks the idler a2 against idle rotation, and
thereby moves the meshing number wheel the space of one figure as desired.
From this description it will be understood that every time the wheel a is
rotated it will move the wheel a one number, and every ten numbers that the
latter is moved it in turn will move the wheel one number, the latter moving
the wheel a³ every tenth time it is moved forward, and so on, the detent a40 and
idler being entirely inoperative excepting when the tenth move of their number
wheel renders them operative by the engagement of the detent with the lump or
knob a35.
The notches of the number wheels are so placed relatively to the dwells of
the dwell wheels as that the number wheels are always stopped in such a position
that their said notches cannot register with the lumps a³, and by this means
the wheels are positively locked against longitudinal or shifting movement on their
supporting sleeve.
Fig. 23 illustrates in detail the means which I have invented for securing the
wheels on their actuating shaft, said means consisting of a relatively heavy split
disc of spring metal having a central aperture slightly smaller than the
shaft 16, so that by wedging the said disc apart it may be slid onto said shaft,
and when released it grips the shaft firmly so as to lock the parts in proper snug
relation, this said locking means being of much advantage in my invention when
it is remembered that by the arrangement of the number wheels, as already
described, in which the lowest number wheel is at the right or towards the free
end of the shaft, thereby any desired number of these wheels may be used simply
by adding additional wheels to those already in place, the split disc permitting
this variation readily and also being an extremely convenient means for holding
the parts compactly, taking up wear, etcetera.
Viewing Fig. 3, it will be seen that I have provided at the right of the locking
disc a, just mentioned, a further set of number wheels, and connected mechanism,
this part of my invention being a counter capable of resetting, so that a person
may, for instance record the total mileage of an extended trip by means of the
counters viewed through the sight openings and also, without disturbing, and
indeed without the possibility of disturbing the counters, may take the record of

page_text: the daily ride, by the counters viewed through the sight opening a¹, resetting these
counters to zero each morning.
The shaft a16 has mounted thereon a sleeve a on its head a secured to the
barrel by the set screw a6 and on which are mounted any number of number
wheels, two being herein shown, a 48, 49, similar to those already described, and
similarly operated by a wheel 0, substantially Eke the wheel a excepting
that it is not directly rotated by the shaft a16 but is rotated by a resetting device
or wheel a
The latter is preferably numbered on its periphery as indicated at a, Fig. 18,
these numbers having preferably a different color, as red, to distinguish them from
the number of the other wheels which may be black, the red numbers indicating
preferably fractions of distances, as tenths of miles, while the black numbers
indicate miles or multiples thereof.
The resetter or wheel is held in place by the ring 8, and has a shoulder a
projecting slightly beyond said ring as, in order that a thumb disc a, Fig. 19
carried thereby may have free movement, as presently described, the hub 55 of the
re-setter having external threads, internal threads 7, radial cuts (58, and an
internal flange or shoulder 59,-as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 18.
Against the latter I place a loose coupling collar, Fig. 21, fitted to turn
with the shaft a¹ and normally held clamped against the shoulder by a
washer a, whose lugs are held in the grooves a58, said washer being pressed
against the collar a by a screw-threaded tightening nut a constituting, with
the other parts last mentioned, a coupling device for coupling the re-setter and
number wheels to the shaft, said nut being screwed into the shoulder, central
part or hub as of the wheel or re-setter and held against accidental removal by
a fine threaded thimble or collar a, whose flange a seats in a groove 6 between
the threads and head of the nut a63
By the provision of the last mentioned mechanism, the wheel al may be
instantly clamped to or loosed from the actuating shaft by the intermediate loose
collar, and because of the interposed washer, the turning of the tightening
nut cannot possibly rotate said shaft, but is caused to bring simply a direct
end thrust or pinching engagement of the parts with the collar; also by reason
of the difference in pitch of the threads of the tightening nut and the thimble
the nut cannot be removed, but can only be turned until the ends of its threads
come in contact with the flange af of the said thimble or collar.
In Fig. 4 I have shown all the counters or number wheels as capable of being
re-set, and in Fig. 5. I have omitted the re-setting mechanism entirely, the right
hand end of the barrel being closed in this instance simply by a flanged cap ",
which performs the offices of the retaining ring besides closing the barrel.
In use, my improved cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism,
supposing that it is to be used with a bicycle, is secured adjacent the front wheel,
for instance at the right hand side of the bicycle.
It is of considerable importance that a cyclometer should be secured at this
side of the wheel, inasmuch as it is thereby out of danger of collision when passing
to the right of other riders, and it is more convenient for inspection, and otherwise
conforms to the preference of riders, this advantage being further enhanced in
my invention by reason of the fact that when so placed the figures are readable
directly from left to right by the rider without inconvenience.
As the star wheel a20 is rotated step by step in the usual manner, its pinion
rotates the oppositely balanced idlers 23 held against revolution on the plate a¹º,
and meshing with the internal teeth of the disc 2, thereby rotating the latter and
causing its eccentrically carried pinion a25 to travel against the stationary gear 18
and the movable gear a7, whose differential teeth cause the movable gear and its
connected shaft 16 to rotate at proper reduced speed.
The rotation of the central actuating shaft 76 correspondingly rotates the
wheel which, as shown in Fig. 3, is unnumbered and therefore rotates the
adjacent units wheel a once in every ten revolutions, and the latter in turn moves

page_text: the wheel a one number for every complete rotation which it, the wheel ɖ”
makes.
In Fig. 5, I have shown a wheel a³ which is, in all essential respects, identical
with the wheel a excepting that it is numbered and visible through the sight
opening, as is clearly apparent viewing said fig.
As the wheel a (and the same is true of all the number wheels) rotates, and
thereby carries a detent a40 and idle pinion at around with it, said detent engages
a lump once in every revolution, and is thereby raised, as shown in Fig. 8, so
as to lock the pinion against rotation and cause it to pull or drag with it the
next preceding number wheel until the detent has ridden over and fallen behind
the lump, whereupon the pinion a, being no longer held against rotation, ceases
to positively move the next number wheel, and the latter is simultaneously held
against accidental movement by the engagement of its spring a39 with the next
dwell of the dwell wheel a, its movement, however, due to the detent and lump
action, as stated, having moved it one number, so as thereby to count one mile
or other denomination of distance.
As long as the number wheels, shown in Fig. 4 and at the right Fig. 3, are
clamped in train with the actuating shaft al, they operate precisely as already
explained in connection with the other wheels a, a, etcetera; but if it is desired
to reset the counter, the operator simply turns back the nut a3 so as to release the
collar from its clamped position between the washer al and shoulder a of the
resetter or wheel a51 (which resets the wheels by turning them back, or so as to
reach the zero position) and thereupon the adjacent number wheels may be quickly
reset by turning them in either direction by means of the milled thumb disc a54,
this disc having free movement relatively to the barrel A, and being clamped
rigidly between the shoulder a53 of the resetter and the collar a threaded thereon,
this collar also serving, as explained, to prevent removal and accidental loss of
the tightening nut a
One advantage of the quick resetting feature of my invention is that thereby a
racer for instance may reset his cyclometer exactly on the scratch, no matter how
much he may have ridden immediately previous thereto.
I am
aware that there have been heretofore pawl and ratchet resetting
mechanisms, in which, however, the resetting could be done by movement
in one direction only, and in which the still more objectionable fault existed that
the resetting could not be accomplished with any accuracy because, if, for instance,
the ratchet wheel had twenty teeth, then the re-setting had to be accomplished
in twentieths of miles; whereas, by my invention, the resetting can be accom-
plished with absolute accuracy.
The wheels may be turned back to zero and clamped directly in said position,
irrespective of the position of any of the rotating parts.
It will be seen that in this arrangement of mechanism the actuating shaft is
centrally located and connected directly to the counter of the lowest denomination;
in other words the speed reducing mechanism is located between the star wheel
and the shaft; instead of, as generally has heretofore been the case, being located
between the shaft and the counter of lowest denomination.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, having a plurality
of number wheels, an actuating shaft therefor, and means operable from the out-
side of the instrument for instantly coupling or uncoupling said wheels from
driving engagement with said shaft.
2. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a plurality
of number wheels, an actuating shaft therefor, said wheels being permanently
connected with and driven by said shaft, a second plurality of number wheels,

page_text: and means operable externally for uncoupling said second set of wheels from
said shaft and resetting them as desired.
3. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a plurality of
number wheels, an actuating shaft therefor, and means to set said wheels at any
circumferential point desired relatively to said shaft.
4. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, the combination
with an actuating shaft, of a wheel mounted loosely on said shaft for re-setting
purposes, said wheel having an internal shoulder, a coupling collar mounted to
turn with said shaft and adapted to bear against said shoulder, and means to clamp
said collar rigidly against said shoulder to turn said wheel with said shaft.
5. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, the combination
with an actuating shaft, of a wheel mounted loosely on said shaft for resetting
purposes, said wheel having an internal shoulder, a coupling collar mounted
to turn with said shaft and adapted to bear against said shoulder, a washer loose
on said shaft and mounted to rotate with said wheel, and a tightening nut bearing
against said washer and to clamp said collar between said shoulder and washer,
thereby to drive said wheel from said shaft.
6. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, the combination
with an actuating shaft, of a re-setting wheel mounted loosely on said shaft and
having an internal shoulder and internal and external threads out of
pitch with each other, a collar mounted to turn with said shaft
and adapted to bear against said shoulder, a tightening nut threaded
to fit said internal threads and adapted to clamp said collar against
said shoulder, and a thimble or collar threaded on said external
threads and having a flange loosely engaging said nut, the latter being provided
with an annular recess between its head and its threads to receive said flange.
7. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a barrel, a
plurality of number wheels mounted therein, a central actuating shaft, a re-setter
for said wheels, a retaining ring in the end of said barrel serving to retain said
wheels and re-setter, said re-setter having an external shoulder projecting
slightly beyond said ring, and an external threaded hub beyond said shoulder, a
collar screwed on said threaded hub, and a thumb disc clamped between said
shoulder and said collar.
8. In a cyclometer or like registering or recording mechanism, a stationary
sleeve having a lump thereon, a number wheel rotating on said sleeve, and having
an internal gear, a wheel at the side of said internal gear and concentric therewith,
means to rotate said last mentioned wheel, said wheel being provided with a detent
freely pivotted thereon, and with a pinion also freely pivotted thereon and extend-
ing in mesh with said internal gear, said detent being arranged to ride upon said
lump and thereby engage said pinion, to lock the same momentarily in engagement
with said internal gear, thereby to move said number wheel.
9. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a stationary
sleeve having a lump thereon, a number wheel rotating on said sleeve and having
an internal gear, a wheel at the side of said internal gear and concentric there-
with, means to rotate said last mentioned wheel, said wheel being provided with a
detent freely pivotted thereon, and with a pinion also freely pivotted thereon and
extending in mesh with said internal gear, said detent being arranged to ride upon
said lump and thereby engage said pinion, to lock the same momentarily in
engagement with said internal gear, thereby to move said number wheel, a
plurality of dwells about said sleeve, and means carried by said number wheel to
yieldingly engage said dwells.
10. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a plurality
of toothed number wheels, the lower number wheels being each provided with a
normally idle pinion in mesh with the teeth of the next higher wheel, a detent
for said pinion normally inoperative, a lump for operating said detent, and means
to engage said detent with said lump at the proper time, to lock said pinion and
thereby momentarily move the next higher number wheel.

page_text: 11. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a barrel or
casing, a sleeve immovably secured in said barrel, said sleeve having a series of
lumps along its length separated by circumferential grooves, in combination with
a plurality of number wheels having central apertures to fit said sleeve, and notches
to straddle said lumps, a plurality of circumferential dwells between the successive
number wheels, and a holding device carried by said number wheels to engage
said dwells, said notches being so disposed that they are out of register with said
lumps when the numbering wheels are held by the engagement of their holding
devices with the dwells, whereby the numbering wheels are free to turn in said
grooves but are locked against longitudinal movement on the sleeve.
12. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, comprising a
barrel and number devices, said barrel having one or more sight openings through
which said numbering devices may be seen, combined with a thin sheet lining
extending from end to end of said barrel and between the barrel and numbering
devices, said lining being transparent opposite said sight openings.
13. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, the combina-
tion with a barrel having one or more sight openings, of a sheet celluloid lining
extending entirely about said barrel on its inner surface and from end to end
thereof, and means to clamp said hining tightly against the said inner surface of
the barrel.
14. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, a barrel
having one or more sight openings, a thin sheet lining for the inner surface of
said barrel, a sleeve within the barrel, said sleeve carrying a flanged head at one
end, the flange thereof engaging said lining and pressing it tightly against the
inner surface of the barrel, and a flanged retaining device at the opposite end of
the drum, the flange thereof engaging and pressing said lining against the inner
surface of the barrel.
15. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, comprising a
barrel having one or more sight openings therein, a thin sheet lining for the inner
surface of the barrel, and a plurality of ring-like devices engaging and pressing
said lining against the inner surface of said barrel.
16. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, comprising a
barrel, a central sleeve having a flanged head, a plate held in the free end of said
flanged head, speed reducing mechanism carried by and within said head, an
actuating shaft extending through said sleeve, a plurality of number wheels
mounted on said sleeve, means connecting said wheels with said shaft, and a
retaining device to retain said mechanism in place, whereby all of said mechanism
is held together and is capable of being bodily removed from or placed in said
barrel.
17. In a cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, the combina-
tion with a central actuating shaft, means at one end thereof for operating the
same, a plurality of number wheels cencentric therewith, the lower number wheels
being furthest removed from said operating means, connections between said
number wheels and said shaft, and a heavy spring disc provided with a central
aperture slightly smaller than said shaft and radially split in order that it may be
sprung onto said shaft in clamping engagement therewith at any point along the
length of the shaft.
18. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, its casing, a star
wheel at one end of said casing, said star wheel being provided with a spindle
entering the cyclometer and connecting with the internal mechanism thereof to
operate it, said spindle having a fixed collar thereon within the casing, and the
casing having a cap or flange adjacent the star wheel surrounding said spindle,
and a spring interposed between said flange and said collar, whereby the star wheel
is held inwardly tightly against the end of the casing.
19. A cyclometer, or like registering or recording mechanism, comprising a
casing, number wheels carried therein, actuating mechanism therefor, said
mechanism including a centrally apertured plate provided with opposite idlers

page_text: having their teeth projecting into said central aperture, and a star wheel and its
spindle, said spindle having at its inner end a pinion entering said aperture and
engaging said idlers, for driving the internal mechanism of the instrument.
Dated the 25th day of January 1898.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.