An Improved Counting and Registering Appliance.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Counting and Registering Appliance.
ALFRED RICHARD FAIRER 24 Letterstone Road Fulham London S.W. Clock
Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A set, or sets of three ratchet wheels, turned into, and revolving inside each
other thereby being flat, and bringing the figures close beside each other in one
space, showing pounds, shillings, and pence or, units, tens, and hundreds &c. and
worked by the action of one lever to each set.
Dated this Eighth day of November 1893.
An Improved Counting and Registering Appliance.
ALFRED RICHARD FAIRER 24 Letterstone Road Fulham London S. W. Clock
Maker 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 consists in improvements in apparatus for counting and registering
and has for its object the production of a compact and efficient appliance, which
will overcome objections which have been found to obtain with counters as
heretofore usually constructed and at the same time to effect a considerable saving
in the cost of manufacture.
In counters such as usually made, the figures are shewn on separate dials such as
in the case of gas meters, this plan causing difficulty & delay in reading off the
totals shewn by the various dials. In other cases the figures are shewn on the
peripheries of the wheels, necessitating the case containing the apparatus being of a
width greater than the diameter of the wheels which is frequently objectionable &
inconvenient. In other cases the figures are contained on discs arranged to
overlap each other in order to bring the figures as close together as possible, but
this arrangement has the objection that the said discs not being in line (but one
behind the other) the total cannot be conveniently read.
Now according to my invention, I form the counter of two or more wheels
having ratchet teeth cut or formed in their peripheries, and having the desired
figures or numerals marked or cut upon one of their sides or faces. The said
ratchet wheels are formed with holes and projections so arranged that the latter
can pass through the hole in the wheel next to it, so that all the wheels when
placed together present a flat surface upon which the figures are marked or cut, the
said figures can thereby be brought comparatively close together in one space &
can be easily read.
The wheels all working around a common centre occupy a small space & lend
themselves readily to be worked by the action of one lever and pawl.
I will now proceed to describe my invention reference being had to the
accompanying drawings of which :-
Fig. 1. shews a plan of my improved counting apparatus arranged with three
wheels.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same the case being shewn in section.

page_text: the figures.
Figs. 4 & 5 shew plan & sectional elevation of the unit wheel a.
Figs. 6 & 7 the tens wheel c.
Figs. 8 & 9 the hundreds wheel
9.
Fig. 10 a sectional elevation shewing the three wheels placed together.
Fig. 11 a plan of same shewing the figures on the faces of the wheels.
Fig. 12 the unit wheel a' shewing two deepened teeth or detents &¹¹¹.
Fig. 13 the tens wheel with detents e¹ e".
Fig. 14 the hundreds wheel.
Fig. 16 a sectional elevation shewing the three wheels placed together.
Fig. 17 a plan of same shewing the figures on the faces of the wheels.
Fig. 18 a plan of the radial arinj & pawl i.
Fig. 19 an end view of same.
I will describe my invention arranged with three wheels but it will be obvious
that a greater number can be employed if desired so that units, tens, hundreds,
thousands, tens of thousands or more or any £ s. d. or weights can be indicated by
the apparatus.
a is a wheel having the requisite number of ratchet teeth cut thereon, this wheel
having marked on its face figures representing units. One of the teeth b is
deepened for the purpose to be presently described.
c is a second wheel having figures representing tens marked thereon this wheel is
formed with a projection d accurately turned to fit the hole or opening all in the
first wheel, one tooth e of this wheel is also deepened. The wheel is formed with a
hole or opening f.
is a third wheel having the figures representing hundreds marked thercon & is
formed with a projection turned to fit the opening or hole f of the said wheel e.
The three wheels when placed together as shewn in Figs. 10 & 11 of the
drawings, have all their faces, upon which the figures are placed, level, so as to
present a flat surface. i is a pawl of sufficient width to engage with all three
wheels when required to do so. The said pawl is carried by a radial arm; which
can turn upon a central pin or stud k around which the wheels revolve. The armj
can be operated by a rod which may be connected to any convenient part of a
machine or other apparatus giving reciprocating motion. m. n. o are pawls which
respectively engage with the ratchet teeth of the wheels & prevent any back
movement thereof.
In order to obviate any liability of the wheels to be overshot by a rapid or
sudden movement of the pawl i I employ a stud or pin p so that the back of the
said pawl i can come in contact therewith & when in that position can press on to
the ratchet tooth so as to prevent the wheel from turning.
The pawls i & m, n, o are kept into gear with the teeth by springs 9 r. The
arm is also operated by the spring q..
My invention operates as follows When the rod is pushed (or may be drawn)
downwards the pawl i engages with a tooth of the unit wheel a & moves the wheel
a distance equal to one tooth, a figure corresponding to the said tooth being shewn
through the openings in the case t of the apparatus.
Each successive reciprocating movement of the rod / causes the wheel a to be
advanced one tooth. When the wheel is used for tens the tenth tooth is deepened
so that when the pawl i enters it, it reaches a tooth in the second wheel c by which
means both wheels are together moved one tooth and a corresponding figure is
shown at the opening s.
When the wheel c has been moved over ten teeth the pawl enters the deepened
tooth which enables it to reach a tooth in the third wheel g by which means all
three wheels are moved together, one tooth.
By the arrangement I have described the apparatus would if marked for units
tens & hundreds be capable of registering up to 999, but if desired to register to a
greater number say to 1999, 1 form the wheels each with 20 teeth and use two

page_text: deepened teeth 61 611 in each of the wheels a¹ & c¹; these wheels are marked
from 1 to 0 twice over as per Fig. 17, and the wheel g' is marked from 1 to 19
and 00 so that after the apparatus has registered 1999 the next movement will
convert the whole into 0000 or zero.
It will be understood that by making the wheels with thirty forty or more teeth,
multiples of ten the totals 2999, 3999, etc. can be indicated. I prefer however
when large totals are required to add another wheel.
My improved counter particularly applicable for use in connection with,
turnstiles, coin-freed machines, ticket punches, locks and for any purpose where the
number of revolutions or operations of any mechanism are required.
It will also be understood that by forming the ratchet wheels so as to turn
around a common centre the number of parts forming the counter are reduced &
considerable economy of manufacture is effected.
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. In an apparatus for counting or registering, the use of two or more ratchet
wheels each capable of revolving around the same centre substantially as described
for the purpose specified.
2. In an apparatus for counting or registering, the use of deepened teeth or
detents in combination with a single pawl, substantially as described.
3. The improved apparatus for counting & registering, substantially as
described.
ALFRED RICHARD FAIRER.