Counter Apparatus for both Counting the Revolutions of a Shaft or other Revolving Object, and Indicating the Time in which such Revolutions are effected.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Counter Apparatus for both Counting the Revolutions of a Shaft or
other Revolving Object, and Indicating the Time in which such
Revolutions are effected.
I, JAMES JAQUET, of St. Imier, Switzerland, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a construction of counter-apparatus consisting of the
combination of mechanism for indicating upon dials or cylinders the number of
revolutions made by a revolving shaft, and of other mechanism for indicating the
time during which the counter is actuated by the shaft in effecting such registrations.
This combination of a counter and chronograph, is so arranged that the latter can
only be set in motion at the moment when the rotation of a shaft actuates the
counters, so as to ensure perfect unity of action between the two apparatus, and
thus to obtain very accurate registrations.
For these purposes the apparatus is composed of a cylindrical casing closed at
both ends and divided by a partial partition into two compartments, one of which
contains the counter mechanism, while the other contains the clockwork mechanism.
of the chronograph.
The front end of the casing has a number of openings through which appear the
numerals of the counter discs or cylinders, in a manner similar to ordinary counters.
The back end of the casing is formed by the dial of the chronograph, both ends
being secured in position, with a projecting glass over them, by a screw ring,
screwing on to the cylindrical part of the casing.
The counter mechanism consists of a number of discs or cylinders having numerals
on their peripheries, arranged side by side loose upon a spindle and so actuated in
any known manner that the first disc is moved one division at each complete
rotation of the shaft and that on the completion of rotation of the first disc, the
next one is moved one division, and so on. The arrangement of such actuating
mechanism which I prefer to employ is as follows.
The spindle on which the discs are mounted is connected in any suitable manner
with the shaft, the rotations of which are to be registered. It carries an excentric
on which is mounted a ring having ten teeth that are suited to engage with ten
notches in the periphery of the units disc so that at each rotation of the spindle
and excentric two of the teeth engage with two of the notches of the disc and
carry this round one division, the lateral motion of the toothed ring being accurately
controlled for this purpose by lateral studs on the bearing of the spindle, taking
into notches of the toothed ring which are of such a form as to control the motion
to the required extent.
A second spindle, parallel to the counter spindle, carries a series of loose pinions
having teeth which engage with teeth on the discs and are so arranged as to
transmit the motion from one to another disc in the above described manner.
The clockwork of the chronograph may be of any suitable known construction,
whereby a seconds hand, with or without a minute hand, is or are rotated on the
dial.
Assuming that there is both a seconds and a minute hand, the sleeves of each
of these are rotatable with friction on their arbors and carry a heart shaped cam,
against which bears an arm, by the movement of which from the outside both the
cams are actuated so as to set the two hands to zero.
When the counter is not being actuated by a revolving shaft, an arm presses
against the escapement wheel of the clockwork mechanism so as to prevent the
motion of the chronograph under these circumstances. Such arm is carried by a
bar, the ends of which are pivotted to the ends of two levers; the other ends of

page_text: these levers are in contact with the ends of sleeves sliding upon the ends of the
spindle on which the counter discs are mounted. When it is desired to use the
counter, there is fitted upon the one projecting end of the said spindle a tubular
extension having at its outer end a diamond shaped steel or other hard point,
while at the other end it bears against one of the before mentioned sliding
sleeves.
The operator, holding the case of the counter, presses the diamond point of the
tubular extension against the end of the shaft, the revolutions of which have to be
counted, so as to cause this to be carried round with it; at the same time the
tubular extension is pushed inwards upon the counter spindle so as firstly to push
the sleeve against one of the before mentioned levers carrying the bar with break
arm and thus move these parts against the action of a spring so as to release the
escapement wheel and allow the chronograph to be set in motion, and secondly such
end also presses against laterally projecting knife edges on the counter spindle, so
that as the tubular extension is carried round by the shaft, it both sets the
chronograph in motion and rotates the counter spindle by the pressure against its
knife edges.
The simultaneous putting in action of both parts may be insured by providing a
projection in the sliding sleeve taking into a notch in the counter spindle so as to
prevent its rotation until by the inward motion of the sleeve, its projection moves
out of the notch of the spindle at the moment when it effects the release of the
clockwork.
On releasing the pressure on the tubular extension, at the termination of the
observation, the spring acting upon the before mentioned levers and sleeves moves
these back to the original position, causing the arm to stop the motion of the
clockwork.
The winding up of the latter may be effected by the rotation of an external
button, in the known manner.
Dated this 5th day of December 1899
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Counter Apparatus for both Counting the Revolutions of a Shaft or
other Revolving Object, and Indicating the Time in which such
Revolutions are effected.
I, JAMES JAQUET, of St. Imier, Switzerland, Manufacturer, 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 relates to a construction of counter-apparatus consisting of the
combination of mechanism for indicating upon dials or cylinders the number of
revolutions made by a revolving shaft, and of other mechanism for indicating the
time during which the counter is actuated by the shaft in effecting such registration.
This combination of a counter and chronograph, is so arranged that the latter can
only be set in motion at the moment when the rotation of a shaft actuates the
counter, so as to insure perfect unity of action between the two apparatus, and
thus to obtain very accurate registration.
I construct apparatus as I shall describe referring to the
For these purposes,
accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the two ends, Figs. 3 and 4 shew respectively the
counter and chronograph mechanisms the end covers being removed. Fig. 5 is a
longitudinal section and Fig. 6 a transverse section, the counter discs being
removed.
A is a cylindrical casing closed at both ends and divided by a partial partition a
into two compartments, one of which contains the counter mechanism, while the
other contains the clockwork mechanism of the chronograph.

page_text: The front end B of the casing has a number of openings 6 through which appear
the numerals of the counter discs or cylinders, in a manner similar to ordinary
counters. The back end of the casing is formed by the dial C of the chronograph,
both ends being secured in position, with a protecting glass d over them, by a screw
ring c screwing on to the cylindrical part of the casing.
The counter mechanism consists of a number of discs or cylinders D, D, &c.
having numerals on their peripheries to indicate units, tens &c. arranged side by
side loose upon a spindle E crossing the case and journalled in bearings j'. A
forkscrewed toj keeps the spindle E in place being engaged in a groove of the
spindle which is caused to revolve by the shaft to which the counter is applied.
The spindle E carries an eccentric F fixed on it by a pine and on this eccentric is
mounted a ring H having ten teeth that are suited to engage with ten notches i on
the side of the units disc D₁ so that at each rotation of the spindle E and
eccentric F two of the teeth of the ring H engage with two of the notches of the
disc D₁ and carry it round one division, the motion of the toothed ring being
accurately controlled for this purpose by two lateral studs 33 taking into notches
of the toothed ring and so limiting its oscillation that for every revolution of the
spindle E it causes the disc D₁ to turn one division, registering one revolution.
A second spindle G parallel to E has loosely mounted
pinions I, I, &c. The first pinion 1, at every revolution of D, is turned one tooth
and turns D, one division; every revolution of D, through the pinion 1, turns D3
one division, and thus the units, tens, hundreds &c. of revolutions of E are
registered, presenting the number at the end of the casing as shewn in Fig. 1.
on it toothed
The clockwork of the chronograph may be of any suitable known construction,
whereby a second's hand, with or without a minute hand is rotated on the dial.
Assuming that there are both a second's L and a minute hand M, the sleeves of
these are rotatable with friction on their arbors which carry behind the dial O
heart shaped cams l m° against which bears a spring arm R pivotted at r and so
shaped that by its movement from the outside both the cams are actuated so as to
set the two hands to zero. T is a button for winding up the clockwork.
When the counter is not being actuated by a revolving shaft, an arm U presses
against the balance wheel of the clockwork mechanism so as to prevent the motion
of the chronograph under these circumstances. The arm U is carried by a bar X
the ends of which are jointed to the ends of two levers Z Z the one Z pivotted at
above E, the other 2 pivotted at below E so that the arm U is withdrawn from
the balance wheel when either of the levers ZZ' is moved in opposition to a
spring Y which keeps the arm U normally pressed against the wheel.
On the parts of the spindle E which project beyond the casing are fitted sliding
sleeves G G which by their inner ends bear against the levers ZZ', and which are
held in position with a certain amount of longitudinal play by tongues u u¹ fixed
to the casing and projecting into slots of the sleeves. Within each of the sleeves
when they are in the farthest outward position the spindle E has shoulders v
presenting several clutch teeth and a separate sleeve t provided with a diamond
cut point has its end cut with notches t² to fit the clutch teeth v'.
When it is desired to use the counter, the sleeve t is placed upon either projecting
end of the spindle E fitting on its collar m or m', and the operator, holding the
case of the counter, presses the diamond point t¹ against the end of the shaft, the
revolutions of which have to be counted, so as to cause t' to be carried round with
the shaft, the sleeve t is thus pushed inwards along the spindle E so as to push one
of the sleeves G or G' against one of the levers ZZ', thus moving the brake arm U
so as to release the escapement wheel and allow the chronograph to be set in
motion, and at the same time the notched end of engaging with the clutch
teeth on the counter spindle E causes E to revolve along with the shaft to
which t' is applied.
The simultaneous putting in action of both parts may be insured by providing
an internal stud or projection in each of the sliding sleeves G G taking into a
corresponding notch in the spindle E so as to prevent the rotation of E until by

page_text: the inward motion of the sleeve, its projection moves out of the notch of the
spindle at the moment when it effects the release of the clockwork.
On releasing the pressure on t' at the termination of the observation, the spring Y
acting upon the levers ZZ, and sleeves G G' moves these back to the original
position, causing the arm U to stop the motion of the clockwork.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Apparatus for indicating revolutions of a shaft and time, in which an arm U
combined with levers ZZ and operating as a brake against the wheel V of the
clockwork is made to act in conjunction with sleeves G G sliding on the counter
spindle E and bearing against the levers ZZ, the spindle having placed on its
end a sleeve t which at the one end has an angular point t' and at the other end can
be coupled with a shoulder of the spindle E in such manner that the coupling is
effected only when the sleeve t has pushed the sleeve G or G' sufficiently far to
remove the arm U from the wheel V and thus start the clockwork, so that, on
pressing the point t¹ against the centre of the shaft whose speed is to be determined,
the clockwork and counter are started simultaneously and are also stopped simul-
taneously when the pressure ceases, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of August 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.