US3630436A - Mechanical counter - Google Patents

Mechanical counter Download PDF

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Publication number
US3630436A
US3630436A US80705A US3630436DA US3630436A US 3630436 A US3630436 A US 3630436A US 80705 A US80705 A US 80705A US 3630436D A US3630436D A US 3630436DA US 3630436 A US3630436 A US 3630436A
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United States
Prior art keywords
drum
gear
teeth
cam
projections
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Expired - Lifetime
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US80705A
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English (en)
Inventor
Manuel Claude Sanz
Rene Weber
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ICN Micromedic Systems Inc
Rohm and Haas Co
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Micromedic Systems Inc
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Assigned to ROHM & HAAS COMPANY reassignment ROHM & HAAS COMPANY MERGER (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC.
Assigned to ROHM & HAAS COMPANY (MERGED WITH AND INTO) reassignment ROHM & HAAS COMPANY (MERGED WITH AND INTO) RE-RECORD OF AN INSTRUMENT RECORDED OCT. 6, 1980, REEL 3804, FRAMES 837-840, TO SHOW NEW OWNER OF SAID PATENTS Assignors: MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC.
Assigned to ICN MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC., 3300 HYLAND AVENUE, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, 92626, A CORP OF CALIFORNIA reassignment ICN MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC., 3300 HYLAND AVENUE, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, 92626, A CORP OF CALIFORNIA ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC., A CORP OF DE.
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M1/00—Design features of general application
    • G06M1/14—Design features of general application for transferring a condition from one stage to a higher stage
    • G06M1/16—Design features of general application for transferring a condition from one stage to a higher stage self-operating, e.g. by Geneva mechanism
    • G06M1/163—Design features of general application for transferring a condition from one stage to a higher stage self-operating, e.g. by Geneva mechanism with drums

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A mechanical counter capable of showing swltlel'hlld values changing continuously and at a high rate of speed, 15537/69 which comprises a series of numbered drums containing e.g. six groups of 10 figures moving angularly in front of a reading window.
  • This transfer 235/117 movement is efiected by one of a series of gear means, [51] Int.Cl G06c 15/26 mounted such that each gear means consists of a first gear [50] Field of Search 235/139, continuously engaged with the toothed rim of a given drum, 136, 117 R, 117 A, 1 C,91 R; 346/98 and second and third gears each having a pitch twice that of said first gear and having their teeth alternately aligned with Rem'ellm ciM teeth of said first gear, so that the second and third gears are UNITED STATES PATENTS alternately moved and locked by said pair of cams.
  • Each cam 2,239,460 4/1941 Levy 346/98 x has -.8- three mum Projections, each projection of one cam 2,390,444 12/1945 Mefi-erd" 235" being opposite an empty space of the other cam. 2,713,971 7/1955 Bud etal 235/91 Patented Dec. 28, 197T 3,630,436
  • FIG. 5 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTORS
  • FIG. 7B A F1 B t INVENTORS & MANUELC. SANZ REN WEBER ATTORNEY BY y x MECHANICAL COUNTER
  • the present invention is a mechanical tens-transfer counter, in the general nature of a conventional odometer.
  • four ringlike drums disposed along a common horizontal axis bear numerical indicia for displaying a four-digit number through a window in the housing.
  • a rotatable shaft projecting axially from the housing is connected to the drums by suitable gearing so that the indicia are caused to display a desired multiple of the number of revolutions through which the shaft has traveled.
  • Odometer displays accordingly, conventionally provide means for holding constant the tens value displayed while the units display ranges from 0 to 9. Then only as the units value goes from 9 to 0, the tens value is caused to increment as well.
  • the present invention provides a counter which functions satisfactorily at high rates of revolution, such that under similar use prior art devices would generate undesirable noise and suffer excessive wear.
  • One way this is accomplished in the present invention is to lower the rate of rotation of the indiciabearing drums by providing several, e.g. six, sets of indicia on each drum. I-Iere, each drum rotates at one-sixth the rate at which it would have to travel if a single set of digits (0 to 9) were on its face. Of course, this makes positioning of the drum more critical, as an increment is only 6 rather than 36.
  • each drum means are provided for transferring increments from a lower order drum to a higher order one in a very precise manner.
  • the higher order (e.g. tens) drum carries an internal gear with a multiplicity of teeth out into its inner circumference.
  • the lower order e.g. units) drum carries along its inner circumference a 'pair of internal cams which have complementary elevations and depressions. Each elevation on each cam extends one-sixth of the circumference in the preferred embodiment and is followed by a corresponding depression extending for a similar distance, and so on around the inside of each cam.
  • each drum and its pair of cams Associated with each drum and its pair of cams is a pair of star, or Maltese cross, gears which are fixed to each other out of phase. These gears are disposed so that the tooth of one gear fits into the depression of one of the cams of the drum and the cut or shortened portion of the other gear rides on the protrusion of the complementary cam. As the drum is rotated, the cams will pass the gears without changing their position until the depressed portion of the one cam gives way to an elevated portion.
  • star or Maltese cross
  • the higher order drum is thus caused to move one increment each time the star wheel assembly kicks over.
  • the pair of star gears have not resumed the starting position after only a single kickover, since a tooth of the second gear is in a depression of the second cam at the end of the operation just described. It will be apparent that as the drum continues to rotate, a protrusion of the second cam will force the tooth of the second gear out of the depression in a manner entirely analogous to that previously recited and that the second kickover will result in a tooth of the first star gear again being within a depressed portion of the first cam.
  • the effect of the complementary sets of cam surfaces and star gears is not unlike walking; that is, the teeth of the star gears appear to walk around the inside of the drum as the drum rotates in operation.
  • a further advantage may be obtained by providing additional sets of identical transfer wheels, disposed about the internal circumference of the drums. That helps to balance the application of rotational moment to each higher order drum as it is moved by providing impetus from several evenly spaced points. By so doing, the load on any given transfer wheel is reduced proportionally, through sharing with corresponding elements, and wear is thus further reduced.
  • each drum may contain n same groups of m figures, arranged one after the other.
  • Each cam of each pair of cams will thus have xn/2 arcuate projections, where x is a small integer.
  • the star gear teeth are arranged, one in the plane of the first cam, and the other in that of the second cam, so that they each have a tooth pitch equal to 2k/x times the pitch 1r of the corresponding gear, that one of the series of teeth is placed at an angle in relation to the other of k/x times the pitch 1r of the gear and finally that the external diameter of each star gear is such that, for a given angular position of the gear means to which they are associated, two adjacent teeth of one star gear come in contact at their ends with a projection of the corresponding cam, the tooth of the other star gear which is contained between the said adjacent two teeth being engaged in the hollow of the other cam facing this projection.
  • FIG. 1 is an axial section
  • FIG. 2 is one view in section along the line Il-Il of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is an explanatory section of certain components of one portion of the counter visible in FIG. 2, along the line III- III of this Figure;
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a driving gear of the counter
  • FIG. 5 and 6 are sections along the line V-V and Vl-VI respectively of one of the drums visible in FIG. 3;
  • FIGS. 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 8A, and 8B are enlarged diagrammatic views showing the angular progression of one numbered drum of the invention.
  • the counter represented in the drawing has a casing 1 including a circular wall la and a cylindrical lining lb continuous with this wall, in which is cut a reading window 2, the opening of which is closed by a rotating plate 3 joined to a driving axle 4 of the counter which pivots in a mounting 5 made of synthetic antifraction material which has a support 6 formed by circular plate with a cylindrical extension located in a central opening cut in the wall la.
  • the support 6 is fixed on the wall 10 of the casing by means of three screws 7 arranged equidistantly from each other around the axle 4, passing through the support 6 and a ringlike crosspiece 8 and fixed by screwing the end into a circular screw-hole plate 9.
  • drums A, B, C, D Between the plate 3 and the wall la of the casing are four drums A, B, C, D, the external surface of each of which has six groups of 10 figures from 0 to 9, arranged one after the other in each group and from group to group as shown by the portions of the drums A and B visible in FIG. 1 of the drawing.
  • the drum A is joined to the plate 3 by pins such as 10 and thus turns with the latter.
  • the drums A, B and C have an unfixed position with regard to the possible axis of rotation, only the drum D having a set position by direct contact with the end of the plate of the support 6.
  • the lateral surface of the ringlike crosspiece 8 has three semicircular channels 8a angularly equidistant from each other in the opening of which are three axles 11, each with three gears e, f, g mounted loosely, the function of which will be shown later.
  • the axles 11 are arranged angularly in equidistant position and are parallel; they are fixed, at the left end, in the appropriate openings of the support 6 and, at the right end, in corresponding seats of the screw-hole plate 9.
  • the drums B and C are actually composed of a ringlike piece of which one-half of the internal rim has a series of teeth 12, 60 teeth in the example illustrated that is, a number of teeth equal to the number of figures on the numbered drum but which can, in variant form, be a multiple of this number, or equal to k-m'n, if m is the number of groups of n figures and k the multiplicity factor, k being equal to 1, 2, 3, etc.
  • each drum B and C has two cams l3 and I4, ringlike in structure, the profile of which is seen in FIG. 5, for cam 13 and in FIG. 6 for cam 14.
  • Each cam 13 and 14 has three projections s,, s s for cam 13 and Z Z2, 2 for cam 14 and three empty spaces e e e for cam 13 and f f f for cam 14 of angular length slightly below that of the projections.
  • the bottom of these spaces and the arc of the projections have a rounded profile of which the center of curvature coincides with the center of curvature of the external surface of the drum.
  • each projection of one of the cams is opposite to an empty space of the other and vice versa.
  • the projections s,, s s of the cam 13 face the respective empty spaces f,, f f of the cam 14, whereas the projections 2,, 2 z of the latter are respectively opposite the empty spaces e 2 and e of the cam 13.
  • each projection of one of the cams is linked, at each end, to the adjacent projections of the other cam by an intermediate strengthening component r (FIG. 3).
  • the total number of projections of each drum is equal to the number n of groups of m figures appearing on the external surface of the drum; in this instance the number is thus six.
  • the number of projections may be equal to a multiple of n.
  • the four drums, A, B, C and D are of identical structure, all having a series of teeth 12 and cams I3 and 14. It should be noted that for the drum A, the teeth are not necessary, and are not of any use, as this drum rests by means of this series of teeth on the external surface of the plate 9 previously noted. As a variation, the drum A could be made without the teeth 12 and have instead a support ring of diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of these teeth.
  • the part of the drum D composed of the earns 13 and I4 is not indispensable and is masked by the plate 16 on the surface of which this drum rests by means of the projections of the said cams.
  • the drum D could be made without the earns 13 and 14 and have instead a support ring of diameter corresponding to twice the radius of curvature of the profile of the arc of the difierent projections.
  • the calculator described functions without the teeth 12 for the drum A and cams l3 and 14 for drum D.
  • the drum A is driven directly by the plate 3 to which it is joined whereas the movement of each drum B, C and D is controlled, by the drum designed to count the next lower decimal numbers.
  • the drum A counts units; the drum B, tens; the drum C, hundreds; and the drum D, thousands.
  • each drum B, C and D by the preceding drum is accomplished by means of substantially identical gear means e, f and g previously noted and shown in FIG. 4.
  • Each gear means e, f, g has a first gear p, the teeth of which and D.
  • the gear p of the component has eight teeth.
  • Each gear means e, f, g has in addition two star gears d, and d the pitch of the teeth of which is equal to twice the pitch of the teeth of the gear p, that is to twice the pitch of the teeth 12 of each drum.
  • Each star gear d or d thus has four teeth.
  • each gearing must thus cooperate at the same time with two adjacent drums, that is by the gear p, with the toothed rim 12 of a given drum and by the teeth a and d with the two cams 13 and 14 of the adjacent drum, of next lower decimal place.
  • the diameters of the part of the gearing constituting the gear p and those of the teeth of star gears d, and d as well as the position of each axle 11 with relation to the pivotal center of the drums are chosen such that the gear p of each gear means is constantly engaged with the toothed rim 12 of a drum and that the teeth of the star gears d, and d occupy with regard to the two cams l3 and 14, with which they must cooperate, the position shown for example, in FIG. 7.
  • FIG. 7 shows the position of the star gears a and d of one gear means and the projections s. and 2 and of the empty spaces f and e; of the cams I3 and 14 at the moment when the projection Z3 of the cam 14 meets the tooth 1 of the star gear d
  • FIG. 8 shows the corresponding position of the gear p, associated with star gears d and d shown on FIG. 7, and of one portion of the toothed rim 12 with which this gear p engages and belonging to the following drum.
  • each gear means is blocked angularly be contact with the projections of one cam while the projections of the other cam do not control the angular displacement in direct F (FIGS. 7, 7A, 7B) so that the drum controlled by this gear is blocked angularly while it is not moved (position have a pitch identical to that of the teeth 12 of the drums B shown in FIG. 8 and 8B, for example).
  • each tooth of a star gear is used only once for one advance of the next drum equivalent to two tooth pitches, and because there are three series of gears, with only one-third of the expenditure which would be required if there were only one projection per cam and only one series of gears.
  • drums of the calculator and the driving gears e, f and g can be made of synthetic resin without fear of premature breaking.
  • the first drum would have to turn, as described above, at a rate of 100 r.p.s., or 6,000 r.p.m. With the drum described in this invention, this rate can be reduced to l6% r.p.s. or 1,000 rpm, the star wheel teeth d, or (1 of the gear means e each being used only 500 times per minute.
  • the teeth d or d of a gear having the same function as the gear e of the computer described would be used 3,000 times per minute, or six times more.
  • the assembly of the drums A to D of the counter described is particularly simple as they are centered by means of the three series of gears e, f, g which are constantly in contact by at least one tooth of the series d, and d with one of earns 13 and 14, alternately, of the drums driving these gears.
  • the number of series of gears of a counter of this type depends closely on the total number xn of projections of both cans of each drum, or on the number xn/2 of projections of each cam.
  • the number of gear series can be equal to xn/2 or a submultiple of xn/Z always having a minimum value of 3, as the centering of the drums described above can be accomplished only by support of these drums on at least three points.
  • a mechanical counter capable of continuously counting rotation results at a high rate of speed comprising a housing, a driven shaft received within said housing, a succession of different order counter drums mounted adjacent one another for individual rotationon a common axis and including atleast a units and tens drum mounted for rotation with said shaft, the remaining drums each kinematic ally independent of the preceding drum, said drums being supported in said housing by at least three series of gear means, each drum having a plurality of a series of figures on the outside periphery thereof, each drum except for said units drum having a gear surface with the number of teeth of said gear corresponding to a multiple of the number of figures on the periphery thereof, each said drum except for the last drum in succession also having cam means, each series of gear means having one gear means mounted so as to be in engagement with the cam means of the driving drum and the gear surface of the driven drum, the configuration of the cam means and gear means being such that a given amount of rotation of a first said driving drum means results in a fraction of that amount
  • a mechanical counter as in claim 1 further including a window means in said housing through which said figures on said drums can be read.
  • cam means are also located on the internal annular surface of each said drum and are adjacent said internal gear surface.
  • each said cam means consists of two circular cam rings, each ring having a number of projections equal to one-half of a multiple of the number of series of figures on the external surface of each drum, each projection having a rounded profile coaxial to the pivotal axis of the drum, said projections being separated from each other by a distance equal to their arcuate length, the arcuate length being equal for all said projections, each rings projections being staggered so that no project is positioned adjacent another in the other ring, and said rings being fixedly secured to each other and to the corresponding drum.
  • each said series of gear means is mounted for rotation on a common axis fixed to said housing.
  • each gear means consists of a first gear whose teeth have a pitch equal to the pitch of the teeth of the internal gear surface of said drum, said first gear being adapted to engage said internal gear to drive said drum, and further consists of second and third gears with teeth having a pitch twice the pitch of the internal gear surface teeth of said drums, the teeth of said second gear being aligned with alternate teeth of said first gear and the teeth of said third gear aligned with the other alternate teeth of said first gear, said first, second and third gears being fixedly secured to each other, the teeth of said second and their gears being adapted to engage the projections of said internal cam rings on the driving drum.
  • gear teeth on said second and third gears are star gears out of phase with each other, so that when, for a given angular position of either of said two gears, two adjacent teeth of one gear are in engagement with said rounded profile on the projections on one of said cam rings, the tooth of the other gear is in the space between two of said projections on said other cam ring.
  • a mechanical counter capable of continuously calculating revolutions of a shaft at a high rate of speed, said counter comprising a housing, a shaft received in said housing and adapted to be driven, a succession of different order counter drums having six series of the numbers 0 through 9 on the external periphery thereof, three series of gear means mounted in said housing for rotation about a common axis and supported by said three series of gear means, said drums including at least a units drum, a tens drum, a hundreds drum and a thousands drum, said units drum being coupled to said shaft for rotation therewith, the other drums not being operatively coupled to said shaft, each drum beginning with said tens drum having a surface with a gear thereon and engaged with said gear means, each gear having 60 teeth thereon, each said drum with the exception of said last drum having cam means, each gear means in each series supporting two drums by engaging the cam means of one drum and the gear surface of an adjacent drum, each cam means and each gear means being so configured that 10 revolutions of a driving drum results in l revolution
  • each said cam means comprising two circular rings mounted adjacent each other inside said drum, each ring having three projections which have an arcuate profile coaxial with the axes of said drums, the arcuate length of said projections being the same and equal to the arcuate spacing between said projections, the projections of one ring being adjacent the spaces on the adjacent ring.
  • each gear means consists of three gears, the first gear having eight teeth whose pitch is equal to the pitch of the internal gear teeth, said first gear being adapted to engage said internal gear to drive a drum, and further consists of second and third gears each having four teeth thereon with a pitch twice the pitch of the internal gear surface, the four teeth on said second and third gears

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US80705A 1969-10-17 1970-10-14 Mechanical counter Expired - Lifetime US3630436A (en)

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CH1553769A CH518599A (fr) 1969-10-17 1969-10-17 Compteur mécanique

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4195768A (en) * 1978-10-05 1980-04-01 Bowmar Instrument Corporation Roller bearing internal pinion counter
US4499370A (en) * 1983-07-29 1985-02-12 Dai-Ichi Seiko Co., Ltd. Zero-reset type counter

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2239460A (en) * 1934-08-13 1941-04-22 Fr De Metrographie Sa Soc Mechanism for justifying of number wheels
US2390444A (en) * 1942-11-07 1945-12-04 Toledo Scale Co Counting mechanism
US2713971A (en) * 1951-04-02 1955-07-26 English Numbering Machines Counting devices
US3092319A (en) * 1963-06-04 Counter for voting machines
US3403851A (en) * 1966-07-29 1968-10-01 English Numbering Machines Counter mechanism
US3452927A (en) * 1967-12-19 1969-07-01 Veeder Industries Inc Modular counter

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3092319A (en) * 1963-06-04 Counter for voting machines
US2239460A (en) * 1934-08-13 1941-04-22 Fr De Metrographie Sa Soc Mechanism for justifying of number wheels
US2390444A (en) * 1942-11-07 1945-12-04 Toledo Scale Co Counting mechanism
US2713971A (en) * 1951-04-02 1955-07-26 English Numbering Machines Counting devices
US3403851A (en) * 1966-07-29 1968-10-01 English Numbering Machines Counter mechanism
US3452927A (en) * 1967-12-19 1969-07-01 Veeder Industries Inc Modular counter

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4195768A (en) * 1978-10-05 1980-04-01 Bowmar Instrument Corporation Roller bearing internal pinion counter
US4499370A (en) * 1983-07-29 1985-02-12 Dai-Ichi Seiko Co., Ltd. Zero-reset type counter

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AS Assignment

Owner name: ROHM & HAAS COMPANY (MERGED WITH AND INTO), PENNSY

Free format text: RE-RECORD OF AN INSTRUMENT RECORDED OCT. 6, 1980, REEL 3804, FRAMES 837-840, TO SHOW NEW OWNER OF SAID PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:003848/0449

Effective date: 19800903

Owner name: ROHM & HAAS COMPANY (MERGED WITH AND INTO)

Free format text: RE-RECORD OF AN INSTRUMENT RECORDED OCT. 6, 1980, REEL 3804, FRAMES 837-840, TO SHOW NEW OWNER OF SAID PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:003848/0449

Effective date: 19800903

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Owner name: ICN MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC., 3300 HYLAND AVENUE,

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MICROMEDIC SYSTEMS, INC., A CORP OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004488/0488

Effective date: 19851121