GB1450569A - Counters - Google Patents

Abstract

1450569 Price x quantity calculators; pulse frequency multiplication HOECHST AG 12 Oct 1973 [16 Oct 1972] 47740/73 Heading G4D The Specification describes an arrangement for calculating the total price of items produced by a machine such as a photocopier where the itmes are priced on a scale reducing with larger quantities. Machine cycles are sensed and for each machine cycle a number of pulses is released to a counter, the number being dependant on the rating of the individual cycles which rating depends on the position of the cycle in a sequence of cycles. In Fig. 1 a photocopier 1 produces copies until a number set at 2 is reached by a counter 4; the counter 4 issues a standardized pulse 50 each time the machine produces a copy. These pulses are applied to a counter 12 arranged to cyclically mark its outputs 121-1250. On production of the first copy output 121 is marked, setting a bi-stable 131 to apply to the input of a variable frequency oscillator 17 a voltage set by a resistor 141. The oscillator 17 is triggered only during the period of pulse 50 and in that time delivers a number of pulses dependant on the setting of resistor 141 to the counter 10. The same number of pulses is released by the second copy. For the third copy output 123 of counter 12 is marked to set a bi-stable 132 and reset 131; a smaller number of pulses is then released dependant on the setting of a resistor 142. Similarly for the fifth and subsequent copies the number of pulses released depends on reistor 143. A further price reduction may be made after the fiftieth copy by using a further bi-stable and variable resistor at the output 1250 of counter 12; thereafter counter 12 stops counting and all copies are priced the same. The number of copies at each price can be adjusted by varying the connections. The frequency characteristic of oscillator 17 is such that the counter 10 registers in suitable units the price of the copies directly; to allow for changes in basic price, e.g. for different sized sheets, the characteristic may be variable, or a resistor 140 may be variable to change the applied control voltages or the period of the standard pulse 50 may be varied. At the beginning of copying the counters 4, 12 and bistables 131-133 are reset by diodes 20-204 and contact 19. In a modification (Fig. 2, not shown) the bistables 131-133 are omitted each output of counter 12 directly feeding a resistor 141-143 by way of a diode (31-350). In a further modification (Fig. 3, not shown) a fixed frequency oscillator 17 is used and triggered for different periods dependant on which of a set of monostables (181-183) is triggered by the outputs 121-1250. In an alternative modification the settings of bi-stables 131-133 starts the oscillator and it is stopped when a further counter (300) reaches the number of pulses demanded by the particular bi-stable (Fig. 4, not shown). In each case lamps 161- 163 are arranged to indicate which price is being charged.