GB864161A - Improvements in and relating to mechanical counters - Google Patents

Abstract

864,161. Electric selective signalling systems. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Oct. 16, 1959 [Oct. 16, 1958], No. 35114/59. Class 40 (1). [Also in Group XIX] A numerical wheel counter is provided with means for transmitting an electrical representation of the value registered. As described, for a four-denominational counter, numeral wheels 2-5 each containing the digits 0-9 four times, Fig. 1a, are mounted round a fixed hollow cylinder 1. In each denominational order there are ten balls 7 arranged in a group of holes in the cylinder 1, the group of holes for the various denominations being staggered round the circumference of the cylinder. Radial movement of the balls 7 is limited by the inner wall of the numeral wheels and by discs 10 fixedly mounted on a hollow shaft 11. Each numeral wheel has four protusions 6 arranged so that the ball corresponding to the registered digit contacts one of the protrusions 6. A sensing member in the form of a bar 8 is urged outwards to the top of notches 12 in the discs 10. To read out the value registered in the counter, the shaft 11, together with the discs 10 and bar 8 is rotated through a complete revolution under the control of a stepping electromagnet 15. Whenever the bar 8 encounters a ball 7 which is prevented from moving away by one of the cams 6, the bar is moved into the notches 12, thereby rocking levers 8a to close a contact 16 which produces a pulse. Thus the value registered by the counter is read out as four pulses each differentially spaced in accordance with the corresponding digit. A modified arrangement for actuating the contact 16 is described (Figs. 3, 3a, not shown). An arrangement is described for sequentially scanning 99 four-order counters, the values registered being transmitted to a printing or punching machine. The counters are connected to the contacts of a remotely-controlled selector switch 30, Fig. 4, which is stepped by an electromagnet M1. The same voltage source is used on the one hand to drive the stepping magnets 15 and a read-out switch 31 and on the other hand to sense the contacts 16. This is achieved by a cam-operated change-over K2 and rectifiers G1, G2, G3, a voltage of one polarity driving the magnets 15, M2 by one step being succeeded when the contact K2 changes over to energize a relay R1, by a voltage of the other polarity which is applied to the contact 16 being sensed. If this contact is closed, a pulse is sent via the read-out switch 31 to the appropriate printing or punching magnet 0-9.