IE57246B1 - Operator controlled turnstile - Google Patents

Abstract

A turnstile comprises a shaft mounted for rotation about its own axis, at least one set of arms equi- angularly mounted there-on, ratchet means for constraining the shaft to rotate in one direction only, and means under operator or user control to permit intermittent rotation of the shaft to allow a single person to pass through the turnstile. The lastmentioned means includes an LED/photosensor pair to provide a halt signal each time the shaft has rotated through an admittance angle, brake means responsive to each halt signal to prevent further rotation of the shaft, and operator or user controlled means (for example a card, badge or ticket reader, or a foot pedal) to release the brake.

Description

This invention relates to an operator-controlled turnstile.

According to the present invention there is provided a turnstile comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about its own axis, at least one set of arms equi-angularly mounted around the shaft for rotation therewith, means for constraining the shaft to rotate in one direction only, and means under operator control to permit intermittent rotation of the shaft through an admittance angle sufficient to allow a single person to pass through the turnstile, the lastmentioned means including photosensor means for providing a halt signal each time the shaft has rotated through the admittance angle, brake means responsive to each halt signal to prevent further rotation of the shaft, and operatorcontrolled means to release the brake to permit rotation of the shaft through a further admittance angle.

The photosensor means may comprise an apertured shutter coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, and at least one photosensor and light source pair disposed * opposite one another on opposite sides of the shutter, the photosensor generating a halt signal each time the apertured shutter permits light from the source to fall on the photosensor.

Preferably the photosensor means has a single photosensor and light source pair cooperating with a single shutter aperture for generating a halt signals, the shutter being mounted on a further shaft which is coupled to the first shaft such that the shutter makes a full revolution for each rotation of the first shaft » 5 through an admittance angle.

Preferably the further shaft is coupled to the i first shaft by a positive mechanical drive, and the brake means acts upon the further shaft. The mechanical drive may be a chain and sprocket drive.

At least one further photosensor and light source pair may be disposed opposite one another on opposite sides of the apertured shutter to provide a count of the number of people passing through the turnstile, i.e. a count of the number of times the first shaft rotates through the admittance angle.

The operator-controlled release means may comprise a foot pedal for operation by a stile man in the usual way. Alternatively, the operator-controlled release means may cnfllhprise a card, badge or ticket reader whereby the turnstile may be operated by its users. The brake means may comprise an electronic, hydraulic or pneumatic brake means.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the mechanical construction of the turnstile, and 4 Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the associated control circuit.

Referring to the drawings, the turnstile comprises a substantially vertical main shaft 10 mounted for rotation about its own axis in a pair of top and bottom bearings, only the top bearing 11 being shown.

The shaft 10 carries at least one set of equi-angularly spaced radial arms 12, in the present case four arms disposed with 90° spacing. The arms 12 are rigidly fixed to and rotate with the shaft 10, the shaft and arms being partially enclosed by a housing or frame (not shown) which defines an entrance and an exit from the turnstile and which constrains persons passing through the turnstile/to rotate the arms 12 and shaft 10 through 9p3 re supposition to the next. This 90° arigl’^i's the acltnittSrice angle of the turnstile. In the case of a'turnstile having a set of three arms disposed at 120° angular spacing, the admittance angle would be 120°.

It is to be understood that although only one set of arms 12 is shown, as would be appropriate for a waist-high turnstile, a plurality of aligned sets of arms could be fixed on the shaft 10, spaced apart in the vertical direction, to provide a floor to ceiling turnstile.

The turnstile further includes a vertical secondary shaft 13 mounted for rotation in a pair of top and bottom bearings 14 and 15 respectively. The main shaft 10 is positively mechanically coupled to the secondary shaft 13 by a chain and sprocket drive comprising a first sprocket wheel 16 fixed to the main shaft 10, a second sprocket wheel 17 fixed to the secondary shaft 13, and a chain 18 coupling to two sprocket wheels. The drive ratio is 4:1, so that the secondary shaft 13 rotates one full revolution for each 90° rotation of the main shaft 10.

The secondary shaft further comprises a one-way ratchet mechanism 19 which constrains the secondary shaft 13, and hence the main shaft 10, to rotate in a single direction only, whereby persons may not exit from the turnstile by reverse rotation of the arms 12.

The secondary shaft 13 carries an apertured shutter for rotation therewith, the shutter being in the form of a disc 20 having a single radial slot 21. A pair of printed circuit boards (PCBs) 22 and 23 are disposed respectively above and below the disc 20 closely adjacent thereto (the spacing is exaggerated in Figure 1 for clarity). The upper PCB 22 carries a light source such as a light-emitting diode (LED) 24, and the lower PCB 23 carries a photosensitive device (photosensor) such as a phototransistor 25. The pair of components 24 and 25 are vertically aligned such that when the slot 21 in the disc 20 is also vertically aligned between them the photosensor 25 receives light from the LED 24 and generates a signal, whereas no signal is generated when the non-apertured portion of the disc 20 is interposed between them.

The signal from the photosensor 25 is used as a halt signal for an electronically-controlled brake 26 which acts upon the secondary shaft 13. The angular disposition of the pair of components 24 and 25 is such that the slot 21 becomes aligned therewith at the end of an admission swing of the arms 12, i.e. after a rotation of the arms through the admittance angle of 90° which permits a single person to pass through the turnstile. Accordingly, the brake is operated to prevent further rotation of the shaft 10 and arms 12 by the halt signal after a single person has passed through the turnstile. The brake is released to permit a subsequent admission swing by operation of an operator-controlled foot pedal 27 (Figure 2) or other manually operable device which provides a signal to brake control circuitry.

In order to provide an automatic count of the number of people passing though the turnstile, two further vertically aligned LED/photosensor pairs 28,29 and 30,31 respectively are provided. Each photosensor 29 and 31 will provide a signal when the slot 21 in the disc 20 is aligned between it and the associated LED 28 and 30 respectively, so that during a single rotation of the disc 20 two counting signals will be produced at different angular positions of the disc, one from the photosensor 29 and one from the photosensor 31. A person is counted as having passed through the turnstile only when a signal has been generated by each of the two photosensors in turn, for the reasons given in British Patent Application 3416/78. The two photosensors of the present turnstile may be regarded as equivalent to the two sensors described in that application. However, a single LED/photosensor pair may be used for counting if desired.

It is to be understood that the secondary shaft 13 together with the mechanical and electrical components associated therewith will in practice be enclosed in a secure housing to prevent tampering, and the part containing the LED/photosensor pairs will be proof against ambient light.

Figure 2 shows the electrical control circuitry associated with the mechanical turnstile structure of Figure 1.

The electrical control circuitry shown in Figure 2 comprises a 220/110 volt to 12 volt A.C. transformer 32, the output of which is fed to a 12 volt rectifier and regulator 33 to provide 12 volts D.C. power for brake control logic circuitry 34, counter control logic circuitry 35 and the three LED/photosensor pairs 24/25, 28/29 and 30/31, otherwise generally known as OPTO switches. The LED/photosensor pairs 28/29 and 30/31 provide input signals to the counter control logic circuitry 35 which generates an output signal to a clock counter (not shown) to increase its value, when an input signal is received from each photosensor 29,31.

The electronic brake 26 is provided with power from the power supply 36 via a triac 37, rectifier 38, Ί i) ¥ smoothing capacitor 39 and resistor 40. The power supply provides 110 volts A.C. to the rectifier 38 when the triac 37 is turned on, the rectifier 38 provides 110 volts D.C. power which is smoothed by the capacitor 39 and reduced to 90 volts D.C. by the resistor 40, this 90 volts being used to energise the electronic brake 26.

When the LED/photosensor pair 24/25 are aligned the photosensor 25 provides an input signal to the brake control logic circuitry 34, which in turn provides an output signal via triac drive circuitry 41 to the triac to turn it on and energise the electronic brake 26.

The triac drive.circuitry 41 provides isolation between the logic circuitry 34 and the brake power supply and associated circuitry.

The operator-controlled foot pedal 27 is connected to a pneumatic foot switch 42 by an air line 43. Thus, the pneumatic foot switch 42 is activated by depressing the foot pedal 27, and the pneumatic foot switch 42 sends a signal to the brake control logic circuitry 34 and the output from this circuitry 34 goes low and the triac 37 is switched off and the electronic brake 26 is deenergised. However, even if the foot pedal 27 is maintained depressed the brake 26 is energised the next time the turnstile is rotated through an admittance angle. This is because the brake control logic circuitry 34, automatically isolates the signal from the pneumatic foot switch until the foot pedal is released and then depressed once again.

Although the embodiment of the invention described above shows the halt signals generated by only a single slot 21 and a single LED/photosensor pair 24 and 25, multiple slots and/or multiple LED/photosensor pairs may be used, provided that the drive ratio between the main shaft 10 and the secondary shaft 13 is such that a halt signal is generated only after each admittance swing of the arms 12. Furthermore, the electronically controlled brake 26 could be associated with the main shaft 10 rather than the secondary shaft 13 as shown.

While the foregoing has described the use of a foot pedal for releasing the electronic brake 26, it is , possible to operate the brake 26 by means of a badge, card or ticket reader, for example of the kind which J reads a magnetic stripe on the badge, etc. In this case, if the badge inserted in the reader is valid, i.e. the information coded thereon is determined by the reader to permit access by the holder of the badge, the reader would supply a signal direct to the logic circuitry 34 for releasing the brake.

Thus the turnstile may be operated by the users thereof, rather than a stileman.

As an alternative to the chain and sprocket arrangement 16 to 18, it is possible to use a direct gear drive unit between the shafts 10 and 13. The stile may also be used as an exit stile by reversing the direction of the ratchet mechanism 19. In this case the counter and electronic brake are de-energised, and the turnstile operates purely mechanically.

Finally, it is possible to provide a motor to keep the stile rotating at a slow speed when the turnstile is unattended. This permits regulated entry of persons and, as before, the counter and electronic brake would be disabled.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS:

1. A turnstile comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about its own axis, at least one set of arms equi-angularly mounted around the shaft for rotation therewith, means for constraining the shaft to rotate in one direction only, and means under operator control to permit intermittent rotation of the shaft through an admittance angle sufficient to allow a single person to pass through the turnstile, the lastmentioned means including photosensor means for providing a halt signal each time the shaft has rotated through the admittance angle, brake means responsive to each halt signal to prevent further rotation of the shaft, and operatorcontrolled means to release the brake to permit rotation of the shaft through a further admittance angle.

2. A turnstile as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the photosensor means comprises an apertured shutter coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, and at least one photosensor and light source pair disposed opposite one another on opposite sides of the shutter, the photosensor generating a halt signal each time the apertured shutter permits light from the source to fall on the photosensor.

3. A turnstile as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the photosensor means has a single photosensor and light source pair cooperating with a single shutter aperture for generating the halt signals, the shutter being mounted on a further shaft which is coupled to the first shaft such that the shutter makes a full revolution for each rotation of the first shaft through an admittance angle.

4. A turnstile as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the further shaft is coupled to the first shaft by a positive mechanical drive, and the brake means acts upon the further shaft. 55. A turnstile as claimed in any preceding Claim, further including at least one further photosensor and j liqht source pair disposed opposite one another on opposite sides of the apertured shutter to provide a count of the number of times the first shaft rotates 10 through the admittance angle.

5. , wherein the operator-controlled release means 20 comprises a foot pedal for operation by a stileman.

6. A turnstile as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the operator-controlled release means comprises a card, badge or ticket reader whereby the turnstile may be operated by its users. 15

7. A turnstile as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the brake means comprises an electronic, hydraulic or pneumatic brake. t

8. A turnstile as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to

9. A turnstile substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.