US1433665A

US1433665A - Road recorder and indicator

Info

Publication number: US1433665A
Application number: US434544A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodore J Smulski
Original assignee: MILEOMETER Co
Current assignee: MILEOMETER Co
Priority date: 1921-01-03
Filing date: 1921-01-03
Publication date: 1922-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1939-10-31

Description

`T. J. SI/ULSK. ROAD RECORDER ANB ,'NDI'CATORA APPLICATION FILED IAN. 3, 192|.

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THEODORE J'. SMULSKLOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR-TO THE IJIILEOMETR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

.Application filed ll'anuarV 3, 1921. Serial No. 434,544.1

Toallwhom t may concern: i f Be it known that I, THnoDonE'J. SMUL- sKi, a citizen ot Poland, residing at Clii` cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented. certain newand useful Improvements in a Road Recordery andV Indicator, of which the following is a description. 4

This invention relates `to improvements in road indicators ci the type used in conjunction with vehicles, such as automobiles, and which facilitates driving through unfamiliar territory. By referring to fthe indicator, the driver may be constantly informed as to the characteristics ot' the locality in which, he may happen to be, as the indicator provides a continuous record, map or the like of any portion of the tour. The invention has among its objects the production oa device of the kind described that isconvenient, simple, compact, durable, eilicient, adjustable and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable. v More particuliarly the present invention relates to an improved indicatorf driving vor actuating mechanism by means of which the instrument may be quickly and easily calibrated as requiredto accurately ,perform its functions. Many-other objects and advantages ofthe constructionherein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the `disclosures herein given. i'

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement landcombination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly ,pointed out in the claims.

vIn the drawings, wherein klike reference characters `indicate like or corresponding parts,

Fig. l is avertical sectional view; i

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line`2-2 of Fig. l; and j i j l Fig.. 3 is an enlarged view oi' the driving means partly in section. j

In order that my improved drive mechanism may be more clearly understood, I shall refer briey to the cooperating yparts of the mechanism, it being understood that many of the cooperating parts may be modified as found desirable. Referring more particularly to the drawings, A designatesl the indicator, comprising anuenclosure or casing` having a bottom wall l, side walls 2 and 3, and a top 4:, said top having openings therein to receive a sight panel ofl glass or other suitable transparent material, j through which the` record may be viewed. The casing may be held together with any suitable means such as` screws, latches, or the like, the top being `adapted to be opened or taken off so that a record or tape may be remo-ved from or inserted `into the device.

Attached tothe inside oi?y the top il, is a spring 6 which acts on a roller 7 `to press itv againstja cooperating roller 8. Both the rollers are preferably milled or` grooved on their peripheries an-d are of any suitable material, roll 7 being preferably of rubber, so that'they may tightlyengage a tape or record` passing between them and 'feed the same. j

j A pair of spaced side `plates 9 and l0 are positioned Iwithinthe casing, one near each ot the walls 2 and 3, both of the plates being aper-tured` near their upperl ends to receive the journals `of the roller 8, one of the said journals extending `outwardly through the casing wall 3 vand having a suitable knurled thumb nut ll at its outer extremity, whereby the roller may be` manually rotated wheneverit is desired to adjust the tape between the rolls. y Y f i rIhe roller 8 maybe driven. in any suitablemanner, as for instance by a gear 1Q mounted near the end of the roller shaft. rllhe gear l2 may beactu'ated throughy any suitable ltrain of gearing (not shown), driven from the pinion 13 on shaft 14, said shaftlll being rotatably journaled between y the plates 9 and l0.

The reelsof tape upon which the map or other indicia is marked *areniounted inside the casing and are driven so that the tape is wound onto one or the other oi' the reels, depending upon `the direction` desired, the tape `passing between the yrollers 7 Vand 8, which pulls the tape positively from one reel andpermits its winding onto the other reel. The reels are mounted on shafts driven by the pinion 13, through suitable gearing, as indicated at 15, Fig.r l.

My present invention relates particularly motion between these coacting roughened Vic to the means for driving shaft 14. As shown,

friction disks

16 and 17 engage each other to drive shaft 14, the disk 16 being secured to theend of the shaft 14 opposite to the pinion 13 and adapted to be auto-` matically adjustable longitudinally of the shaft 14 by a spring 18 so that the disk is constantly urged against the friction surface of the driving disk 17.y The disks 16 yand 17 are preferably of dierent degrees of hardness, the disk 17 being the harder of the two, and it is also to be especially noted that the disk 17'is knurled or otherwise suitably roughened on its friction surface, while the cooperating surface of the disk 16 is initially smooth, as shown, at its central poi'- tion, in F ig. 2. When in operation, the disk 17 will cuta track in the disk 16 complementary to its own lknurled or roughened surface and there will be no'play or' lost friction surfaces, for the cutting action of one disk upon the other produces a perfectly meshing drive surface.

F ig. 2 shows the cooperating disks, as they appearnafter use, illustrating the cutting action of the disk 17' upon thedisk 16. 'Ihe central area of the disk16, which has not been in contact with the disk 17, retains its initially smooth surface. y H

The driving element 17 is adj ustably mounted on a drive shaft 19 so that the same may bevraised or lowered, or that is, moved from or toward the center of the disk 16 so v as to vary the .relative rate of speed or travel offthe two disks.

As shown, the disk or driving element 17 is mounted in a frame consisting of the plates 20 preferably securedtogether, and which are arranged to travel on the guidesv21secured to the plate 22 and the bottom 1 of the casing. As shown,

' a threaded member 23 is rotatably carried'by the casing and .plate 22 and engages with a nut 23,.foriiiinga` part of the frame 20. The threaded member 23 is provided with an operating head 24. Obviously, as the member 23 is turned, the same causes the frame 20 to travel on the guides 21. The shaft 19 upon wliichthe disk 17 is slidably mounted projects tothe exterior 'of the casing as indicated at 25 and may be connected to a part of the vehicle running one of thevwheels. 4 l

In operation, when the device is assembled, disk 16 initially issubstantially smooth, as previously mentioned, the' cooperating teeth upon the same being cut by the disks 17 when the device is operated. Obviously, on vehicles the speed of the shaft 19 transmitted from the wheels depends upon thesize gear, for example to i of the wheel;'consequently the device may be adjusted for different sizes of wheels, thereby making it applicable for different makes of vehicles. It is also found that the speed of the shaft 19 transmitted from the wheels may vary with different degrees of tire in'liation, and also alltires are not the same size. Road conditions may also have an effect on the driving of the shaft 19 from one of the wheels, requiring a calibration of the instrument. With the driving mechanism herein described, the instrument may be calibrated fromtime .to time, and even on different trips or during the saine trip, by merely'adjusting the position of the disk 17 by means of the head 24 of the threaded member 23. The instrument may be checked against known distances, or by means of the time and speedometer indications. If it `is found that the lroad indicator `is reading too fast, that is advancing the tape too fast,

the driving mechanism may be adjusted to correct this, and the same 'is :true ifthe mechanism is not indicating fast enough.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various.immaterial modifications inay beinade in the same without de parting from the spirit of my invention; hence I do notwish to be understood as'limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown vand described, or usesvmentioned.

What. I claimas new and desire to secure f 31 by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a.l device of the character described and in combination, an indicator driving element, and drive means for driving said indicator'drivingelement, said drive means comprising` a driving andA a driven element adapted to frictionally Contact with each other, one of said drive elements having a roughened friction surface andthe otherof said driven elements having a smooth fric- "f tion surface.

2. In a device of the'character described and in combination, anindicatorf driving element, and adjustable drive means for driving'said indicator driving element,'said 1 drive means comprising a driving anda driven element adapted to` frictionally con tact with each other, one of said drive elements having a roughened'friction surface and the other of said driven elements having initially "a smooth friction surface.

3. In a device of the character described and in combination, a'tape driving element, and means for actuating said tape driving element7 said means comprisinga driving 11.

and `adjustable means ifo-r positively actuating said tape driving element, said means comprising a driving member having ay roughened surface, and a driven member having initially a relatively smooth surface, said driving and driven members being adapted to frictionally Contact with each other whereby the driver Will form a complementary roughened engaging surface on said driven member.

ln a device of the character described and in combination, a tape supporting and driving element, and adjustable means for actuating said supporting element, said means comprising a driving member and a driven member adapted to frictionally engage with each other, said driving member having a roughciied surface and composed of a material relatively harder than that of the friction surface of said driven member, whereby said driving member will form a roiigliened engaging surface on said driven member.

6. In a device ol? the character described and in combination, an indicator driving element, and means for driving said tape driving element, said means comprising a driving member having a roughened surface and a driven member initially having a relatively smooth surface, said driving and driven members being adjustable to vary the speed of the driven member and adapted to frictionally contact with each other,

whereby the driver will form a complemen tary roughened engaging surface on said driven members. I

7. In a device of the character described and in combination7 a reel supporting element, and means for driving said reel supporting element, said means comprising a driving member and a driven member adapted to rictionally engage with each other and adjustable to vary the speed of the-driven members, said driving member having a roughened surface and composed oi material relatively harder than that of the friction surface of said driven member, whereby said driving member Will form a complementary roughened engaging surface on said driven member.

8. ln a road guide device of the kind described and in combination, tape carrying `mechanism and adjustable driving mechanism therefor, whereby the instrument may be calibrated to control the travel of the tape.

.in testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name in the presence of tivo subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE J. SMULSKI.

Witnesses:

ROY W'. HILL, BERTHA HARTMANN,