US1944994A - Clutching device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 30, 1934. NEPPLE 1,944,994

' CLUTCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1931 3 Sheeiis-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1934. H. NEPPLE CLUTCHING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23. 1931 Q Y E omu, M my "Wm smw/ W t N WY B Jan. 30, 1934. H. NEPPLE CLUTCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Hen/ y Vj0 s/e BY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE STATES CLUTCHING DEVICE Application October 23, 1931. Serial No. 570,636

ll! Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clutching devices designed to be used in conjunction with a parcel post machine, and particularly with a parcel post weighing and stamp 5 printing machine which is designed to weigh parcel post packages and to print parcel post stamps of the prepaid metered type.

The machine with which my invention is especially adapted to be used may include a printlOing mechanism and various other means and mechanisms, a keyboard having a bank of keys for setting up combinations of numbers on the printing mechanism, and a power means for operating the various mechanisms.

The clutching mechanism which constitutes my invention is located between the power means and the mechanisms operated thereby, and is so constructed and arranged that its operation may be governed by a control key on the keyboard and preferably also by an auxiliary control device which may be termed a progressive release lock. Thearrangement of the clutch and other elements of the machine is such that the clutch may be operated by the control key to connect the power drive to the mechanisms to be moved throughout a predetermined operation or cycle of operations. In the proper functioning of machines of this character it is essential that operation of the various mechanisms be prevented until a predetennined number of figures have been set up in the printing mechanism by actuation of the same or different keys a corresponding number of times. To this end the throwing of the clutch device to full operative position is restrained by the progressive release lock until such predetermined number of key operations have occurred. In the particular application of my clutching device disclosed, therefore, a double control is provided, through the mechanism actuated by the control key and through the auxiliary progressive release lock mechanism. My invention, however, is not limited to such specific application or association, it being apparent that the invention contemplates that the be actuated, controlled or released by any suitable means or in any desired manner.

An object of my invention is to provide a clutch mechanism which will engage immediate- 1y upon actuation of the control key and which will continue engaged for one cycle of operation only, for example one revolution of the driven shaft, and which will then disengage automatically upon the completion of that revolution at a predetermined point.

locking means for the clutch control means may An object of my invention is to provide a clutch mechanism controlled by a control key in the keyboard of the'machine, and also by a. lock mechanism comprising a progressive release lock which, upon the performance of a predetere0 mined number of key-actuations upon the keyboard will be operated to a point where it will release the restraining means controlling the operations of the clutching mechanism.

An object of my invention is to provide a a5 clutching mechanism comprising the recited actuating elements, and in addition, re-setting elements to return the locking device to its original locking position, and also an element within the clutch which, upon the completion of a w revolution, will return the releasing members to their original position, thus preparing the machine for the next printing operation.

An object of my invention is to provide a clutching mechanism comprising elements readily operable by depressing a key on a keyboard, and thereby releasing spring-tensioned elements to engage the clutch, and wherein power driven elements are utilized to disengage the clutch at a predetermined point and reset the control gp mechanism; the structure being of simple yet durable character.

For these and other purposes, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully, as clearly and concisely described, definitely pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of a parcel post machine disclosing the clutching mechanism, its connections and the progressive release lock.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the clutch mechanism only, as taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and in addition showing an elevation of the keyboard unit of the machine. a

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the clutch mechanism including the control elements shown 10% in normal clutch disengaged position in solid lines, and the released clutch-engaged position in broken lines, and r Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the disengaging finger of the clutch and its connections, taken at line 5--5 in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 3, the keyboard unit 10 of a parcel post machine is disclosed, including a control key 11 which, through its'connections 12, operates a latch 13 best shown in Figs. 1 and m 4. The clutching mechanism includes a sleeve shaft 14 provided with a pin 15 projecting for engagement with the latch 13, as best shown in Fig. 1; this sleeve shaft 14 is adapted to be supported by and to slide lengthwise upon the main driven shaft 16; sleeve shaft 14 carries a pin 17 slidably engaged within a slot on a cam arm 18, designed to engage and disengage the clutch through attached bell crank 19, to which it is pivotally connected at 20, the bell crank 19 being fulcrumed on pin 21, and having a projecting portion 22, adapted to engage the driven element 23 of the clutch, and to move it later ally, whereby the clutch pin 24 may be brought into and out of engagement with the drive element 25 of the clutch which is pinned to drive shaft 26; the driven element 23 is secured to a sleeve shaft 2'7, supported by the recited drive shaft 26. The driven sleeve shaft 2'7 carries a gear 28, engaging a gear 29 on the driven shaft 16.

The sleeve shaft 14 is moved in one direction upon release of the latch 13, by spring 30, and is returned to the position shown in Fig. 4 by engagement with a cam 31 carried by gear 29. Upon a single rotation of the gear 29 the sleeve shaft 14 is moved laterally to engage pin 15 with latch 13, and the lever 18 should be moved to the full line position in Fig. 4 through engagement with the pin 17.

For maintaining the clutch in disengaged position, I have provided a detent in the form of a pivotally mounted latch 32 which has a projecting portion 33 adapted to engage in a notch in the bell crank 19, and normally spring-tensioned in such position to lock or latch the bell crank against movement. The latch 32 has a beveled face 34, which rests against the cam arm 18; when the sleeve shaft 14 is released, its lateral movement, through pin 17 causes cam arm 18, to move in a direction toward the end of latch 32 to the position indicated in Fig. 4 in broken lines. By this movement, through its engagement with the beveled face 34, arm 18 causes face 34 of the latch 32 to ride up on the arm, tilting the free end of the latch upwardly and thus releasing the latch portion 33 from engagement with the notch in the bell crank 19, whereupon the bell crank 19 is freed for operation, and under tension of spring 35, moves the driven element 23 of the clutch to force the pins 24 into engagement with the holes provided for that purpose in the driving element 25.

This engagement of the clutch causes transmission of power through the engaging gears and, upon turning of gear 29 approximately a full revolution, the cam 31 engages one end of the sleeve shaft 14 and moves it in an opposite lateral direction to a point where the pin 15 is engaged by the latch 13, which results in the releasing of the clutch, the pin 17 moving the cam arm 18 into normal position (full line position of Fig. 4) where the projection 36 is placed in the path' of the finger 3'7 (see Fig. 5). A cam 38, mounted on the drive shaft 26, is continuous- 1y rotating, thereby providing practically instant contact and operation of the finger 3'7; for that purpose there is provided a cam roller 39 attached to the finger 3'7, which contacts the face of the cam 38. Upon the next following revolution of the cam 38 after the cam arm 18 is placed in the path of the finger 37, the finger 3'7 engages shoulder or projection 36 of arm 18, and moves the arm longitudinally; this movement actuates bell crank 19, which in turn disengages member 23 from member 25 and allows the detent 32 to engage bell crank 19, holding the clutch disengaged until the next printing operation is performed.

The progressive release lock includes a ratchet wheel 40, adapted to be engaged by ratchet 41 actuated through lever 42, which, through connecting members, is actuated by a butterfly 43 situated beneath the key bars 44 of the parcel post machine, and which, when actuated, rotates the ratchet wheel 40 one notch for each key depressed in the keyboard. The ratchet wheel 40 has on one face two pins 45' and 46 which rotate as the ratchet wheel 40 rotates, and are adapted to engage and move a lock arm 48, to one end of which is secured a lock 49 which engages a bellcrank lever 50 and which bell-crank slidably engages a second latch 51 similar to latch 13, also adapted to engage the pin 15 on the sliding sleeve shaft 14. Upon the performance of the proper number of actuations'of keys of the keyboard, one of the pins 45 or 46 of the ratchet wheel 40 contacts the lock bar 48 and moves it laterally to a point where, through lever 50, the latch 51 is moved out of engagement with the pin 15 on the sleeve shaft 14, thus unlocking the clutch mechanism and rendering it operable by the conirol key 11 on the keyboard.

As thus described my invention includes control means comprising a control member 14 and an actuating member 18, an operating or shifting member (lever 19), locking means for the control member (engaging pin 15), clutch-disengaging means (comprising cam 31 on gear 29 and cam 38 on shaft 26), and means for releasing the control means, comprising manually-controlled means (by control key 11) and/or a progressive release lock mechanism.

For the purpose of returning the various operative parts of the parcel post machine to their original positions following a printing operation, there is provided an error rock shaft 52, actuated by mechanical means (not shown) at the completion of a printing operation; and shaft 52 is also operable manually by means of error key 53 on the keyboard, to cause one of the key bars 44 to be depressed into contact with the rocking arm 54 to rock this arm, and through its connections 55, to thereby operate theerror rock shaft 52 (Fig. 3). The rock shaft 52 has pivotally connected to it a rack member 56 (Fig. 1) which contacts a pinion 5'7 connected to a moving element 58 provided with a pair of pawls 59 (Fig. 3) operating against internal teeth 60 in a rotating element 61 connected to the ratchet wheel 40. When the error key is operated, regardless of the position of the ratchet wheel 40 and the pins 45 and 46, the pawls 59 will rotate within the member 61 and pick up the teeth 60, thereby rotating the member 61 to an original position wherein both the pins 45 and 46 will be disengaged from the lock bar 48 allowing it to return to normal locked position.

While the form of mechanism here shown and described, is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed,

for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character disclosed, driving and driven members; a latch; a springtfinsioned operating member normally retained in inoperative position by said latch; a control member adapted to operate said latch and said operating-member; a slidable member controlling the movement of said control member; a trip member normally retaining said slidable member in clutch disengaging position; and means to operate said trip to release said slidable member to engage said clutch by releasing said latch from said operating member.

2. In a device of the character disclosed, driv ing and driven members; a latch; a springtensioned operating member normally retained in inoperative position by said latch; a control member adapted to operate said latch and said operating member; a slidable member controlling the movement of said control member; a trip member normally retaining said slidable member in clutch disengaging position; means to operate said trip to release said slidable member to engage said clutch by releasing said latch from said operating member; and means to return said slidable member to be engaged by said trip in clutch disengaging position. i

3. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, meansior moving one of said clutch.members into and out of engagement with the other comprising an actuating member associated with one of said clutch members, a spring-pressed member engaging said actuating member, means for normally holding said spring-pressed member in open-clutch position and means for releasing said holding means to permit said spring-pressed member to move said actuating member and the associated clutch member to closed-clutch position, and means operated by the driving means for resetting said control means and subsequently disengaging the clutch at a predetermined point in the operation of the driving means.

4. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, means for moving one of said clutch members into and out of engagement with the other, comprising an operating member associated with one of said clutch members, an actuating memberengaging said operating member, a spring-pressed control membernormally held in open clutch position, but movable when released to efiect the movement of said actuating member and its associated operating member to closed clutch position, and locking means normally preventing the opera-' tion of the clutch-closing mechanism, said looking means being engaged and released by said actuating member.

5. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, means for moving one of said clutch members into and out of engagement with the other, comprising an operating member associated with one of said clutch members, an actuating member engaging said operating member, a spring-pressed control member normally held in open clutch position, but movable when released to efiect the movement of said actuating member and its associated operating member to closed clutch position, looking means normally preventing the operation of the clutch-closing mechanism, and comprising a locking element releasable by movement of the actuating member, and means for resetting said locking means to original locking position at a predetermined point in the operation of the driving means.

6. In a device of the character described, driving and driven power elements, coacting drive i and driven clutch members, actuating means for .and driven clutch members, actuating means for moving' one of said clutch members into and out of engagement with the other, locking means normally preventing movement of said movable clutch member, means for releasing said looking means by movement of said actuating means, movable control means for engaging said actuating means and moving it to closed clutch position, means for locking said control means, means for releasing said locking means, and cam means on said power elements forrestoring said control means, actuating means, and clutch member, after a predetermined interval, to original open clutch position.

8. In a device of the character described, driving and driven power elements, driving and driven clutch members, operating means associated with one of said clutch members, latching means normally retaining said operating means in clutch-disengaged position, control means for releasing said latching means operatively connected with said operating means, clutch disengaging means, and means operated by said driving element for restoring said control means to position to be engaged by said clutch-disengaging means to effect the movement of said control means, operating means and associated clutch member to clutch-disengaged position.

9. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members; an operating member associated with one of said clutch members, a latch normally retaining said operating member in clutch-disengaged position, an actuating member for releasing said latch and operatively connected with said operating member, a control member engaging said actuating member to move said actuating member and said operating member to clutch engaging position, clutch disengaging means and means for returning said control member to its original position and thereby returning said actuating member to a position to be engaged by said clutch disengaging means, to move said actuating member, operating member and associated clutch member to clutch-disengaged position.

10. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, a spring-tensioned operating lever for shifting one of said clutch members, an actuating member pivoted to said operating lever, a spring-actuated slidable control member operatively engaging said actuating member to move said actuating member to closed clutch position and permit the operation of said operating lever, clutch disengaging means, and cam means for moving said control member to its open clutch position and thereby pivotally setting said actuating member to a position for engagement by said clutch disengaging means, and for longitudinal movement by said last-mentioned means to restore said operating lever to original open clutch position.

11. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, an operating 1ever for shifting one of said clutch members, a latch normally retaining said operating lever in open clutch position, an actuating member pivoted to said operating lever and adapted to engage said latch, a spring-pressed slidable control member operatively connected to said actuating member to move said actuating member for engaging and releasing said latch and efiecting the movement of said operating lever to closed clutch position, and means for restoring said control member and associated elements to open clutch position.

12. In a device of the character described, driving and driven power elements, driving and driven clutch members, an operating member for shifting one of said clutch members, a latch normally restraining said operating member, an actuating member operatively connected with said operating member and adapted to release said latch, a spring-actuated control member operatively connected with said actuating member, means normally locking said control member in open clutch position, manually controlled means for.releasing said locking means, whereby said control member moves said actuating member to effect the release of said latch and the movement of said operating member to closed clutch position,

and cam means on the driving element moving said control member to original locked condition in open clutch position. a

13. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, a spring-tensioned shifting lever associated with one of said clutch members, a spring-pressed control means, pivotally connected with said shifting lever, said control means being movable in one direction to effect clutch closing movement of said shifting lever, and in the opposite direction moving into the path of clutch disengaging means, cam means for moving said control means in the latter di rection, against the action of its spring, and clutch disengaging means for restoring said control means and shifting lever to normal open clutch position.

14. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, a spring-tensioned shifting lever associated with one of said clutch members, latch means normally preventing the movement of said shifting lever, a springpressed control means pivotally connected with said shifting lever, said control means being movable in one direction to release said latch means and permit clutch closing movement of said shifting lever and in the opposite direction moving into the path of clutch disengaging means, cam means for moving said control means in the latter direction, against the action of its spring,

and clutch disengaging means for restoring said control means, shifting lever, and latch means to normal open clutch position.

15. In a device of the character described, driving and driven clutch members, a springtensloned shifting lever associated with one of said clutch members, latch means normally'preventing the movement of said shifting lever, a spring-pressed control means pivotally connected with said shifting lever, means for normally locking said control means, manually controlled means for releasing said locking means, said control means being movable in one direction to release said latch means and permit clutch closing movement of said shifting lever and in the opposite direction moving into the path of clutch disengaging means, cam means for moving said control means in the latter direction, against the action of its spring, and clutch disengaging means for restoring said control means, shifting lever, and latch means to normal open clutch position.

16. In a device of the character described, driving and driven elements. driving and driven clutch members, means for moving one of said clutch members into and out of engagement with the other comprising an actuating member associated with one of said clutch members, a spring tensionedmember engaging said actuating member, means for normally holding said springtensioned member in open-clutch position, means for releasing said holding means to permit said spring-tensioned member to move said actuating member and the associated clutch member to closed-clutch position, clutch-disengaging means, and means operated by said driving element for returning said spring-tensioned member to its original position and thereby setting said actuating member into position to be engaged by said clutch-disengaging means to move said actuating member and its associated clutch member to open clutch position.

17. In a device of the character described,-

driving and driven elements, driving and driven clutch members, means for moving one of said clutch members into and out of engagement with the other comprising an actuating member pivotally connected to one of said clutch members, a spring-tensioned slidable member having a loose pivotal connection with said actuating member, means for normally holding said springtensioned member in open-clutch position, means for releasing said holding means to permit said spring-tensioned member to move said actuating member and its connected clutch member to closed-clutch position, means operated by said driving element for restoring said spring-tensioned member to original position and setting said actuating member, and means operated by said driving element for engaging said actuating member while so set and restoring said actuating member and its connected clutch member to open-clutch position.

HENRY NEPPLE.

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