US1979585A

US1979585A - Counting device

Info

Publication number: US1979585A
Application number: US679293A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-07-07
Filing date: 1933-07-07
Publication date: 1934-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1951-11-06

Description

1 w. J. THOMPSON 1,979,585

COUNTING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1955 IN VENTOR.

71/275001 J T'fiompson a/WM, M 1

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 unirs stares PATET @FFEQE Claims.

This invention relates to a counting device. The device is concerned particularly with a simplified structure for transferring counters or y I pieces from one location to another. The devicei may be used for keeping the score of a game or the like or it may be used for keeping track of any other activity or procedure.

This application is related to application Serial No. 642,752, filed November 15, 1932 which 10 shows a counting device and which supports some of the claims herein. The device is one having such structural characteristics and of such a simplified nature that it may be readily attached to an instrument used in the playing of a. game. For example, it may be attached to a golf stick and particularly one which is used in propelling a golf ball through relatively short distances such as is done in the practicing of putting or in games employing a similar procedure.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a golf stick with parts broken away and parts in section i1- lustrating the device in at-rest position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in actuated condition and illustrating the transfer of a counter.

Fig. 3 is a View of the device showing how it may be actuated to restore the counters or pieces to their original position.

The device may be mounted on any suitable support and in the drawing such support comprises a golf stick 1. An expedient manner of constructing the support or holder for the markers or pieces is that of suitably shaping a single length of material such as wire. Such a wire is shown in the drawing and one end as at 2 may be fastened to the support by penetrating into the support. The support may be provided with an aperture for receiving the end 2. The

wire has a body portion 3 extending generally lengthwise along the support, where the support is a golf shaft, or the like, and in order to provide a suitable spring action, the wire may be .45 formed into a loop 4 between the end 2 and the Q5 golf shaft. On the end of this actuating pore tion there may be an enlargement or an abutment 11 adapted to be engaged by the finger of an operator.

A guide device may be provided for the portion 5, which may also limit certain movements in the body, and this may take the form of a screw-eye having a portion 12 screwed into the golf shaft and an eye 13 advantageously lying at substantially right angles to the portion 12, and the part 5 is threaded through this eye. A support 14 may take the form of a piece of metal of wire-like form carried by the golf shaft 1 and projecting outwardly from the shaft 1 so as to support a stack of counters or pieces 15 which have apertures 16 and are threaded upon the body 3. The part 14 may be termed a divider as it separates or divides the portion 3 on one side thereof from the portion of the body 3 on the opposite side thereof.

The device may be used preferably in a po- 75, sition so that the markers gravitate on the body 3. Accordingly in Figure 1 the markers are shown resting upon the divider 14. The spring tension of the wire is such as to normally hold the various positions thereof in the position shown in Figure 1. It is to be noted that the pressure arm 6 does not run parallel with the adjacent portion of the body 3 but that the pressure arm converges toward the body 3 with the abutment '7 lying fairly close to one of the markers. To operate the device and transfer one of the markers, the abutment 11 may be pressed, thus moving the parts to the Figure 2 position. As this is done the pressure arm flexes,

the abutment 7 comes into engagement with one of the markers. Where it is desired to transfer a single marker at a time, the abutment 7 shall be arranged to contact with the marker immediately above the marker resting upon the divider 14. When the abutment 11 is fully depressed or substantially fully depressed, the body of the wire is forced away from the support 1 and the lowermost marker is freed of the divider and it gravitates to the lower portion of the body as shown in Figure 2. When pressure upon the thumb piece 11 is relieved, the parts resume the position shown in Figure 1 and one marker has been transferred. The eye 13 guides the portion 5 and limits the movement away from the support.

In practice, it is found the device may be oper- 1.05 ated with great rapidity and it unfailingly effects transfer of one marker upon each operation. After all the markers have been transferred it is, of course, necessary to return them to their original position and the manner in which this is done is illustrated in Figure 3. The body of the wire is pulled away from the shaft by force, preferably applied thereto near the end with the guide piece 5. This substantially maintains the normal spacing between the body of the wire and the abutment '7 so that the markers may pass the abutment, and at the same time removes the body from the divider sothat the column of markers may be pushed upwardly along the wire. Obviously after the markers are returned to their original position, the force is relieved and the spring tension returns the parts to the Figure 1 position. Where the device is mounted on a portable support, such as a golf stick, the golf stick may be inverted and the body 3 of the Wireshifted tothe Figure 3 position, with the result that the markers gravitate back to their original position. While the device is shown mounted upon the shaft of a golf stick, it is to be appreciated that such is broadly a support, and the claims appended hereto which call for a support are intended to cover any suitable supporting structure whether portable or not portable. The specification refers to the material which comprises the body 3, as wire. This term is used in a broad sense and the invention is intended to cover structures falling within the claims even though the particular material of which this element is made may not be technically called wire.

I claim:

1. A countingdevice comprising a support, a wire-like member fastened to the support and having a body portion extending along the support, a plurality of markers threaded upon the body member, a divider carried by the support and projecting into the path of the markers as they slide upon the support, said body memher being flexible whereby it may be flexed away from the support to permit a marker to move past the divider.

2. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire one end of which is secured to the support, said wire having a body portion extending along the support and spaced therefrom, a divider carried by the support and projecting toward the body of the wire into the path of the markers, said wire being reversely bent upon itself at the end of the body opposite the end fastened to the support to form a pressure arm, said pressure arm being adapted to be flexed away from the support and arranged to engage one of the markers.

3. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at one end to the support having a body portion extending along the support and a pressure arm doubled back upon the body member, a plurality of markers threaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon, a divider projecting into the path of the markers, the end of the pressure arm terminating near the divider, said pressure arm being arrangedto be flexed toward the body portion to engage one of the markers and to! leave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex the body portion away from the divider so that the marker adjacent the divider may slide past the same on the body portion.

4. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at one end to'the support having a body portion extending along the support and a pressure arm doubled back upon the body member, a plurality of markers threaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon,

a divider projecting into the path of the markers, the end of the pressure arm terminating near the divider, said pressure arm being arranged to be flexed toward the body portion to engage one of the markers and to leave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex the body portion away from the divider so that the marker adjacent the divider may slide past the same on the body portion, said pressure arm having an end portion projecting through an aperture in the support and said portion being adapted to have pressure applied thereto for flexing the pressure arm.

5. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at one end to the support having a body portion extending along the support and a pressure arm doubled back upon the "body member, a plurality of markers threaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon, a

divider projecting into the path of the markers, the end of the pressure arm terminating near the divider, said pressure arm being arranged to be flexed toward the body portion to engage one or" the markers and to leave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex the body portion away from the divider so that the marker adjacent the divider may slide past the same on the body portion, said pressure arm having an end portion projecting through an aperture in the support and said portion being adapted to have pressure applied thereto for flexing the pressure arm, and an abutment on the pressure arm for engaging one of the markers to hold it from sliding on the body portion.

6. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire, one end of which is fastened to the support, said length of wire having a body portion extending along the support, said wire having a bend of substantially 90 at the endof the body portion to form a guide portion, guiding means for such portion, said wire having another bend to form a pressure arm extending along the support, said pressure arm having a bend at its end portion so that its end portion extends substantially at right angles thereto and through an aperture in the support, a plurality of markers slidably threaded upon the body portion, a divider in the path of the markers, said body portion adapted to be flexed away from the support by pressure on the end of the pressure arm, and the pressure arm adapted to flex toward the body portion to engage a marker and hold the same from movement whereby a disengaged marker may slide on the body portion past the divider.

'7. A counting device comprising a support a length of wire fastened at one end to the support having a body portion extending along the support in spaced relation thereto, a plurality of markers slidably threaded upon the body portion, a divider lying in the path of the markers, one end of the body portion arranged to be flexed away from a support, and means for so flexing the body portion to move the markers to a position where the divider is out of the path of the markers.

8. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire fastenedat one end to the support having a body portion extending along the support in spaced relation thereto, a pluralityof markers slidably threaded upon the body portion, a divider lying in the path of the markers, one end of the body portion arranged to be flexed away from a support, and means for so flexing the body portion to move the markers its to a position where they may slide past the divider, said means for so flexing the body portion comprising an element for engaging a marker and frictionally retaining it on the body portion whereby a marker, other than the engaged one, may slide past the divider.

9. A counting device comprising a support, a wire-like member fastened at its lower end to the support, having a body portion projecting upwardly along the support, the upper end of the body portion being movable away from the support, a plurality of markers on the body portion, a divider carried by the support and lying in the path of the markers and upon which the markers are adapted to rest when the markers are on the upper portion of the body, and means shiftable to engage the next lowermost marker and to flex the body portion so that the lowermost marker may slide past the divider with the other markers held from sliding by said means.

10. A counting device comprising a support, a wire-like member fastened at its lower end to the support having a body portion projecting upwardly along the support, the upper end of the body portion being movable away from the support, a plurality of markers on the body portion, a divider carried by the support and lying in the path of the markers and upon which the markers are adapted to rest when the markers are on the upper portion of the body, and means shiftable to engage the next lowermost marker and to flex the body portion so that the lowermost marker may slide past the divider with the other markers held from sliding by said means, said means comprising a pressure arm formed by a reversely bent part of the wire.

WILLIAM J. THOMPSON.