US2127244A - Setting mechanism for predetermining counters - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1938. w. F. BERCK 2,127,244

SETTING MECHANISM FOR PREDETERMINING COUNTERS Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEY FIG Aug. 16, 1938. w. F. BERCK 2,127,244

SETTING MECHANISM FOR PREDETERMINING COUNTERS Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT! n 4 4/ '42 u I 17 I 29 [9 la INVENTORU maw ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SETTING MECHANISM FOR PREDETERMIN- ING COUNTERS William F. Berck, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Ralph N. Brodie Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,445

7 Claims.

This invention relates to counter mechanisms for use in connection with liquid meters and like devices.

In a copending application entitled Automatic shut off mechanism for liquid meters", filed May 13, 1935, bearing Serial No. 21,197, I have disclosed a mechanism for automatically closing a liquid meter shut-oif valve after a predetermined volume of liquid has passed through the meter with which the valve is associated. This automatic mechanism is controlled by a counter mechanism operated by the meter, the setting of which counter mechanism determines the amount of liquid which will be discharged through the meter before the valve is closed. This counter mechanism includes a selected number of counter wheels associated in the usual fashion so that they will operate to indicate units, tens and hundreds. For setting this predetermining counter, I have shown in the above-identified application each counter wheel fitted with a separate operating member.

In a second copending application entitled "Setting mechanism for predetermining counters, filed May 13, 1935, bearing Serial No. 21,196, I have shown an improved construe ion of such predetermining counter mechan sms wherein the setting of all the counter wheels may be eilected by manipulation of a single operating member. In this mechanism the counter wheel was selected for setting by shifting the operating member coaxially with respect to the wheels and then turning the same to set the counter wheel so selected.

It is the principal object of my present invention to improve and simplify the construction and operation of predetermining counters of the character referred to whereby I am enabled to produce such a device wherein the counter wheels may be selectively engaged and set by simply revolving a single operating member.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a predetermining counter mechanism embodying the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section therethrough showing the operating member in position to operate the units wheel.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the operating member in position to set the tens wheel.

Fig. 4- is a similar view showing the operating member in position to set the hundreds wheel.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similar transverse section showing merely the counter wheel but disclosing the manner in which the pawl is rendered ineffective when this counter wheel is not selected for operation.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the actuating shaft.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the sleeve in which the actuating member is mounted.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on line IXIX of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line X X of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on line XI-X[ of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, I there illustrate what I prefer to term a predetermining counter Hi. This counter includes a units wheel II, a tens wheel l2 and a hundreds wheel It. The units wheel H is driven by a worm gear l5 which is driven by the meter through the medium of a worm IS. The counter wheels ll, 12 and H are operatively associated as in standard practice by mutilated gears and pinions so that upon each revolution of the units wheel ii, the tens wheel revolves one-tenth of a revolution, and upon each complete revolution 01 the tens wheel, the hundreds wheel I! revolves one-tenth of a revolution.

For this purpose a pinion shaft I1 is provided on which is mounted a pinion l8 for driving the tens wheel l2 and a pinion IQ for driving the hundreds wheel H. The units wheel H is fltted with a mutilated gear 20 to mesh with and drive the pinion l8, and the tens wheel I2 is fitted with a mutilated gear 2| to mesh with and drive the pinion IS. The pinion i 8 is in mesh with a gear 22 on the adjacent tens wheel, and the pinion I9 is in mesh with a gear 23 on the adjacent hundreds wheel. The ratio is such that the units wheel II will intermittently drive the gear 22 one-tenth of a revolution each time the units wheel completes one revolution, and the tens wheel will intermittently drive the gear 23 onetenth of a revolution each time the tens wheel completes one revolution. The gears 22 and 23 are connected to the tens and hundreds wheels, respectively, through a ratchet mechanism disclosed in Figs. 3 and 9.

From these figures it will be seen that the tens and hundreds wheels are each fitted with an-internal ratchet wheel 24 engageable by pivotal pawls 25 carried by the gears 22 and 23. The

engagement is such that rotation in one direction by the gears 22 and 23 will drive the wheels l2 and I4, and thus the latter wheels are free to be turned in the same direction. This, of course, permits setting thereof and it is to be understood that the direction referred to is counterclockwise as the parts are viewed looking from left to right in Figure 1 and as they appear in Figures 5 and 6. This same relation betweendirections of rotation will hereinafter be adhered to, and it must not be lost sight of that Figures 10 and 11 view the parts from right to left as indicated by the arrows of the section lines X-X and XI-XI of Figure 2, and thus opposite to Figures 5 and 6. The units wheel II is likewise fitted with a similar ratchet wheel 23 engaged by pawls 21 carried by a disk 23, which disk is driven by the worm gear I! as shown in Fig. 3.

The predetermined counter here disclosed (as shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 21,197 previously referred to) is intended to be utilized to indicate the volume of liquid it is desired to discharge through the meter with which it is associated. For example, should the volume desired be 125 gallons, the units wheel is set at 5, the tens wheel is set at 2 and the hundred wheel is set at 1. When the meter commences operating, these counter wheels retrograde toward zero, and when all three reach zero, they operate a trip mechanism which causes closing of the meter shut-ofi valve, thus stopping the meter, For this purpose the three counter wheels are each fitted with a trip member 23 relatively associated with a valve trip mechanism not illustrated. It is believed unnecessary to go into the description of the tripping operation here inasmuch as the present invention relates solely to the means of presetting the counter wheels H, I! and i4 prior to the operation of the meter.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the counter mechanism is mounted in a frame which includes upright members 30, 3| and 32. Journalled in the upright members and 3| is a tubular shield or sleeve 33 in which is rotatably disposed an actuating spindle 34. At its innermost end this spindle is journalled in the worm gear IS, the shaft of which is journalled in the upright member 33. Mounted on the outer end of this actuating spindle so as to be non-rotatable with respect thereto is an operating knob 35. By turning this knob the actuating spindle 34 may be revolved.

It is essential that the sleeve or shield 33 be prevented from rotation in a clockwise direc tion viewing the parts as in Figures 5 and 6 as above stated and for this reason keyed on the sleeve is a ratchet wheel 33, which ratchet wheel cooperates with a spring-pressed dog 31 carried by the frame adjacent the upright member 30 thereof. This spring-pressed dog 3'! permits the ratchet wheel and the sleeve 33.to which it is keyed to revolve in a counter-clockwise direction but not in a clockwise direction. It should be stated that the operating knob is so mounted on the sleeve 33 that it and the actuating spindle 34 may revolve relative tothe sleeve in a clockwise fashion but will be latched to the sleeve so as to revolve in a counter-clockwise direction therewith. That is to say, when the operating knob 35 is revolved in a clockwise direction, it and the actuating spindle 34 revolve relative to the sleeve 33, but when the knob 35 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, it and the spindle 34 and the sleeve 33 revolve in unison.

The purpose of permitting the spindle 34 to revolve in a clockwise direction relative to the sleeve is to enable the selection of one of the counter wheels for turning. For this purpose each counter wheel is provided with a springpressed pawl 38 as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and when the wheels are all set at zero, the pawls of the three counter wheels II, II and I4 are in alignment. In register with each pawl 33, the sleeve 33 is formed with a circumferential slot 39 through which the pawls 33 project to engage the periphery of the actuating spindle 3,4.

The spindle 34 has three pawl-engaging notches 40, 4| and 42 in its peripheral surface which are circumferentially spaced apart ninety degrees and while these notches are disposed longitudinally of the spindle to register with the slots 33 of the sleeve 33, it is obvious that, owing to their circumferential spacing, when one of the notches of the spindle is registered with one of the slots 33, the other two notches will be shielded by the sleeve 33.

From Figs. 5 and 6 it will be noticed that the notches 40, 4! and 42 of the actuating spindle are formed by the use of an end mill so that rotation of the actuating spindle 34 in a counterclockwise direction will so engage the proper pawl 38 that rotation of the actuating spindle 34 will be accompanied by rotation of the selected counter wheel, but that the rotation of the actuating spindle 34 in a clockwise direction will be ineffective to turn the counter wheels.

To latch the knob 35,the spindle 34 and the sleeve 33 together, when the knob is turned in a counter-clockwise direction for setting the counter wheels, the outer end of the sleeve 33 is formed with three slots 43, 44 and 45, which are spaced ninety degrees apart. For cooperation with these slots, the knob 35 is provided with a spring-pressed pawl 46, so mounted that when engaged with one of the slots 43, 44 and and the knob 35 is turned counter-clockwise, the sleeve 33 will be turned in unison with the knob. When the knob 35 is turned in a clockwise direction, the pawl 43 is ineffective to impart rotation to the sleeve 33. The pawl 43 will be in register with the slot 43 of the sleeve when the notch 42 is in register with the respective slot 39 of sleeve 33 to receive the pawl 33 of the units wheel II at zero position of the latter. When the knob and spindle 34 are turned to place the notch 4! in the spindle 34 'in register with the pawl 38 of the tens wheel II, the pawl 43 of the knob will be in register with the slot 44 of the sleeve 33. When the notch 43 is in register with the pawl 38 of the hundreds wheel, the pawl 46 of the knob will be in register with the slot 45 in the sleeve 33.

Consequently, when the pawl is engaged with the slot 43 and is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, the knob 35, the spindle 34, the sleeve 33 and the units wheel Ii will turn in unison so that the units wheel may be set to any reading. When the knob pawl 43 is engaged with the slot 44 in the sleeve, the spindle 34 will be positioned to position the notch 4i in the spindle in latching register with the pawl 33 of the tens wheel [2, and upon subsequent rotation in a counter-clockwise direction of the knob 33, the knob, the sleeve 33, the spindle 34 and the tens wheel II will be revolved in unison so as to set the tens wheel. If the knob is then turned in a clockwise direction to register its pawl 43 with 38 of the hundreds wheel I4.

the slot 45, the spindle 34 will be turned to register the notch 4' with the pawl 38 of the hundreds wheel I 4 so that upon subsequent rotation of the knob 35 in a counter-clockwise rotation, the knob 35, the spindle 34, the sleeve 33 and the hundreds wheel I4 will be turned in unison to set the latter to any desired reading.

In order that the operator may determine the relative position of the spindle with respect to the sleeve and counter wheels, I have provided a slot 41 in the inner end of the sleeve 33, which slot is adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed ball 48 carried by the spindle 34 when the notch 42 in the spindle is in register with the pawl 38 of the units wheel II. If it is desired to operate the device, the operator turns the knob in a clockwise direction until he is sensibly aware of the engagement of the ball 48 with the slot 41. This informs him that the notch 42 is in reg ster with the pawl 38 of the units wheel H and that the knob pawl 46 is in register with the slot 43 of the sleeve 33. This gives the operator a starting point in setting or presetting the counter mechanism.

In operation of the device, it is constructed and assembled substantially as illustrated in the drawings and operatively associated with the meter, and if it is a quantity controlled device, it is operatively associated with the shut-off valve trip mechanism of the meter.

Assuming that all of the counter wheels indicate zero, as they are numbered in standard practice, and it is desired to have the meter discharge say 125 gallons, the actuating spindle 34 is turned in a clockwise direction by applying a turning movement to the knob 35 until the ball 48 engages the slot 41 in the sleeve 33. The operator will feel this engagement inasmuch as it takes some force to overcome this engagement. Immediately that he feels this engagement, he is made aware that the notch 42 in the actuating spindle 34 is in register with the proper slot in the sleeve 33 and with the pawl 38 of the units wheel II. By turning the knob 35 in a counterclockwise direction. the counter wheel may be turned until it indicates the numeral 5. The knob 35 is then turned in a clockwise direction, during which movement the sleeve 33 will remainstationary due to the provision of the ratchet wheel 36 and dog 31. By turning the actuating spindle 34 in a clockwise direction. the notch 42 is turned out of register with the pawl 38 of the units wheel II, and when it is turned ninety degrees, it places the notch 4| in the actuating spindle into register with the proper slot in the sleeve 33 and with the pawl 38 of the tens wheel l2. At the same time this places the knob pawl 45 into register with the slot 44 in the sleeve, and upon subsequent rotation of the knob in a counter-clockwise direction the tens wheel will be rotated sufllciently to set it so that it places the numeral 2 thereof in indicating no tion. The knob 35 is then turned to turn the spindle 34 in a clockwise direction for at least ninety degrees to place the notch 4| out of register with the pawl 38 of the tens wheel 12 and to place the notch 40 in register with the pawl The knob 35 is then turned in a counter-clockwise d rection sufllciently to set it so that the numeral 1 thereon is in indicating position. After this setting, the meter shut-off valve is opened so that the meter may commence operating.

Operation of the meter will be accompanied by operation of the worm gear drive I5 which will in turn properly drive the counter wheels ll, l2 and I4 as previously described. These wheels will be driven in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 and will retrograde toward zero. When the zeros onithe three wheels all align with the indicating position, the trip member 29 of these wheels will cause tripping of the shut-off valve to close the same and shut off the meter.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an improved and simplified setting mechanism for counters, by means of which mechanism the counter may be set by simply revolving a single knob or operating member.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising. a rotatable actuating member, a plurality of rotatable elements rotatably mounted about the axis of said member, and complementary means on said elements and said member whereby the latter may be set by rotation in one direction to selectively engage any one of said elements to adjust the position of the selected element by rotation of said member in the opposite direction.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of rotatable elements, an operating member extending coaxially therethrough and freely rotatable in one direction in respect thereto, cooperating ratchet means on said member and on each of said elements and capable of selection by rotation of said member in the aforesaid direction, said ratchet means forming a driving connection between said member and the selected element operable to adjust the said element upon movement of the said operating member in the opposite direction of rotation.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of rotatable elements, an operating member extending coaxially therethrough and capable of rotation relative thereto in one direction, cooperating ratchet means between said member and each of said elements and capable of being successively rendered effective by rotation of said member in the same direction, said ratchet means efifective to adjustably shift the selected element upon rotation of said member in the opposite direction.

4. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of counter wheels, an actuating member extending coaxially therethrough, a pawl carried by each wheel, said member being formed with means adapted to be selectively placed in register with the pawl of a selected wheel upon rotation of said member in one direction, the pawl of the selected wheel and the means on said member forming a driving connection between the two when the member is turned in the other direction.

5. A device of the character described cor-prising a plurality of counter wheels, an actuating member extending coaxially therethrough, a pawl carried by each wheel, said actuating member having a socket to register with each pawl, said sockets being relatively difierently positioned about the circumference of said member and so formed whereby they may be independently and successively brought into register with the pawl of a selected wheel by rotation of said member in one direction, and the pawl oi the selected wheel will be engaged by the cooperating socket when the member is turned in the opposite direction. 6. A device of the character described comprising a rotatably supported spindle held against endwlse movement, a sleeve mounted on said spindle, a plurality oi rotatable elements rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a spring-pressed pawl on each element. said sleeve having a circumierential slot for each pawl and normally in register therewith, said spindle being formed with a series of circumierentially spaced notches, one notch for each pawl, the circumferential spacing between said notches being such that only one thereoi may register with a slot in the sleeve at one time, the relation of the notches and pawls being such as to form a driving connection between the selected notch and the ,pawl oi the selected element when said spindle is rotated in one direction and to be ineffective when said spindle is revolved in the opposite direction.

7. A device oi the character described comprising a rotatably supported spindle held against endwise movement, a sleeve mounted on said spindle, a plurality of rotatable elements rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a spring-pressed pawl on each element, said sleeve having a circumierential slot ior each pawl and in register therewith, said spindle being formed with a series of circumierentially spaced notches, one notch [or each pawl, the circumferential spacing between said notches being such that only one thereof may register with a slot in the sleeve at one time, the relation of the notches and pawls being such as to term a driving connection between the selected notch and the pawl 01 the selected element when said spindle is rotated in one direction and to be ineiiective when said spindle is revolved in the opposite direction, connections between said spindle and said sleeve constraining said sleeve to revolve together with said spindle in the first-named direction, and means holding said sleeve against rotation in the opposite direction.

WILLIAM 1". BERCK.

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