US2140839A - Counter - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1938. M. M. HENNEWSY COUNTER Filed Jan. 28, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 20, 1938. M. M. HENNESSY 2,140,839

COUNTER Filed Jan. 28, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Dec, 20, 1938. M. M. HENNsSY COUNTER Filed Jan. 28, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER` Mark M. Hennessy, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Durant Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ci.' Wisconsin Application January 28, 1937, Serial No. 122,781

6 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in the art of counting the number of operations performed or the quantity oi material used by certain mechanisms such as cloth weav- 5 ing or coil winding machines, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of counters of the type which may be set to register a predetermined number of operations and which are adapted to control the actuation of a signal or of allied machines when the predetermined count is reached.

In general, an object of my present invention is to provide an improved counter which is adapted to accurately regisr a succession of operations or events by true subtraction of successive units or groups of units from a predetermined number, and which is moreover capable of eifecting rapid and accurate indication of the completion of the predetermined count.

It has heretofore been attempted in the art of weaving with the aid of looms or the like, to register the length of the woof or pick thread used, with the aid of counters which were intended to be initially set to indicate any desired or predetermined number of total operations or transverse thread lengths, and which were subsequently automatically operable by the loom to subtract the successive individual weaving opera' tions from the selected number until the total count had been consummated. In an endeavor to give some indication as by a signal or by stopping of the weaving operation upon completion of the initially selected count, these prior predetermined subtraction counters were sometimes t 3 provided with tripping mechanisms which either operated a signal, or mechanically stopped the machine, or actuated an electric switch which controlled the stop mechanism. None of the commercial predetermined subtraction counters heretofore proposed, are commercially satisfactory when absolutely accurate subtraction is essential, since they are so constructed that no iixed relationship exists between the numeral bearing members and the transfer teeth which coact with the transfer gears of the higher order counter wheels through transfer pinions. This lack of fixed relationship between the numeral bearing member and the transfer tooth of each counter wheel, permits the numeral member and the corresponding transfer tooth to be relatively shifted, with the result that the intermediate count will be inaccurate.

My present invention therefore contemplates provision of a true subtraction counter assemblage provided with improved predetermining (Cl. 23S- 139) number wheels which are adapted to accurately register the successive units and groups of units subtracted from the selected total, and also hav ing improved automatically functioning tripping or indicating mechanism for designating the completion of the calculating operation.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved counter wheel assembly which is simple and durable in construction, which may be readily manufactured and associated with similar wheels, and which is highly efficient and reliable in operation.

Another specific object of the invention is the provision of an improved counter wheel structure which is especially adapted for use as part of a true subtracting predetermined counter assemblage, and which has its numeral bearing member rigidly connected to its transfer tooth thereby insuring absolutely accurate performance.

A further speciilc object of my present invention is to provide new and useful power actuated tripping mechanism for automatically indicating when a predetermined total count has been completed, and which is accurate and positive in operation.

Still another specific object of my invention is the provision of improved electric switch mechanism especially cooperable with a predetermined subtracting counter assemblage to indicate the completion of a selected number of individual counts by either operating a signal or by arresting the operation of the machine with which the counter is associated.

An additional specific object of the invention is to provide an improved counter assembly which is extremely compact in construction and which is reliable and accurate in operation even under most adverse conditions such as violent jarring and vibration.

Still another additional specic object of -x'ny invention is the provision of a counter mechanism which may be conveniently re-set and which may` be manufactured and sold at moderate cost.

These and other objects and advantages of the improvement will be apparent from the following detailed description, and the present invention constitutes a continuation in part of my earlier application Serial No. 23,645, led May 27, 1935, relating to predetermined counters, and especially to improvements in subtracting wheel assemblages for such counters.

A clear conception of the features constituting my present invention, and of the mode of constructing and of utilizing counters built in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the improved predetermined true subtraction counters having five number wheels, with the closure cover removed and having a portion of the front structure broken away so as to reveal normally concealed structure;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the counter assemblage of Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2 and looking toward the left; the fingers of the movable transfer pinion support being disengaged from the notches of the counter wheel inserts as when the assemblage is operating normally;

Fig. 3 is a similar section through the assemblage, showing the insert locking fingers of the transfer pinion support engaging the notches of the insert;

Fig. 4 is another transverse vertical section through the counter assembly, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and looking toward the right;

Fig. 5 is still another transverse vertical section through the assemblage, taken along the line 5 5 and looking toward the left;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of one of the combined digit bearing and cam rims, lock portion, and transfer teeth, looking toward the transfer teeth and showing the supporting shaft in place;

Fig. 7 is a part sectional front view of the unltary assemblage of Fig. 6, also showing the supporting shaft in place;

Fig. 8 is an opposite end view of the unitary structure of Figs. 6 and 7, showing the internal construction thereof and likewise showing the supporting shaft in place;

Fig. 9 is a similarly enlarged end view of one of the inserts which are normally disposed within the assemblages of Figs. 6` to 8 inclusive, looking toward the pawl side thereof and again showing the supporting shaft in place;

Fig. l is a part sectional front View of the insert of Fig. 9, showing the supporting shaft disposed therein;

Fig. 11 is an opposite end view of the insert of Figs. 9 and 10, showing the interior thereof and having the supporting shaft disposed therein;

Fig. 12 is a likewise enlarged end view of one of the transfer gears and pawls, showing the supporting shaft in place and also having an insert applied thereto in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 13 is a front view of a completely assembled number wheel comprising the elements of Figs. 6

l to 12 inclusive;

Fig. 14 is a still further enlarged central vertical section through the assemblage of Fig. 13 with the supporting shaft shown therein;

Fig. 15 is a transverse vertical section through the end of a counter assemblage, showing a modied type of tripping mechanism; and

Fig. 16 is a rear View of the mechanism of Fig. 15, showing the same cooperating with an improved electric switch.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being specifically applied to a true subtraction counter applicable for diverse purposes, it is not the intent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or adaptation of the present improvement.

Referring to the drawings, the improved counter assemblage shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, comprises in general a main support or frame I8 having opposite end walls I 9, 20; a power operated drive shaft 2| journaled near the lower portion of the frame |8 and having a worm 22 secured thereto near the end wall 28; an inclined transmission shaft 23 journaled in the frame |8 near the end wall 20 and having a worm wheel 24 meshing with the worm 22 and also carrying a worm 25; a reset or counter wheel supporting shaft 26 supported for manual rotation within the end walls I8, 28 and having a worm wheel 21 rotatable thereon and meshing with the worm 25; a lowest order counter unit or wheel 28 located directly adjacent to the worm wheel 21 and rotatable thereby about the shaft 26 in one direction by means of a well known type of motion transmitting ratchet mechanism 28; a series of similar progressively increasing higher order wheels 30 also rotatable with and about the supporting shaft 26; a pinion supporting shaft 3| movably supported upon a carrier yoke or member 32 which is swingable about a pivot 33 toward and away from the shaft 26 and wheels 28, 30; a series of specially constructed transfer pinions 34 rotatably mounted upon the supporting shaft 3| and being adapted to intermittently transmit rotary motion from the lower order wheels 28, 30 to the adjoining higher order wheels during normal power operation of the counter; and a series of cam engaging rollers 35 rotatably supported upon a shaft 38 which is carried by a roller yoke 31 swingably suspended from the pinion shaft 3|.

The improved construction of the counter units or wheels 28, 30 which constitutes an important part of this invention, is shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 14 inclusive, and each of these wheels comprises a one-piece cam and number or digit bearing rim 38, and a locking rim 3S, and two transfer teeth 4|), all of these being permanently and rigidly united and rotatably supported upon the shaft 26; an insert 4| normally disposed concentrically Within the cam and digit rim 38 and having on one side thereof two spring pressed pawls 42, 43, of which the pawl 42 is cooperable with an annular series of notches 44 formed within the rim 38 while the pawl 43 is cooperable with a V-groove 45 formed in the supporting shaft 26, the insert 4| also being provided with an annular series of peripheral recesses 46 located beyond the open end of the rim 38 and having an annular series of internal notches 41 therein; and a transfer gear 48 mounted upon the central hub of the insert 4| at the recessed end thereof and meshing with the adjacent transfer pinion 34 which normally is also adapted to mesh with the transfer teeth 48 of a counter' wheel of lower order, the transfer gear 48 having spring pressed pawls 48 engageable with the insert notches 41 so as to impart rotation to the insert 4| in one direction. v

Each of the digit bearing rims 38 has a local cut-out or cam recess 50 and a series of numerals ranging from zero to nine, and the transfer teeth 48 and cam recess 50 of each unit are constantly located in 'the same predetermined position with respect to the same number 5I on the rim 38 thereof. The numbers 5|, the recesses 48. and the notches 44, 41 are equally spaced around the axis of the number wheels, and the locking rim 39 of each wheel has a recess adjoining the teeth 40 of the corresponding wheel assemblage, which under certain conditions is cooperable with elongated teeth on the adjacent transfer pinion 34 so as to lock the digit rim 38 of a lower order wheel to the transfer gear 48 of the adjoining 75 higher order wheel. The recesses 49 of the inserts 4I are engageable by fingers 52 formed inmore tension springs 53 coacting with latch levers 54 engageable with pins 55 on the member 32 and cooperable with long teeth of the pinions 34 to prevent rotation thereof when these pinions are out of mesh with the transfer gears 48, as shown in Fig. 3. The yoke member 32 is additionally urged to swing upwardly by means of a tension spring 55' as shown in Fig. 1. 'I'he rollers 35 carried by the yoke 31 through the shaft 36, are engageable with all of the cam recesses 50 when the latter are brought into lateral alinement as shown in Fig. 2, and the yoke 31 has an integral end projection 56 and is constantly urged to swing upwardly about its pivot shaft 3|, by means of a tension spring 51 connecting the swinging end of the yoke 31 with a fixed pin 59. The pinion supporting yoke 32, and the roller supporting yoke 31 are thus constantly urged toward the position shown in Fig. 2, by the springs 53, 55', 51, respectively, when the counter wheels 28, 3|| are being operated normally by the power drive shaft 2|.

My improved power trip which replaces the spring trips heretofore used, is shown in Fig. 5, and comprises a curved lever 59 pivotally suspended from the end wall I9 of the main frame I8, by means of a pivot pin 69, the lever 59 having a lateral projection 6| extending through a slot in the end wall I9 and adapted for attachment to a signal or other mechanism for indicating that the predetermined count has been completed. The lever 59 also has an upwardly projecting ear upon which a latch 62 is swingably suspended by a pivot pin 63, and the upper end of the latch 62 is connected by a tension spring 64 to a pin 65 carried by the lever 59 near the pin 60. The lower swinging end of the latch 62 is adapted to be swung by the spring 64 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 5, either against the lateral projection 56 of the roller supporting yoke 31, or against an extension of the pinion supporting shaft 3| which is carried by the yoke member 32;

and this portion of the latch 62 has a ledge or' abutment 66 which is engageable by tripping projections or teeth 61 carried by the power drive shaft 2| when the rollers 35 engage all of the cam recesses 59. When this action takes place and the pinions 34 are in mesh with the transfer gears 48, the roller yoke 31 will be swung upwardly by the spring 51 about the shaft 3| as in Fig. 2. During this upward swinging of the yoke 31, the integral projection 56 at the end of the yoke 31 will move rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5 and will engage the hump at the front part of the latch 62, and this movement of the projection 56 will swing the latch about its pivot pin 631toward the drive shaft 2|, thus enabling the revolving teeth 61 to engage the abutment 66 and to swing the curved trip or signal actuating lever 59 upwardly so as to operate the signal.

In Figs. 15 and 16 I have illustrated an improved modified type of trip mechanism especially adapted for cooperation with an electric switch. In this modified assemblage, the curved lever 69 corresponds to the lever 59 of the previously described trip, and is operable in precisely the same manner. The lever 69 is swingably suspended from the end wall I9 of the frame I8 by a pivot pin 68, and La latch 62 is again suspended from the medial upper portion of the lever 69 by means of a pin 63 and is normally urged toward the pinion shaft 3| by a spring 64. The latch 62 of this modification also has an abutment 68 which is cooperable with teeth 61 carried by the drive shaft 2| when the latch is swung toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 15, by a projection 56 carried by the roller supporting yoke 31. The digit wheel supporting shaft 26 is provided with an abutment 1I which is rotatable by the shaft 29 to the position shown. A manually settable lever 12 is swingably supported upon the drive shaft 2| and has a manipulating handle extending forwardly beyond the frame I8, and this handle portion of the lever 12 has a notch 13 which is adapted to coact with the abutment 1| carried by the shaft 26, when the lever 69 is swung upwardly into the dot-and-dash position of Fig. l5, thereby locking the shaft 26 against rotation. Another lever 14 which is swingably suspended from the end wall I9 by a pivot screw 15, has its forward end engageable with the upper medial portion of the lever 69; and this lever 14 has a rearward extension 16 while the setting lever 12 has a rearward extension 11, between which a switch actuating arm 18 is constantly confined as clearly shown in Figs. 15 and 16. 'I'he assemblage is obviously such that when the trip setting lever 12 is positioned downwardly as shown in solid lines in Fig. 15, the spring 64 will then hold the latch 62 against the stop shaft 3| with the abutment 66 out of the path of revolution of the teeth 61, and the switch arm 18 will be held in the position shown in Fig. 16 by the extensions 16, 11. The latch 62 may however be operated by movement of the yoke projection 56 as previously described, and when the lever 12 is swung so as to bring the notch 13 into engagement with the abutment 1I, the shaft 26 will be prevented from rotating in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l5.

The electric switch of which the arm 18 constitutes a part, is mounted upon a panel 19 which may be secured to the frame I8 near the end wall I9, and comprises a contact carrier swingably suspended from the panel 1'9 by a terminal pivot 8|; a toggle member 82 pivotally attached to the carrier 80 by a pin 83 and swingably suspended from the panel 19 by a pivot pin 84 which also serves as a pivotal support for the arm 18,' a coil spring connecting the arm 18 with a medial portion of the toggle member 82; stop pins 86 for limiting the swinging motion of the member 82; and fixed terminals 81, 88 secured to the panel 19 and having fixed contacts which are alternately cooperable with the movable contacts carried by the contact carrier 80. The pin 83 should preferably coact with a slot in either the carrier 80 or in the member 82 in order to compensate for lost motion during operation of the toggle formed by the carrier 8U and member 82. It will be apparent that movement of the actuating arm 18 from one extreme position to the other, will cause the spring 85 to snap the toggle from one extreme position to the other, and the terminals of the switch may obviously be connected to the signal or other mechanism for indicating completion of the predetermined count, in a wellknown manner. The entire counter astembly and switch mechanism is preferably normally concealed within a suitable housing or cover detachably secured to the base I8 and having a window opening through which the numerals 5| 75 are visible, and the resetting shaft 23 ls also provided with a handle or knob for facilitating resetting of the counter wheels 2l, 3l.

While the normal operation of the improved counter and trip mechanisms will be relatively apparent from the foregoing description of the details of construction, this normal operation will again be generally described. As previously indicated, the improved counter assemblage is especially adapted to effect true subtraction of a succession of units from a predetermined total number count, and both the mechanical trip and the electric signal switch are automatically operable by power derived from the driving shaft 2|, when the predetermined count has been attained. When the counter is to be used for this purpose, it is first necessary to set the individual counter wheels 23, 30 so as to present the selected total number through the window of the housing casing, and this setting may be accomplished both by manually rotating the wheel supporting shaft 26 and by rotation of the individual numeral bearing rims 38 relative to their transfer gears 43. The shaft 26 may be rotated manually so that all of the number wheels 2l, 30 will be rotated in a direction corresponding to that in which the wLsels travel during normal subtraction counting. When the shaft 26 is thus manually rotated, the pawls 43 of the several number wheel assemplages will engage the V-groove 45 in the shaft, and will cause the inserts 4| to revolve. The pawls 42 of the revolving inserts 4| will then engage the notches 44 of the numeral bearing rims 38 and will thus cause these rims to revolve in corresponding directions. The rims 3l may however be revolved manually about their inserts 4| and independently of each other to thus permit initial setting of the several numeral bearing rims 33 in any desired position.

After the counter assembly has been thus initially set or reset, to some selected number other than zero, the roller supporting yoke 31 will be positioned so as to retain the integral end projection 53 thereof in the position shown in Fig. 5, and the trip latch 62 and lever 5! will be correspondingly positioned to permit free revolution of the teeth G1 on the drive shaft 2|. Some of the rollers 35 will then ride on the peripheral surfaces of the rims 33, while others may be disposed adjacent to the cam recesses 5l of the corresponding rims, and the pinions 34 are normally in mesh with the transfer gears 4I. As the drive shaft 2| is rotated, rotary motion is transmitted therefrom through the worm 22 and worm wheel 24 to the transmission shaft 23, and from this shaft through the worm 25 and worm wheel 21 to the transmission member or clutch 23. The clutch 29 transmits constant rotary motion to the number wheel 28 of lowest order, and the rotary motion thereof is intermittently transferred from the transfer teeth 4l of each of the lower order number wheels through the intervening transfer pinions 34 to the transfer gears 43 of the adjoining higher order wheels, whenever a subtraction of ten units is being completed by the adjoining lower order wheel, This subtraction of units, tens, hundreds and thousands continues until the total predetermined subtraction has been attained, whereupon all of the cam recesses 5l will be brought into lateral alinement with each other and the rollers 35 enter the alined recesses. The yoke 3l will then swing upwardly about the pinion shaft 3|, and the end projection 56 thereof will swing the latch 52 rearwardly about its suspension pin 63 thereby causing one of the constantly revolving teeth 31 to engage the abutment 33 and to lift the trip lever Il thus actuating the signal or stopping the machine.

While the pinions 34 are normally in mesh with the transfer gears 4l, they may be disengaged from these gears so as to permit unrestrained rotation of the rims 33 for quick presetting, by merely swinging the yoke 31 and the yoke member 32 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3. The ngers l2 which are carried by the pinion supporting member 32, will then enter the notches 43 of the inserts 4I and will lock the inserts against rotation. With the inserts 4| thus positively locked, and the pinions 34 out of the path of revolution of the transfer teeth 4l, the numeral bearing rims 3l may be freely revolved about their inserts 4I; and when the yokes 31, 32 are again released. the pinions 34 will be brought into mesh with the transfer gears 4l by the springs 53, 55', 51. Itis also to be noted, that when the pinions 34 are disengaged from the teeth of the transfer gears 48 as above described, the levers 54 lock the pinions 34 against possible rotation about the shaft 3|, thus always insuring proper intermeshing of the teeth when the pinions 34 are elevated.

The normal operation of the electrical trip and switch mechanism should be clearly apparent from the previous description, and the power actuation of the trip mechanism by the teeth 61 of the drive shaft 2|, insures quick and positive action upon completion of the predetermined count. True subtraction is definitely assured by virtue of the improved construction of the number wheels, and especially by virtue of the fact that the digit or numeral bearing rims 3l are formed integral with or are rigidly attached to the corresponding locking portions 39 and transfer teeth 4|l. This provides a pomtive and definite relationship between the numerals 5| and the transfer teeth 40, and does not permit a relative displacement of the numerals 5| and transfer teeth 4l as in former counting mechanisms of this type. The cam recesses l are also definitely located with reference to the numerals thereby insuring positive and quick actuation of the trip mechanism, when the predetermined count has been attained. The improved number wheels are moreover relatively simple and compact in construction and may be readily manufactured, and the notches 43 in the inserts 4|, provide simple and effective means for locking these inserts against displacement when the pinions 34 are disengaged from the transfer gears 43.

From the foregoing specific description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an improved counter which is simple, durable and compact in construction, and which is moreover capable of effecting rapid and accurate indication of the completion of any predetermined count. The improved mechanism is especially adapted to insure true subtraction of successive units from a selected total, and is capable of use for diverse purposes, As previously indicated, an important'feature of my present invention is the rigid connection between the digit bearing rim 38 and its transfer teeth 40 in each counter unit; and another important feature is the provision of a resetting pawl 43 which is angularly adjustable about the axis of the shaft 26 and relative to the corresponding digit rim 30 and transfer teeth 4l of each unit. While I have described the drive shaft 2| as being continuously rotatable, this shaft may in some cases be intermittently rotatable, or even oscillatory, depending upon the nature of the counting operation. The assemblage is not subject to interference with the accuracy of the count, due to Vibration or jarring thereof, and may be conveniently reset to any desired predetermined position.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the present invention to the exact details vof construction or to the precise mode of operation herein `shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:-

1. In combination, a shaft, a series of counter wheels rotatably supported by said shaft, each wheel having a digit rim and transfer teeth at one end thereof, and each wheel having an insert within its digit rim and a transfer gear at the opposite end thereof, transfer pinions each normally engaging a transfer gear of a higher order wheel and being engageable with the transfer teeth of the adjacent lower order wheel, and means for effecting disengagement of said pinions from said transfer gears and for simultaneously locking said inserts against displacement.

2. In combination, a series of counter wheels rotatable about a common axis, each wheel having a numeral bearing rim and transfer teeth formed integral therewith, and each wheel having an insert Within its rim and a transfer gear connected thereto by ratchet gearing, transfer pinions each normally engaging a transfer gear of a higher order wheel and being engageable with the transfer teeth of a lower order wheel, and means for effecting disengagement of said pinions from said transfer gears and for simultaneously locking said inserts against rotation.

3. In combination, a series of counter wheels rotatable about a common axis, each Wheel having a numeral bearing rim and transfer teeth formed integral therewith, and each wheel having an insert within its rim and a transfer gear connected thereto by ratchet gearing, transfer pinions each normally engaging a transfer gear of a higher order wheel and being engageable with the transfer teeth of a lower order wheel, means for effecting disengagement of said pinions from said transfer gears and for simultaneously locking said inserts against rotation, and means for locking said pinions against rotation when disengaged from said transfer gears.

4. In combination, a series of counter wheels rotatable about a common axis, each wheel having a numeral'bearing rim and transfer teeth rigidly associated with said rim, and each wheel havingan insert rotatable in one direction within its rim and a series of peripheral notches beyond said rim, a transfer gear connected to each insert by ratchet mechanism, transfer pinions each normally engaging a transfer gear of a higher order wheel and being engageable with the transfer teeth of a lower order wheel, a support for said pinions movable to disengage said pinions from said transfer gears, and means carried by said support and engageable with said notches to lock said inserts against rotation.

5. In a counter, a series of counter wheels rotatable about a common axis and each having a rim bearing numbers from zero to nine, transfer teeth fixed to each rim in the same relationship to the same number as on all other rims of said series, an insert confined within each rim of each wheel and secured' thereto by one-way motion transmission mechanism, a transfer gear connected to each insert by one-way motion transmitting mechanism, and transfer pinions each normally engaging a transfer gear of a higher order wheel and engageable with transfer teeth of a lower order wheel.

6. In a counter, a series of counter wheels normally rotatable about a common shaft and each having a numeral bearing rim and transfer teeth rigidly associated with said rim, an insert disposed within each of said rims and having means for imparting rotary motion to the corresponding rim while permitting relative reverse rotation of the rim and insert, each insert also having means cooperable with said shaft for imparting rotation from said shaft to said insert and from said insert to its rim for resetting purposes, and a transfer gear cooperating with each of said inserts for normally rotating the rim and transfer teeth associated therewith about said shaft.

MARK M. HENNESSY.

Images