US2224396A - Resetter for counters - Google Patents

Description

1 1940- w. A. KENNEDY ET AL 3 HESETTER FQR COUNTERS Filed April 6, 1939 '2 Sheets-Sheet l Q) 3nnentor5: WOODFORD F]. KENNEDY EUGENE. POYCHRPENTER (Ittomeg 1940- w. A. KENNEDY ETAL 2,224,

RESETTER FOR COUNTERS Filed April 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nvcntor5. Woouporzn fl KENNEDY EUGENEROY CRRPEN TER Gttorncg Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES RESETTER FOR COUNTERS Woodford A. Kennedy and Eugene Roy Carpenter, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application April 6, 1939, Serial No. 266,288

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a counting mechanism for registering the number of operations of various machines. The herein disclosed counting mechanism is especially adapted to operate upon a loom to determine the number of picks made by the loom over a given period of time. In many textile mills two or more shifts are often em ployed, thereby necessitating two or more counting mechanisms for registering separately the picks made by the loom during each shift. These counting mechanisms are driven one at a time from a common shaft and are so arranged that either may be selected, depending upon which shift is operated. Once each day the registered picks are recorded by a mill operator and then it is necessary to reset the counters to zero position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pick counter for looms and the like comprising a plurality of counting mechanisms with means associated therewith for resetting simultaneously all of said counting mechanisms to zero position in one operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a counting mechanism of the class described having locking means for rendering inoperative the resetting means while the counting mechanism is in operation. This locking mechanism prevents unauthorized persons from tampering with the counter should an attempt be made to actuate the counter to cause it to give it an improper reading.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an isometric view showing a pick counter with a plurality of registering means associated therewith;

Figure 1A is a view of a key which is used to lock and unlock the re-setting mechanism;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure l, but omitting the front covers;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 45 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of the resetting and locking mechanisms employed in the present invention;

Figure 6 is a detailed view showing the means whereby the resetting shafts pick up the totalizer wheels.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral I denotes a suitable support such as the arch of a loom towhich casings H and 12 are secured, said casings having covers 14 and I respectively secured to the front side thereof. The cover H has transparent windows l6 and I1 therein through which are visible indicating or totalizer wheels l8 and Hi respectively, which 5 are disposed within the casing The upper cover |5 has a transparent window through which is visible the indicating wheels 2| disposed within the casing l2. The wheels l8, I9 and 2| are rotatably mounted on shafts 23, 24 and 25, respectively, in a well known manner. All of these wheels are identical and are adapted to be turned by suitable gears 26, 21 and 28, which gears are adapted to mesh with pinions such as 29 and 30, on longitudinally disposed shafts 3| and 32. These gears 29 and 30 have their teeth notched so as to advance the wheels l8, l9 and 2| in the correct manner upon rotation of the actuating mechanism.

The shafts 23, 24 and 25 have gears 33, 34 and 35 rotatably mounted thereon, said gears being adapted to mesh with worms 36, 31 and 38, respectively. The worms are slidably keyed upon a vertically disposed shaft such as indicated by the reference character 39. This shaft has the fitting fixedly secured around its lower end. Pivoted to the fitting 40 as at 4| is a bar 42, the lower end of said bar having pivoted as at 43 another fitting 44 which is disposed upon the upper end of actuating rod 45 (Figure 1). As this rod turns, rctative movement will be imparted to the gears 33, 34 and 35, which, in turn, will actuate the totalizer wheels l8, l9, and 2| by way of intermediate pinions 29 and 30.

The shaft 39 also has a suitable grooved hub slidably keyed thereon which is engaged by a gear segment 5| on shaft 52 (Figures 2 and 4). This shaft 52 extends through front cover l4 and has a knob 53 secured on its end. The hub 50 has means associated with its upper and lower faces whereby the same may be engaged with worm 36 or 31. This mechanism is more fully shown in co-pending patent application of Woodford A. Kennedy, Serial Number 242,824 filed November 28, 1938.

The shafts 23, 24 and 25 have pinions 55, 56 and 51 fixedly mounted thereon which, in turn, are disposed adjacent the left-hand totalizer wheels I8, I 9 and 2|, respectively in Figure 2. Disposed between pinions 56 and 51 is an intermediate pinion 58 and this pinion is fixedly mounted around an intermediate shaft 59 the ends of which are journaled in the lower portion of the casing l2. The lower portion of the casing I2 and the upper portion of the casing II have a suitable slot 60 cut therein through which the lower portion of the pinion 58 is adapted to rotate. This, of course, is necessary in order to cause the pinion 58 to mesh with both the pinion 56 and the pinion 51.

The pinions 55, and 55 have disposed therebetween a pinion fiI, said pinion 6I being rotatably .and slidably mounted on a shaft 62. This shaft has one end thereof rotatably mounted in the end wall of lower casing II and its other end rotatably mounted in extension 93, which projects from the back side of the casing (Figures 4 and 5). The shaft 62 extends beyond the exterior of the casing II, and upon the extending portion is secured a suitable crank 65 which is used when it is desired to reset the counting mechanism, to zero position.

The shaft 62 has a suitable collar fififixedly secured therearound having a notch 61 in the right hand face thereof (see Figure 2). This notch is adapted to engage a suitable projection 68 which projection is integral with the left hand face of pinion GI. The notches 6'! and 68 are normally held in disengaged position as shown in Figure 2, when the counting mechanism is in operation; however, when it is desired to reset the counting mechanism to zero position, a suitable locking means is operated to release the a projection 98 together with the pinion BI to allow it to move to the left into engagement with collar 65 so that the turning of crank 65 will effect a rotation of the intermediate pinion 6i and its associated pinions 55, 55, 51 and 58.

The pinion GI has an annular groove ID on the right hand side thereof, which groove is adapted to be straddled by the two arms of an L-shaped member I2 forming a slot II. The extreme right hand end of member 12 (Figures 2, 4 and 5) has a hole I8 cut therein, which hole acts as a cam surface against which projecting cam ll is adapted to fit. It will be noted by referring to Figures 2 and 5 that the cam "I4 is an integral part of a lock cylinder I6 and this look i cylinder is mounted for rotation in a suitable block I8, which, in turn, is secured to extension 53 by any suitable means such as screws I9. The lock cylinder I5 has a key hole 88 therein which is penetrated by a key BI shown in Figure 1A when it is desired to turn the cam I4 to a different position.

The right-hand inside face of the hole I8 is held against the projecting cam member I4 by means of a suitable compression spring 85 said spring being mounted around shaft 62, with one end thereof abutting against the face of pinion 5i, and the other end normally abutting against a collar 88 which is slidably and rotatably mounted around shaft 62. The collar 88 is also adapted to have two spaced arms on'the right hand end of a U-shaped member 95 fitting against one side thereof. These arms form a slot 89 which passes over the hub of collar 88. The face of member 98 has a slot9I therein in which the member 12, previously described, is adapted to slide. Since the spring 85 normally tends to expand, it is quite evident that the members 6| and I2 will be biased to the left in Figures 2 and 5 at all times to cause the right hand portion of the hole I3 to contact the cam I4. Theexpansion of spring 85 will also'tend to move member 95 and its associated parts to the right.

The right hand end of the member I2 has a slot I5 therein. This slot fits over a projecticn 19a on blccklil. Asithe cam is turned in one direction, spring 85 will move member I2 to the left thereby causing the slot 15 to change its position relative to projection 18a.

The left-hand end of member 99 hasintegral therewith laterally and rearwardly extending prongs 93 and 94. These prongs havearcuate cavities 95 and 56 cut therein which areadapted to fit over sleeves 55a and 56a, respectively, extending from pinions 55 and56 (see Figures 3 and 5). Extending from the righthand face of extensions 93 and 94 are projections 91 and 98 (Figures 2, 3 and 5). These projections are adapted to fit into suitable cavities 99 and I99, out in the face of pinions 55 and 56, respectively. Due tothe tendency of spring 85 to expand, these projections 91 and 98 will normally be forced toward the right and against the left hand face of pinions 55 and 56. When the totalizer wheels I8 and I9 are in zero position the cavities 99 and I will be disposed opposite the projections 91 and 98; consequently, the projections will be forced into thecavities to lock the gears or pinions 55 and 56 in position when the cam I4 is rotated to the position shown in Figure 2. Since the lower pinions 55 and 55 are positively geared to the upper pinion 'Ithrough an intermediate gear 58 it naturally follows that shaft 25 for the upper totalizer wheels 2| will also be locked in position when the projections 97 and 98 are disposed in cavities 95 and I00.

When it is desiredto reset the totalizer wheels I8, I9 and 2| to zero position, the key 8| is inserted in the slot 89 in the lock and the locking cylinder I6 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction in Figures 2- and 5. This will allow the spring 85 to expand and thus cause the pinion 5i together with member I2 to move to the left, because as this lock'cylinder is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, the projection M will be moved from engagement with the right hand inner face of hole I3; When this operation is effected the projection 68 on the left hand face of pinion 6| will be in an engaging position with the notch 61 which is integral with collar 66 on shaft 22. Upon the turning of the crank 65 in a clockwise manner in Figure l, the pinions 55, 56 and 51 and 58 are turned to cause the totalizer wheels I8, I9 and 2| to be simultaneously reset to zero position.

Figure 6 shows a detailed View of the means whereby the resetting shaft picks up the totalizer wheels. Each of the shafts 23, 24 and 25, has a longitudinally extending groove I85 therein (see Figure-6) and each numeral wheel has a pawl I59, the free end of which is adapted to engage this groove. When the totalizer wheels are operated through the driving mechanism, that is the rod 45, the wheel I8 in Figure 6 will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Therefore While rotating in this manner the pawl I06 will move out of the groove I05; however, when it is desired to reset the wheels to zero position the shaft 23 is rotated by means of crank 65 and the gears 6i and 55in a counter-clockwise manner, and of course when the groove I95 moves into contact with the free end of pawl I06, the totalizer wheel I8 will become an integral part of the shaft, that is when the shaft is rotating in a counter-clockwise"manner. A suitable leaf spring In! is employed for normally keeping the free end of the pawl I96 in contact with the periphery of the shaft 23.

Members 90 (Figures 2 and 5) have integral therewith projections 90a and these projections are adapted. to fit into elongated slots IZa'in opposed edges of member 12. The slots 12a are considerably longer than the projections 90a; therefore, a limited amount of relative longitudinal movement can take place between members l2 and 95. In other words, the projections and slots limit the relative movement between the parts 12 and 90.

It should be borne in mind that when the key 8| is inserted within the lock and the cylinder 16 is turned in a counter-clockwise manner, the member 90 and its associated projections 93 and 94 move to the left, thereby causing the projections 91 and 98 to move out of the cavities 99 and I00 in pinions and 56, respectively. This effects an unlocking of the pinions so that upon the rotation of the crank in a clockwise manner the totalizer wheels can be reset simultaneously to zero position.

In order to prevent unauthorized persons from backing up the totalizer wheels, a suitable leaf spring lock I09 is provided. The upper end of this leaf spring is adapted to engage the teeth in the lower pinion 55 (see Figures 2 and 3). In other words this spring prevents the pinion 55 from rotating in a clockwise manner at any time (Figure 3).

It is therefore seen that a pick counter has been provided having a plurality of counting mechanisms with means for resetting simultaneously all of said counting mechanisms and means for locking said resetting means.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A counter having a rotatable shaft, a plurality of counting wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft, a pinion fixed on said shaft, means for locking the pinion against rotation, a driving pinion in engagement with said first-named pinion for rotating said shaft to reset the counting wheels thereon, driving means normally out of engagement with the driving pinion, means for moving the locking means out of engagement with the first-named pinion and moving the driving pinion into engagement with the driving means.

2'. In a resetting mechanism for a counter, a rotatable shaft having a plurality of counting wheels rotatably mounted thereon, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a second shaft, a pinion slidably mounted on the second shaft and meshing with the first-named pinion, said second pinion having a clutch face thereon, a rotatable member for driving said second pinion and said rotatable shaft in a resetting direction to reset said counting wheels, resilient means normally pressing the pinion clutch face into engagement with the clutch face on the driving member and keyoperated means for moving the second pinion out of engagement with the driving member.

3. In a resetting mechanism for a counter, a rotatable shaft having a plurality of counting wheels rotatablymounted thereon,apinion fixed on said shaft,a second shaft, a pinion slidably mounted on the second shaft and meshing with the first-named pinion, said second pinion having a clutch face thereon, a rotatable member for driving said second pinion and said rotatable shaft in a resetting direction to reset said counting wheels, resilient means normally pressing the pinion clutch face into engagement with the clutch face on the driving member, key-operated means for moving the second pinion out of engagement with the driving member, and means on the key-operated means for preventing rotation of the first pinion when the clutch faces are held in disengaged position.

WOODFORD A. KENNEDY. EUGENE ROY CARPENTER.

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