US2254661A - Recording machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1941. M, 5, MARKLEY ET A 2,254,661

RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 2'7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR-S.

M yron l7. Mar/Flay, 4 3b BY Jose vb P1. Mar/(k 40i? WATTORNEY,

Sept. 2, 1941. M. D. MARKLEY ET AL RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Myron Z7. Mar/Hey Jose v7? M Morkiey- J Patented Sept Z, 1941 Y naconnmc mourns Myron D. Markley and Joseph M. Markley, Jr., Canton, Ohio Application April 27, 1939, Serial No. 270,294

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a recording machine which is capable of recording mileage and time in the operation of a vehicle, whereby the distance traveled, the time consumed during travel from place to place and the time elapsing between stops. of the vehicle are accurately recorded on a paper strip or web.

While such recorded information is or may be useful to the driver, it is particularly useful where the vehicle is loaned to and operated by an employee, to permit the employer to keep account of the operations of the vehicle, as well as to secure an accurate and definite record thereof, whereby the duties or work assigned to the employee may be checked and the employee cannot make personal use of the vehicle without detection.

- In machines of this type wherein the operations thereof have been effected by means of electric devices, of which we have knowledge, difllculty has been experienced in securing quick and accurate operation of the recording disks due to the failure of the switch elements to effectively control the electric circuits or the operating means for controlling the switch elements to operate accurately. -In machines of this type it is desirable to provide a substantially instant closing and opening of the switch to avoid delayed action and/or arcing, and where the switch is operated or controlled by a clock or time mechanism the latter must be free to operate accurately, to insure accurate time recording by the recording disks.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved switch for an electric circuit and operating means therefor, whereby the contacts are controlled to effect a quick make and break operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved switch and operating means therefor arranged to be actuated by a time mechanism and constructed so as to eliminate danger of retardation of the time mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which our invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a recording machine, showing the operating mechanism for the time recording disks and other parts of the machine, the casing being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the time mocha the switch and operating means therefor in driving relation to the time mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4a. is a fragmentary section on the line Fig. 5 is a front view of the time mechanism on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the switch and its operating member.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the switch and its operating member, enlarged.

Fig. 9 is a diagram.

In the drawings, l indicates as an entirety the mechanism (a) for totalling the number of miles traveled by a vehicle, (2)) for indicating the time of day and (c), for printing the time and mileage on a paper strip or web. 2 indicates as an entirety a time mechanism. The mechanism l is mounted in a casing la, which may be mounted on'any part of the vehicle (a portion of whichits instrument boardis shown at A), but preferably in aposition whereby access within the casing la. may take place from time to time to mount a roll of paper B, on which the mileage and time are recorded; also detachment of portions of the paper strip carrying the recorded data. The time mechanism 2 may also be mounted on any part of the vehicle, for example on the instrument board- A thereof. In this arrangement the time mechanism 2 may be utilized as a clock for the driver (see FigI 5). The mountings for the mechanism l and time mechanism 2 should be such as to prevent tampering or sealed to prevent unauthorized access thereto for obvious reasons.

The mechanism I consists of the following: 3 indicates a base on which are mounted standards 4 (one only being shown), which remov-- ably support a shaft (1. The paper roll B is mounted on the shaft la, the paper strip drawn therefrom being guided by a roller 5, loosely mounted on standards 8 on the base 3, to a platen I, the latter being preferably in the form of a roll, which also serves as a feed means for the paper strip, as later set forth. From the platen 1, the paper strip feeds through a hollow guide 8, which extends through the base 3, so that portions of the strip may be detached from time to time. 9 indicates a frame, supported on the base 3 above the platen I by suitable standards, one thereof being shown at H). The frame nism, parts thereof being broken away to show 9 consists of side plates and an intermediate plate it) supported in spaced relation by certain shafts forming parts of the mechanism and cross roads certain of which are secured in position by screws II, 2. It indicates a set of numbercarryin disks loosely mounted on a shaft |3a (see Fig. 9), which is held in position by the screw l2, the disks being drivingly connected in a well known manner, whereby the revolution of one operates the adjacent disk to indicate the accumulated mileage. The disk carrying the units is drivingly connected to a shaft H, which is supported at its outer end by a bracket Ila. The shaft I4 is provided with a worm gear I! in mesh with aworm Ito, which is fixed to a shaft It. The shaft Ii leads through the base 3 and is drivingly connected to a rotating part of the vehicle transmission, whereby the travel of the vehicle is transmitted to the disks II. The disks II are so set and related that those numbers thereon which are in opposed relation to the platen I indicate at all times the accumulated mileage. N indicates the disks carrying numbersrepresenting the minutes and hours of a day period and a. m. and p. m., loosely mounted on the shaft I31: and suitably connected, whereby the angular movement of one controls the angular movement of the adjacent disk, the disks being actuated and controlled by the time mechanism 2, as later set forth, and so set and related that those numbers and letters thereon in opposed relation to the platen I always indicate the time of day corresponding to the time indicated by the time mechanism 2. The outermost time disk is provided with a gear I8 in mesh with a gear l9 fixed to a shaft 22, which is supported by the adjacent plate Ila and plate Oh. Oh the outer side of the adjacent plate to the shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 2|, arranged to be engaged and operated by a dog 22, whereby each operation of the latter operates the ratchet wheel 2| the distance of one tooth (counterclockwise as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4a) and the latter through the shaft 20 and gears It. It, rotates the outermost or end time disk to move the succeeding unit thereon into printing position. The dog 22 is preferably pivoted on a link 23 which is swingably mounted on the outer end portion of the shaft 20, and normally urged into engagement with the ratchet wheel 2| by a spring 24.

The outer end of the link 23 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a link 25, the inner end of which is connected to the core 20 of a solenoid 21. The solenoid is suitably mounted on the adjacent plate to, and when its coil is energized by the closing of a circuit 28, as later set forth, the core 2! is moved upwardly and through the links 25 and 21, and-the dog 22, rotates the ratchet wheel 2| the distance of one tooth; and upon de-energization of the solenoid coil, the core 26 gravitates downwardly to position the dog 22 in operative relation to the succeeding tooth on the ratchet wheel 2|, such downward movement being limited by a stop 23a. A strip 29 formed of resilient material and suitably mounted at its inner end on the plate so adjacent to the ratchet wheel 2|, is provided at its outer end with a laterally extending portion which rides on the teeth of the ratchet wheel when rotated and is arranged to lie behind each tooth thereof to prevent movement thereof clockwise.

The platen I freely rotates on a shaft 30 suitably mounted at its opposite ends in spaced side members 3| (one only being shown) which are mounted on the base 3 to move the platen I each thereof is pivotally connected to the outer ends of a pair of parallel links 33, 33a, the upper links 33 being pivoted at their inner ends on the shaft 5 and the lower links 3341 being suitably fixed to a shaft 34 mounted at its opposite ends in the standards 8. The shaft 34 has fixed to it an arm 35, which is pivotally connected by a link 35a to the armature 38 of an electro-magnet 31 mounted on the base 3. The platen I is normally disposed in the position shown in Fig. l, with the lower ends of the side members 3| resting on a cross bar 38 and the armature 28 in inoperative relation to the coil of the electromagnet 31, so that upon energization of the electro-magnet coil, the movement of the armature 38 through the link 35a, arm I, shaft 34 and links 33, 33a, will impart a quick upward movement to the platen I and thus effect printing from the disks I3 and II upon the paper strip. Upon de-energization of the electromagnet coil, the platen I gravitates to its normal position. In such return movement of the platen, a ratchet wheel 38 fixed and axially related to one end of the platen I is engaged by a pawl 39, the effect of which is to rotate the platen a predetermined distance (counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1) so as to feed the paper slots 40 to receive and slidably support the opposite ends of a shaft 4| loosely carrying a roller 42. The roller I2 is normally biased toward the platen I by springs connected to the opposite endsof the shaft ll, to secure the paper strip thereto so that the latter moves with the platen when it is rotated by the pawl 29, as above set forth. One end of the shaft II has pivoted to it an arm 42, whichsupports on its outer end a locking device, preferably a roller 44, arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 38, being normally biased into such engagement by a spring connected to the arm ll and the adjacent extension Ila. The roller 44 serves to prevent rotation of the platen I during its upstroke and rotation thereof clockwise. The pawl 39 is pivotally mounted on the base 2 and provided with laterally extending wall "a which is engaged by a spring 39b, the latter operating normally to maintain the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel 38. It will be noted that when the paper strip is grasped and pulled outwardly through the guide 8 preparatory to detaching a portion thereof, which operation serves to rotate the platen I, the roller H and pawl 39 ride the teeth of the ratchet wheel 38.

The circuit 310. for the electro-magnet 31 is not shown, but the switch therefor may be of any suitable construction and operated by a hand or foot lever, such as shown in the co-pending application filed by Joseph M. Markley, Jr. (one of the applicants herein), on July 11, 1935, Serial No 30,911, now Patent No. 2,159,727 granted on May 23, 1939, or operated by or incorporated with some device for controlling the vehicle, for example, the ignition switch.

The inked ribbon 32 is mounted on spools 22a suitably mounted on and between the frame plates 9a and is wound from one spool to the other and reversed by any suitable feed and reversing mechanism, which is not shown as it forms no part of the presentinvention. The ribbon is guided from the spools 32a by rollers 32!) loosely mounted on shafts $20 so as to feed it below and relative to the disks l3 and I1.

The time mechanism 2 is constructed in any desired manner, the form shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 being operated by a spring which is wound up by a device 46 and the hands maybe set and reset by a device 45a.

Provision may be made to seal the devices 46, 45a, and easing la so that the devices and mechanisms within the casing cannot be operated or tampered with by anyone not so authorized. The sealing means are not shown as the same form nopart of the present invention.

The mechanisms so far described in themselves form no part of our invention and may be of any desired construction, except that the shaft 2' for the minute hand 2a is provided with or drivingly connected to a cam 41 for operating and controlling a switch, indicated as an entirety at 48 for closing and opening the circuit 28. By preference the cam 41 is suitably fixed to the outer end portion of a shaft 49 mounted in the rear wall of the casing for the time mechanism 2. The inner end of the shaft extends within the casing and is provided with a gear 490. in mesh with a pinion 49b, which is fixed to the shaft 2',

the ratio of the gear and pinion being arranged to rotate the cam 41 at the same speed as the shaft 2' so as to make one complete revolution each minute to thereby close the circuit 28 and automatically, through the electro-magnet 21 and pawl and ratchet devices operated thereby, to move the time disks |1 one step to indicate the time change by minutes. The switch 48 comprises a pair of resilient contact carrying, conductor plates or strips 5|, 5|a, suitably fixed at their inner ends to the opposite faces of a block 52 formed of insulating material and extend therefrom for engagement with and control by the cam 41. In this form of mounting the strips are in opposed, spaced relation and being formed of resilient material, they may be flexed on transverse lines in the same direction and put under tension by the cam 41, while maintaining the contacts (later referred to) thereon in disengaged relation and separately controlled, as later set forth, one relative to the other, in each cycle of operation. The switch and cam are preferably enclosed in a housing 480.. The block 52 is provided with a base 52a, which is preferably secured by screws to the casing for the time mechanism 2. By preference the plates 5|, 5|a, are secured to the block 52 by terminals 53, 53a, to which the leadsfor the circuit 28 are connected. Each terminal 53, 53a, consists of a bolt, having its head engaged with one strip, extending through it, an insulation bushing mounted in a through opening formed in the block 52 and the other strip, the end of the bushing remote from the bolt head being flanged and engaged by nuts, between which the adjacent lead is clamped, whereby the other strip is insulated from the terminal and both strips are secured to the block 52 by the bolt and nuts thereon. In this arrangement each strip is secured to the block by both terminal; 53, 53a, and the leads are electrically connecte through the terminals to the strips at opposite sides of the block 52. The strips 5|, 5| a, are provided on their opposed faces with contacts 54 normally disengaged as shown in Fig. '1, but arranged to be momentarily engaged in each rotation of the cam 41 to close the circuit 28. As

shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the outer end'portion.

of the conductor strip 5| is cut away at one side as shown at'5|a:,- to form an extension 5| arranged to ride' on the surfaces of the cam 41 and the outer end portion of the conductor strip 5|a is cut away, as shown at 5|:c, at that side thereof opposite to the cut away side 5|:z: of the strip 5| to form an extension 5|a, the interme diate portion of which is bent downwardly and outwardly to dispose its outer end portion or extension 5|a' in the plane of and in side by side relation to the extension 5| so as to ride on the surfaces of the cam 41, the free end of the extension 5| projecting beyond the free end of the extension 5|a', as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, for a purpose which will later appear. The cam 41 has a surface 41a substantially concentric to the shaft 49 and a contiguous extended surface 411) which is eccentric to the shaft 49 and terminates at one side of the cam to form a shoulder 410 between the terminating edge of the cam surface I 41b and the cam surface 41a. As will be understood, the extensions 5|, 5|a, ride on the cam surfaces. 41a, 411), as the cam 41 rotates and during such movement of the cam the strips 5|, 5|a, are supported in substantially normal position as they ride the surface m and flexed upwardly and put under spring tension as they ride the eccentric surface 411), with the contacts 54 maintained disengaged, and as the extension 5|a rides off the terminating edge of the cam surface 41b the strip 5|a springs toward its normal position with a snap action and effects engagement of the contacts 54 (see Fig. 3) and closing of the circuit 28, and following engagement of the contacts 54 the extension 5| rides off the terminating edge of cam surface 41b and springs with a snap action back to its normal position thereby permitting the strip 5|a to move to its normal position and effecting by such movement a quick disengagement of the strips to break the circuit (see Fig. 7) The projection of the extension 5| beyond the extension 5|a' provides for this successive make and break or engagement and disengagement operation. As shown in Fig. 3, the extension 5| while riding the cam surface 41b, following the release of the extension 5|a' therefrom, is flexed upwardly sufficiently to support the strip extension 5|a through the contacts 54 out of engagement with the cam surface 41a to insure a positive contact of the contacts one with the other, and upon release of the extension 5| from the cam surface 411) and breaking of the circuit 28 both extensions 5|, 5|a', engage the cam surface 41a ready for the succeeding operation. By preference, the side wall of the shoulder 410 is inclined rearwardly relative to the terminating edge of the cam surface 41b to insure free snap-action movement of the extensions 5|, 5|a, when released from the cam surface 41b. As the cam 41 makes one revolution per minute, it will be seen that the time interval during which the contacts 54 are engaged is relatively short, but such interval may be lengthened or shortened by varying the length of the extension 5| relative to that of the extension 5|a. Due to the fact that the major portion of the cam 41 is concentric to the shaft 49 and is related to the supporting block 52 so as to permit the strips 5|, 5|a, to be supported thereby in their normal position,

that is, under slight tension, very little friction results during the riding of the extensions 5|, Ma, on the cam surface "a, and as the cam surface 41b has a short throw relative to the shaft 0, the friction thereon during the riding of the extensions on the cam surface "b is minimized, so that danger of retarding the operation of the time mechanism, whereby inaccuracy thereof in keeping time would result; is eliminated.

In the arrangement shown, the current for the circuit 28 may be supplied from the batteries which supply current to the ignition system for the vehicle or by separate batteries.

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of construction, somewhat diagrammatically wherein the time mechanism 2:: is of the electric type, the current therefor being supplied by batteries C, either the batteries for the ignition system for the vehicle or separately installed batteries; but the time mechanism may be operated by a spring which is wound automatically by electrically operated means.

To those skilled in the art to which our invention relates many changes in construction and widely difl'ering embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Our disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

While our form of switch and switch operating means has special advantages when combined with and operated by a time mechanism, such as the works of a clock mechanism, to intermittently operate a remote device, illustrated herein as consisting of a number carrying, rotatable disk for a registering mechanism, such switch and switch operating means may be otherwise employed to intermittently operate a movable member or where the revolutions of a shaft or movements of a part drivingly connected with the shaft are to be counted and/or recorded.

For example, a cam similar to the cam 41 may be drivingly connected to the vehicle transmission and a separateswitch l8, circuit 28, solenoid 21 and pawl and ratchet mechanism operated by the latter may be arranged to operate the mileage disks l3.

It will also be noted that since the extensions 5|, ila, of the conductors are disposed in side by side relation, successive release of the extensions may be provided for by making them of the same length and providing on the cam two eccentric cam surfaces 47b disposed in different angular relation about the cam axis.

It will be understood that the mechanism herein disclosed embodies means for (a) changing, adjusting or re-setting of the time carrying disks in the event those time recording elements which are at any time in position to make a record on the web B do not agree with the time indicated by the clock mechanism 2 and (b) for indicating on the web B such operation of changing, adjusting or re-setting these disks.

The foregoing means, parts of which are shown at 55, form no part of the present invention, for which reason these means are not more illustrated and described.

What we claim is:

In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an electrical device and a circuit and source of current supply for said device, of a rotating member having a surface concentric to its axis and a contiguous surface eccentric thereto and forming a shoulder between said surfaces, a pair of superposed, spaced resilient strips supported at one end and provided on their opposed faces with contacts electrically connected to the leads of said circuit, and arranged to close said circuit when said strips are relatively moved one toward the other, the opposite end portions of said strips beyond said contacts being cut away and the upper strip having a depending off-set to position its free end in side by side relation with the free end of the lower strip and permit their free ends simultaneously to engage and ride on said concentric and eccentric surfaces of said cam with said contacts in disengaged relation, said surfaces being arranged to support and flex said strips to put them under tension while maintaining said contacts in disengaged relation and said lower strip being longer than said upper strip, whereby the latter is released from said eccentric surface in advance of the lower strip as said shoulder revolves past their free ends to permit movement of the. first released strip toward the other strip to effect engagement of said contacts.

MYRON D. MARKLEY. JOSEPH M. MARKLEY, JR.

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