US2283130A - Counting hand stamp - Google Patents

Description

May 1942- J. E. SADLER 2,283,130

COUNT ING HAND STAMP Filed Oct. 15, 1940 U 54 Ina/en'I'or JOH N EDWARD SADLER 'Z"l'orneg By" 2 ##QP Patented May 12, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTING HAND STAMP Application October 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,234

1 Claim. ((31. 235-129) The present invention relates to a counting stamper, more particularly a hand stamp provided with means for automatically counting and registering the number of imprints made with the stamp.

Objects of the invention are to provide such a device which is small, light, easy to manipulate and relatively inexpensive to construct. A further object is to provide such a device wherein the register is automatically operated by an operation necessarily performed in effecting a proper imprint with the stamper. A still further object is to provide a device of the type mentioned provided with means for giving a definite signal to the operator in the event that an actuation of the register corresponding to the making of an imprint fails to take place or in case the register is mistakenly actuated when .a corresponding imprint has not been effected. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing more particular description and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a registering hand stamp in accordance with the invention, with the register actuating parts partially depressed, and with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4 locking in the direction of the arrows, showing register actuating parts in uppermost position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the upper part of the device with the register actuating parts fully depressed;

Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the upper part of the device, the register being shown partially in vertical section, partially in elevation with the casing broken away, register actuating parts being in uppermost position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section view on the lines 5-5- of Fig. 4.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the stamper has a main stem it of lightweight rigid material, such as lightweight metal. Preferably the stem it is of small diameter, on the order of a half inch or so, and is relatively long, say, four to six inches in length. At the lower end of the stem it is located the type holder 22 which may be an integral part of the stem it} or a separate part fixed thereto and which is provided, at its lower end, with suitable sockets it for the reception of type it to form a stamping die. The type it are preferably of rubber and have their upper portions wedged into the sockets l4 leaving their printing ends projecting axially from the end of the stem It.

On the upper end of the stem Ill is mounted the counting register, indicated generally at [8. The particular register shown has a more or less cylindrical thin metal housing or casing 29 provided, intermediate its ends, with a projecting flange or pedestal portion 22 by which it is attached to the stem IE, and, on the side opposite pedestal 22 with a window 24 through which the numbers registered by the counting mechanism may be viewed.

The counting mechanism, which is shown in detail in Fig. 4, includes a main shaft 26 rotatably journaled in the end walls of the casing 2!) and extending coaxially therethrough. An end of shaft 25 extends outwardly through one end wall of the casing and has fixed thereto an operating lever arm 3b and, between said lever and said end wall, a hub member 32 having a projecting arm 34 adapted to engage stops it on the casing 2%] to limit rotative movement of the shaft- 25 in both directions. A coil spring 3? (Fig. 4) surrounding shaft 26 and connected at one end to hub 32 and at the other end to casing 20 resists rotative movement of shaft 2% in one direction between stops counter-clockwise in Fig. 1.

Within casing 25 are rotatably seated the usual number wheels, five being shown at 38, 40, 42, M and 4t, 33 being the units wheel, at the tens wheel, etc., and suitable transmission mechanism is provided for automatically advancing the units wheel 38 to register the next higher number below the window 24 at each complete reciprocal rocking of shaft 26 between the stops 36, and for similarly advancing the tens wheel id on each revolution of wheel 38, etc. The particular transmission mechanism shown is of a well-known type which includes an internal ratchet 48 on the unit wheel 38 engaged by one or more cooperating spring pressed drive pawls 58 on a disc 5| fixed to the end of shaft 25 to rotate wheel 38 with the shaft as it is turned in one direction (clockwise in Fig. 1) in the amount permitted by stops 36; one or more spring-pressed hold pawls 52 on a disc 53 fixedly connected to a fixed central boss 2E within the casing shaft 2% being rotatable within said disc 53, said pawl 52 engaging ratchet to prevent rotation of wheel 3% in the opposite direction; and an internal gear 54 on each of the other number wheels 46, 42, 44 and it in mesh with a corresponding idler cog wheel 56 rotatable on a fixed pin 51 extending longitudinally within the casing which said cog wheel is rotated to advance its number wheel one figure at each revolution of the preceding number wheel by periodic engagement with a lug 58 on said preceding number wheel.

Lever arm 30 has pivotally connected to its outer end a link 69, said link having yoke arms 62 which are pivoted by a pin 64 to opposite sides of a generally cylindrical sleeve 65 which surrounds stem ID to adjacent its lower end and is freely slidable longitudinally of the stem. Sleeve 66 is of lightweight rigid construction and fits closely, though loosely, over stem It. A flange 68 on stem Iii adjacent its lower end engages the lower end of sleeve 66 to limit downward sliding of sleeve 6%, and upward movement of sleeve 6G is limited by engagement of the to or the sleeve with pedestal 22 of the counter.

Normally, sleeve 66 is held in its uppermost position abutting pedestal 22 by coil spring 3'! which, as previously stated, opposes counterclockwise movement of counter shaft 25 as viewed in Fig. 1, and consequently opposes downward movement of lever 39 and sleeve 66 through link 68-. When an imprint is to be made with the stamper, sleeve 65 is grasped b the hand and is automatically forced down toward stop 68 by pressing the type against the surface to be imprinted, drawing lever 38 downward and turning shaft 26 counter-clockwise as shown in Fig. 1 against the resistance of spring 3'3. When printing pressure is released, spring 37 rotates shaft 28 in the opposite direction to the extent permitted by stops 36 raising sleeve and lever 39 to normal position.

A rectangular recess is in the upper end of stem IE! co-operates with pin M to prevent rotation of sleeve 66 on stem 10 which would result in strain on the connecting linkage.

For the sake of accuracy of counting, it is obviously important that shaft 26 be automatically reciprocated only once during each stamping operation to the extent required to advance the register mechanism one unit. To a large degree, this automatic operation can be assured by properly proportioning the strength of spring 31 so that its-resistance to movement of the register actuating parts to the extent required to advance the register is slightly less than the minimum vertical pressure which must be applied to sleeve 66 to effect a clear imprint with the type. The pressure necessary for properly inking the type on an ink pad is considerably less than the pressure required to effect a suitable imprint, so that, with the resistance of spring 31 so proportioned, false actuation of the counter mechanism on inking will not normally take place. However, there is no guarantee that an operator, particularly if inexperienced, will not unwittingly apply excessive pressure in inking suflicient to actuate the counter or make a light imprint with pressure insufiicient to actuate the counter, causing in accuracy in the counting. To avoid such inaccuracies, I provide novel mechanism, now to be described, for giving the operator a definite signal when a desired actuation of the register does not take place or an undesired actuation does take place.

As shown in the several figures of the drawing, rocker arm 12 is pivotally mounted on one side of lever 30 adjacent the outer end of the lever, by means of a pivot pin 14 attached to arm 12 intermediate the ends of the arm and journalled through the lever 35. Fixed to pin 14, on the other side of lever 30 from the arm 12, is a pawl 16 adapted to engage a set of ratchet teeth 1'8 when the rocker arm 12 is in the position shown in Figs, 1 and 2. Ratchet teeth 18 are formed upon one arcuate edge of a plate member fixed to the casing 20. At opposite ends of ratchet teeth 13, plate 80 is provided with a pair of fixed pins 82 and 84 projecting toward lever 30. A pull spring 86 is connected to the outer end of rocker arm 72 and to the inner end of lever 30.

When lever 38 reaches the top of its up-stroke, pin 82 strikes the inner end of rocker arm 12, pivoting the arm to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with pawl 76 engaged with ratchet teeth 78. As lever 39 is moved through the downstroke, arm 12' is held by spring 86 in this position with pawl 16 engaging and, clicking over the ratchet teeth, as shown in Fig. 1. When lever 30 reaches the bottom of the downstroke, pin 84 strikes the inner end of rocker arm 12 causing the arm to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which it engages a suitable stop (not shown) on lever 30, freeing pawl 16 from engagement with ratchet teeth 18. Spring 86 holds arm 12 in this latter position until lever 36 reaches the top of its upstroke (Figs. 2 and 4) when arm 12 strikes pin 82 and is again rocked to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be evident that in order to free pawl 16 from ratchet teeth 78, lever 38 must be moved the full extent of its downstroke so that rocker arm #2 will strike pin 84. Consequently, when insuflicient pressure is applied to sleeve 66 to pull lever 35) down to the full extent required to actuate the register, as on inking or making too light an imprint, pawl 18 remains engaged with fixed ratchet l8 preventing return of lever 30 to its upper position by spring 37. Thus the operator is definitely notified each time the stamper is pressed down on an object whether or not sleeve (56 has been pressed down far enough to actuate the register. Any improper actuation of the register or any failure to actuate the register at the proper time is thus immediately made known to the operator and error in the counting which would otherwise ensue can be avoided.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the register is shown as mounted on the main stem of the stamping die and the operating linkage as connected to the sliding sleeve or handle. Obviously, it would be possible to reverse this arrangement of parts, mounting the register on the handle and connecting the operating linkage to the stem. The arrangement shown, is, however, preferred for several reasons. In the first place, the register is necessarily relatively heavy, and if its weight were added to the handle, spring 31 would have to be much stronger than in the preferred embodiment in order to support the handle in normal raised position, so much stronger that the pressure on the handle necessary to press the handle down against the spring sufiiciently to actuate the register is likely to be greater than the pressure required for printing satisfactorily with the stamper. In that event, actuation of the register will not result from normal printing pressure on the stamper, as it does in the preferred embodiment, and the chances for error are greatly increased. In the second place, the register, if mounted on the handle, is more subject to jarring bodily movement and consequently to wear and breakage.

It will be apparent that I have herein shown and described only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes may be operatively connecting said register to said sleeve for actuation of said register on predetermined reciprocal sliding movement of said sleeve along said stem and resilient means for yieldably resisting depression of said sleeve relative to said die toward the lower limit of said predetermined sliding movement and for returning said sleeve to the upper limit of said predetermined sliding movement on release of pressure from said 10 sleeve.

JOHN EDWARD SADLER.

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