US2286506A - Registering mechanism driving and reset means interlock - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1942. PIPER V 2,286,506

REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTBRLOCK Filed Feb. 29, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 1 My fiDE/V HP/PER M/ZZ Sue-M E. H. PIPER 2,286,506

REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTERLOCK June 16, 1942.

Filed Feb. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwkm ffLDEN H PJPEP WWW June 16, 1942. IP R REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTERLOCK Filed Feb. 29, .1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 64 gywe/wbow ELDEN H PIPER g M 35% M MW Patented June 16, 1942 REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTERLOCK Elden H. Piper, Manchester, Conm, assignor to Veeder-Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 29, 1940,'Scrial No. 321,534

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus including a registering mechanism and comprehends generally the provision of improved interlocking means between the means for initiating a dispensing operation and the resetting mechanism of the registering means.

The object of the present invention is the provision of improved interlocking means whereby once a dispensing operation is initiated the registering mechanism cannot be reset to zero until the dispensing operation is completed and whereby, following the completion of a dispensing operation a second dispensing operation can not be initiated until the registering mechanism has been reset to zero.

A further object is the provision of interlockingfmeans comprising cooperating parts carried by the control means for initiating a dispensing operation and the reset mechanism of the registering means,and wherein the usual operations of the control and reset mechanism automatically set and release the interlocking means.

A further object is to provide an improved interlocking mechanism of the above indicated type characterized by its ease and simplicity of operation, the utilization of a minimum number of parts, the compactness in arrangement and by its dependability and reliability in service and performance.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a liquid dispensing apparatus embodying the invention herein;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the registering mechanism showing such parts as are necessary for an understanding of the invention herein;

Fig. 2A is a detail view of the reset shaftlimiting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3A is a detail view of the reset shaft overthrow compensating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view of the control and interlocking means when the registering mechanism is at zero prior to a dispensing operation;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts in position during a dispensing operation;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts in a position immediately following a dispensing operation;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary view of the end of the reset shaft with the parts of the interlocking mechanism carried thereby shown in section.

Referring to the drawings, the liquid dispensing apparatus comprises the usual rectangular casing 10 having mounted therein a pump I2, operated by a belt l4, driven by a motor 46, supported ona transverse platform 48. The suction side of the pump is connected through a pipe 20 to a storage tank (notshown), and discharges through a pipe 22 to a meter 24, supported on a second transverse platform 26. The outlet side of the meter 24 has connected thereto a dispensing hose 28 provided on its free end with a dispensing nozzle 30 having an operating handle and a handle guard 36 of common construction. The dispensing device further includes a registering mechanism 36 having a plurality of cost or quantity indicating counters 38 driven in a counting direction by suitable drive means (not shown) operatively connected through a shaft 40 to the meter 24. Referring to Fig. 2, the indicating counters 38 are all adapted to be reset to zero upon rotation (in a clockwise direction) ci a reset shaft 32?. mounted in spaced apart supporting frames at and 45, and a train of gears generally designated as 44 intermediate of the reset shaft and the indicating counters. The details of the aforementioned registering mechanism are all fully disclosed and described in the copending application of Edward A. Slye, Serial Number 265,498 and only such description will be hereinafter given as is' necessary for an understanding of the invention herein.

In the mechanism disclosed, the dispensing operations are controlled by a lever 46 pivotally mounted on a substantially rectangular sup.- porting plate 48 secured to the supporting bracket 43 to one side of the reset shaft 42'. plate 48 is secured to the bracket 43 by top and bottom screws 50, the screws being of such length that spacing sleeves 52 may be positioned thereon between the plate 48 and the supporting frame 43 and thus space the plate from the bracket. As seen in Fig. 4, the control lever 46 is of substantially U-shape comprising an inner vertical arm 54, a horizontal arm 56, and an outer vertical arm 58, and the inner vertical arm thereof is provided with a lateral offset adjacent the upper end thereof, having an aper- The . reset shaft.

ture therein for pivotally mounting the lever on a pivot pin 62, secured to and extending inwardly from the supporting plate 48. As indicated, the pivot pin 62 is located above the plane of the reset shaft 42 whereby the vertical arms 54 and 58 of the lever 46 are positioned to opposite sides of the reset shaft and the horizontal arm 56 thereof underlies same.

In order to utilize the movement of the lever 46 to operate the motor I6 the outer vertical arm 58 thereof is provided at its upper end with a lateral ofiset having an aperture therethrough, through which there extends a connecting rod 66, the lower end of which is secured to a switch lever 60 on the motor I6. To permit adjustment of the rod 66 the upper portion thereof is threaded and the lateral offset 64 of the arm 58 may be maintained in abutment against a stop nut 10 positioned above same by a spring I2 positioned below same and maintained under tension by a second stop nut 14, the stop nuts being secured in place by adjacent cooperating lock nuts 16. With this arrangement, when the control lever 46 is in its lowermost or inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 4, where it is held against further clockwise pivotal movement by a stop finger 18 extending laterally from the lower arm 56 and abutting the supporting plate spacing sleeve 52, the switch lever 68 will be in off position, whereas when the lever 46- is pivoted counterclockwise to operative position (see Fig. the switch lever 68 willbe in on position to start the motor I6 and initiate a dispensing operation.

"To look the reset shaft against rotation upon initiating a dispensing operation, cooperating means are provided on the control lever and the reset shaft 42, adapted to interlock upon the movement of the control lever from inoperative to operative position. The means for accomplishing this comprise a locking lug 80 extending upwardly and at a slight angle from the horizontal arm 56 of the control lever 46 and adapted to be received within a lug receiving recess 82 provided on the reset shaft 42 and alignable with the lug when the registering mechanism is at zero position. For convenience in manufacture, the locking lug recess 82 may be provided in a looking disc 84 rigidly secured to a hub 86 pinned to the reset shaft 42 for simultaneous rotation therewith, the locking disc 84 being so positioned pensing operation by the movement of the control lever 46 to inoperative position, the locking lug will. be moved out of the recess whereupon the reset shaft may be rotated. However, once the recess 82 is out of alignment with the looking lug 80 the lever 46 cannot again be moved a the lug would abut against the periphery of the locking disc 84.

However, to prevent movement of the control lever to start a second dispensing operation prior to resetting, further means are provided for latching the control lever against movement from inoperative position until a resetting operation has been initiated. The means for ac- I comulishing this comprise a latch 88 pivotally and slidably mounted on the inner vertical arm Upon the completion of a disof the control lever 46 and a latch stop and resetting cam 90 rigidly secured to the hub 86 of the reset shaft 42.

Referring initially to the latch stop and resetting cam 90, there is cut therein adjacent the latch 88 a recess 9| to provide a horizontal radial shoulder 93 positioned 90,in advance of zero position and an angular or stop shoulder 95 positioned approximately 30 in advance of the shoulder 93. The radial shoulder 93 is bent outwardly to lie forward of the plane of the cam and carries on the outer end thereof a holding lug 91 extending inwardly and at right angles thereto, the holding lug 91 functioning to temporarily restrain movement of the latch 88 as hereinafter explained. Referring now to the latch 88, it comprises a substantially rectangular plate 89 provided at its upper end with a slot 92 for pivotally and slidably mounting the latch 88 on a pivot pin 94 extending forwardly from the upper end of the vertical arm 54 of the control lever 46. As seen in Figs. 4 to 6. the slot 92 is cut at an angle of approximately and extends downwardly from the upper right hand corner and transversely ofthe plate 89, for reasons hereinafter apparent. The lower end of the latch is further connected to the lever 46 by a spring 96, having connected at one end to a latch depending finger 98, and at its other end to the horizontal arm 56 of the control lever 46, the spring normally tending to maintain the latch in its lowermost position with the pivot pin 94 located in the top of the slot 92, which position the latch assumes when the registering mechanism is at zero position. The edge of the latch 80 adjacent the reset shaft 42 is further provided with a forwardly extending stop lug I00 disposed opposite the restraining lug 91 of the latch stop and resetting cam 80. Below the stop I00, the edge of the plate 89 is cut inwardly to provide a vertically arranged stop face I02 spaced inwardly from the plane of the stop I00 and below the stop face I02, the plate is again out inwardly to provide a right angle holding shoulder I04.- To cooperate with the stop face I02 and holding shoulder I04 of the latch, there is arranged on the vertical arm 54 of the control lever 46 an outwardljextending stop pin I06 against which the stop face I02 of the latch abuts when the registering mechanism is in zero position.

With the latch 88 and the latch stop and resetting cam 90 constructed in the manner above described, and assuming that the registering mechanism is at zero position, upon movement of the control lever 46 to operative position to initiate a dispensing operation, the latch 88 being mounted thereon will be simultaneously moved therewith. However, as the latch supporting pin 94 is located above the pivot 62 of the control lever 46, it will move in the arc of a circle and in addition to carrying the latch upwardly, it will cant same about the stop I06 to position the stop lug I00 above the plane and over the restraining lug 91 of the latch stop and resetting cam 90, the position of the parts then being as indicated in Fig. 5. As previously explained, when so positioned, resetting cannot be accomplished as the locking lug will have moved into the recess 82 of the. reset shaft looking disc 84.

Upon the completion of a dispensing operation, the control lever 46 will again be moved downwardly to inoperative position. When this occurs, due to 'the position of the latchstop lu I over the restraining lug 9'! the stop lug will be initially lowered into contact with same and the latch restrained against further downward movement. When so restrained, the stop pin I06 of the control lever 46 will move downwardly until it clears the stop face I02 and moves into abutment with the positioning shoulder whereupon the latch holding pin 94 will move downwardly within the slot 92 causing a transverse sliding of the latch 88 to position the latching lug I00 beneath the stop shoulder 95 of the cam 90 and in alignment with the channel 930: defined by the offset of the radial shoulder 93, whereupon the parts will be in the position indicated in Fig. 6. When so positioned, if an attempt is made to move the control lever 46 to operative position the latching lug I00 will abut against the stop shoulder 95 of the cam 00 and thus restrain operation of the lever 45 and prevent the starting of a second dispensing operation prior to resetting. Upon resetting, inasmuch as the stop lug I00 is positioned above the channel 93a the cam 90 will be free to rotate and clear same and thereafter the periphery of'the cam will engage the lug I00 to force the latch towards the left until the holding pin I06 of the control lever, 46 is aligned with the stop face I02, whereupon the tension of the spring 96 will draw the latch downwardly to its initial position. Obviously, as soon as rotation of the reset shaft is started, the lock ng lug recess 32 will move out of alignment with the locking lug 80 to prevent operation of the control lever 46 and offset the movement out of alignment of the latching lug I00 and cam stop shoulder 95.

As previously indicated, the registering mechanism shown is of the type disclosed in the above indicated Slye application Serial Number 265,498. l

be possible to initiate a dispensing operation without a complete resetting operation. The present invention contemplates, however, the further provision of means for preventing the initiation of a dispensing operation in counters of the above indicated type Where the reset shaft has an overthrow. Before describing same, however, so much of'the mechanism as is necessary to understand the means for limiting the rotation of the reset shaft and the means for reversing it to compensate for the overthrow will first be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 22A, 3 and 3A for limiting the rotation of the reset shaft 42, there is'fixed thereon and positioned between the supporting frame 43 and a spacing sleeve 41, spaced outwardly from the frame, an outer stop actuating cam and a reset limiting cam H0. The stop cam I08 has cut in the periphery thereof an arcuate notch III to provide a rearwardly facing (relative to the direction of rotation) radial shoulder H2 and a forwardly facing cam shoulder I I4. When in zero position the shoulder H2 is positioned 90 from the vertical center line of the reset shaft and the camming shoulder II4 slightly in advance of zero position, the functions thereof being subsequently described. The ad, jacent reset limiting cam I I0 is of equal radius to the stop cam I00 at the notch II I and has on its periphery a radially extending forwardly facing stop shoulder II6 angularly retarded from zero position.

Cooperating with the stop and reset cams is a bell crank lever H8 pivotally mounted on a pin I20. extending outwardly from the supporting bracket 43 and spaced thereby to lie in the plane of the limiting cam I I0. The lever I I6 includes a horizontally extending stop arm I22 and a vertically extending positioning arm I24 having an inverted V end receivable behind a detent I26 for normally holding the lever H6 in a position with the stop arm I22 clear of the limiting cam I I0. The detent I26 is provided on the outer end of a spring finger I28, the inner end of which is fixed to the frame 43 thus providing a flexible holding means from beneath which the arm I24 may be readily released.

To release lever H8 from beneath the detent there is carried by the stop arm I22 a connector I30 which is pivotally mounted thereon intermediate of its ends whereby it extends above and below same. The lower end of the connector I30 is normally urged into engagement .with the periphery of the actuating cam I08 by a spring E32 interconnecting the upper end thereof with the positioning arm I24.

The edge of the connector adjacent the stop cam Ilil further has provided thereon a camming abutment EM adapted upon rotation of the rea set shaft :22 in a resetting direction to be engaged in a counterclockwise direction. Upon such pivoting, the connector will abut against a stop $36 extending forwardly from. a finger I38 depending from the stop arm I22 resulting in rotation of the lever H8 in a counterclockwise direction. The rotation of lever II8 will result in the release of the positioning arm I24 from beneath detent I26 whereupon the outer end of the stop arm I22 will fall onto the periphery of the limiting cam H0. However, upon complete rotation of the reset shaft 42 through one revolution plus the extent of overthrow thereof the stop shoulder H6 of the limiting cam H0 will abut against the outer end of the stop arm I22. and, when this occurs, the shoulder II 2 of the stop actuating cam will have moved beyond the lower end of the conhector I30. Thereafter. upon reverse rotation of the reset shaft to compensate for overthrow, the shoulder I I2 will engage the lower end of the connector to pivot the lever H8 in a clockwise direction and again rotate the positioning arm I24 be-' neath the detent I26. In order to automatically compensate for overthrow the reset shaft 42 further has mounted thereon adjacent. but inside the supporting frame 45. a cam I40 having therein a peripheral notch I42 (see Fig. 3A). Cooperating with the cam. I40 is a throwback pawl I44 pivotally mounted intermediate of its end on the frame 45 and provided at one end with a roller I40 adapted to ride on the periphery of the cam I40 and be positioned in the notch I42 thereof. The roller I46 is normally urged into engagement with the cam periphery by a spring I48' having one end connected to the outer end of the pawl I44 and the other end connected to the frame 45. The cam notch I42 is so located that the roller I46 will remain therein through the extent of overthrow of the reset shaft and due to the tenupon release of the reset shaft, the roller will again ride inwardly and automatically reverse 1 the reset shaft through the angular distance of overthrow.

For preventing the initiation of a dispensing operation prior to the complete rotation of the reset shaft including the overthrow thereof, there is further mounted on the reset shaft and freely rotatable thereon, a second locking disc (see Fig. 8), the locking disc being positioned between the spacer 41 and the locking disc 84. The locking disc I50 has a lug receiving recess I52 therein, alignable with the recess 82 when the mechanism is at zero position and is normally held in such alignment by a spring finger I54 having one end fixed to the supporting plate 48 and its other end receivable in a notch I56 provided-in the periphery of the disc. There is further provided between the locking disc 84 and locking disc I50 9. lost motion driving connection comprising a pin I12 will pivot in a counterclockwise direction to raise the connecting rod 66 and move the control lever 46 to operative position whereupon the sequence of operations heretofore described will result.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 4

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, registering means, means for driving said registering means, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means to zero, a control lever for said driving means movable from an inoperative position to an operative.

position to initiate-movement of the drive means,

I58 extending rearwardly from the disc 84 and reset shaft has completed its movement and be reversed through the distance of overthrow.

As indicated, the above described control lever and associated locking means may all be en? closed within a casing I62 adapted to overlie same and be secured to the supporting frame 43 by screws I64, the screws extending through spacing sleeves I66 for properly holding the casing from the supporting frame.

In order to have the control lever automatically operable and. of course, the interlocking means simultaneously automatically operable therewith in response to the removal and the replacement of the dispensing nozzle 30, the lower arm of the guard 34 of the latter is provided with a slot for receiving the hooked end I68 of a supporting bracket I10 mounted on the side of the casing I0. Pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on the bracket I10 is a lever I12, the outer end of which lies in the path of movement of the "guard 34 and the inner end of which connects through a link I14 to the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever I16. The bell crank lever I16 is pivotally mounted on a bracket I18 on the casing I0 and the vertical arm of the lever connects to the depending arm of a second bell crank lever I80. The bell crank lever I80 is likewise pivoted to a bracket I82 on thecasing I0 and the horizontally extending arm thereof is apertured to receive the upper end of the rod 66 interconnecting the control lever 46 and the switch lever 68, the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever being positioned between stop nuts cooperating means carried by said reset shaft and said control lever for locking said reset shaft against operation when said control lever is in operative position, a latch member carried by said control lever, a latch abutment carried by said reset shaft, means operative upon movement of said control lever to inoperative position from operative position to position said latch member beneath said latching abutment whereby said control lever may be latched in inoperative position and meansfcarried by said reset shaft for moving said latch member to unlatched position upon resetting of said shaft.-.

2. In combination, registering means, drive means for said registering means, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means to zero, means for limiting rotation of said resetting shaft after it has been operated through one complete revolution plus a slight overthrow past zero position, means for automatically reversing operation of said shaft to zero position, a control lever movable from an inoperative position to an operative position to initiate movement of said driving means, cooperating means carried by said control lever and said reset shaft for locking said reset shaft against rotation. when said control lever is in operative position and means operative upon rotation of said shaft to reset said counter for preventing movement of said control lever from inoperative position throughout the full movement of said reset shaft.

3. In combination, registering means, drive means for operating said registering means, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means to zero, a control lever movable from an inoper ative position to an operative position, a latch member carried by said control level-,9. cam member carried by said reset shaft, said cam member having a recess therein adjacent said latch member to provide a latch abutment, cooperating means carried by said control lever and said cam member for positioning said latch member in latching position beneath said abutment when said control lever is moved from an operative position to an inoperative position, said cam member being adapted uponrotation of said reset shaft to move said latch memben to unlatching position from beneath said abutment.

4. In combination registering means, means 'on said latching member and said lever for for driving the registering means, a reset shaft for resetting the registering means to zero, a control level movable from an inoperative position to an operative position, said control lever including a substantially horizontal arm and vertical arm lying respectively beneath and to the side of the reset shaft, said control lever being pivoted intermediate of the ends of the vertical arm, a latching member pivotally and slidably mounted on said'vertical arm above the pivot point of said arm, said latching lever beingprovided with a stop lug located adjacent the reset shaft, shoulder means carried by said reset shaft for engaging said stop lug upon rotation of the reset shaft when the lug lies in the'path of said shoulder means, and further means carried by said reset shaft and cooperating with said lug for moving said lug into the path of said shoulder means upon movement of the control lever from an operative position to an inoperative position, and cam means for moving said stop lug out of the path of said shoulder means upon rotation of the reset shaft.

5.,In combination registering means, means for driving the registering means, a reset shaft for resetting the registering means, a control lever for-said driving means movable'from an inoperative position to an operative position, cooperating means carried by said lever and said reset shaft for locking said reset shaft when said control lever is in operative position and latching means for restraining movement of said control lever when moved from an operative position to an inoperative position, said latching means comprising a latching member pivotally and slidably mounted on said control lever, cooperating means initiating movement of said latching member to latching position upon movement of the control lever from an inoperative position to an operative position, cooperating means on said reset shaft and said latching lever for completing the movement of said latching member to latching position upon movement of the control lever from operative position to inoperative position and means operative upon resetting of said reset shaft for returning said latching member to initial position.

6. In combination registering means, means for driving the registering means, a reset shaft for resetting the registering means to zero, a control lever movable from an inoperative position to an operative position, cooperating means carried by said control lever and said reset shaft for locking said reset shaft when said control lever is in operative position, cooperating means on said control lever and said shaft for latching said control lever in inoperative position following movement from an operative position, said cooperating means comprising a latching member pivotally and slidably mounted on the control lever and a latch stop and latch resetting cam secured to said reset shaft, said latching member and said latch resetting cam including cooperating lugs operative upon movement of the control member from the operative to the inoperative position to position the lug of said latch member beneath said latch stop and means operative upon rotation of said resetting shaft for

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