US2556123A - Flywheel governor for parking meters - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1951 R. T. TRlER ETAL FLYWHEEL GOVERNOR FOR PARKING METERS Filed Sept. 21, 1949 INVENTpRS Raymond T Trver MwrbinHKa/efer ATTORNEYS Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLYWHEEL GOVERNOR FOR, PARKING METERS Application September 21, 1949, Serial No. 116,972

9 Claims.

The invention relates generally to coin-operated parking meters of the. general type shown in the McGay Patent No. 2,284,221, and in the co-pending application of R. T. Trier, P. C. Janson and R. D. Murphy, Serial No. 111,648, filed August 22, 1949, and entitled Time Selecting and Coin Handling Mechanism. More particularly, the invention relates to novel governing means for the clockwork mechanism which drives the resetting mechanism of the meter.

In the conventional clockwork mechanism embodied in parking meters, a small fan is geared to the mechanism and acts as a governor or brake against the action of the main spring in driving the resetting mechanism. Consequently, a certain amount of the energy of the main spring is used to overcome the braking action of the fan, which detracts from the driving efliciency of the main spring and decreases the number of resetting-operations obtained with one winding.

However, the inertia of the fan is not sufficient to slow down the starting speed of the resetting mechanism materially, and as a result enough additional frictional engagement must be maintained-between theindicator and indicator shaft to prevent a sharp jar or impact when the ratchet pawl-drivenby the resetting mecha nism engages the ratchet cam on the indicator to advance or reset the indicator. Such a jar or impact tends to cause the indicator to be advanced too far along the time scale so that it does not register accurately the proper time interval corresponding to the coin deposited. This additional frictional engagement between the indicator and indicator shaft requires additional energy from the main spring and hence decreases the number of resetting operations obtained from one winding.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide novel governing means for the clockwork mechanism of a parking meter, which overcomes the disadvantages of prior constructions.

Another and more specific object is to provide novel governing means for the clockwork driving the resetting mechanism of a parking meter, which governing means retards the starting speed of the resetting mechanism without substantially increasing the load on the main spring.

Another object is to provide novel governing means which aids the main spring in driving the resetting mechanism after said mechanism has been started.

A further object is to provide novel governing means which regulates the resetting mechanism to set the indicator accurately while requiring less frictional engagement between the indicator and indicator shaft.

Another object is-to 'providenovel governing means for the resetting mechanism which diminishes the starting impact. between the ratchet pawl and the ratchet cam on the indicator and which obtains a substantially greater number of resetting operations for one winding of the main.

spring.

A still further object is to provide novel gov;- erning means which is simple and inexpensive,v

which is easily incorporated with a brake for stopping the mechanism which drives the resetting mechanism, and which embodies friction clutch means for relieving shock on the brake shaft.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, improvements, constructions and combinations comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawing as exemplifying the best known mode of carrying out the invention, the said embodiment being described in detail in the following specification, and-the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

In general terms, the flywheel governor comprising the present invention may be described as including a spinner assembly which is driven through a gear train from the drive shaft for the resetting mechanism and is arranged to be stopped by a trip latch actuated by a coin-controlled trip lever, there being a flywheel journaled on the spinner shaft and friction clutch means between the flywheel and a drive pinion on said shaft.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation looking toward the rear side of the front plate of the clockwork for a parking meter, showing somewhat diagrammatically the trip latch and flywheel governing means, otherp-arts of the clockwork being omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached axial sectional view of the spinner brake assembly and flywheel governor;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation as on line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a. cross sectional view as on line 44, Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to' similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In Fig. 1 the front plate on which the clockwork mechanism is mounted is indicated generally at 10, and preferably this plate is shaped to fit against the rear surface of a casing on the opposite side of which the resettingmecham'sm is mounted. The plate, Iii may be provided with circular holes i I, I2, and I3, as shown. The shaft on which the indicator of the resetting mechanism is mounted is shown'at l4 and the wind-- 3 'ing arbor for winding the main spring of the clockwork in a usual manner is shown at I5.

The trip shaft It extends forwardly through the casing of the resetting mechanism and is arranged to be rocked or rotated by a coin-controlled trip lever (not shown) which is part of the resetting mechanism, so that when a coin is deposited in the meter the trip shaft will start the clockwork to drive the resetting mechanism. Preferably, a wire trip latch I1 is bent around and secured to the shaft [6, and is arranged to start the clockwork to drive the resetting mechanism when the outer end of the latch is raised, as indicated in dot-dash lines. Preferably, the latch has a hook 8 at its outer end for engaging the spinner brake arm, and has a spring (9 connecting its inner end to the rear plate of the clockwork for urging the hook l8 downwardly.

The shaft 20, which is referred to as the sector shaft in the aforesaid co-pending application, extends forwardly through the plate H3 and the casing attached thereto, for operative connection with the resetting mechanism. The shaft has a pinion 2i fixed thereon called the second pinion, and driven by a gear 22 which is driven through suitable gearing from the main sprin (not shown). The shaft 20 is operatively connected to the spinner brake assembly by a gear train including a gear 23 on the shaft called the third wheel, and the third wheel meshes with a third pinion 24 fixed on a shaft 25. The shaft 25 carries a fourth wheel 26 meshing with a fourth pinion 2'! on a shaft 28, and the shaft 28 carries a fifth wheel 29 meshing with the spinner pinion 33 secured on the spinner shaft 3 I.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the pinion 30 may be secured to the shaft or arbor 3| by splines 32, and a steel washer 33 is journaled on the shaft 3! and frictionally abuts one side of the pinion. A shouldered sleeve 34 journaled on shaft 3| is yieldingly urged against the washer 33 by means of a compression spring 35 which is secured at one end on the reduced portion of sleeve 34, and journaled at its other end against the shoulder 36 of a collar 31 secured to the shaft 3|. The outer end of the spring 35 has a radially extendin angular arm 38 which is adapted to be engaged by the hook l8 of the latch I1 to stop rotation of the spinner pinion 30, and accordingly stop rotation of the sector drive shaft 20 through the gear train operatively connecting the shafts.

The novel flywheel governor is mounted on the shaft 3i on the opposite side of the pinion 30. The flywheel governor :33 is a metal disc secured preferably on a shouldered collar 4| which is journaled on the shaft 3! and abutted on its outer surface by a metal washer 42 which is held in place by a collet 43 secured on the shaft 3|.

Friction clutch means acting between the flywheel and the spinner pinion 30 preferably includes a double-ply dished Washer 44 which at its central part frictionally engages the pinion and at its outer edge frictionally engages the flywheel. Preferably a small amount of graphite is applied between the collet 43 and washer 42, between the dished washer 44 and pinion 33, between the steel washer 33 and sleeve 34, and between the shoulder 36 and the end of spring 35.

In the operation of the novel flywheel governor, when the trip latch I 1 is actuated by a coin being deposited in the meter, the hook l8 releases the arm 38 of the spinner assembly allowing the spinnerpinion 30 and shaft 3| to be rotated through the gear train from the drive shaft 20, which of course allows the drive shaft to operate the resetting mechanism. The frictional engagement between the dished washer 44 and the pinion and flywheel, causes the flywheel to rotate with the pinion, but the inertia of the flywheel is sufficient to govern or regulate the speed of the sector shaft 20 so that the ratchet pawl driven by the resetting mechanism does not strike the ratchet cam on the indicator shaft too sharply and drive the indicator past the desired time interval shown on the time scale. As the flywheel comes up to the speed of the spinner shaft 3|, the momentum of the flywheel provides additional energy toward rotating the sector shaft 20, thus relieving the load on the main spring somewhat, with the result that a greater number of resetting operations is accomplished with one winding of the main spring,

This is a decided advantage over the conventional constructions using a fan as a governor, because the fan always acts as a brake against the driving action of the main spring, and accordingly each resetting operation requires additional energy, so that the total number of operations obtained with one setting is substantially less than with the present flywheel governor.

The inertia of the flywheel when the spinner pinion starts to rotate actually slows down the initial speed of the resetting mechanism by about 30 per cent over prior mechanisms using a fan type of governor, and this diminishes the jar or impact of the ratchet pawl against the indicator ratchet cam to such an extent that a much smaller amount of frictional engagement between the indicator shaft and the indicator is required to allow the indicator to remain at its advanced position when the resetting mechanism pulls the ratchet pawl back to starting position, the indicator being returned in the proper time interval from the advanced position by the clockwork operating through the usual escapement. Due to this lesser amount of frictional engagement between the indicato and its shaft, the resetting operation of advancing the indicator through the engagement of the ratchet pawl and the indicator ratchet cam requires less energy from the main spring and increases the number of resetting operations obtained from one winding of the spring.

When the coin-controlled trip lever of the resetting mechanism is released, allowing the spring Hi to rock the hook 18 of the trip latch downwardly, it engages the arm 38 of the spring 35 and stops its rotation. When the rotation of the spring is stopped, the friction of the spring against the shoulder 36 tends to lengthen the spring which exerts a gradually increasing compressing force against the sleeve 34, which in turn stops the pinion 30 through the frictional engagement of the washer 33. As the pinion 30 stops, the frictional engagement of the dished washer 44 with the pinion and the flywheel 40 allows the flywheel to slip momentarily and thus come to a gradual stop after the pinion has stopped, thus avoiding undue shock on the shaft 3| due to the momentum of the flywheel.

The novel flywheel governing mechanism accordingly slows down the starting speed of the resetting mechanism without substantially increasing the load on the main spring and obtains greater accuracy in resetting the indicator. A greater number of resetting operations is obtained for one winding of the main spring by decreasing the amount of frictional engagement between the indicator and its shaft and by aiding the main spring in driving the resetting mechanism after the flywheel has accelerated. Moreover, the novel flywheel governor is adapted to be embodied easily in a conventional clockwork mechanism in place of the ordinary fan type governor, without imposing a shock load on the governor shaft.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and. are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention, the construction, the operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, a coin-operated trip latch for stopping rotation of said spinner pinion, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft, and friction clutch means between said pinion and flywheel.

2. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, a coin-operated trip latch for stopping rotation of said spinner pinion, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft, and a dished washer frictionally engaged between said pinion and flywheel for allowing the flywheel to stop gradually after the pinion is stopped.

3. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, friction means journaled on said spinner shaft and abutting one side of said spinner pinion, a spring rotatable with and urging said friction means against said pinion, a coin-operated trip latch for engaging said spring to stop rotation thereof, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft, and friction clutch means between said pinion and flywheel.

4. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, friction means journaled on said spinner shaft and abutting one side of said spinner pinion, a spring rotatable with and urging said friction means against said pinion, a coin-operated trip latch for engaging said spring to stop rotation thereof, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft, and a dished washer frictionally engaged between said pinion and flywheel for allowing the flywheel to stop gradually after the pinion is stopped.

5. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, a friction washer abutting one side of said spinner pinion, a sleeve journaled on said shaft for forcing said washer against said pinion, a spring secured at one end to said sleeve, springretaining means abutting the other end of said spring, a coin-operated trip latch arranged to engage said other end of the spring to stop rotation thereof, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft on the opposite side of said pinion, and friction clutch means between said pinion and flywheel.

6. In a parking meter having an indicator resetting drive shaft and a clockwork for driving said drive shaft, a spinner brake shaft, a spinner pinion fixed on the spinner shaft and operatively connected through a gear train to said resetting drive shaft, a friction washer abutting one side of said spinner pinion, a sleeve journaled on said shaft for forcing said washer against said pinion, a spring secured at one end to said sleeve, springretaining means abutting the other end of said spring, a coin-operated trip latch arranged to engage said other end of the spring to stop rotation thereof, a flywheel journaled on said spinner shaft on the opposite side of said pinion, and a dished Washer frictionally engaged between said pinion and flywheel.

'7. In a parking meter having indicator resetting mechanism and a clockwork including means for driving said resetting mechanism, a brake shaft operatively connected through a gear train with said driving means, coin-operated trip means for stopping rotation of said brake shaft, a flywheel journaled on said shaft, and friction clutch means acting between said flywheel and shaft.

8. In a parking meter having indicator resetting mechanism and a clockwork including means for driving said resetting mechanism, a brake shaft having a pinion fixed thereon operatively connected through a gear train with said driving means, coin-operated trip means for stopping rotation of said pinion, a flywheel journaled on said shaft, and friction clutch means between said pinion and flywheel.

9. In a parking meter having indicator resetting mechanism and a clockwork including means for driving said resetting mechanism, a brake shaft having a pinion fixed thereon operatively connected through a gear train with said driving means, coin-operated trip means for stopping rotation of said pinion, a flywheel journaled on said shaft, and a dished washer frictionally engaged between said pinion and flywheel.

RAYMOND T. TRIER. MARTIN H, KAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,284,221 McGay May 26, 1942 2,285,056 Ruska June 2, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 558,488 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1944

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