Nov. 27, 1956 T. a. STUDEBAKER 2,772,052

GASOLINE MILEAGE CALCULATOR Filed May 7, 1955 llo INVENTOR f l BY f f l ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent() GASOLINE MILEAGE CALCULATOR Thomas B. Studebaker, Arlington, Va.

Application May 7, 1953, Serial No. 353,606

1 Claim. (Cl. 23S-84) This invention relates to calculators, the primary object of the invention being to provide a mechanical calculator designed for calculating the number of miles traveled by a motor vehicle with the consumption of a given quantity of gasoline.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed and arranged that it may be operated for quickly and accurately determining the miles traveled per gallon of gasoline consu-med.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character embodying a casing including spaced top and bottom members constructed of suitable rigid plastic material, the top and bottom members of the casing being connected at one corner of the casing, providing a section to be gripped by the fingers of the person operating the calculator, so that the scale discs may be operated, eliminating any interference in the operation of the discs by the hand of the operator holding the calculator.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and cornbinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure l is a plan view partly broken away, illustrating a calculator constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the calculator comprises a casing embodying an upper disc-like section 5 and a lower substantially rectangular base section 6 the casing being constructed preferably of rigid plastic material. As shown, the upper section is formed integral with the base section at one corner of the base section, and provides a holding section 7 by means of which the device may be held in the hand of the person operating the discs of the calculator, to be hereinafter more fully described.

Formed substantially centrally of the base section 6 is a bearing opening 8 in which the reduced end 9 of the operating shaft 10 is disposed, the reduced end 9 providing a shoulder 11 that rests against the surface of the base section 6, as clearly shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The reference character 12 indicates a substantially large disc which is secured to the operating shaft 10, adjacent to the base 6, the disc 12 being formed with graduations 13 arranged in a circular line in spaced relation with the edge of the disc 12 providing a scale to be considered in determining the number of miles traveled per gallon of gasoline.

Indicia are provided opposite to certain graduations 13 completing the scale, the indicia ranging from 5 to 40,

as clearly shown by the drawing. It will also be noted that the graduations 13 divide the spaces between the indicia into fractions of miles.

Arranged on the disc 12 and disposed in spaced relation with the graduations 13, is a circular line of graduations 14, certain of these graduations being supplied with indicia opposite thereto, the indicia ranging from 50 to 400. As shown, the indicia of the scale including the graduations 13, are directly opposite the indicia 14.

The reference character 15 indicates a scale disc which is of a diameter appreciably less than the diameter of the disc 12, the scale disc 15 being disposed directly over the disc 12. An indicator hand or pointer 16 extends from the periphery of the scale disc 15 and extends to a point adjacent to the indicia of the graduations 13, the indicator hand or pointer extending beyond the edge of the upper disc-like section 5.

The section 5 is provided with a window 17 through which the scale embodying the graduations 14 may be viewed at all ti-mes.

A circular line of graduations 18 is formed on the upper surface of the disc 15 from which the index hand or pointer 16 extends, and this circular line of graduations is viewed through the window 19 formed in the upper disc-like section 5. An indicating arrow 20 appears on the upper disc-like section 5 and is pointed towards the graduations 14 of the scale operating under the window 17.

An indicating hand or pointer 20 is also provided on the upper surface of the upper disc-like Section 5 and is directed towards the graduations appearing in the circular line of graduations 18` Forming a part of the scale dise 15, is a tubular shaft 21 which rotates on the operating shaft 10, the tubular shaft 21 passing through a central opening of the upper disc-like section 5, as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The outer end of the shaft 10 is knurled at 22 so that the shaft may be readily gripped for rotation. The extended end of the tubular shaft 21 may also be ronghened or knurled so that this shaft may be easily rotated.

In operation, assuming that a vehicle has traveled one hundred miles and has consumed 121/2 gallons of gasoline, the shaft 10 is rotated to bring the indicia 100 of the disc 12 under the pointer 20. The disc 15 is now rotated to bring the graduation indicating 121/2 gallons directly opposite to the pointer 21 with the result that the indicator hand or pointer 16 moves opposite the numeral 8 of the scale including graduations 13 indicating that 8 miles have been traveled with each gallon of gasoline consumed.

In view of the foregoing it is believed that a person may readily and easily operate the discs of the calculator to quickly determine the number of miles traveled on a predetermined quantity of gas consumption.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A calculating device of the class described, comprising a base section and an upper disc-like cover section formed integral with the base section and spaced thereabove, upper and lower superposed rotatable discs operating on said base section under said cover section, said lower disc being substantially greater in diameter than the diameterV of the cover section and having outer and inner circular lines of graduations formed therein, the outer line of graduations indicating miles traveled per gallon of gaso* line, being visible beyond the edge of said cover section, said inner line of graduations representing the miles traveled, said upper disc being of a diameter less than the lower disc and having a circular line of graduations formed on the upper surface thereof indicating the number of gallons. of gasoline consumed during travel, said cover section, having windows through which such graduations on said' upper and lower discs are viewed, an index hand extending from the edge of said upper disc movable therewith andi.

Patented Nov. 27, 1956l References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS cooperating with the graduations in the outer circuiar lineA of' graduations on the lower disc indicating miles traveled for each gallon of gasoline consumed, when said 4discs are-moved to predetermined positions under said 655653 Guau Aug' 7 1900 windows, and means for. eiecting rotation of vsaid discs. 5 2,489,030 Herrick NOV. 22, 1949