US2797863A - Timing device - Google Patents

Description

July 2, 1957 Filed on. 24. 1952 H. w. SHEPARD, JR. 2,797,863

TIMING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Harry n. Shepard, Jr.

HIS A omvsxs July 2, 1957 H. w. SHEPARD, JR 2,797,863

TIMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IO 50 9 so '0 3 4o 20 so 2O 20 I 5040 J 50 I0 F r g. 3

INVENTUR.

Harry M. Shepard, Jr.

United States PatentO TIMING DEVICE Harry W. Shepard, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 24, 1952, Serial No. 316,614

4 Claims. (Cl. 23561) This invention relates to a timing device for measuring an elapsed period of time and then automatically assigning a value to that period in accordance with a standard unit of time, and especially where such a value is computed at a rate which varies for successive standard units.

For example, such a device is needed in the operation of a parking lot. It is a common experience that at the close of a business day, literally hundreds of car owners reclaim their cars within a matter of several minutes. Accordingly, it is very important that calculating the time each car was parked and then computing the charge in view of a rate schedule be performed quickly and efiiciently so that a car owner is delayed as little as possible, particularly at a time when he is impatient to receive his car.

Delay in the past has been occasioned in part by the conventional numbering of the hours of the workday in which the number rises to 12 at noon and then begins again at 1. Consequently, it has been a source of delay, especially for inexperienced cashiers, to calculate the time from a morning hour to an afternoon hour. An even greater delay results from a varying rate of charge presently in vogue. Ordinarily, the highest per hour charge is the first, after which the hourly rate for successive hours decreases and in some instances may continue to decrease, or a given charge may cover a longer period, or both variations may be present in the rate schedule. In such cases, it becomes increasingly difiicult for a cashier to determine the parking charge quickly and accurately. Further, even though the delay caused by these and other factors amounts to a relatively short time per car, when the delay accumulates as in processing hundreds of car claims, a very real problem to efiicient parking lot operation results.

The present invention provides a timing device which in a single easy-to-perform reading indicates a parking charge. It is not necessary to determine the number of hours the car was parked; indeed it is not even necessary to be able to tell time. Further, no matter how complex or intricate the parking rate schedule may be, the present timing device determines the parking charge with the same facility.

In one form, the present device includes a disc synchronized with the operation of a conventional clock mechanism so that the disc rotates at a rate corresponding to that of an indicating hand such as an hour hand. The disc is divided into sectors, each denoting a predetermined value or charge. The values are read in registry with the face indicia of the clock.

For example, the accompanying drawing illustrates a presently preferred embodiment wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a front elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification in structure and a different setting of the device for purposes of comparison.

Referring to the drawing, this embodiment includes a housing 5 containing a conventional clock mechanism Patented July 2, 1957 (not shown) having a main stem 6 projecting centrally through an opening 7 of the housing. Indicia 8 border the periphery of the opening representing a period of 12 hours, while the space between adjacent indicia is divided into six 10 minute sections. The stem 6 carries an hour hand 9 and a disc 10 fixed to the stern behind the hand. The disc, contained substantially within the opening 7 of the housing, is divided into sectors 11 by radial lines 12 which register with the indicia 8. Ordinarily, the hour hand 9 is aligned with one of the lines 12, and this line may have an arrowhead to facilitate reading the dial. Each sector 11 represents a definite period of time which is usually. a multiple of a standard unit of time, such as an hour. Each sector 11 also denotes a value or price which includes the accumulated values or prices of intervening sectors. That is, such a value or price consists of the additive values or prices of those sectors traversed in passing counterclockwise from the hour hand to the sector in question, plus a value for that sector. Consequently, the values denoted by the sectors increase from sector to sector in a counterclockwise direction from the hour hand. The complexity of the rate schedule is, therefore, immaterial since successive sectors automatically compensate for variation in the rate. For instance, in the embodiment illustrated, a rate schedule is assumed in which the charge is: 35 cents for the first hour, 15 cents additional for each of the next seven hours or any portion thereof, 10 cents for the following two hours or any portion thereof, and 10 cents for the next two hours or any portion thereof. Accordingly, the sectors 11 show this charge as illustrated in accumulative fashion in a counterclockwise direction around the clock.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the timing device may be provided at the rear of the housing 5 with a winding handle 13 for the clock mechanism and a knob 14 to set an indicating hand. A glass sheet 15 covers the opening 7.

The hour hand and disc may be integral. For example, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the hour hand of Figure 1 has been eliminated. Instead, the disc 16 fixed to the stem 17 has one of the lines 18 defining adjacent sectors 19 suitably marked by a heavier line or arrow head or by color or still other means to distinguish it from the other lines 20. In this case, the line 18 becomes an hour line indicating the hour of the day in the same manner as hand 9 of Figure 1. A minute hand 21 is secured to an individually rotated stem 22 concentric with the hour hand stem 17.

In operation, the rate of movement of disc 10 or disc 16 is exactly equal to the rate of movement of an indicating hand, such as an hour hand. When a car owner reclaims his car, it is necessary for the cashier to know only the time of his initial arrival. For instance, assume the ticket of a car owner indicates he parked his car at 9:30 oclock in the morning and is now reclaiming his car at 2 oclock in the afternoon, the situation illustrated by Figure 1. The cashier need only look at 9:30 on the indicia 8 bordering the opening of the housing and observe that this time registers with sector S which indicates a charge of cents. If the car owner reclaims his car at a later time of about 5:30 oclock, the present timing device will be in the position of Figure 3. The cashier again reads 9:30 on the indicia 8 and notes that this time trgiow corresponds with sector S1, or that the charge is now In this respect, it is emphasized that not only is it not necessary for the cashier to be able to tell time, but is not necessary for the cashier to know even the present hour of the day since the timing device automatically compensates for these features by its continuous operation. To this end, the hour hand 9 of Figure 1 or the hour line 18 of Figure 3 need not even be used. It is preferred, however, to employ an hour hand of some design to insure that the leading divisional line of the sector indicating the charge for the first hour does, in fact, correspond to the present hour of the day. In the same manner, it is further desirable to include a minute hand. When the elapsed time between a car owncrs leaving and calling for his car is very close to an exact number of hours, the time reading on the indicia 8 is correspondingly very close to a line of division 12 or 20.

In this case, the minute hand is very useful in determining which sector, in fact, should be used to indicate the parking charge. For example in Figure 3, the minute hand 21 definitely shows the elapsed time to be past the halfhour. Therefore, the cashier can be sure that the 9:30 reading on the indicia 8 falls within the sector denoting a charge of $1.50 and not the sector denoting a charge of $1.40.

In the embodiments illustrated, the charge for an elapsed time exceeding 12 hours cannot be determined. However, it is Within the contemplation of this disclosure to adapt the present timing device to a 24-hour clock, such as, for example, is sometimes employed by the Navy. It is apparent that in such a clock, 24 hours are required for one revolution of the hour hand so that the concept of the present timing device is equally adapted for such a period.

In the event an elapsed time exceeds 24 hours, the date on the ticket of the car owner, or in other instances the date of the business record, calls attention to this fact.

Accordingly, the timing device is substantially foolproof regardless of the length of the elapsed time.

While the foregoing disclosure describes a presently preferred embodiment, it is understood that the invention may be practiced in other forms within the scope of the folowing claims.

I claim:

1. A device for measuring an elapsed time and assigning a monetary value thereto including a clock mechanism of the type having a minute shaft and having an hour shaft and an hour indicating hand mounted thereon, means synchronized with the movement of the hour indicating hand including a disc fixed to the shaft and having sectors bearing monetary indicia which increase by varying increments in accordance with a schedule in a counterclockwise direction, and a fixed time scale bordering the disc whereby the sector which registers against a prior time as represented by the fixed time scale indicates a monetary value measured from an instant time as represented by the hour indicating hand.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the disc and indicating hand are integral.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indicating hand is a radial line on the disc defining a line of division between two adjacent sectors.

4. A device for determining the cost for an elapsed period of time at a varying rate per unit of time without directly caculating the period in terms of such units and then applying the varying rate, including: a housing having an opening in a face thereof, indicia bordering the perimeter of the opening and representing said units of time, a clock mechanism of the type having concentric stems carrying hour and minute hands disposed within the housing and directing the concentric stems centrally through the opening, a disc fixed to the hour hand stem and substantially contained within the opening whereby the movement of the disc is synchronized with the movement of the hour hand, the surface of said disc being irregularly divided into sectors corresponding to units of time by lines radial to the stems, said lines registering against the indicia bordering the perimeter of the opening, each sector bearing indicia denoting a predetermined price which increases at a varying rate of charge from sector to sector in a counterclockwise direction whereby the sector corresponding to a prior time read on the indicia bordering the perimeter of the opening measures an elapsed period extending from such prior time to the present and the price denoted by the sector so corresponding instantly indicates the charge for that elapsed period in accordance with units of time and a varying rate of charge established by the number of intervening sectors.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,410 Margolis Nov. 30, 1897 1,280,591 Tuttle Oct. 1, 1918 1,572,884 Colvin Feb. 16, 1926 2,026,998 Sanford et al. Jan. 7, 1936 2,293,459 Ewing et a1. Aug. 18, 1942 2,670,794 Gallagher Mar. 2, 1954

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