US2996585A - Timing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

1961 R. H. LEHDE 2,996,585

TIMING MECHANISM Filed Aug. s, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI FIG.2

20 all J 14 INVENTOR. RICHARD H. LE HDE ATTORNEY.

1961 R. H. LEHDE 2,996,585

TIMING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. RICHARD H. LEHDE A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent 2,996,585 TIMING MECHANISM Richard H. Lehde, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Dayton Company, Inc., West Hartford, Conn., a corporation Filed Aug. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 47,183 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-39) The present invention relates generally to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in a temporising device or timing instrument or interval timer in which measured periods or increments of time may be varied by a cam means in manner that an initial time increment of a specific duration followed by successive time increments of gradually increasing longer, or shorter, duration are provided, all within and by means of a unitary mechanism.

More particularly stated, this is a temporising device for elfectuating the functioning of an operating member or members during a succession of gradually increasing, or gradually decreasing, lapses of time.

It will be helpful to an understanding of my invention to consider first and briefly some of the essential points and more important features and aspects thereof, so that same may be kept in mind during the subsequent reading of the detailed description of the practical embodiment of my improvements and of the illustration thereof in the hereunto annexed drawings. Accordingly, it is g first to be noted that my invention may be'embodied in any device having a problem necessitating the employ ment of different time intervals during its successive op- I erations.

.Ihe particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, embraces the concept of a timing apparatus which is operable through an initial cycle and subsequent cycles of varying duration, wherein the successive cycles may be of gradually increasing duration or of gradually decreasing duration.

-It is -a particular object hereof to provide a novel timing device which is readily adaptable for use in cooperation with vending machines of the type which meter out quantities of a liquid and wherein the characteristics of said vending machines make dispensing periods of successively longer, or shorter, duration a desideratum for their successful functioning.

Stated otherwise, it is a salient object hereof to provide an improved form of interval timer which may be preset to accurately measure a succession of time intervals of varying (increasing or decreasing) duration by way of connecting a time-measuring mechanism to a constant speed motor so as to vary the length of time before which an operating instrumentality of the vending machine is ealled into operational use as successive dispensing steps ensue.

'Reduceto simplest terms, this invention relates to a timing mechanism for actuating a member after a predetermined interval of time, which time interval differs with each successive use of the construction with which said timing mechanism is associated.

In the laboratory, factory, store, home and elsewhere, there are many instances Where operations must be carefully timed. That is, they must be terminated after a predetermined period. Too, in a specific installation or piece of equipment, it is conceivable that it may be I160- essary in the case of a plurality of timed increments, one following another, that certain of the increments be of longer or shorter duration than the others, or that each successive timed increment be slightly longer or slightly shorter than the immediately preceding timed increment.

Interval timers heretofore known have not been capalile of measuring a plurality of intervals of time in manner where the successive intervals are of increasing or decreasing duration.

By means of the mechanism hereof, an oscillating am, used in conjunction with a revolving ratchet and cammed stop, solves the problem so that successive time intervals variable as to each other may be readily obtained.

One specific use envisioned for the invention hereof is in a vending machine of the type which dispenses cups of percolated coffee upon the insertion of coins thereinto. As is well known, such a vending machine drops a cup into position below the discharge spout of a coffee urn within the machine and dispenses a metered charge of the colfee thereinto. Upon completion of the discharge, the patron removes the cup from the machine. Needless to say, such vending machine will dispense in seriatim a plurality of cups of coffee according to the capacity of the machine. These cups of cofiee may be dispensed within a matter of minutes or of hours according to the location and popularity of the machine.

Such a machine of common type maye have a capacity of 60 cups and is identified as a 60 cup machine. It will be appreciated that the capacity of the vending ma chine is of no particular import to this invention, same being readily adapted for use in vending machines of any specific capacity.

Experience has dictated, however, that in the dispensing of cotfee in such manner, the first cup of metered coffee will be best metered during an operating interval of certain duration, say 2% seconds, and the last or .sixtieth cup, in 'the case of a '60 cup machine,"w'ill" bef best metered during an operating intervalvof slightly longer duration, say 3% seconds, with the second to fifty-ninth cups being best metered during varying operating intervals which gradually increase between 2 /2 seconds and 3 /2 seconds in direct ratio to the number of the discharge. For instance, the thirtieth cup will be best metered during an operating interval of 3 seconds.

The characteristics of the vending machine and of the material dispensed thereby which lead to the aforesaid necessity in successive timing increments of gradually increasing duration are of no concern here. Suffice to say that they are such as to make a timing mechanism which can control the duration of the timed intervals an obvious necessity as this gradual increase, and in some instances it may be a gradual decrease that is desired, in successive time intervals must be compensated for in some manner. Herein, I provide a timing apparatus which provides a succession of time lapses which successfully responds to this need.

Without intending to place undue limitations uponthe scope of the invention beyond what may be required by the state of the prior art, the invention may be briefly described as consisting of an oscillating timing arm adapted to operate between a spiral shaped rotating stop and a circuit holding and breaking device, withthe arm being provided with means for rotating the spiral shaped stop a specific distance each cycle, and means for driving'the arm at synchronous speed and returning it through spring action.

It is a distinct advantage hereof to provide a timing device which is extremely simple in its arrangement of component parts, whereby various time intervals may be accurately measured, and all without the necessity of complex gearing and/ or camming and/ or spring return mechanisms.

The invention resides in the particular construction, arrangement, combination, and relationship of the various elements, components and instrumentalities of the timing apparatus as exemplified in the detailed disclosure hereinafter set forth wherein the objects of the invention, as de fined in the paragraphs above will be apparent.

These foregoing objects and other incidental ends and 3 f advantages will in part be obvious and apparent and will in part be more fully pointed out as the nature of the invention is better understood in the progress of the disclosure below. To the end of attaining these and any other object and advantage hereinafter reasonably appearing, it will be explained that the invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, as described in detail hereinafter, as shown in the annexed drawings, and as defined with particularity in the appended claims.

It will be apparent however that the physical embodiment delineated, albeit the preferred exemplification, is only indicative of but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and in which the component parts may be combined and arranged Same is submitted as one best known embodiment of the invention in accordance with the patent statutes and is given with a view to illustrating and explaining the precise nature of the principles of the invention and their embodiment for practical use, in order that others skilled in the art to which the invention pertains may be enabled to adapt and modify them in numerous embodiments, variations and modifications, each as may be best adapted to the conditions of any particular use.

The characteristic features which I consider to be novel with my invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description when read in conjunction with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the timing device embodying the novel features of my invention;

b FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the timing device of the invention shown in FIG. 1; and

- FIGS. 3 and 4 are other plan views of the timing device shown in FIG. 1 showing the relationship of parts in other positions of operation.

In the following description and in the appended claims, various components and details thereof will be identified by specific names for purposes of convenience. Such names, however, are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

With continued reference now to the drawings, which illustrate schematically a typical and preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of disclosure and forms a part of this specification, I have shown a mounting plate 1 upon which various components of the device may be mounted, as will be observed.

An upstanding support 2 extends vertically upwardly from the planar surface of said mounting plate 1 and is provided at its upper free extremity with a hub 3 of reduced diameter. The hub 3 has a downwardly-depending threaded opening therein in which a shoulder screw 4 is threadedly engageable and by which means a stop member 5 and a ratchet wheel 6 may be secured relative to each other in spaced coplanar relation as to each other on top of the hub 3 and on top of the support 2 respectively. Being so secured relative to each other, they are rotatable together as the ratchet wheel 6 is actuated in manner as will hereinafter appear.

Said stop member 5 is provided with a cam surface 5 which operates in coaction with an oscillating arm to produce successive time intervals of longer or shorter duration, in manner as will be observed.

A pawl 7 is fixed to said mounting plate 1 as by rivets 8 so as to provide a free extremity spaced upwardly of said mounting plate and engageable with the teeth on the outer periphery of the ratchet 6.

A timing motor 9 is fixed to the mounting plate 1 and a horizontally-disposed generally L shaped arm 10 is fixed at one of its extremities upon a motor shaft 12 extending transversely from the timing motor 9 and through the mounting plate 1.

A cam follower 10' has an end fixed to the opposite extremity of the arm 10 at a right angle relative thereto and has a free end which is confrontable with the cam surface 5' of the stop 5.

The cam face of the stop, as will subsequently be observed, limits the travel of the cam follower by reason of the length of the stop periphery which the cam follower abuts, holding the cam follower closer to or further from the lever 29.

A hub 11 is sleeved upon the motor shaft 12 and be- 1 low said arm 10 wherefor the arm is disposed upwardly i above and coplanar with said mounting plate 1. Said hub may be fixed to the motor shaft as by a set screw 13 in known manner. P

A horizontally-disposed lever 14 is fixed to the upper planar surface of the arm 10 in manner so as to have an outer extremity extend outwardly beyond the side edge of the arm and has a shoulder stop 15 extending upwardly from the mid section thereof and an actuating feed pawl pin 16 extending upwardly from the inner extremity there of.

A spring 17 is anchored at one end to a spring stud 18 extending upwardly from the arm 10 distantly of said lever 14 and is anchored at its other end to a spring stud 19 extending upwardly from the outer extremity of lever 14.

A stop pin 20 extends upwardly from the upper planar surface of arm 10.

A lever 21 is pivotally mounted upon the upper planar surface of the mounting plate 1 by means of a shoulder stud 22 which extends through said lever at the mid-section thereof.

An upwardly extending latch release pin 23 is fixed to one end of the lever 21.

A spring 24 has one end anchored to a spring stud 25 extendingupwardly frorn the lever 21 and the opposite end anchored to a spring stud 26 mounted on the mounting plate 1 distantly of said lever 21.

A stop pin 27 extends upwardly from the mounting plate 1 adjacent said lever 21 and serves to limit the j pivotal motion of the lever, as will be observed.

A latch pin 28 extends upwardly from said lever 21 t at the end of said lever opposite from the latch release pin 23.

A generally U-shaped latch 29 is slidably mounted upon said mounting plate 1 as by one or more latch studs 30 fixed to said mounting plate 1. The studs are extendable through a slot 30' in said latch 29 wherefor said latch may be slid-ably adjusted relative to said mounting plate and toward and away from the support 2 and its related components, the amplitude of the rectilinear movement of the latch being determined by the length; of the slot 30'. L

The latch 29 is provided with a horizontally and out: wardly extending finger 29' having a catch thereon and; which extends laterally outwardly from the uper end ofE one: of the arms thereof in coplanar relationship with? and above the mounting plate 1. The edge of the finger 29' is suitably notched so as to be engageable with and? disengageable from the latch pin 28 as the latch is slidr there-toward and there-from respectively. 5

It will be understood that said latch 29 is representative of a push button or the like used to open or close a circuit upon the deposition of a coin as in a vending machine.

When the latch is moved in one direction, the circuit is closed, and, when moved in the opposite direction, the circuit is opened, same eifectu'ating the opening and closing of contacts operating in conjunction with the latch; as will be observed.

The moment the circuit is closed, the load, such as, for example, the solenoid pouring valve of the vending machine and the timing motor are energized by means now to be described. T

A pin 31 is carried by an insulator 32 and extends up;- gvgxrdly from a rearwardly extending branch of the latch A contact spring 3-3 is supported upwardly and outwardly of an insulator 37 as by a rivet 38 and is electiically connected to the load.

A contact spring 34 is supported upwardly and outwardly of the insulator 37 as by a rivet 38 and is electrically connected to the timer motor 9.

Said cont-act springs 33 and 34 are disposed in spaced parallelism and are provided with aligned contact points 35 and 36 on the outer ends of the contact springs 33 and 34 respectively.

Rivets 39 secure the insulator 37 to the mounting plate 1. a I

A spring 40 is disposed between a spring stud 41 extending upwardly from the mounting plate 1 and the pawl pin 16 extending upwardly from the lever 14 in manner to underlie the stop 5, v

The construction of my timing apparatus having been described, its operation will now be explained.

To initiate the. cycle, latch 29 is reciprocated to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 as by the deposition of a coin in the vendingmachine so as to close the contacts 35 and Y 36 by flexing said contact 36 toward said contact 35 by its confrontation with the insulated pin 31. Such completes a circuit between the timer motor 9 and the load.

Such reciprocation of the latch 29 additionally brings the catch of finger 29' thereof into engagement with the pin 28 of the pivoted lever 21, said lever being yieldable so as to permit the interlocking of the pin 28 and the catch of finger :29. v 7

The timer motor 9 having been energized, the motor shaft 12 is rotated so as to rotate the arm in a clockwise direction upon its axis towards the latch release pin Before the arm 10 reaches the release pin 23, the feed a pawl pin 16 on the lever 14 engages a tooth in the ratchet 6 so as to effectuate the advancement of the stop 5 to a new position.

That is, such elements permit a periodic movement of rotary translation of the feed pawl pin to the ratchet wheel which produces an angular movement of the ratchet wheel.

It will be understood that following the indexing of the stop to its new position, the pawl 7 engages the ratchet wheel 6 in known manner so as to locate the ratchet wheel and the stop in the new position.

The movement of the feed pawl pin 16 is at least equal to the pitch of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 6 so as to produce, during each feed movement of this feed pawl pin, an angular feed of the ratchet wheel at least equal to the pitch of the teeth.

Thus, the ratchet wheel and the stop are driven progressively forwardly with each rotative sweep of the feed pawl pin 16 in an arc each time the arm 10 is swung.

The arm 10 meantime continues its pivotal movement so as to engage the release pin 23 and bring about the swinging of the lever 21 upon its pivot so as to disengage the pin 28 from the catch of the finger 29' wherefor the lever 29 is returned to its normal non-operative position and the contacts 35 and 36 are separated to break the circuit to the timer motor 9 and the load.

As the timer motor clutch is disengaged when the current to the motor is broken, the spring 40 serves to cause the return of the arm 10 to its new position adjacent the cam of the stop 5. That is, the cam follower 10' limits the return of the arm to the extent that its outer extremity confronts the cam of the stop 5 in its new position. The temporising device is again in the ready state prepared for measuring a fresh or next time increment.

With each subsequent sliding movement of the latch 29 and resultant closing of the contacts 35 and 36, effectuated by the deposition of a coin into the vending machine, the cam follower 10' of the arm 10 assumes a different position relative to the cam face 5' of the stop 5, thereby causing the time required for the arm 10 to pivot and contact the latch release 23 to change accordingly.

For example, when the cam follower 10' is in contact with the position on the cam face 5' of the stop 5, as

shown in FIG. 3, less time will be required to rotate the 10 into contact with the latch release 23 than is required when said cani follower 10' is in contact the position on the face as shown in FIG. 1, the distance of the stroke being shorter. 7

It will be understood that while the timer motor at a constant speed, the time interval required for the completion of a cycle will be directly determined by the position of the stop lever 10 relative to the stop 5.

The contacts 35 and 36 will remain closed for a longer or shorter period of time dependent upon the position of the stop lever 10' relative to the stop 5 and the resultant arc of travel of the stop lever 10' and of the 10. Consequently, the contacts 35 and 36 will remain closed for longer or shorter lengths accordingly.

Thus the arm 10 can occupy two extreme positions defined by the stop S as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing and by examination of the drawing that a particular time interval at increment is a function of the angular position or the arm as determined by its position adjacent the cam face of the stop and the length of the are which said sweeps in moving from said position to its circuit break ing position when and as the pin 28 is disengaged from the catch of the finger 29.

It will be appreciated that the temporising device hereof is completely silent and without shock as the various instrumentalities are motivated through their respective motions. V I I Too, the form of construction described allows of a very compact contruction having in fact a very small thickness.

Further, it is here to be explained that the stop 5 may be substituted for stops having cam'faces of difierent' configuration whereby an infinite variety of measurements may be obtained.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is considered unnecessary, as I have, in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now believe to represent the best embodiment thereof.

Without further analysis, the foregoing is intended to so fully reveal the gist of my invention and its construction and operation that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of its generic and/or specific aspects. The substitution of equivalents and other changes, modifications and alterations as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, are contemplated since the invention is susceptible of such without departing from its real spirit or underlying principles. Stated otherwise, it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact construction shown and described as the objects hereof may be attained by the use of constructions different in certain respects from that disclosed; for instance, the relative arrangement of the component parts may be varied and/or adapted to suit the requirements to which my novel device may be subjected, and the actuating means, as aforesaid, may be of a type suitable for use in a coin vending machine.

The protection which is sought for this invention is covered by the language of the above specification and the spirit represented thereby and same is limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible.

, The invention is claimed, broadly as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims, and same are desired to include within the scope thereof all of said suitable variations, modifications and equivalents by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent devices or means. Accordingly, limitation hereof should only be made as determined by a proper interpretation of the subjoined claims.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

. 1. A timing apparatus -for measuring a cycle of increments of time of gradually increasing duration from an initial cycle of a predetermined duration to a final cycle of greater than the predetermined duration comprising, a rotatable timing arm, a rotatable stop including a cam face, a circuit holding and breaking means, said timing arm being swingable in a time metering motion from a normal position adjacent the cam face of said stop to an operating position adjacent said circuit holding and break-- ing means, means for rotating said stop a predetermined distance during each measurement of a time increment, means for rotating said arm at a certain speed during each time metering motion from adjacent said stop to adjacent said circuit holding and breaking means, and spring means for returning said arm to adjacent said stop preparatory for the next time metering motion.

2. Timing apparatus for metering successive increments of time of gradually changing duration comprising in combination, a driving member adapted to rotate at a constant speed during the time increments being measured and to be rendered inoperative atthe termination of the time increments, a timing ar-m rotated in one direction from rest position by said driving member during the time increments being measured, a spring means for returning said timing arm from operative position at the termination of the time increments to rest position, a rotatable stop having a cam means, a circuit holding and breaking means, and means for rotating said stop forwardly through successive predetermined arcs during the time increments.

3. A timing apparatus operable through an initial cycle of fixed duration and subsequent cycles of gradually changing duration comprising in combination, an oscillating timing arm adapted to operate between an irregular shaped rotating stop and a circuit holding and breaking device, said arm provided with means for rotating said irregular shaped stop a specific distance each cycle, and means for driving said arm at synchronous speed and returning it through spring action.

4. An elapsed time indicator comprising, a timer motor, a rotary shaft driven by said motor, an arm mounted on said shaft and swingable in an are by the operation of said motor, a spring means for returning said arm to normal position, a rotatable ratchet wheel, a

- cam fixed to and rotated 'by said ratchet wheel, a circuit breaking and holding means for energizing said motor at the commencement of and for de-energizing said motor at the termination of each time interval being indicated.

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