US3610521A

US3610521A - Revolution counter with disconnecting means

Info

Publication number: US3610521A
Application number: US65864A
Authority: US
Inventors: Einar T Young
Original assignee: Sun Oil Co
Current assignee: Sunoco Inc
Priority date: 1970-08-21
Filing date: 1970-08-21
Publication date: 1971-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-05
Also published as: CA947260A

Abstract

An array of number wheels in a counter are mounted for free rotation on a shaft and are normally held out of engagement with a driving gear by a strong spring which biases the shaft axially in one direction. To couple the counter to its driving gear, the shaft is pushed axially in the opposite direction to overcome the spring force and allow the wheels to be moved into engagement with the driving gear by the action of a weaker spring.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Einar T. Young Newtown Square, Pa.

[211 App]. No. 65,864

[22] Filed Aug. 21, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [73] Assignee Sun Oil Company Philadelphia, Pa.

[54] REVOLUTION COUNTER WITH DISCONNECTING MEANS 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 235/117 R, 235/94 R [51] Int. Cl. ..'G04bl5/00, G04b 37/04 [50] Field ofSearch ..235/l17,9l PR, 91 R, 94, 103; 222/26 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,522,646 l/l925 Osclock 235/l 17 X 1,826,520 10/1931 McGowan 235/117 2,482,663 9/1949 Fetter 235/1 17 A 2,588,935 3/1952 Oran 235/1 l7 2,838,237 6/1958 Spaunburg et al.. 235/94 2,920,810 l/1960 Greenhow 235/l 17 X 3,380,630 4/1968 Wilson 222/26 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerStanley A. Wal

Attorneys-George L. Church, Donald R. Johnson, Wilmer E.

McCorquodale, Jr. and Frank A. Rechif ABSTRACT: An array of number wheels in a counter are mounted for free rotation on a shaft and are normally held out of engagement with a driving gear by a strong spring which biases the shaft axially in one direction. To couple the counter to its driving gear, the shaft is pushed axially in the opposite direction to overcome the spring force and allow the wheels to be moved into engagement with the driving gear by the action of a weaker spring.

PATENTED um 5 IHYI INVzNToR EINAR T. YOUNG I ATTY- F IG. 2.

FIGB.

. REVOLUTION COUNTER WITH DISCONNECTING MEANS This invention relates to a revolution counter which can be selectively connected to or disconnected from its driving source (shaft), so as to be selectively rendered operative or inoperative. Although the counter of this invention is of quite general application, a typical use of it will be described herein, merely by way of example.

My prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,908 discloses a multigrademotor-fuel-dispensing apparatus, wherein various selected blends of two motor-fuel components (which are of different octane ratings) may be selectively dispensed, as well as either component separately. Such apparatus ordinarily includes two counters (operating as product totalizers) which show respectively the total gallonage dispensed of the two fuel components. These are conventional revolution counters geared respectively to the two product (fuel component) meters, and these operate in continuous fashion whenever the respective components are being dispensed.

For certain purposes, it is required also to measure the total gallons dispensed of one particular blend. To do this, it is necessary to use a counter which is adapted to be driven by the shaft whose rotation represents total gallons, but is connected or coupled to such shaft (so as to beoperative) only when the said one particular blend is being dispensed. In this connection, it is pointed out that the dispensing apparatus of my prior patent includes a shaft whose output is representative of total gallons (of both fuel components) being dispensed; this last-mentioned shaft also drives the quantity wheels of the (resettable) register to indicate the total gallons constituting a particular sale.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel counter structure.

Another object is to provide a counter having a novel mechanically actuated disconnecting means, whereby the counter may be selectively rendered nonoperative or operative.

A further object is to provide a disconnecting means for a counter which is effective in its operation, yet which is relatively simple in construction and rather inexpensive.

The foregoing and other objects are accomplished, briefly, in the following manner: An array of number wheels are mounted for free rotation on a shaft and are adapted to be driven by means of a drive gear which can mesh with the lowest order number wheel. A relatively strong spring normally urges the shaft axially in one direction and also, by means of an abutment carried by the shaft and engaging the wheel array, urges the array in this same direction, wherein the array is disengaged from the drive gear. The shaft is pushed axially in the opposite direction when driving of the number wheels is desired, against the force of the strong spring, to allow the array to move into engagement with the drive gear under the urging of a weaker spring which pushes the array into such engagement.

A detailed description of the invention follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a counter according to this invention, showing the parts in the disengaged or nonoperative position;

FIG. 2 is a partial face view of one of the number wheels of the counter;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts in their engaged or operative position.

Referring now to the drawing, a shaft 1 is mounted so as to be capable of a limited degree of axial sliding movement, within a supporting frame 2. Shaft 1 rotatably carries a plurality (shown as six in number) of

number wheels

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 arranged in a linear array thereon. The hub portion of each wheel engages the hub portion of the next adjacent wheel, so that by pushing against one end of the array, the entire array may be moved along shaft 1. The lowest order number wheel 8 has a spur gear 9 secured thereto to integral therewith, this latter gear being adapted to mesh with a driving spur gear or pinion l0 fixed to an input shaft 1 l rotatably journaled in the frame 2, for driving the wheel 8 and hence the counter (which includes the number wheels 3-8) by suitable external driving mechanism. For example, a spur gear wheel 12 of larger diameter is secured to shaft 1 l and is suitably gear-connected to the total gallons shaft of a gasoline-dispensing apparatus, for example.

As indicated in FIG. 2, each of the number wheels 3-8 (a portion of wheel 8 being illustrated) has the digits zero (0) to nine (9) thereon, so that a conventional decade-related digital display (viewable through a viewing window 19) is provided.

Conventional intermittent motion-transfer mechanisms, including

transfer pinions

13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, respectively, interconnect the successively higher

order number wheels

8 and 7, 7 and 6, 6 and 5, 5 and 4, and 4 and 3 to advance each higher order number wheel a predetermined incremental amount (one-tenth revolution) in response to predetermined rotation (one revolution) of the next lower order number wheel. For example, these mechanisms may be of the type described in U.S. Pat No. 3,334,8l l. The transfer pinions 13-17 (commonly termed mutilated pinions) are rotatably mounted on a shaft 18 mounted in frame 2.

A coiled compression spring 20 surrounds the hub of the highest order number wheel 3. One end of this spring bears against a vertical face (fixed abutment) 21 formed on frame 2, and the other end of this spring bears against the disklike web of wheel 3. Spring 20 tends to urge number wheel 3, and hence the entire array or stack of number wheels 3-8, axially toward the right in FIG. 1.

Let us assume for the moment that the additional structure (to be described hereinafter) is not present. With this assumption, the structure described so far comprises a rather conventional counter. Spring 20 will urge the stack of wheels 3-8 axially to the right (to the position illustrated in FIG. 4), so that the gear 9 of the lowest order number wheel 8 will mesh with pinion 10 on input shaft 11. The first wheel 8 is driven, driving in turn the transfer pinion 13, the second wheel 7, etc., as in any conventional counter.

According to this invention, a coiled compression spring 22, which is considerably stronger than spring 20, is mounted within an axial recess 23 formed in the end of shaft 1 adjacent to the number wheel 8. One end of this spring bears against the bottom of the recess, and the other end bears against the frame 2. Thus, spring 22 biases shaft 1 axially toward the left in FIG. 1.

A ring 24, for example, a Truarc Retaining Ring," fits in a circumferential groove provided in shaft 1 and its face is adapted to bear against the hub of number wheel 8; thus, ring 24 serves as an abutment which is carried by shaft 1 and engages the stack or array of number wheels 3-8. As a result, spring 22 biases the shaft 1 and also the entire array of number wheels axially toward the left in FIG. 1. Since spring 22 is considerably stronger than spring 20 (which latter, as previously described, tends to urge the stack of number wheels toward the right), in the free condition the entire shaft and wheel assembly or array is urged axially toward the left, disengaging the lowest order number wheel 8 from pinion 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In this position, the counter is nonoperative, and does not count (even though pinion 10 may be rotating). It may be noted here that the transfer pinions 13-17 are moved axially toward the left along their mounting shaft 18, as the counter wheel assembly moves.

The end of shaft 1 opposite to spring 22 extends outwardly beyond frame 2, as illustrated. When it is desired to render the counter of the invention operative (e.g., when a particular motor fuel blend which it is desired to measure is being dispensed), a cam 27 pushes the outwardly extending or left end of shaft 1 axially to the right, as illustrated at 25 (FIG. 4), overcoming the force of spring 22. The travel of shaft 1 is limited in this direction by ring 24 coming into engagement with a vertical face 26 formed on frame 2 (as illustrated in FIG. 4). As ring 24 moves with shaft 1 toward the right, away from the hub of wheel 8, the array of number wheels 3-8 is free to move toward the right, under the urging of spring 20. That is, spring now pushes the stack of wheels axially to the right along shaft 1, bringing the gear 9 of wheel 8 into mesh with pinion 10, as illustrated in FIG. 4. This is the operative or engaged position of the counter, and the counter will then be driven from the input shaft 11, and will count. The transfer pinions 13-17 move toward the right along their shaft 18, as the counter-wheel assembly moves toward the right.

When the cam force is removed, spring 22 will again overcome the force of spring 20 to move the shaft 1 axially toward the left from the FIG. 4 position, returning the stack of number wheels and also the transfer pinions to the disengaged or nonoperative position illustrated in FIG. 1.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a revolution counter comprising a shaft, an ordered set of number wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft, a driving gear for driving the number wheel of lowest order, means tending to urge said lowest order number wheel into operative engagement with said driving gear, means acting in opposition to the first-mentioned means to normally maintain said lowest order number wheel out of operative engagement with said driving gear, and means for applying a force to said counter in such a manner as to nullify the action of the second-mentioned means.

2. Structure of claim 1, wherein each of said first-mentioned and said second-mentioned means comprises an individual compression spring, the two springs acting in opposite senses with respect to said lowest order number wheel.

3. Structure recited in claim 2, wherein the compression spring of said second-mentioned means is substantially stronger than the compression spring of said first-mentioned means.

4. A revolution counter comprising a shaft, an ordered set of number wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft in a linear stacked array, a driving gear for driving the number wheel of lowest order, means tending to urge said array of wheels in one direction along said shaft to bring said lowest order number wheel into operative engagement with said driving gear, means acting to restrain said array of wheels against movement in said one direction, thereby to normally maintain said lowest order number wheel out of operative engagement with said driving gear, and means for applying a force to said counter in such a manner as to nullify the action of the second-mentioned means.

5. Counter of claim 4, wherein each of the first-mentioned and second-mentioned means comprises an individual compression spring, the two springs acting in opposite senses with respect to said array of wheels.

6. Counter recited in claim 5, wherein the compression spring of said second-mentioned means is substantially stronger than the compression spring of said first-mentioned means.

7. Counter defined in claim 4, wherein said shaft is mounted for axial sliding movement, and wherein the second-mentioned means comprises means for biasing said shaft axially in a predetermined direction, and an abutment fixed to said shaft for engaging said array of wheels.

8. Counter of claim 7, wherein the biasing means comprises a compression spring bearing against said shaft.

Claims

1. In a revolution counter comprising a shaft, an ordered set of number wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft, a driving gear for driving the number wheel of lowest order, means tending to urge said lowest order number wheel into operative engagement with said driving gear, means acting in opposition to the firstmentioned means to normally maintain said lowest order number wheel out of operative engagement with said driving gear, and means for applying a force to said counter in such a manner as to nullify the action of the second-mentioned means.