US3766366A - Axial guide for transfer pinions and digit drums in counters - Google Patents

Abstract

In a counter including digit drums freely rotatably mounted on a shaft and transfer pinions freely rotatable mounted on a pinion shaft, coupling adjacent digit drums and axially offset relative thereto, the digit drums and transfer pinions are axially positioned by guide webs which extend into circumferential grooves provided in the transfer pinions and between adjacent digit drums coupled thereby. The guide webs may be combined into a single component mounted on or formed by a reset slide or bridge operable for resetting the digit drums.

Description

Unite States tent [191 Krauss AXIAL GUIDE FOR TRANSFER PINIONS AND DIGIT DRUMS IN COUNTERS Inventors Hans Gunter Krauss, Vohrum,

Germany Assignee: Elmeg Elektro-Mechanik GmbH,

Peine, Germany Filed: Jan. 22, 1973 Appl. N0.: 325,429

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 24, 1972 Germany P 22 03 249.1

U.S. Cl. 235/133, 235/144 Int. Cl. G06c Field of Search 235/1133 R, 144 HC, 235/95 R, 139 R, 139 A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1971 Zielke 235/144 HC 8/1942 ,Webb 235/139 R 10/1931 McGowan 235/139 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,048,650 11/1966 Great Britain 235/139 297,063 5/1954 Switzerland 235/139 R Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Pat Salce Attorney-Ralf H. Siegemund [5 7] ABSTRACT In a counter including digit drums freely rotatably mounted on a shaft and transfer pinions freely rotatable mounted on a pinion shaft, coupling adjacent digit drums and axially offset relative thereto, the digit drums and transfer pinions are axially positioned by guide webs which extend into circumferential grooves provided in the transfer pinions and between adjacent digit drums coupled thereby. The guide webs may be combined into a single component mounted on or formed by a reset slide or bridge operable for resetting the digit drums.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEBum 16. ms 9.766 366 SHEET 10F 2 AXIAL GUIDE FOR TRANSFER PINIONS AND DIGIT DRUMS IN COUNTERS The present invention concerns improvements relating to counters and particularly to an axial guide for transfer pinions freely supported on a pinion shaft and for digit drums axially offset relative to the transfer pinions and freely supported on a shaft, in a counter in which the digit drums are coupled together by the transfer pinions.

The transfer pinions, which serve to notch the digit drums of the next higher order forwards one step each time the preceding digit drum has completed one revolution, must for this purpose be aligned in the axial direction with the digit drums. However, the digit drums must also be located in the axial direction.

For this purpose, in known counters, the counter housing is divided up by a first row of partitions into chambers for the digit drums and by a second row of partitions into chambers for the transfer pinions. The partitions of the two rows are relatively axially offset since the transfer pinions are axially offset relative to the digit drums. Because of this mutual offset of the partitions the housing is of relatively complicated shape and can only be produced economically by methods of injection moulding of synthetic plastics or casting of metals. Production of the housing from high-grade magnetizable mild steel sheet, as is necessary for many types of counter, is prohibited on the ground of cost and the necessary precision of alignment of the transfer pinions relative to the digit drums could only with difficulty be achieved.

The object of the invention therefore is to produce a very simple axial guide which may provide the accurate alignment of the transfer pinions with the digit drums and which enables a time and labour saving production of the components and their assembly into a complete counter.

According to the present invention there is provided' an axial guide for transfer pinions freely supported on a pinion shaft and for digit drums axially offset relative to the transfer pinions and freely supported on a shaft, in a counter in which said digit drums are coupled together by said transfer pinions, wherein said transfer pinions are provided at about their central circumferential zones with a circumferential groove, and webs are provided each of which engages continuously in a said circumferential groove of a said pinion and extends continuously between adjacent digit drums which are coupled by .said pinion.

A pivotable reset bridge may be provided for the resettingof the digit drums, and the webs combined into a single component mounted on or formed by the reset bridge. In such a counter additional components for the axial guidance of the digitdrums and the transfer pinions are saved, andtheir placeis taken by the reset bridge for the digit drums, which is available in any case, so that this merely has to be modified; The assembly is thereby simplified and any adjustments for the alignment of the digit drums and transfer pinions are omitted.

Alternatively the webs may be combined into a single component with, mounted on or formed by, a reset slide. Here too special components for the axial guidance of the digit drums and the transfer pinions are omitted. As also in the case of the fitting of the webs to the reset bridge, the webs and the reset slide or bridge respectively are advantageously produced in one piece by methods of injection-moulding of synthetic plastics.

Embodiments according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the basic parts of an embodiment of an axial guide in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the basic parts of a second embodiment of an axial guide in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 3 after pivoting of the reset bridge.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 digit drums l are freely rotatably supported on a shaft 2 and partitions 3 are provided between the digit drums which guide or maintain these digit drums 1 on the shaft 2 at a fixed clearance from one another.

Transfer pinions 5 are freely rotatably supported on a pinion shaft 4 parallel with the shaft 2, the transfer pinions 5 being offset relative to the digit drums l. The upper transfer pinion 5 is shown in FIG. 2 in a position in which it is no longer in engagement with the associated digit drum 1, the lower transfer pinion 5 being shown in its engaging position.

Each transfer pinion 5 has a central circumferential groove 6 into which an extension web 7 of a partition 3 extends. Because of this cooperation between the circumferential grooves 6 and the webs 7, the transfer pinions 5 are guided and located in the axial direction of the pinion shaft 4 by the webs 7, so that they lie constantly in the correct axial position relative to the digit drums 1.

Since-it is immaterial as to whether the partitions 3 are provided on the counter housingor otherwise, the mounting of the partitions 3 is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the partitions 3 need not embrace the shaft 2 and the partitions with the extension webs may form a single component with, or be mounted on, for example, a reset slide for resetting the digit drums.

plan view of the parts shown In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the transfer pinions 5 and the pinion shaft 4 are supported on a pivoting reset bridge 8 which, for example, maycarry reset fingers which act on heart-shaped cams provided on the digit drums to reset the digit drums. This reset bridge is movable around a shaft 11 mounted in the housing, by a reset slide 10 connected to the bridge at In this embodiment the webs 7 cooperating with the grooves 6 in the transfer pinions 5 form part of or form a single component with the reset bridge which is not shown in detail. Because of the curvilinear form of the webs 7, they cooperate with the circumferential grooves 6 in all phases of the angular movement of the reset bridge, the cooperation being independent of the movement of the transfer pinions into and out of engagement with the digit drums, and also extend between adjacent digit drums 1 throughout all phases of operation of the counter, so that the transfer pinions 5 are at all times in an axial position on their pinion shaft 4 corresponding to that of the associated digit drums 1.

The webs 7 and reset bridge 8 of this embodiment can be produced without particular difficulty in one piece, which provides a particular advantage in the technique of production.

I claim:

1. An axial guide for transfer pinions freely supported on a pinion shaft and for digit drums axially offset relative to the transfer pinions and freely supported on a shaft, in a counter in which said digit drums are coupled together by said transfer pinions, wherein said transfer pinions are provided at about their central circumferential zones with a circumferential groove, and

4. In a counter including digit drums freely rotatable on a shaft and transfer pinions for coupling the digit drums, freely rotatable on a pinion shaft and axially offset relative to the digit drums,'the improvement comprising means for axially guiding the digit drums and pinion shafts wherein the transfer pinions are provided with a central circumferential groove and guide means are provided each extending into said circumferential of a said transfer pinion and between adjacent digit drums coupled by the said pinion.

5. The counter of claim 4 including a reset bridge for resetting said digit drums, said reset bridge being pivotally mounted and carrying said guide'means in the form of webs.

6. The counter of claim 4 including a reset slide, wherein said guide means in the form of webs are integral with said reset slide.

Claims (6)

1. An axial guide for transfer pinions freely supported on a pinion shaft and for digit drums axially offset relative to the transfer pinions and freely supported on a shaft, in a counter in which said digit drums are couplEd together by said transfer pinions, wherein said transfer pinions are provided at about their central circumferential zones with a circumferential groove, and webs are provided each of which engages continuously in a said circumferential groove of a said pinion and extends continuously between adjacent digit drums which are coupled by said pinion.

2. An axial guide as claimed in claim 1 with a pivotable reset bridge for resetting said digit drums, wherein said webs are mounted on said reset bridge.

3. An axial guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said webs are combined into a single component with a reset slide.

4. In a counter including digit drums freely rotatable on a shaft and transfer pinions for coupling the digit drums, freely rotatable on a pinion shaft and axially offset relative to the digit drums, the improvement comprising means for axially guiding the digit drums and pinion shafts wherein the transfer pinions are provided with a central circumferential groove and guide means are provided each extending into said circumferential of a said transfer pinion and between adjacent digit drums coupled by the said pinion.

5. The counter of claim 4 including a reset bridge for resetting said digit drums, said reset bridge being pivotally mounted and carrying said guide means in the form of webs.

6. The counter of claim 4 including a reset slide, wherein said guide means in the form of webs are integral with said reset slide.

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