US3845899A

US3845899A - Electromagnetic counter

Info

Publication number: US3845899A
Application number: US00405164A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Irie; K Hara; A Kuroyanagi
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co Ltd
Priority date: 1972-10-14
Filing date: 1973-10-10
Publication date: 1974-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-05
Also published as: JPS4960671A

Abstract

Improved electromagnetic counter of either addition or deduction type of which digit wheels can be reset at zero or any preset nemeral value by depressing a resetting button is provided. The resetting button is normally locked in non-operative state but the lock is released as required by inserting a separate enabling key for actuating resetting mechanism associated with the button. The button lock means is detachable so that the button may be of either normally non-operative or freely operative type as desired. In the case of deduction type and a presetting mechanism including presetting buttons is provided, the presetting buttons are normally locked in non-operative state and the lock is released to be operative simmultaneously with the actuation of the resetting mechanism. The presetting and counting mechanisms are provided with respective improved means for maintaining accurate counting and presetting of digit wheels in association with the lockable resetting mechanism.

Description

Irie et al.

' United States Patent 1 I Nov. 5, 1974 ELECTROMAGNETIC COUNTER [75] Inventors: Tatsuhiko lrie; Kazuhiko Hara;

Akihiro Kuroyanagi, all of Osaka, Japan [73] Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.,

Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 405,164

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 14, I972 Japan 47-102978 [52] U.S. Cl. 235/92 C, 235/92 R, 235/92 PE, 235/144 HC [5 l] Int. Cl. G06m 1/30 [58] Field of Search 235/92 C, 144 HC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.531.047 9/1970 Pfeiffer 235/144 HC 3,620,447 ll/l97l Szeluga 235/144 H C 3.648.028 3/1972 Hara 235/92 C 3.671468 7/l972 Lapointe 235/144 HC 3,711,684 l/l973 Zielke 235/144 HC Primary ExaminerGareth D. Shaw Assistant ExaminerRobert F. Gnuse Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolfe, Hubbard, Leydig, Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[5 7] ABSTRACT Improved electromagnetic counter of either addition or deduction type of which digit wheels can be reset at zero or any preset nemeral value by depressing a resetting button is provided. The resetting button is normally locked in non-operative state but the lock is released as required by inserting a separate enabling key for actuating resetting mechanism associated with the button. The button lock means is detachable so that a the button may be of either normally non-operative or 13 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PAIENIEMM 5mm 3.845899 sum luv 9- PATENTED NOV 5 i974 Swisher 9 PATENTEURBY 51974 m 9 3.845.899

Fig. 25

PATENTS] "UV 5 i974 Fig. 4C

PATENIEDm 5 1914 3.845899 ml 8 a 9 PATENIEURBY 51974 mm am 9 3,845,899

ELECTROMAGNETIC COUNTER This invention relates to electromagnetic counters and, more particularly, to improvements in electromagnetic, counters of either addition or deduction type which can be reset at zero or any preset numerical value with a resetting button.

In conventional electromagnetic counters of the type referred to, it is possible for the user to reset the digits of digit wheels to zero or to a preset numerical valueby manually depressing a resetting button projecting out of the housing of counters. Since the resetting button is capable of being depressed at any time, however, there is involved a risk that a desired counting cannot be completed due to erroneous depression of the button by the user or due to intentional or erroneous depression by a third person. Further, there has been suggested an electromagnetic counter of addition type in which, for example, a plate spring member is provided so as to lock the resetting button against the depression and the resetting button is made depressible only when a separately prepared key meansis inserted to release the locking spring from the button, for the purpose of making the counter free of such risk as above. However, while such locking means for the resetting button as suggested is simple in the structure, there is a disadvantage that the same lacks in the capacity of readily rendering the resetting button to be freely depressible or lockable selectively and in the adaptability to the preset counters. The present invention has been suggested to remove such defects and disadvantages of conventional electromagnetic counters.

A main object of the present invention is to provid an electromagnetic "counter which is provided with a resetting mechanism normally locked but made resettable by inserting a separately prepared key means, so that the counter has no misoperation and is high in the reliability.

A related object ofthe present invention is to provide a preset counter in which a normally locked resetting mechanism and a desired counting value presetting mechanism are simultaneously unlocked and made op-.

eratable by inserting a separately prepared key means,

so that the preset counter has no misoperation and is high in the reliability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a preset counter wherein a resilient coupling between both inner and outer 'wheels of each digit wheel is strengthened with a simple formationv so that no error will be generated in the presetting. counting and resetting operations of the digit'wheels and-thus the reliability will be high.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a preset counter wherein the relative positions of the engagem entof presetting buttons with digit wheels are kept accurately by a simpleformation so that the digit wheels can be positivelypreset.

Another object of the preset invention is to provide a preset counter wherein the formation of each presetting button is simplified and, even if the number of figures ishigh atthe time of the manual operationof such buttons, no misoperation will be caused.

Another object'of the present invention is to provide a preset counter wherein the resilient means for defining the positions of the respective digit wheel connecting pinions as disengaged with the digit wheels at the 2 time of the presetting operation is made simple and positive.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a preset counter wherein input and output counting devices and respective input and output terminals are made one block and the relations of the mutual arrangements of these elements with therespective counting, presetting and resetting mechanisms are simplified so that the entire formation will be simple and the reliability will be high.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention shall be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A to IC show appearances of a present counter according to the present invention, wherein FIG. IA is a front view, FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1C is a back view;

FIGS. 2A to 2E are views showing internal mecha nisms of the preset counter with the case removed of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a partly sectioned front view showing a counting mechanism and presetting buttons,

FIG. 2B is a right side view showing the counting mechanism with the frame partly sectioned, FIG. 2C is a left side view showing resetting and preset-unlocking mechanism with the frame partly sectioned, FIG. 2D is a partly sectioned upper surface view and FIG. 2E is a partly sectioned lower surface view;

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are respectively a partly sectioned elevation, partly sectioned side view and perspective view of a digit wheel used for the preset counter of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A to 4C are views showing the structure of an operating member in the resetting and presetunlocking mechanism and itsengaging relation to a key means for operating said 'member, wherein FIGS. 4A is a fragmentary front view with the keymeans in FIG. 1A

removed, FIG. 4B is a vertically sectioned view along line X-X in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4C is a sectioned view 4C of the case where the present invention is applied to a preset counter having a slidable resetting button, wherein FIG. 5A is a vertically sectioned view similar to FIG. 48, FIG. 5B is a sectioned view along line 2-2 in FIG. 5A and FIG. SCis a perspective view of a stopper plate;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a presetting button and presetting button frame as disassembled in the preset counter of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing the engaging relation of the presetting buttons to a digit wheel in the present invention, wherein FIG. 7A is a partly sectioned side view at the positions of these elements and FIG, 7B is a partly sectioned perspective view of a case showing a part of it; and I FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing electric input and output sections made in a block formation as disassembled in the present invention with the frame partly sectioned.

The present invention is notlimited only to the'present counter as described above but can be applied also to a counter which is of an ordinary addition type having a zero resetting means of a push button type. However, the present invention shall'be detailed mostly with reference to the case of a preset counter hereinafter.

A preset counter embodying the present invention shall be first described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C. In FIG. 1A, a window indicating digits shown by a plurality of digit wheels 1 is made substantially in the center of a case 36 and is fitted with a lens frame 35 having a lens so that the digits can be seen as magnified. A reset and preset enabling key 54 is inserted through a guide 33 at one side end of the window. Said key 54 of the later described formation is removable and is inserted at the leg part into a space provided around the guide 33 in resetting or presetting the digits. Also as

many presetting buttons

45 and 46 as the digit wheels 1 are arranged below the window. These presetting but- I tons are provided so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of digit wheels 1 in order to preset any desired numerical value to be counted. By its operation, the respective digit wheels are individually rotated so as to indicate the preset number. As seen in FIG. 1B, terminals are led out of the surface on the rear side to the front surface on which the'digit indicating window and buttons are arranged. 32 is a terminal block for the electromagnetic device. 29 is a supporting base for output terminals. As shown in FIG. 1C, the case 36 is opened on the rear side surface and a frame 2 substantially of a U-shape and preferably made of a metal is contained in the case through this opening so that the bottom side of the frame 2 will close the opening of the case 36. The output terminal supporting base 29 is fitted and fixed in a cut opening made on the bottom side of the frame 2 so that the frame will integrally incorporate all the component parts of the present apparatus in the internal space and bear a plurality of shafts of the respective internal mechanisms.

Now, the structure of the counting mechanism in the present counter of the present invention shall be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the digit wheels 1 arranged for enabling the presetting and counting of a numeral of up to 5 figures are rotatably borne on a common shaft 3 fixed to the frame 2. The detailed structure of this digit wheel 1 is shown in FIG. 3. That is, each digit wheel 1 comprises an inner wheel 400 integrally having a heart cam 401 provided with a recess 402 and an outer wheel 100 having an outer peripheral surface indicating digits of 0 to 9, gear 101, groove 102 on the outer periphery and recesses 103 on the inner periphery, and the arrangement is such that, only in case a predetermined torque is applied. the outer wheel 100 and inner wheel 400 will rotate relatively to each other. The main members for allowing such relative rotation are a substantially C- shaped plate spring 5, a pair of steel balls and a stopper plate 7. The outer wheel 100 and inner wheel 400 are articulately coupled to each other by resiliently contacting the steel balls 6 guided by the inside wall of the inner wheel and the stopperplate 7 with an opposed pair out of 10 recesses 103 provided on the inner peripheral barrel of the outer wheel in the position corresponding to each of the digits of0 to 9 on the outer peripheral surface of the outer wheel 100.

Returning to FIG. 2, 8 is one of a plurality of pinions meshed and related with the gears of the respective digit wheels in order to rotate in the number reducing direction in this case by one tenth rotation the respective digit wheels of upper position figures as operatively connected with one rotation of the respective digit wheels of the lower position figures and rotatably borne on a common shaft 10 supported by a pinion frame 9. Said pinion frame 9 itself is also rotatably pivoted on a shaft 11 fixed to the frame 2 and a torque is given in the direction indicated by the arrow A by a twisted coil spring 12 fitted also to the shaft 11 so that the pinions 8 and the gears 101 of each digit wheel 1 will be in resilient contact with each other (FIG. 2C). This pinion frame 9 is rotated in the direction of separating the respective pinions 8 from the gears 101 of the respective digit wheels 1 by the pressing force due to the insertion of the above described reset and preset enabling key 54 or by the energization of the later described resetting electromagnetic device 43. 13 is an anchor member rotatably pivoted on a shaft 14 fixed to the frame 2 so that a torque in the direction indicated by the arrow B will be given to it by a tension spring 15 (FIG. 2B). 16 is a ratchet wheel rotatably borne on a common shaft 3 for the digit wheels at a position outside the digit wheel of the lowest position figure. This ratchet wheel 16 is integrally provided with a gear section 161 meshed and associated with, among the plurality of pinions 8, a pinion 800 which in turn is meshed and associated with the gear of the digit wheel of the first figure. 17 is a counting electromagnet block. When the electromagnetic device of this counting electromagnet block 17 is energized in response to an electric input signal voltage from a separate counting device (not shown) connected with this preset counter, an armature 171 will be attracted and moved and the anchor member 13 associated with this armature will rotate against the resiliency of the spring 15 so as to rotate the digit wheel of the first figure by 18, that is, 1/20 rotation. When the electromagnetic device is then deenergized, the anchor member 13 will return to the original position due to the returning force of the spring 15 so as to rotate the digit wheel further by I8", that is, 1/20 rotation. That is to say, by one signal input to the electromagnetic device, the anchor member 13 will make one reciprocation, the digit wheel rotates by 36, that is, l/IO rotation and the indicated digit is'rotated by one digit in the deducting direction, for example, as in 8 7 in the case of the present invention. 18 is a plate spring for preventing the reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel 16, screwed at one end to the frame 2 and meshed at the other end with the gear section 161 of the ratchet wheel 16.

As described above, in response to input signals, the counting mechanism is operated and each digit wheel is rotated in the deducting direction until the count of a predetermined numerical value ends and 0 is shown. At this time, the present preset counter generates an output signal indicating the end of the count. Here, the arrangement of the output part in the preset counter of the present invention shall be explained mostly'with reference to FIG. 2. In the drawing, 19 is a plurality of cam rollers for detecting the 0 positions of the digit wheels. The cam rollers are rotatably pivoted on a common shaft 21 fixed to a cam-roller frame having a projection 201 formed integrally with it (FIG. 2B). 23 is a contact lever rotatably pivoted on a fixed shaft 14, contacted at one end with an actuator 26 biased outward from a microswitch 25 normally by a push button of said switch to press said push button into a pushed position and having a hole 231 made at the other end. 24 is a contact pawl interposed between the cam-roller frame 20 and the contact lever 23. This contact pawl 24 is provided at one end with a pivoting pin 241 to be inserted into the hole 231 in the contact lever 23 and at the other end with a pawl section to be engaged with the projection 201 provided on the camroller frame 20. Therefore, the cam rollers 19 receive a resilient force from the push button of the microswitch through the cam-roller frame 20, contact pawl 24, contact lever 23 and actuator 26, and are respectively pressed against the outer periphery of each digit wheel 1. When the predetermined numerical value indicated by the respective digit wheels becomes zero, that is, all the indications of the respective digit wheels I seen through the window of the case 36 show 0, the spring force of the microswitch 25 will cause all the cam rollers 19 to drop into the respective grooves 102 (FIG. 3C) provided on the outer peripheries of the respective digit wheels 1. At the same time, the contact pawl 24 will be removed from the cam-roller frame 201,-the pressing force of the actuator 26 of the microswitch 25 by the contact lever 23 will be released and, therefore, the push button of the microswitch 25 will return to the pushed out position. Thus said switch will switch over the contacts to provide an output to the terminals.

As shown in FIG. 8, the microswitch 25 is held between two supporting plates 27 and has an output terminal 28 fixed to the simultaneously molded output terminal supporter 29 with screws 30 so as to form an output terminal block. Further, this output terminal supporter 29 is provided with grooves formed of

projections

291 and 292 spaced from each other at both ends. These grooves are fitted to the cut end parts of the cut parts of the bottom side of the frame 2 and fixed to the frame 2 with a screw 31. The actuator 26 is pivoted by inserting hinge parts 261 into holes 271 in two supporting plates 27. In the above arrangement, it is advantageous that the terminal block 32 including input terminals to be electrically connected to the electromagnet block described in the foregoing is formed separately from the output terminal block and is fixed to the frame 2 substantially in the same manner.

The arrangements of the respective mechanisms for counting the numeral and generating output signals at the time of the end of the counting in the preset counter have been described in the above. It will be understood that, in the case of an addition type counter, except that the drive of the digit wheels in the counting mechanism is in the adding direction and that the output mechanism can be omitted depending on the use of the counter, substantially the same arrangement and operation as are described above will be adopted.

Now, the respective arrangements of the resetting and presetting mechanisms and the locking and unlocking means for said mechanisms in an embodiment of the present invention as applied to the preset counter shall be explained mostly with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. In the drawings, 33 is the before described guide for the reset and preset .enabling key and 34 is a resetpreset actuating member inserted in a vertical hole made adjacent the bottom endof the frame 2 and supported slidably along the inside wall of the frame 2 as positioned between the frame 2 and the lens frame 35 by a shaft fixed to the frame 2 as shown in FIGS. 48 and 4C. The guide 33 is prevented by

projections

331 and 332 provided on its both sides from being pulled out of the device, and the projections 331 on one side is in contact with the edge of the frame 2 so that the downward movement of the guide 33 will be prevented. 37 is a tension coil spring hung between a sidewise projecting arm of the actuating member 34 and the open end edge of the frame 2 so as to always bias said member 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow CC. In FIG. 2C, 38 is a reset-preset actuating lever rotatably pivoted on a shaft 14 fixed to the

frame

2, 39 is a heartcam driving lever rotatably pivoted on a shaft 22 fixed to the-frame 2, and a tension coil spring 40 fixed at one end to the frame 2 is engaged at the other end with an engaging projection 391 of the lever 39 so as to impart a torque in the direction indicated by the arrow D-D. This torque is transmitted to the actuating lever 38 through a projection 381 provided on one arm of the lever 38 so that said lever will be kept in a nonactuating position. A projection 901 shown by the dotted line is formed at a part extended from the pinion frame 9 so as to form an L-shape on said frame 9. The heart-cam driving lever 39'is contacted on the back surface with this projection 901 by the resiliency of the tension coil spring 40 so that the normal positions of the pinion frame 9 and the heart-cam driving lever 39 itself at the time of counting against the force of the spring 12 will be defined and the pinions 8 will be in mesh with the digit wheels. 41 is a pinion stopper molded of a plastic material integrally with a plurality of resilient pieces 411 for positioning the pinions 8 when the pinions are not meshed with the digit wheels. 42 is a shaft fixed to both side plates of the frame 2 and normally the plurality of resilient pieces 411 are in contact at the free ends with the shaft 42 so that all the resilient pieces will be defined in an aligned position. With such arrangement, any positional fluctuation of the resilient pieces 411 likely to occur at the time of working or assembly can be absorbed or corrected. 43

is an electrically resetting the digit wheels. its armature 431 is connected with a part of the actuating lever 38 through a spring (not illustrated).

Now, the arrangement of the presetting part to be used for the embodiment in the preset counter of the present invention shall be explained mostly with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7. In the drawings, 44 is a presetting-button frame made .of plastic molding.'45 and 46 are a plurality ofpresetting buttons arranged with the respective touching parts vertically separated alter- I nately so as to be easy to operate respectively individually in the case of the manual operation of these buttons. The respective presetting buttons are provided so as to be resiliently moved up and down within the presetting-button frame 44 and to rotate and preset the respective digit wheels at any desired numerical values through the gears of the respective digit wheels 1 with the presetting nails resiliently supported by the

respective presetting buttons

45 and 46. FIG. 6 shows the details of these members. A presetting pawl 47 is substantially L-shaped and has a rotary shaft part 471 formed in the base part of the button, a pawl part 472 engaging with the gear of the digit wheel formed in one free end part and a spring locking part 473 formed in the other free end part. This presetting pawl 47 is supported integrally with the

presetting button

45 or 46 by pivoting the rotary shaft part 471 in a bearing hole 451 of the

presetting button

45 or 46, fitting a twisting coil spring 48 on a projection 452 formed in the lower part of the

presetting button

45 or 46 and compressing the spring 48 so that a spring force will work between the inside wall of the presetting button and the locking part 473 of the pawl 472 (FIG. 7A). The pawl part 472 is rotatable with the shaft part 471 as a center but is prevented in a fixed position by a part of the

button

45 or 46 from rotating further upward while the same is rotatable downward with a returning force by the twisting coil spring 48. In fitting these

presetting buttons

45 and 46 in the frame 44, a compression coil spring 49 is fitted to push up the button between the bottom part of each button and the inside bottom part of the frame. A groove 453 formed in the top part of each button is provided so that the presetting operation may be made possible with such tool as a screw driver. The

respective presetting buttons

45 and 46 are arranged alternately with each other so that the adjacent buttons will not be in the way at the time of the presetting operation.

The above described presetting button frame 44 is fitted to the frame 2 in such manner that its projections 442 will be fitted respectively in a cut 2011 (FIG. 2C) of the frame 2, and is fixed with screws 52. In this state, as seen in FIGS. 2C and 2E, a projection 501 provides at one extended end of a stopper 50 for locking the presetting buttons in the position as pushed up by the spring 49 is in contact with the reset-preset actuating lever 38 and the stopper 50 is fitted to a projection 441 projected on each side of the presetting button frame 44 in holes made at both ends so as to be rotatable with said projections 441 as a center but, on the other hand, as seen in FIG. 2E, said stopper 50 is pressed substantially in the center part by a plate spring 51 fitted to the frame 44 and is always biased in the direction indicated by the arrow E-E in FIG. 2C. Therefore, at the normal time, this stopper 50 will bear the rear end surfaces of the

respective presetting buttons

45 and 46 in its upper end part 502 so as to lock them against the downward motion and, even if the respective buttons are pushed, they will not move downward. However, as described later. when the stopper 50 is rotated against the resiliency of the plate spring 51, the presetting buttons will be unlocked and the digit presetting operation by the presetting buttons will become possible.

The associated state of the

presetting buttons

45 and 46 with the gears 101 of the digit wheels will become clear in FlG.'7A. In the illustrated embodiment, the pawl 47 of each presetting button is pressed by a projection 361 provided above the pawl 47 inside the front surface of the case 36 in its stopping position and is therefore kept in a position shown by the solid line, that is. in a position at the shortest distance from specific one of the gear teeth 101 of the digit wheel '1 to be engaged with the engaging pawl part 472 at the tip in the case of its downward movement. 1f the button 45 is pushed into the position shown by the chain line in the drawing. the pawl 47 will also change to be in the position shown by the chain line with the projection 361 as a fulcrum and the pawl part 472 will rotate slightly upward so as to be positively engaged with the above mentioned specific gear tooth 101 in during its further downward movement. Thus, with the further downward movement of the button 45, the pawl 47 will begin to mesh with the gear 101 of the digit wheel 1 and a presetting operation will begin.

In the above. it is advantageous that the projection 361 is in the form of a bank extending along the edge of the numeral indicating window of the case 36, as shown in H6. 7B, as molded integrally with said case 36.

in the case of the above numeral presetting operation, as will be described later. after the pinions 8 meshed with the respective digit wheels are released from said meshing, until the heart-cam driving lever 39 engages and drives the heart cams 401 ofthe respective digit wheels, the respective digit wheels will be free to rotate on the shaft 3, and,therefore, in case the counter is vibrated in such state, the wheels may be slightly displaced from the fixed position. However, even against such displacement, the pawl 47 of the resetting button and the gear 101 of the digit wheel will be maintained in correct meshing positions by the above described arrangement. That is, if the projection 361 of the case 36 in this embodiment is omitted, the position of the tip of the pawl part 472 before the meshing will be far from the gear 101 and the pawl part 472 will be likely to mesh with the gear 101 in the part before or after the fixed gear part at the time of meshing.

At the time when the pawl 47 of the presetting button is in mesh with the gear 101 of the digit wheel, hookshaped tips of the heart-cam driving lever 39 will engage respectively with the recess 402 provided in the heart cam 401 of the respective digit wheels and will lock the rotation of the inner wheel 400 of the respective digit wheels together with the heart cam and, therefore, in response to each lowering motion of the button, the pawl 47 will feed only the outer wheel of the digit wheel by 2 pitches in this case against the resiliency from the inner wheel through the gear 101 and will rotate said outer wheel by one digit. By repeating this operation, the digits of the respective figures of any desired preset numerical value are selected and set.

The arrangement and operation of each mechanism of said preset counter to which the present invention is applied have been outlined in the above. Now, the operation of said entire preset counter shall be briefly described.

First of all, the number counting operation of the present preset counter is started by applying an input pulse to the counting electromagnet block 17 after the operation of presetting any desired numerical value to be counted is finished. That is, when there is an input pulse, the armature 171 of the counting electromagnet will be attracted to move and, in response to this movement, each digit wheel 1 will be driven in the deducting direction through the anchor member 13, ratchet

wheels

16 and 161 and pinion 8 so that a counting operation will be made. When the set numerical value is successively deducted until the digits of all the digit wheels show 0, each of the cam rollers 19 in resilient contact with the digit wheels 1 by the spring force of the microswitch 25 will drop into the groove 102 on each digit wheel, the projection 201 of the cam roller frame 20 will rotate, and the contact pawl 24 stopped by it will separate from said projection. Therefore the pressing force given to the actuator 26 will be released and the microswitch will automatically switch over the contact. Thus, an output signal indicating the completion of the counting of the preset counting value will be given to the output terminal and the function as of a preset counter will be performed. In the case of repeating the couting with the same preset value, it is necessary to reset each digit wheel showing 0" at the preset numerical value. This resetting is made either by energizing the resetting electromagnet block 43 with a resetting signal given from another counting device associated, or by inserting the reset-preset enabling key 54.

The resetting can be made also in case the counting of the preset number is not completed, that is, when each digit wheel shows another digit than or the digit of each figure of the preset number.

Further, in the case of making the next counting with a different preset number, a new desired numerical value must be preset by operating the above described presetting part. In such case, too, it is advantageous to reset all the digit wheels once at the last reset values simultaneously with making the presetting possible by unlocking the presetting part. ln other words, in the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously unlock the resetting part and reset the digit wheels, and such operation is made only possible by inserting the removable reset-preset enabling key.

Here, the above mentioned simultaneous operation with the reset-preset enabling key of the resetting of digit wheels and the unlocking of the presetting part according to the present invention shall be explained with reference to FIGS. 2C and 4A to 4C. When the key 54 is inserted in the leg part 541 made ofa metal plate into a clearance 351 provided between the guide 33 for guiding the insertion of said key and the lens frame 35 of the count indicating window, the leg part 541 of the inserted key will push the upper end of the reset-preset actuating member 34 with its tip and will push down said member 34 against the force of the spring 37. Said member 34 thus pushed down will come into contact at its lower end with the reset-preset actuating lever 38 and will rotate said lever 38 against the force of the spring 40 given through the heart-cam driving lever 39. The rotation of this lever 38 will be transmitted to the counting mechanism and the presetting part locking mechanism.

In the counting mechanism, the lever 38 rotated as above will rotate the heart-cam driving lever 39 in the direction reverse to the direction indicated by the arrow D-D through the projection 381 in FIG. 2C and will press the respective hooked tips of said lever 39 against the respective peripheral surfaces of the heart cams 401 of the'inner wheels 400 of the digit wheels 1. At this time, the pinion frame 9 disengaged by the rotated heart-cam driving lever 39 will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow A-A by the force of the spring 12 so that the pinions 8 will be moved to the position of non-meshing with the digit wheels. Each heart cam 401 thus subjected to the pressing force by the hooked part of the heart-cam driving lever 39 will be rotated together with each inner sheel 40 and outer wheel 100 according to its shape and will stop rotating in a position in which the hooked tip is ingaged with the recess 402. This position in which the heart cam is locked by the lever 39 is the position in which the preset number of the outer wheel of the digit wheel is shown in the indicating window as described above. Therefore, all the digit wheels will have been reset.

On the other hand, in the same manner, in FIG. 2C, the reset-preset actuating lever 38 rotated by the actuating member 34 as described above will rotate the stopper 50 for the presetting buttons against the force ofthe spring 40 through the projection 501. Therefore, the upper end edge 502 of said stopper 50 will be disengaged with each resetting

button

45 or 46 so that each button will become manually operatable. Thus, the reof the lever 38. That is, the projection of the contact lever 23 will be pushed by the projection 382 of the rotated lever 38, thereby the contact lever 23 will be rotated against the pressing force from the actuator 26 and, therefore, the contact pawl 24 fitted to the contact lever 23 and the projection 201 of the cam roller frame will be desengaged with each other. Therefore, the cam rollers 19 will become freely rotatable. Thus the cam rollers 19 normally arranged below the digit wheels will separate from the peripheral surface of the digit wheels by its power.

In the above description, the use of the reset-preset enabling key means according to the present invention has been explained as of the case that the guide 33 is fixed and stationary so that, unless the key is inserted, neither resetting nor presetting may be made. However, the present invention is not limited to only such kind of preset counter but can be rather applied also to the case that said guide 33 is slidably arranged so that the reset-preset actuating member 34 will be pressed, that is, the case that said guide 33 itself is utilized as a resetting or presetting button or for both purposes.

In case the guide 33 is used as a resetting button, as shown in FIG. 58, a part of the frame 2 with which the projections 331 of the button is in contact is cut as shown by the dotted line 202 so that, when the button 33 is pushed down, the projections 331 will descend in said out 202 and the button 33 will operate the actuating member 34 in the same manner as in the case of using the key 54. In the drawing, the stopper plate 53 shown in FIG. 5C can be fitted to the above mentioned cut 202 in its projecting part 531. If this stopper plate 53 is fitted to the cut 202, the projection 331 of the button 33 will be locked by the stopper plate 53 and the button 33 will become a fixed guide in the same manner as in the case of FIG. 4. If this stopper plate 53 is removed, the button 33 will become movable again. Therefore, by said stopper plate 53, it will be made possible to selectively use the key means according to the present invention as desired by the user of the counter in both cases of fixing the guide 33 to be stationary and making it movable.

Further, the reset-preset enabling key means according to the present invention can be applied also to any addition type electromagnetic counters as described in the foregoing. ln the case of such electromagnetic counter, the presetting mechanism in the preset counter of the embodiment described will not be normally provided and, therefore, said key means will be used only for resetting. In such case, too, all the others than the disclosures of the presetting mechanism will be applicable.

As evident from the explanation of the embodiment of the present invention as described above, the electromagnetic counter according to the present invention has such features as are enumerated in the following:

setting part will be unlocked simultaneously with the resetting of the digit wheels in the counting mechanism.

On the hand, the contact of the cam rollers 19 with the digit wheels will be also released with the rotation set can be easily prevented from being performed erroneously or undesirably by a third person.

2. In case the present invention is applied to a preset counter, as the structure of pressing each steel ball into contact with the recess in the outer wheel with a single plate spring is adopted for the resilient coupling of the outer and inner wheels of each digit wheel, it will be possible to simple make the force of said resilient coupling large and positive and, in either case of counting, resetting and presetting, the relative positions of both inner and outer wheels will be kept positive and no error will be produced in any operation. Further, the structure of this resilient coupling has also an effect of making the digit wheel assembling work simple and easy.

3. In connection with the feature in the above (2), according to the present invention, as the presetting mechanism is provided with a simple means for keeping the meshing position of the presetting button with the gear of the digit wheel always at the shortest distance,

any mispresetting due to any wrong position of the digit wheel can be simply prevented.

4. In connection with the feature in the above (3), according to the present invention, as a meansfor meshing the presetting button with the gear of the digit wheel can be obtained by a simple structure, the number of component parts is reduced and the assembly is simplified.

5. In the electromagnetic counter according to the present invention, as a plurality of spring members for alignning and locking the pinions as separated from the digit wheels during the resetting of the digit wheels are molded integrally of a plastic material, the number of component parts is reduced, the assembly is simplified and the alignning effect is positive. Further, as the means of keeping these spring members normally separated from the pinions is formed of a single shaft member, such fluctuation in the relative positions of the respective spring members as will be likely to occur at the time of the integral molding can be simply corrected and the engagement and disengagement of the pinions with the digit wheels can be maintained always accurately.

6. As the microswitch and its output terminals provided for the case of preset counters, the respective counting and resetting electromagnetic device and their input terminals provided for either case are made in a block and the structure of assembling them into the frame is simplified, the assembling work is easy and the work of replacing and adjusting their component parts is easy.

7. According to the present invention, as the counting, resetting, presetting and reset-preset enabling mechanisms are made in respective blocks and, therefore, all are perfectly made in a block, the assembly of the elctromagnetic counter is simplified and the cost is reduced.

What we claim is:

1. An electromagnetic counter comrising in combination a. a counting means including a plurality ofdigit wheels corresponding in number to desired number of units of a figure to be counted and being supported rotatably on a common shaft,

said digit wheels having respectively a heart cam at a side surface, and

a plurality of pinions supported on a common shaft and respectively associated with said digit wheels for raising the unit of counting figure;

.b. a drive means for driving said counting means including an electromagnetic device performing attraction of an associated armature in response to an input for counting, and means for rotating one of the digit wheels at the 5 lowest unit position in response to the attracted motion of said armature; c. a reset means for resetting the digit wheels includa resetting button slidably mounted,

means responsive to a sliding of said resetting button for engaging said heart cam of the respective digit wheels to reset the digit wheels to their original positions, and

means cooperative with said engaging means for releasing said association of the pinions with the digit wheels and controlling the released position of the pinions to be constant and their rotation to be restricted;

d. a frame member for integrally supporting and assembling said respective means therein;

e. a housing for accommodating said frame member;

and

f. a key means for enabling said reset means to be operable;

said resetting button comprising at least two split members, one of said split members being a reset actuating member and the other being a guide member;

said frame member including a detachable stopper means for locking said guide member; and

said housing having a clearance provided around said resetting button for allowing the key means to be inserted, so that said actuating will be operated directly by the key means inserted without through the guide member, thereby the reset means is .enabled to operate.

2. Apreset counter comprising in combination a. a deduction type counting mechanism including a plurality of digit wheels rotatably supported on a common shaft and corresponding in number to the units of desired counting figures,

an inner wheel having a heart cam for defining the position of a preset digit of the digit wheel and being in resilient contact with the inside periphery of each digit wheel,

a plurality of pinions supported on a common shaft so as to be engaged and operatively connected with the digit wheels of the respective figures and to reduce by one the digit of the digit wheel of the upper unit position per rotation of the digit wheel of each lower unit position, and

means being in contact with respective digit wheels for detecting all the digit wheels when they enter zero position;

b. a means for driving said counting mechanism including an electromagnetic device for attracting an associated armature in response to a counting input,

13 ing respectively a presetting pawl which normally rests in the position of disengagement with the respective digit wheels, said presetting buttons being capable of driving the respective digit wheels through said presetting pawl when being slid, and

means for locking said presetting buttons normally in the positions of disengagement with the digit wheels;

(1. a mechanism for resetting the digit wheels to the preset positions including a resetting button slidably disposed near the outside surface of the counter,

means responsive to the sliding of said resetting button to engage with the heart cam of the inner wheel of each digit wheel for resetting the digit wheels to the preset position,

a means for releasing said locking means of the presetting mechanism from the locked position in operatively cooperation with said resetting means,

and

a means for disengaging the pinions with the digit wheels in operatively cooperation with said resetting means, said disengaging means having a means for controlling released positions of said pinions to be constant from the digit wheels and the rotation of released pinions to be restricted;

and

e. a switch means operatively connected with said digit wheel zero position detecting means to provide an output when all the digit wheels enter zero positions.

3. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said resetting button of the resetting mechanism comprises a fixed guide section projecting out of the counter body and a slidable actuating section interposed between said guide section and the resetting means, said guide section being locked against inward movement and having a space communicating the exterior and the resetting means so that said resetting means will be slided to be actuated by a key means separately prepared so as to be insertable into said space as guided by the guide section.-

4. A preset counter according to claim 3 wherein said fixed guide section of the resetting button is normally locked in its fixed position substantially by a detachable stopper member, so that the guide section can be adapted to be slidable as required by removing said stopper member.

5. A preset counter according to claim 4 wherein the respective said mechanisms of the counter are assembled in inside space of a supporting frame having substantially a U-shaped section so that the digit wheels of the counting mechanism and the guide section of the resetting button will be disposed at the open end of the frame, and said detachable stopper member is mounted in a cut section provided adjacent saidopen end of the frame.

6. A preset counter according to claim 5 wherein said U-shaped supporting frame is provided with a cut portion at the closed end surface, said switch means and electromagnetic device are mounted to a supporting integrally molded with a resin so as to extrude their input and output terminals out of said base, and said supporting base is mounted to said cut portion of the U-shaped supporting frame.

7. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said resilient coupling between the respective digit wheels and the respective inner wheels is performed by a plurality of recesses made on inner periphery of each said digit wheel, a spring member fixed substantially at the center thereof to the inner wheel and having two resilient parts being resilient in two opposing directions and at least a pair of steel balls respectively disposed between at least an opposing pair of said recesses of the digit wheel and the respective said two resilient parts of the spring member.

8. A preset counter according to claim 7 wherein said spring member is a plate spring substantially of a C- shape.

9. A preset counter according to claim 7 wherein said spring member is a twisting coil spring.

10. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said controlling means in the resetting mechanism comprises a lever member which is rockable in association with said releasing means, a pinion frame movable between two position in one of which it brings normally said pinions into engagement with the digit wheels and in the other of which it retaines the pinions in their released position from the engagement, a pinion pressure means having an array of a plurality. of resilient pieces molded with a resin and resiliently engages the respective pinions in their said released position, and an elongated member fixed in parallel relation to the common shaft for the pinions for defining the position of said resilient pieces in an array in their position not engaging the pinions.

11. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said plurality of presetting buttons is respectively slidably supported in each of channels provided in a supporting frame for the buttons molded into an integral body, each said button being supported in the channel as projected at one end out of the counter body and normally biased at the other end by a coil spring in said projecting direction, said button further comprises a twisting coil spring fixed substantially at the center to the button adjacent said the other end, and said presetting pawl pivoted substantially at its center to an intermediate position of the button and is provided with an end pawl projecting toward the digit wheels and the other end being engaged with an end of said twisting coil so that said end pawl will be normally rotated in the projecting direction of the buttons.

12. A preset counter according to claim 11 wherein said presetting mechanism further comprises a means for defining the normal disengaging position of the end pawls of the presetting buttons with the digit wheels to be constant for achieving a predetermined engagement with the digit wheel gears.

13. A preset counter according to claim 12 wherein said position defining means is an elongated bank provided inside surface of a counter housing to project toward the respective presetting pawls of 'the presetting

Claims

1. An electromagnetic counter comrising in combination a. a counting means including a plurality of digit wheels corresponding in number to desired number of units of a figure to be counted and being supported rotatably on a common shaft, said digit wheels having respectively a heart cam at a side surface, and a plurality of pinions supported on a common shaft and respectively assocIated with said digit wheels for raising the unit of counting figure; b. a drive means for driving said counting means including an electromagnetic device performing attraction of an associated armature in response to an input for counting, and means for rotating one of the digit wheels at the lowest unit position in response to the attracted motion of said armature; c. a reset means for resetting the digit wheels including a resetting button slidably mounted, means responsive to a sliding of said resetting button for engaging said heart cam of the respective digit wheels to reset the digit wheels to their original positions, and means cooperative with said engaging means for releasing said association of the pinions with the digit wheels and controlling the released position of the pinions to be constant and their rotation to be restricted; d. a frame member for integrally supporting and assembling said respective means therein; e. a housing for accommodating said frame member; and f. a key means for enabling said reset means to be operable; said resetting button comprising at least two split members, one of said split members being a reset actuating member and the other being a guide member; said frame member including a detachable stopper means for locking said guide member; and said housing having a clearance provided around said resetting button for allowing the key means to be inserted, so that said actuating will be operated directly by the key means inserted without through the guide member, thereby the reset means is enabled to operate.

2. A preset counter comprising in combination a. a deduction type counting mechanism including a plurality of digit wheels rotatably supported on a common shaft and corresponding in number to the units of desired counting figures, an inner wheel having a heart cam for defining the position of a preset digit of the digit wheel and being in resilient contact with the inside periphery of each digit wheel, a plurality of pinions supported on a common shaft so as to be engaged and operatively connected with the digit wheels of the respective figures and to reduce by one the digit of the digit wheel of the upper unit position per rotation of the digit wheel of each lower unit position, and means being in contact with respective digit wheels for detecting all the digit wheels when they enter zero position; b. a means for driving said counting mechanism including an electromagnetic device for attracting an associated armature in response to a counting input, and means for driving one of said digit wheels at the lowest unit position in the deducting direction in response to the attracted operation of said armature; c. a mechanism for presetting the digit wheels at any desired numerical value including a plurality of slidable presetting buttons corresponding in number to the digit wheels and having respectively a presetting pawl which normally rests in the position of disengagement with the respective digit wheels, said presetting buttons being capable of driving the respective digit wheels through said presetting pawl when being slid, and means for locking said presetting buttons normally in the positions of disengagement with the digit wheels; d. a mechanism for resetting the digit wheels to the preset positions including a resetting button slidably disposed near the outside surface of the counter, means responsive to the sliding of said resetting button to engage with the heart cam of the inner wheel of each digit wheel for resetting the digit wheels to the preset position, a means for releasing said locking means of the presetting mechanism from the locked position in operatively cooperation with said resetting means, and a means for disengaging the pinions with the digit wheels in operatively cooperation with said resetting means, said disengaging means having a means for controlling released positions of said pinions to be constant from the digit wheels and the rotation of released pinions to be restricted; and e. a switch means operatively connected with said digit wheel zero position detecting means to provide an output when all the digit wheels enter zero positions.

3. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said resetting button of the resetting mechanism comprises a fixed guide section projecting out of the counter body and a slidable actuating section interposed between said guide section and the resetting means, said guide section being locked against inward movement and having a space communicating the exterior and the resetting means so that said resetting means will be slided to be actuated by a key means separately prepared so as to be insertable into said space as guided by the guide section.

5. A preset counter according to claim 4 wherein the respective said mechanisms of the counter are assembled in inside space of a supporting frame having substantially a U-shaped section so that the digit wheels of the counting mechanism and the guide section of the resetting button will be disposed at the open end of the frame, and said detachable stopper member is mounted in a cut section provided adjacent said open end of the frame.

8. A preset counter according to claim 7 wherein said spring member is a plate spring substantially of a C-shape.

10. A preset counter according to claim 2 wherein said controlling means in the resetting mechanism comprises a lever member which is rockable in association with said releasing means, a pinion frame movable between two position in one of which it brings normally said pinions into engagement with the digit wheels and in the other of which it retaines the pinions in their released position from the engagement, a pinion pressure means having an array of a plurality of resilient pieces molded with a resin and resiliently engages the respective pinions in their said released position, and an elongated member fixed in parallel relation to the common shaft for the pinions for defining the position of said resilient pieces in an array in their position not engaging the pinions.

13. A preset counter according to claim 12 wherein said position defining means is an elongated bank provided inside surface of a counter housing to project toward the respective presetting pawls of the presetting buttons.