US571050A

US571050A - Office

Info

Publication number: US571050A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1913-11-10

Description

(No Model.) I

- w. D. MARKS.

DETBNT FOR RATGHET WHEELS.

No. 571,050. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

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" UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFI E.

\VILLIAM D. MARKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN ELECTRIC METER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DETENT FOR RATCHET -WH EELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,050, dated November 10, 1896.

A pli ti fil d August 22, 1896. Serial No. 603,5 91. (No model.)

To all whom it may. concern: tent which possesses all the advantages of a Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. .MARKS, a spring-detent and the rigid gravity-detent citizen of the United States, residing at Philaand avoids all the disadvantages of both, and delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and in carrying my invention into effect I employ 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cera blade-spring detent which is preferably tain new and useful Improvement in Detents quite long and curved, and which spring is for Ratchet-Wheels, of which the following is carried by a pivoted arm to which an adjusta specification. able weight is secured. In such a detent- The object of my invention is to provide a spring the friction of the spring on the ratchet IO detent for ratchet-wheels which will prevent wheel causes the spring to hug the wheel both overtravel and backlash of the ratchetand even follow it a short distance, partially wheel without unduly interfering with the straightening the spring, and in this way the forward movement of the wheel; and my inreaction on the motor due to the friction of vention is mainly designed for use in electric the detent is largely, if not wholly, overr 5 meters wherein a cam and a chrono-electric come. Furthermore, changes in temperature motor are employed as the driving device for and wear do not alter the tension of the spring, the ratchet-wheel which ratchet-wheel is the since this is regulated by the adjustable primary wheel of the counting mechanism. weight.

In registering-meters the primary or ratchet In the accompanying drawings,which illus- 7o 20 wheel, if large and heavy in comparison with trate my invention,Ais the primary or ratchet the resistance against which it works, is very wheel of the counting mechanism of a regisapt to overtravel, and this is particularly tering-meter, the counting mechanism being true if the actuating device is not always omit-ted. in engagement or contact therewith. hen B is the driving-pawl, carried by a pivoted 2 5 the actuating device is a slow-moving one, paw1-arm b. This arm is moved upward or making but few oscillations or revolutions forward by means of a driving-cam C, enper minute, the tendency on the part of the gaging with a roller 1), carried by the pawlratchet-wheel to overtravel is slight, but as arm I). The driving-cam is pivoted at c and the number of oscillations or revolutions inis actuated by a pendulum D, carrying soleo creases the tendency to overtravel becomes noid-cores d, which are acted upon by a so,- proportionately greater, and in apparatus lenoid E. The downward movement of the of the character for which my invention is pawl-arm b is limited by the cam F by the mainly designed such an objection is a serious engagement of the pin f, and this cam is adone. justed by a current-indicator or ampere-me- 8 5 3 5 hen the work done by the ratchet-wheel ter G,.as is now well understood.

is so great that there is no tendency to over- His the spring-detent for the ratchet-wheel,

travel, there is frequently a tendency to backwhich, as shown,is a long curved blade-spring.

lash. To prevent this, a detent is employed. This detent is carried by a pivoted arm h,

Such a detent naturally acts as a brake and which carries an adjustable weight h. The 40 is usually a rigid piece of metal. However, ratchet-wheel A is provided with very fine when the speed of the ratchet-wheel is great ratchet-teeth, against which the free end of during each forward stroke the detent, even the detent-spring is made to bear with a dewhen heavy, chatters and allows the wheel to gree of friction dependent upon the adjustovertravel. \Vhen the driving force is not ment of the weight h to prevent overthrow. 5 5 greatly in excess of the work to be done, the The backlash of the ratchetwheel is prefriction and weight of this device may react vented by the engagement of the edge of the on the motor and cause its motion to be less spring with the fine ratchet-teeth.

constant. On the other hand, a spring-detent It will be readily seen that the wearing of is liable to changes of tension due to wear the end of the detent-spring will not have any 5c and difierences in temperature. To overeffect on the action of the detent, since the come these objections, I have provided a 'deweight h will always hold the detent in engagement with the ratchet with the proper degree of friction.

Vhat I claim is 1. The combination with a ratchet-wheel and an actuating device therefor, of a pivotal resilient detent for the ratchet-wheel adapted to slightly follow the wheel through friction and thereby reduce the effects of inertia on the actuating device, and a device for regulating the pressure of said detent on the ratchet-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a ratchet-wheel, of a spring-detent therefor, and an adjustable weight for regulating the pressure of the detent, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a ratchet-wheel, of a blade-spring detent therefor, and an adjustable weight for regulating the pressure of the detent, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a ratchet-wheel, of a blade-spring detent carried by a pivoted arm, and an adjustable weight carried by said arm to regulate the pressure of the detent, substantially as set forth.

5. In a registering-meter, the combination with a register or counter, of a primary driving or ratchet wheel, an actuating-pawl engaging therewith, a motor for driving said actuating-pawl, and a resilient detent for the ratchet-wheel, adapted to slightly follow the wheel through friction and thereby reduce the eifects of inertia on the actuating device, substantially as set forth.

6. In a registering-meter, the combination with a register or counter, of a primary driving or ratchet wheel, an actuating-pawl engaging therewith, a motor for driving said actuating-pawl, and a detent for said ratchetwheel consisting of a spring engaging therewith and an adjustable weight for regulating the pressure of the detent, substantially as set forth.

7. In a registering-meter, the-combination with a register or counter, of a primary-driving or ratchet wheel, an actuating-pawl engaging therewith, a chrono-electric motor for driving said actuating-pawl, and a detent for said ratchet-wheel consisting of a spring engaging therewith and an adjustable weight for regulating the pressure of the detent, substantially as set forth.

8. In a registering-meter, the combination with a register or counter, of a primary driving or ratchet wheel, an actuating-pawl engaging therewith, a motor for driving said actuating-pawl, and a detent for said ratchetwhcel consisting of a blade-spring carried by a pivoted arm, and an adjustable weight carried by said arm to regulate the pressure of the spring-detent substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of August, 1896.

M. D. MARKS.

Vitnesses:

THEo. BuoHHoLz, Gno. Ross GREEN.