US922537A - Counting-train. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. .SPRAGUE & G. HOOKHAM. GOUNTING TRAIN. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1a, 1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Cir

WALTER SIDNEY SPRAGUE AND GEORGE HOOKHAM, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

CGUNTING-TRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1809.

Application filed May 18, 1908. Serial No. 433,543;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that we, WALTER SIDN Y SPRAGUE and GEORGE HooKHAn, subjects of .the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 4 New Bartholomew street, Birmingham, in the county of Varwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting-Trains, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to counting trains for electricity meters of the cyclometer type. When using counters of this description, as distinguished from the ordinary continuously rotating ty c, it is sometimes desired to return all the gures to zero. Heretofore this 0 oration has been able to be performed only y rotating the whole counter through a complete cycle of the figures. When, as is usually the case, the counter lis connected through a train of wheels and pinions or worm wheels to a rotating body such as the armature of an electricity meter this occu ies much time and may involve the removaof the counting train and some of the wheels.

The object of this invention is to avoid this inconvenience with jump counters and to so arrange the driving or counting train that it is not necessary to rotate the whole of the train in order to bring all to zero.

The invention consists in introducing one or more clutches into the train so constructed and arranged that it can be readily operated without removing any part of the counter.

The invention further consistsin the improved apparatus hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a front elevation of a counting train to which our invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the counting train in gear forrunning, while Fig. 4 is a side elevation with the units spindle free for returning the dials to the zero position and Fig. 5 shows the front of the counting. train with the plate and dials removed.

In carrying the invention. into effect according to one modification, one of the pinions or'the counting train is mounted upon I an axially movable spindle so that it may be put outof mesh with the wheel with which it normallyengages, and so that it may be rellhe turned readily to the normal position after the counting train hasbeen put back to zero.

To facilitate the rotation of the'train in order to reset to zero, we may apply a key or milled button to the spindle or spindles which are released.

In the construction of counting train illus-, trated the 1/ 10th unit spindle, a, which carries a pointer is mounted so that it can slide axially in its bearings and is normally held with its pinion, b, in engagement with the pinion, c, on the units spindle, d, by the pressure of the spring e, on its rear end.

pinion, f, by which the 1 /10th unit spind e is driven from the inion, g, is always in engagement with suc pinion which is always in gear with the armature spindle. The spindle upon which the pinion g is mounted also carries a pointer to indicate 1/100ths of a unit. The thousands dial, h, is frictionally held on its spindle, is, and can be readily turned back to zero without moving any other portion of the counting train.

In the above described construction in order to reset the dials to zero the spindle, a, is pressed in the rearward direction; the pinion, I), thereby disengaging the wheel, 0, so that the units, tens and hundreds dials can be rotated to zero by rotating the wheel, a. The thousands dial, h, is reset to zero by simply turning it on its spindle, 7c.

If more than four'dials are provided the arrangement above described maybe duplicated, the thousands dial being placed out of engagement and rdtatedin a similar manner to that above described.

In order to insure that the various pinions and toothed wheels may remain in correct engagement during running, w may provide any suitable catches holding them in position.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A counting train for electricity meters comprising an armature shaft, I a train of gearing, means for driving said gearing from said armature shaft, 9. spindle, a dial carried thereon, a pinion on said spindle driven by said gearing, a train of jump counters oper- In testimony whereof, we affix our signaated by said spindle, dials loperated by said tures in presence of two witnesses.

jump counters a frictions mounting holding upon its spindle the one of said dials ina cheating the highest value; included in said train oir gearing a spindle, a spring pressing Witnesses: v axially thereon, and an axially movable SYDNEY HOLMWOOD HOLDEN, pinion on said last named spindle. WILLIAM WORTON.

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