Adjustable mechanical scanning device for pointers of indicating meters

Claim 1

A MECHANICAL SCANNING DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF THE POINTER OF AN INDICATING METER MOVABLE OVER AN INDICATING RANGE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBIANTION, MEANS FORMING A SUPPORTING SURFACE EXTENDING THROUGH THE RANGE OF MOVEMENT OF THE POINTER; A CLAMPING MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLAMPING POSITION CLAMPING THE POINTER AGAINST SAID SURFACE AND A RELEASE POSITION PROVIDING FOR FREE MOVEMENT OF THE POINTER; MEANS OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID CLAMPING MEMBER BETWEEN ITS TWO POSITIONS; CARRIER MEANS ROTATABLE ABOUT A FIXED AXIS; A RELATIVELY ELONGATED SCANNING MEMBER; MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SCANNING MEMBER, AT ONE END, ON SAID CARRIER MEANS FOR ROTATION WITH THE LATTER, SAID SCANNING MEMBER HAVING A FREE END ARRANGED TO FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT OF THE POINTER, DURING ROTATION OF SAID CARRIER MEANS, AND HAVING A REST POSITION OUTSIDE THE INDICATING RANGE OF THE POINTER AND A SCANNING POSITION RELATIVE TO THE POINTER; A STOP ON SAID CARRIER MEANS; A RELATIVELY WEAK SPRING BIASING SAID SCANNER MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID STOP; MEANS FORMING A CIRCULAR ARCUATE CLAMPING SURFACE COOPERABLE WITH THE FREE END OF SAID SCANNER MEMBER FOR ARRESTING SAID SCANNER MEMBER IN ITS SCANNING POSITION, THE FREE END OF SAID SCANNER MEMBER BEING SPACED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM SAID CLAMPING SURFACE EXCEPT IN THE SCANNING POSITION OF SAID SCANNER MEMBER; SAID SCANNER MEMBER, WHEN ENGAGED WITH SAID STOP, FORMING, WITH THE RADIUS OF SAID CLAMPING SURFACE, AN ANGLE LESS THAN THE ANGLE OF FRICTION BETWEEN THE FREE END OF SAID SCANNER MEMBER AND SAID CLAMPING SURFACE; MEANS OPERABLE TO ROTATE SAID CARRIER MEANS ABOUT ITS AXIS TO MOVE SAID SCANNER MEMBER TOWARD ITS SCANNING POSITION; SAID SCANNER MEMBER, WHEN CONTACTING THE POINTER IN ITS SCANNING POSITION, BEING SWUNG AWAY FROM SAID STOP TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE ITS FREE END WITH SAID CLAMPING SURFACE TO LOCK SAID SCANNER MEMBER AND THE COMPONENTS OF THE SCANNING DEVICE IN THE INDICATING POSITION OF THE POINTER; AND ADJUSTING MEANS ON SAID CARRIER MEANS OPERABLE TO ADJUST SAID SCANNER MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID CLAMPING SURFACE TO PRE-SET THE RELATION BETWEEN THE FREE END OF SAID SCANNER MEMBER AND SAID CLAMPING SURFACE.