Strand measuring device

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR MEASIURING THE LENGTH OF A LONGITUDINALLY ADVANCING STRAND, WHICH COMPRISES: A SUPPORT MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN LIMITS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND; RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TOWARD A POSITION INTERMEDIATE THE LIMITS OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER; A TURRET MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND AND TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER; A COUNTER WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID TURRET FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID TURRET; MEANS URGING THE ADVANCING STRAND INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COUNTER WHEEL SUCH THAT THE STRAND ROTATES SAID COUNTER WHEEL; ELONGATED ROCKER FRAME MEANS MOUNTED AT ITS LONGITUDINAL MIDPOINT FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL; AND FIRST AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ROCKER FRAME MEANS ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND MOVABLE THEREWITH ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL, FOR SUPPORTING THE ADVANCING STRAND AT POINTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE POINT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE STRAND WITH SAID COUNTER WHEEL SO AS TO PREVENT ANY SUBSTANTIAL TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE STRAND RELATIVE TO SAID ROLLER MEANS AND SUCH THAT A PORTION OF THE STRAND BETWEEN SAID ROLLER MEANS ALWAYS EXTENDS IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL TANGENT TO SAID WHEEL DESPITE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE STRAND.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR MEASIURING THE LENGTH OF A LONGITUDINALLY ADVANCING STRAND, WHICH COMPRISES: A SUPPORT MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN LIMITS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND; RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TOWARD A POSITION INTERMEDIATE THE LIMITS OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER; A TURRET MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE STRAND AND TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER; A COUNTER WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID TURRET FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID TURRET; MEANS URGING THE ADVANCING STRAND INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COUNTER WHEEL SUCH THAT THE STRAND ROTATES SAID COUNTER WHEEL; ELONGATED ROCKER FRAME MEANS MOUNTED AT ITS LONGITUDINAL MIDPOINT FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL; AND FIRST AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ROCKER FRAME MEANS ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND MOVABLE THEREWITH ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL, FOR SUPPORTING THE ADVANCING STRAND AT POINTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE POINT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE STRAND WITH SAID COUNTER WHEEL SO AS TO PREVENT ANY SUBSTANTIAL TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE STRAND RELATIVE TO SAID ROLLER MEANS AND SUCH THAT A PORTION OF THE STRAND BETWEEN SAID ROLLER MEANS ALWAYS EXTENDS IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID COUNTER WHEEL TANGENT TO SAID WHEEL DESPITE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE STRAND.