Counting system

Claim 2

In combination with a fuel dispensing system having fuel storage means for receiving and storing fuel and fuel dispensing means for dispensing fuel from the fuel storage means, a counting system for accounting for the fuel remaining in the storage means comprising a first rotary counting device having a plurality of counter wheels of ascending order adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and connected to be indexed in accordance with the amount of fuel received by the storage means, a second rotary counting device having a plurality of counter wheels of ascending order adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and connected to be indexed in accordance with the amount of fuel dispensed by the fuel dispensing means, at least one of said counting devices being resettable to zero by angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in their operational angular directions, and inventory accounting means for combining the counts of the first and second counting devices for determining the amount of fuel remaining in the storage means, the accounting means being selectively operable for angularly resetting the counter wheels of said one counting device in their operational angular directions individually and in a predetermined sequence and for simultaneously combining the count of said one counting device with the count of the other counting device by simultaneously angularly indexing the corresponding counter wheels of the other counting device in their operational angular directions and accordingly by indexing said other counting device in accordance with the complement of the count of said one counting device.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein the first rotary counting device is said one counting device and the second rotary counting device is said other counting device, and wherein the first rotary counting device provides an additive count when indexed in its operational angular direction and the second rotary counting device provides a subtractive count when indexed in its operational angular direction.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein the fuel dispensing means comprises a plurality of independently operable fuel dispensing apparatus, and wherein the counting system comprises connecting means for connecting the plurality of fuel dispensing apparatus in parallel to the second rotary counting device for indexing it in its operational angular direction in accordance with the amount of fuel dispensed by each of the fuel dispensing apparatus.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein the second rotary counting device is said one counting device and the first rotary counting device is said other counting device and wherein both of the counting devices provide additive counts when indexed in their operative angular directions.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 wherein the fuel dispensing means comprises a plurality of independently operable fuel dispensing apparatus, wherein the counting system comprises a plurality of said second rotary counting devices for the plurality of fuel dispensing apparatus respectively adapted to be angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof in accordance with the amount of fuel dispensed by the respective fuel dispensing apparatus, and wherein the inventory accounting means provides for selectively angularly resetting the second rotary counting devices in their operational angular directions to zero and for angularly indexing the first counting device in its operational angular direction in accordance with the complement of the count of the selected second counting device.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein the counting devices have electromagnet means for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof respectively; and wherein the inventory accounting means comprises an electrical pulse source, stepping switch means for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the electromagnet means of the single wheel counter of said one rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion and for simultaneously energizing the electromagnet means of the corresponding single wheel counters of said other rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion to transfer the complement of the count of said one rotary counting device to said other rotary counting device.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 wherein said one counting device comprises switching means for each counter wheel thereof and adapted for providing electrical outputs in accordance with the angular positions of the counter wheels respectively, and wherein said switching means are connected to index the stepping switch means to successively connect the pulse source to the single wheel counters of said one counting device.

Claim 9

A counting system with first and second rotary counting devices for storing first and second counts respectively and comprising first and second banks respectively of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and pulse actuated wheel operators for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels respectively in their operational angular directions in stepwise fashion; at least one of the rotary counting devices being resettable by angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion with their wheel operators and having switching means adapted for providing outputs in accordance with the angular position of the counter wheels respectively, and accounting means for combining the counts of the counting devices by transferring the count of said one rotary counting device to the other rotary counting device and comprising a pulse source, sequencing means operable for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the wheel operators of said one counting device and the corresponding wheel operators of the other counting device for indexing the wheels of said one counting device in sequence and simultaneously indexing the corresponding wheels respectively of the other counting device, the switching means of said one counting device being connected to timely operate the sequencing means to connect the pulse source to the operators of said one counting device in sequence for transferring the count of said one rotary counting device to the other rotary counting device.

Claim 10

A counting system with first and second rotary counting devices for storing first and second counts respectively and comprising first and second banks respectively of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and pulse actuated wheel operators for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels respectively in their operational angular directions in stepwise fashion; at least one of the rotary counting devices being resettable by angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion with their wheel operators and having switching means adapted for providing outputs in accordance with the angular position of the counter wheels respectively, and accounting means for combining the counts of the counting devices by transferring the count of said one rotary counting device to the other rotary counting device and comprising a pulse source, sequencing means operable for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the wheel operators of said one counting device and the corresponding wheel operators of the other counting device for indexing the wheels of said one counting device in sequence and simultaneously indexing the corresponding wheels respectively of the other counting device, the switching means of said one counting device being connected to timely operate the sequencing means to connect the pulse source to the operators of said one counting device in sequence for transferring the count of said one rotary counting device to the other rotary counting device.

Claim 11

The counting system of claim 8 wherein the sequencing means provides for connecting the pulse source to the operators of the single wheel rotary counters in descending sequence.

Claim 12

The countiNg system of claim 8 wherein the sequencing means is a stepping switch for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the operators of said one counting device.

Claim 13

The counting system of claim 8 wherein the wheel operators are electromagnetically actuated operators and wherein the pulse source is an electrical pulse source.

Claim 14

In combination with a fuel dispensing system having fuel storage means for receiving and storing fuel and fuel dispensing means for dispensing fuel from the fuel storage means, a counting system for accounting for the fuel remaining in the storage means comprising a first rotary counting device adapted to be angularly indexed in an operational angular direction thereof in accordance with the amount of fuel received by the storage means, a second rotary counting device connected to be angularly indexed in an operational angular direction thereof in accordance with the amount of fuel dispensed by the fuel dispensing means, at least one of said counting devices being resettable to zero by angularly indexing it in its operational angular direction, and inventory accounting means for angularly resetting said one counting device in its operational angular direction to zero and for angularly indexing the other counting device in its operational angular direction in accordance with the complement of the count of said one counting device and therefore in accordance with the resetting angular displacement of said one counting device, the first and second rotary counting devices comprising banks of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with the counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and with lower order counter wheels connected to adjacent higher order counter wheels to generate a transfer thereto, the inventory accounting means providing for individually and sequentially indexing the counter wheels of said one counting device in the operational angular directions thereof and for simultaneously indexing the corresponding counter wheels respectively of said other counting device in the operational angular directions thereof in accordance with the complement of the count of the corresponding counter wheels of said one counting device, the single wheel counters having electromagnet means for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof respectively, the inventory accounting means comprising an electrical pulse source, stepping switch means for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the electromagnet means of the single wheel counters of said one rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion and for simultaneously energizing the electromagnet means of the corresponding single wheel counters of said other rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion to transfer the complement of the count of said one rotary counting device to said other rotary counting device, the stepping switch means providing for successively connecting the pulse source to the electromagnet means of the single wheel counters of said one counting device in descending sequence, the counter wheels of said one counting device being adapted to count from 0 through 9, all but the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device being initially reset by the pulse source to their 9 angular positions and the counter wheels of said other counting device being indexed a number of times equal the 9 complement of the count of the corresponding counter wheels of said one counting device, and the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device being reset to its 0 angular position to generate transfers to the higher order counter wheels to reset them to 0 and the lowest order counter wheel of said other counting device being indexed a number of times equal to the 10 complement of the count of the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device.

Claim 15

In combination with a fuel dispensing system having fuel storage means for receiving and storing fuel and fuel dispensing means for dispensing fuel from the fuel storage means, a counting system for accounting for the fuel remaining in the storage means comprising a first rotary counting device adapted to be angularly indexed in an operational angular direction thereof in accordance with the amount of fuel received by the storage means, a second rotary counting device connected to be angularly indexed in an operational angular direction thereof in accordance with the amount of fuel dispensed by the fuel dispensing means, at least one of said counting devices being resettable to zero by angularly indexing it in its operational angular direction, and inventory accounting means for angularly resetting said one counting device in its operational angular direction to zero and for angularly indexing the other counting device in its operational angular direction in accordance with the complement of the count of said one counting device and therefore in accordance with the resetting angular displacement of said one counting device, the first and second rotary counting devices comprising banks of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with the counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and with lower order counter wheels connected to adjacent higher order counter wheels to generate a transfer thereto, the inventory accounting means providing for individually and sequentially indexing the counter wheels of said one counting device in the operational angular directions thereof and for simultaneously indexing the corresponding counter wheels respectively of said other counting device in the operational angular directions thereof in accordance with the complement of the count of the corresponding counter wheels of said one counting device, the single wheel counters having electromagnet means for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof respectively, the inventory accounting means comprising an electrical pulse source, stepping switch means for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the electromagnet means of the single wheel counters of said one rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion and for simultaneously energizing the electromagnet means of the corresponding single wheel counters of said other rotary counting device for angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion to transfer the complement of the count of said one rotary counting device to said other rotary counting device, the stepping switch means providing for successively connecting the pulse source to the electromagnet means of the single wheel counters of said one counting device in descending sequence, the counter wheels of said one counting device being adapted to count from 0 through 9, all but the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device being initially reset by the pulse source to their 9 angular positions and the counter wheels of said other counting device being indexed a number of times equal the 9 complement of the count of the corresponding counter wheels of said one counting device, and the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device being reset to its 0 angular position to generate transfers to the higher order counter wheels to reset them to 0 and the lowest order counter wheel of said other counting device being indexed a number of times equal to the 10 complement of the count of the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device.

Claim 16

A counting system with first and second rotary counting devices for storing first and second counts respectively and comprising first and second banks respectively of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and pulse actuated wheel operators for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels respectively in their operational angular directions in stepwise fashion, at least one of the rotary counting devices being resettable by angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion with their wheel operators and having switching means adapted for providing outputs in accordance with the angular position of the counter wheels respectively, and accounting means for combining the counts of the counting devices comprising a pulse source, sequencing means operable for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the wheel operators of said one counting device and the corresponding wheel operators of the other counting device, the switching means of the one counting device being connected to timely operate the sequencing means to connect the pulse source to the operators of said one counting device in sequence, the sequencing means providing for connecting the pulse source to the operators of the single wheel rotary counters in descending sequence, the counter wheels of said one counting device being adapted to be angularly indexed to count from 0 through 9, and the sequencing means being operated by the switching means to provide for initially indexing all but the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device to their 9 angular positions and for indexing the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device to its 0 position.

Claim 17

A counting system with first and second rotary counting devices for storing first and second counts respectively and comprising first and second banks respectively of corresponding single wheel rotary counters of ascending order with counter wheels adapted to be individually angularly indexed in operational angular directions thereof and pulse actuated wheel operators for independently angularly indexing the counter wheels respectively in their operational angular directions in stepwise fashion, at least one of the rotary counting devices being resettable by angularly indexing the counter wheels thereof in stepwise fashion with their wheel operators and having switching means adapted for providing outputs in accordance with the angular position of the counter wheels respectively, and accounting means for combining the counts of the counting devices comprising a pulse source, sequencing means operable for sequentially connecting the pulse source to the wheel operators of said one counting device and the corresponding wheel operators of the other counting device, the switching means of the one counting device being connected to timely operate the sequencing means to connect the pulse source to the operators of said one counting device in sequence, the sequencing means providing for connecting the pulse source to the operators of the single wheel rotary counters in descending sequence, the counter wheels of said one counting device being adapted to be angularly indexed to count from 0 through 9, and the sequencing means being operated by the switching means to provide for initially indexing all but the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device to their 9 angular positions and for indexing the lowest order counter wheel of said one counting device to its 0 position.