Tamper prevention apparatus for odometer

Claim 2

A gear assembly including a pair of gears in driving relationship for moving a dial in response to movement in one direction of one of said gears for moving the other gear with said other gear rendered stationary in response to movement of said one gear in another direction, the improvement comprising means for disengaging said gears from said driving relationship in response to said other gear being rendered stationary and movement of said one gear in said one direction, and means reengaging said gears in said gear relationship in response to movement of said one gear in said one direction.

Claim 3

An odometer having a series of dials for registering vehicle mileage by movement in one direction in response to movement in a corresponding direction by means for driving said odometer dials and rendered stationary in response to the operation of said driving means in another direction, the improvement comprising means automatically disengaging said driving means from said odometer in response to said odometer being rendered stationary, and means for reengaging said driving means with said odometer in response to operation of said driving means in said corresponding direction.

Claim 4

An odometer having a series of dials for registering vehicle mileage by movement in one direction in response to movement in a corresponding direction by means for driving said odometer dials and rendered stationary in response to the operation of said driving means in another direction, the improvement comprising means automatically disengaging said driving means from said odometer in response to said odometer being rendered stationary, and means for reengaging said driving means with said odometer in response to operation of said driving means in said corresponding direction.

Claim 5

An odometer having a plurality of dials each moved in a forward direction for registering the distance traveled by a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted, the improvement comprising spring means, gear means biased by said spring means for driving engagement with one of said dials and moved in response to movement of said vehicle for moving said dial in either said forward or in a reverse direction, and means disengaging said engaged gear means from said driving engagement in response to movement of said engaged gear means for moving said dials in said reverse direction with said spring means engaging said engaged gear means in said driving engagement with said dial in response to movement of said engaged gear means for moving said dial in said forward direction.

Claim 6

An odometer having a plurality of dials each moved in a forward direction for registering the distance traveled by a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted, the improvement comprising spring means, gear means biased by said spring means for driving engagement with one of said dials and moved in response to movement of said vehicle for moving said dial in either said forward or in a reverse direction, and means disengaging said engaged gear means from said driving engagement in response to movement of said engaged gear means for moving said dials in said reverse direction with said spring means engaging said engaged gear means in said driving engagement with said dial in response to movement of said engaged gear means for moving said dial in said forward direction.

Claim 7

For use with a counter including a plurality of dials each assigned a respective digit order with a pinion gear between each pair of dials and between one dial and a drive wheel for incrementally advancing each dial in response to a complete revolution of the dial assigned an adjacent lower digit order with said drive wheel having circumferentially spaced radially extending gear teeth for driving engagement with the teeth of a worm gear for rotating said drive wheel in response to rotation by said worm wheel, the improvement comprising means for preventing movement of said drive wheel and adjacent pinion gear in response to movement in the reverse direction of said wheel to a predetermined position by said worm gear, means for thereafter enabling said worm gear to disengage from said driving engagement with said drive wheel in response to termination in movement of said wheel while said worm gear rotates, and means effective in response to rotation of said worm gear in a direction for driving said wheel in said one direction for reengaging said worm gear in driving relationship with said drive wheel to rotate said drive wheel for advancing said dials.

Claim 8

For use with a counter including a plurality of dials each assigned a respective digit order with a pinion gear between each pair of dials and between one dial and a drive wheel for incrementally advancing each dial in response to a complete revolution of the dial assigned an adjacent lower digit order with said drive wheel having circumferentially spaced radially extending gear teeth for driving engagement with the teeth of a worm gear for rotating said drive wheel in response to rotation by said worm wheel, the improvement comprising means for preventing movement of said drive wheel and adjacent pinion gear in response to movement in the reverse direction of said wheel to a predetermined position by said worm gear, means for thereafter enabling said worm gear to disengage from said driving engagement with said drive wheel in response to termination in movement of said wheel while said worm gear rotates, and means effective in response to rotation of said worm gear in a direction for driving said wheel in said one direction for reengaging said worm gear in driving relationship with said drive wheel to rotate said drive wheel for advancing said dials.

Claim 9

An odometer having a plurality of dials and a gear movable in one direction for controlling said odometer to register vehicle mileage with said gear rendered stationary in response to movement of said gear in another direction to one position, the improvement comprising means in driving engagement with said gear and moved in a corresponding direction for moving said gear in said one direction and disengaged from driving engagement with said gear in response to said means moving in a direction opposite said corresponding direction to move said gear in said other direction and render said gear stationary, and means operated in response to movement of said driving means in said corresponding direction for reengaging said driving means in driving engagement with said gear.

Claim 10

An odometer having a plurality of dials and a gear movable in one direction for controlling said odometer to register vehicle mileage with said gear rendered stationary in response to movement of said gear in another direction to one position, the improvement comprising means in driving engagement with said gear and moved in a corresponding direction for moving said gear in said one direction and disengaged from driving engagement with said gear in response to said means moving in a direction opposite said corresponding direction to move said gear in said other direction and render said gear stationary, and means operated in response to movement of said driving means in said corresponding direction for reengaging said driving means in driving engagement with said gear.

Claim 11

In the odometer claimed in claim 5, a signal arrangement comprising a disc associated with one of said dials and having means on the periphery thereof to indicate normal movement of said dial and abnormal movement of said dial respectively in accordance with the position of said disc, and means coupling said one dial and disc only in response to movement of said dial in said other direction for altering the position of said dial to indicate said abnormal movement of said dial.

Claim 12

In the odometer claimed in claim 5, means coupling said disc and one dial only in response to said dial moving in said one direction past a predetermined position to move said disc for indicating abnormal movement of said dial.

Claim 13

An odometer having a gear for moving a dial in one direction to register vehicle mileage with said one gear moved in said one direction by driving means in driving engagement with said gear and moved in a corresponding direction in response to movement of said vehicle in a respective direction with said gear having means for rendering said gear stationary in response to the movement of said driving means in a direction other than said corresponding direction, the improvement comprising means disengaging said driving means from driving engagement with said gear in response to said gear being rendered stationary and said driving means moving in said other direction, and means operated in response to movement of said driving means in said corresponding direction for reengaging said driving means in driving engagement with said gear.

Claim 14

An odometer having a gear for moving a dial in one direction to register vehicle mileage with said one gear moved in said one direction by driving means in driving engagement with said gear and moved in a corresponding direction in response to movement of said vehicle in a respective direction with said gear having means for rendering said gear stationary in response to the movement of said driving means in a direction other than said corresponding direction, the improvement comprising means disengaging said driving means from driving engagement with said gear in response to said gear being rendered stationary and said driving means moving in said other direction, and means operated in response to movement of said driving means in said corresponding direction for reengaging said driving means in driving engagement with said gear.

Claim 15

The odometer claimed in claim 8 in which said reengaging means comprises a cantilever supported spring.

Claim 16

For use with an odometer having a first dial rotatable in a forward direction to register the distance traveled by a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted and rotatable in a reverse direction to subtract from the registration, the improvement comprising first means adapted to be placed in driving engagement with said first dial and movable in one direction for rotating said first dial in said forward direction in response to movement of said vehicle in a corresponding direction, means for disengaging said first means from said driving engagement with said first dial in response to movement of said first means in a direction opposite said one direction whereby the transfer of a load between said first dial and first means is avoided in response to movement of said first means in said reverse direction, and spring means effective for placing said first means in driving engagement with said first dial in response to movement of said first means in said one direction.

Claim 17

For use with an odometer having a first dial rotatable in a forward direction to register the distance traveled by a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted and rotatable in a reverse direction to subtract from the registration, the improvement comprising first means adapted to be placed in driving engagement with said first dial and movable in one direction for rotating said first dial in said forward direction in response to movement of said vehicle in a corresponding direction, means for disengaging said first means from said driving engagement with said first dial in response to movement of said first means in a direction opposite said one direction whereby the transfer of a load between said first dial and first means is avoided in response to movement of said first means in said reverse direction, and spring means effective for placing said first means in driving engagement with said first dial in response to movement of said first means in said one direction.

Claim 18

The improvement claimed in claim 10 in which said first means includes a gear tooth for rotating said first dial in said forward direction, and said disengaging means comprises a pinion engaged with said first dial for terminating rotation of said first dial in response to rotation of said first dial in said reverse direction, and means for pivoting said gear tooth against the bias of said spring means in response to the retarding torque exerted by said first dial on said tooth in response to termination of said first dial rotation and the movement of said tooth in said opposite direction.

Claim 19

In the improvement claimed in claim 10, a plurality of other dials and a signal disc associated with one of said dials, each of said other dials being coaxial with the first dial with each dial assigned a respective digit order and rotated in said forward direction by said first dial incrementally for each revolution of a dial assigned an adjacent lower digit order, and means interconnecting said signal disc and one of said other dials for rotating said signal disc in response to rotation of said one other dials in said reverse direction.

Claim 20

The improvement claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said dials includes a plurality of teeth extending radially of the axis of rotation of said dials, and said first means includes a pawl adapted to be rotated about said axis for driving engagement with one of said teeth in response to rotation of said pawl in said forward direction to rotate said dials in said forward direction.

Claim 21

For use in an odometer including a plurality of dials adapted to be rotated in one manner in response to movement of a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted, the improvement comprising a signal disc associated with one of said dials and having a plurality of different indicia thereon with one of said indicia normally displayed by said disc during movement of said dial in one direction, and means coupling said disc and one dial for driving said disc to display another of said indicia only in response to said dial moving in a direction opposite said one direction.

Claim 22

For use in an odometer including a plurality of dials adapted to be rotated in one manner in response to movement of a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted, the improvement comprising a signal disc associated with one of said dials and having a plurality of different indicia thereon with one of said indicia normally displayed by said disc during movement of said dial in one direction, and means coupling said disc and one dial for driving said disc to display another of said indicia only in response to said dial moving in a direction opposite said one direction.

Claim 23

The improvement claimed in claim 14 in which said coupLing means comprises ratchet teeth, and a pawl for engaging said teeth to move said disc with said teeth and pawl integrally formed on either said dial and disc respectively.

Claim 24

In the improvement claimed in claim 14 means coupling said disc and dial for moving said disc to display another of said indicia only in response to said dial moving in said one direction past a predetermined position.

Claim 25

In an odometer including a plurality of dials each representing a respective digit order and marked with digit indicia to indicate the mileage of a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted in response to said dials each being moved in one direction to indicate said mileage, the improvement comprising a disc associated with one of said dials and having different indicia on the periphery thereof, means for positioning said disc to display one of said indicia, and means coupling said disc and dial for movement of said disc only in response to said dial being moved in a direction opposite side one direction to thereby position said disc to display said other indicia.

Claim 26

In an odometer including a plurality of dials each representing a respective digit order and marked with digit indicia to indicate the mileage of a vehicle in which said odometer is mounted in response to said dials each being moved in one direction to indicate said mileage, the improvement comprising a disc associated with one of said dials and having different indicia on the periphery thereof, means for positioning said disc to display one of said indicia, and means coupling said disc and dial for movement of said disc only in response to said dial being moved in a direction opposite side one direction to thereby position said disc to display said other indicia.

Claim 27

In an odometer as claimed in claim 17, means coupling said disc and dial only in response to said one dial moving past a predetermined position for moving said disc to display indicia other than said one indicia.

Claim 28

In an odometer as claimed in claim 18 in which said coupling means comprises a pawl on one of either said disc or dial and a plurality of teeth on the other of either said disc or dial for engagement by the leading edge of said pawl only in response to movement of said dial in said other direction.

Claim 29

In an odometer as claimed in claim 17 in which said means for positioning said disc comprises a spring member integrally formed on said disc and biased radially outwardly, and an edge of an adjacent bracket wall engaged by said outwardly biased spring member, and said means coupling said disc and dial in response to said dial moving past a predetermined position includes a post on said member extending in the direction of said dial, and a cam on said dial engaging said post in response to movement of said dial past said predetermined position for moving said post and spring member radially inwardly of said disc to disengage said spring member from said edge and enable said disc to move with said dial.