Apparatus for determining the amount of a product consumed between two time periods

Claim 1

An apparatus for determining the amount of a product consumed between two time periods comprising: a record medium having recorded thereon information representative of the amount of a product consumed as of a predetermined time period; selectively actuated advancing means for progressively advancing said record medium through a plurality of working positions; readout means operative when said record medium is in a first working position for reading said information recorded on said record medium and developing a corresponding output signal; variably settable recording means manually operative when said record medium is in a second working position for recording on said record medium additional information representative of the amount of said product consumed as of a time period subsequent to said predetermined time period and developing another corresponding output signal; circuit means receptive of both said output signals for developing a difference signal representative of the amount of said product consumed between said two time periods; and reset means responsive to said difference signal for resetting said recording means to a condition to record on said record medium information representative of the amount of said product consumed between said two time periods.

Claim 2

An apparatus for determining the amount of a product consumed between two time periods comprising: a record medium having recorded thereon information representative of the amount of a product consumed as of a predetermined time period; selectively actuated advancing means for progressively advancing said record medium through a plurality of working positions; readout means operative when said record medium is in a first working position for reading said information recorded on said record medium and developing a corresponding output signal; variably settable recording means manually operative when said record medium is in a second working position for recording on said record medium additional information representative of the amount of said product consumed as of a time period subsequent to said predetermined time period and developing another corresponding output signal; circuit means receptive of both said output signals for developing a difference signal representative of the amount of said product consumed between said two time periods; and reset means responsive to said difference signal for resetting said recording means to a condition to record on said record medium information representative of the amount of said product consumed between said two time periods.

Claim 10

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having recorded thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said register means to compute a difference between said output signal from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means to provide a difference signal output indicative of the consumption of the quantity; second computer circuit means responsive to said difference signal applied thereby to said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate and provide a corresponding rate signal output; recording means for simultaneously recording the outputs from said first and second circuit means on said record medium and another record medium in superposed relationship; and another recording means for recording said output on a record medium from the group consisting of the first-mentioned record medium and said another record medium.

Claim 11

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having recorded thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said register means to compute a difference between said output signal from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means to provide a difference signal output indicative of the consumption of the quantity; second computer circuit means responsive to said difference signal applied thereby to said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate and provide a corresponding rate signal output; recording means for simultaneously recording the outputs from said first and second circuit means on said record medium and another record medium in superposed relationship; and another recording means for recording said output on a record medium from the group consisting of the first-mentioned record medium and said another record medium.

Claim 12

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having recorded thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said register means to compute a difference between said output signal from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means to provide a difference signal output indicative of the consumption of thE quantity; second computer circuit means responsive to said difference signal applied thereto by said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate and provide a corresponding rate signal output; recording means for recording the outputs from said first and second circuit means on a record medium selected from the group consisting of said record medium and another record medium; another recording means for recording on both said selected record medium and a receipt a seal as a proof that the rate has been received; holding means normally biassed in a predetermined direction by spring means to hold the said record medium; means for positioning said record medium; and feed means responsive to the operation of said positioning means to feed said record medium to its recording position through said holding means.

Claim 13

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having recorded thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said register means to compute a difference between said output signal from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means to provide a difference signal output indicative of the consumption of thE quantity; second computer circuit means responsive to said difference signal applied thereto by said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate and provide a corresponding rate signal output; recording means for recording the outputs from said first and second circuit means on a record medium selected from the group consisting of said record medium and another record medium; another recording means for recording on both said selected record medium and a receipt a seal as a proof that the rate has been received; holding means normally biassed in a predetermined direction by spring means to hold the said record medium; means for positioning said record medium; and feed means responsive to the operation of said positioning means to feed said record medium to its recording position through said holding means.

Claim 14

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having punched thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal, said readout means including a plurality of photoelectric elements seeing the record medium a source of light, and a signal reflecting mirror for directing a ray of light from said source to said photoelectric elements through the record medium; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; a rotary switch operatively coupled to said registering means; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said registered means to compute a difference between the said output from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means and supplied through said rotary switch to provide a consumption of the quantity; and second computer circuit means responsive to said consumption of the quantity applied thereto by said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate.

Claim 15

A device for determining rates for consumptions of a quantity, comprising: a set of record media having punched thereon a magnitude of indication on a meter for integrating a consumption of the quantity obtained at the last inspection of the meter; readout means for reading out the record medium to provide a corresponding output signal, said readout means including a plurality of photoelectric elements seeing the record medium a source of light, and a signal reflecting mirror for directing a ray of light from said source to said photoelectric elements through the record medium; means for registering on said record medium a magnitude of indication on the meter obtained at the new inspection of the meter; a rotary switch operatively coupled to said registering means; first computer circuit means connected to both said readout means and said registered means to compute a difference between the said output from said readout means and said magnitude of indication registered by said register means and supplied through said rotary switch to provide a consumption of the quantity; and second computer circuit means responsive to said consumption of the quantity applied thereto by said first computer circuit means to compute the corresponding rate.