Gear-locking mechanism

Claim 2

A gear-locking mechanism comprising: a gear member having a multiplicity of adjacent, generally triangular teeth projecting in one direction from a base surface thereof and defining generally triangular recesses therebetween; a locking assembly adjacent said gear member, said gear member and locking assembly being mounted for relative movement and said locking assembly having an index member and a follower member mounted thereon for successive movement toward said base surface, each of said index and follower members having an element thereon registering with said teeth and deeply insertable into said recesses therebetween for engagement to substantially prevent such relative movement, said index element having a generally triangular cross section adapted for cooperation with said recesses to effect such engagement and the vertical axes of said index and follower elements normal to the base surface being spaced a distance of about half the distance between said teeth, each of said teeth and said index element having flattened tip portions and at least one of said teeth and index element having offset shoulders defined along the sides thereof to provide generally planar surfaces for abutting contact of said index element on said teeth; and means for successively actuating said index and follower members, respectively.

Claim 3

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said gear member is a rotatably mounted gear wheel having said teeth aligned circumferentially thereabout.

Claim 4

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said teeth are axially directed inwardly toward said locking assembly.

Claim 5

THe mechanism of claim 1 wherein said index and follower members are pivotally mounted pawls.

Claim 6

The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said actuating means is a camming member mounted for sliding movement relative to said pawls and in contact with at least one thereof, said pawls being spring biased and being operated by a camming surface upon sliding movement of said camming member.

Claim 7

The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said follower element also has a generally triangular cross section adapted for cooperation with said recesses to effect such engagement, and wherein each of said sides of said index element has a plurality of said offset shoulders defined therealong.

Claim 8

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said gear member is a gear wheel having said teeth aligned circumferentially thereabout and having a central aperture therethrough, wherein said locking assembly has a mounting aperture therethrough, and wherein said actuating means is a rod having a camming surface defined therein, said rod being inserted through said apertures to slidably mount said gear wheel and locking assembly and to provide an axis of rotation for at least said gear wheel, said gear wheel and locking assembly being restrained against relative axial movement thereon.

Claim 9

In a mechanical counter, a gear-locking mechanism comprising: a gear wheel having a multiplicity of equidistantly spaced, generally triangular teeth aligned circumferentially thereabout, projecting in one direction from a base surface thereof and defining generally triangular recesses therebetween; a locking assembly adjacent said gear wheel and having means thereon adapted for transfer of movement of said wheel to a counter number wheel element, said gear wheel locking assembly being mounted for relative rotation and said locking assembly having an index member and a follower member mounted thereon for successive movement toward said base surface, each of said index and follower members having an element thereon registering with said teeth and deeply insertable into said recesses therebetween for engagement to substantially prevent such relative rotation and thereby effect such transfer of movement, said index element having a generally triangular cross section adapted for cooperation with said recesses to effect such engagement and the vertical axes of said index and follower elements normal to the base surface being spaced a distaNce of about half the distance between said teeth, each of said teeth and said index element having flattened tip portions and said index element having offset shoulders defined along the sides thereof to provide generally planar surfaces for abutting contact of said index element on said teeth; and a rod slidably inserted through said gear wheel and locking assembly to provide an axis of rotation therefor; said rod having a camming surface defined thereon for successively actuating said index and follower members, respectively, upon sliding movement relative thereto.

Claim 10

In a mechanical counter, a gear-locking mechanism comprising: a gear wheel having a multiplicity of equidistantly spaced, generally triangular teeth aligned circumferentially thereabout, projecting in one direction from a base surface thereof and defining generally triangular recesses therebetween; a locking assembly adjacent said gear wheel and having means thereon adapted for transfer of movement of said wheel to a counter number wheel element, said gear wheel locking assembly being mounted for relative rotation and said locking assembly having an index member and a follower member mounted thereon for successive movement toward said base surface, each of said index and follower members having an element thereon registering with said teeth and deeply insertable into said recesses therebetween for engagement to substantially prevent such relative rotation and thereby effect such transfer of movement, said index element having a generally triangular cross section adapted for cooperation with said recesses to effect such engagement and the vertical axes of said index and follower elements normal to the base surface being spaced a distaNce of about half the distance between said teeth, each of said teeth and said index element having flattened tip portions and said index element having offset shoulders defined along the sides thereof to provide generally planar surfaces for abutting contact of said index element on said teeth; and a rod slidably inserted through said gear wheel and locking assembly to provide an axis of rotation therefor; said rod having a camming surface defined thereon for successively actuating said index and follower members, respectively, upon sliding movement relative thereto.

Claim 11

The mechanism of claim 8 wherein said teeth are axially directed inwardly toward said locking assembly and wherein said index and follower members are pivotally mounted pawls.

Claim 12

The mechanism of claim 9 wherein said follower element also has a generally triangular cross section adapted for cooperation with said recesses to effect such engagement, and wherein each of said sides of said index element has a plurality of said offset shoulders defined therealong.