Digital encoder for mechanical counters

Claim 2

In combination, a mechanical counter which is to be driven from a first shaft, incremental drive means between said first shaft and the input shaft to the least count wheel of said counter; said incremental drive means comprising a gear mounted on said first shaft, a second gear loosely mounted on said input shaft, said input shaft gear comprising a collar portion formed with a cut-out having a predetermined angular length, a drive pin attached to said input shaft and extending into said cut-out, and detent means on said input shaft; code means directly associated with the numerical indicia on each of the wheels of said mechanical counter, and pick-up means associated with each of said code means.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1, said detent means being formed with a number of depressions proportional to the angular length of said cut-out.

Claim 4

The combination of Claim 1, said detent means comprising a detent wheel fixed to said input shaft, and a spring loaded detent assembly having a contactor portion which is resiliently urged into each depression in said detent wheel sequentially.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1, said code means comprising markings in accordance with the BCD code on each of said counter wheels, and being so positioned on each of said counter wheels with respect to the normal visually perceptible numerical indicia thereon and with respect to said pick-up means that the number picked up from said code means by said pick-up means is the same as the number then normally visible to a user.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4, said pick-up means comprising four fingers each cooperable with a separate track in the direction of motion of said counter wheels, whereby the combination of active or inactive ones of said four fingers represents the number then normally visible to a user in the BCD code.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4, said markings comprising electrical ground means, and said pick-up means comprising four fingers each cooperable with a separate track in the direction of motion of said counter wheels, whereby the combination of grounded or not grounded ones of said four fingers represents the number then normally visible to a user in the BCD code.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1, wherein said counter is part of the mechanical computer in a retail gasoline dispensing pump, whereby the volume of or money value of gasoline dispensed may be read remotely from said pump.

Claim 9

In combination, a mechanical counter which is to be driven from a first shaft, incremental drive means between said first shaft and the input shaft to the least count wheel of said counter; said incremental drive means comprising cam means mounted on said first shaft, lever means operated by said cam means, a rachet wheel operated by said lever means, and spring means for urging said lever means into contact with both said cam means and said rachet wheel; said lever means comprising a floating bar having a pawl portion cooperable with said rachet wheel and constrained to motion between said cam means and said rachet wheel by said spring means and a plurality of guide pins; code means directly associated with the numerical indicia on each of the wheels of said mechanical counter, and pick-up means associated with each of said code means.

Claim 10

In combination, a mechanical counter which is to be driven from a first shaft, incremental drive means between said first shaft and the input shaft to the least count wheel of said counter; said incremental drive means comprising cam means mounted on said first shaft, lever means operated by said cam means, a rachet wheel operated by said lever means, and spring means for urging said lever means into contact with both said cam means and said rachet wheel; said lever means comprising a floating bar having a pawl portion cooperable with said rachet wheel and constrained to motion between said cam means and said rachet wheel by said spring means and a plurality of guide pins; code means directly associated with the numerical indicia on each of the wheels of said mechanical counter, and pick-up means associated with each of said code means.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 2, wherein said cam means comprises a scroll-shaped operating surface for cooperation with said lever means having a height between its smallest diameter portion and its largest diameter portion substantially equal to the length of a flat of a tooth on said rachet wheel, and wherein said height is undercut slightly to facilitate the motion of said lever means from said largest diameter portion to said smallest diameter portion.