Pre-set copy counting device

Claim 1

A pre-setable sequential electro-mechanical counting device for sensing and indicating the count on sheet material, which sheet material may be conveyed through a photocopying machine and severed from a web of such sheet material, comprising, in combination, a frame; a transverse shaft mounted on said frame; a geared wheel rotatable on said shaft; gear means carried by said frame; a step-by-step ratchet mechanism including an electromagnetic coil assembly mounted on said frame for turning said gear means and, in turn, said geared wheel each time said coil is energized by a copy being counted; a manual copy-count selector drum having a copy count indicator dial rotatable on said shaft enclosing said gear means, said drum having means electrically insulating a person setting it from the rest of the device switch means mounted on said frame having contact spring blades operative when biased together to actuate said switch means and stop the photocopy paper feed when the selected copy count is reached; a cam mounted on the inside of said drum for biasing said switch blades; and a pointer mounted on said frame at such zero point adjacent the drum copy indicia; whereby, upon manually adjusting the drum forwardly to the selected number of copies desired adjacent said zero pointer, operation of the ratchet mechanism turns the drum back step-bystep with each copy delivered until the preselected number of copies is reached, whereupon said cam biases said switch blade contacts together, actuating said switch means and stopping the copy paper feed; switch means mounted on said frame behind said other switch means, having spring blade contacts operative to open an energizing circuit of said coil; and cam means on said drum for biasing said last named contacts together to actuate the corresponding switch means when said drum is turned to a position back of the zero setting thereof; whereby upon presetting the drum, paper sheets are subsequently delivered free of the counting mechanism.