Abstract A mechanical counter has a linear scale, an indicator which can be set to a desired digit location on the scale, and a stop member which is movable along the scale and biased toward the high end of the scale. when a button is depressed to disengage a first pawl from a ratchet, the stop member moves along the scale until engaged by the indicator. A second pawl connected to a machine drive reciprocates so as to index the ratchet by one position for each operation of the machine. When the ratchet has been indexed back to a zero position, the machine stops. This is accomplished by a microswitch which is closed in response to movement of a disc which moves with the indexing of the ratchet, the disc having a notch which receives a follower of the microswitch when the stop member reaches the zero position.
Inventors
👤 John Hayward Cook
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-29 18:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06M; G06M3/00; G06M3/02; G06M3/021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
A mechanical counter having a linear scale and including an indicator presettable to a desired digit location on said scale, a stop member moveable along said scale and adapted to be engaged by said indicator, means biasing said stop member toward the high end of said scale, and means operatively associated with said stop member for driving the latter against said biasing force in steps each corresponding to a unit on said scale.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
73 words
A mechanical counter having a linear scale and including an indicator presettable to a desired digit location on said scale, a stop member moveable along said scale and adapted to be engaged by said indicator, means biasing said stop member toward the high end of said scale, and means operatively associated with said stop member for driving the latter against said biasing force in steps each corresponding to a unit on said scale.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
A counter as claimed in claim 1, including drive means which comprises a ratchet having a number of teeth corresponding to the number of units on the scale, a first pawl normally disengaged from said ratchet and mounted so as to index the ratchet through distance corresponding to one tooth, and a second pawl normally in engagement with the ratchet mounted so that it can be disengaged to permit said stop member to move towards the indicator under the action of the biasing force.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A counter as claimed in claim 2, including a pair of spaced pulleys and a flexible belt mounted on said pulleys the ratchet being mounted on one of said pulleys in fixed rotational relationship thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A counter as claimed in claim 2 and further including means for disengaging said drive means if said indicator is moved to a position beyond said scale.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A counter as claimed in claim 4 and further including means for preventing engagement of said first pawl with said ratchet by moving said indicator to said position beyond the scale.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A counter as claimed in claim 1 for use in a reproduction machine for controlling the operation thereof, and including means for switching off the machine when said stop member is in a position corresponding to zero on the scale.