Odometer

Claim 1

An odometer comprising a frame, a first shaft unrotatably supported by said frame, a driving gear loosely mounted on said first shaft for rotation thereabout and operatively coupled to a suitable rotating member the number of rotations in one direction of which represents a trip mileage of a vehicle or the like, a plurality of odometer wheels loosely mounted on said first shaft for rotation thereabout and operatively coupled to each other in conventional counter mechanism relationship, a plurality of first engaging means formed on one side face of the least significant digit odometer wheel adjacent to said driving gear in equiangularly spaced apart relationship with each other and in coaxial relationship with said least significant digit wheel, one or more second engaging means formed on said one side of said least significant digit wheel in suitably angularly spaced apart relationship with each other and in coaxial relationship with said least significant digit wheel, said one or more second engaging means being located radially inwardly of said first engaging means and spaced apart from each other radially by a suitable distance, a driving plate mounted on said driving gear for rotation in unison therewith and formed with arcuate elastic arms which are extended concentrically in one direction and have engaging pawls formed at the free ends thereof for selective engagement with said first engaging means on said least significant digit wheel only in said one direction, and a locking plate unrotatably mounted on or keyed to said first shaft and formed with arcuate elastic arms which are extended coaxially in one direction and have engaging pawls formed at the free ends thereof for selective engagement with said second engaging means on said least significant digit wheel only and only when the latter is rotated in the other direction, whereby when said driving gear is rotated in one direction, said driving wheel is rotated in unison therewith so that said pawls of said arcuate elastic arms of said driving wheel engage with said first engaging means on said least significant digit wheel, thereby rotating the same and its succeeding odometer wheels in said one direction while said pawls of said arcuate elastic arms of said locking plate being resilient pressed against said one side face of said least significant digit wheel but free from engagement with said second engaging means thereupon, but when said driving gear is rotated in the other direction so that said least significant digit wheel tends to rotate in said the other direction, said pawls of said arcuate elastic arms of said locking plate engage with said second engaging means on said least significant digit wheel, thereby locking the rotation in said the other direction of said least significant digit wheel, while said pawls of said arcuate elastic arms of said driving plate being resiliently pressed against said one side face of said least significant digit wheel but free from engagement with said first engaging means thereon and consequently free for rotation in said the other direction relative to said least significant digit wheel so that the rotation in the subtractive direction of said plurality of odometer wheels may be positively prevented.