US2253721A - Counter mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1941. K. MEER W 2,253,721

COUNTER MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1938' Patented Au 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT {OFFICE counr szgnamsnr. I Karl Meer, Villingen', Schwarswald. Germany, asund App-rate Application July 27, 1938, Serial No. 221,54 In Germany October 5, 1987 invention relates to a counter mechanism which has the usual counter which is advanced progressively and gives a visible indication and is also provided for control p rposes with a printing counter which is provided, for example, with type printing wheels and is driven synchronously with the formercounter and prints at least some of the same numerical value as that which is visibly indicated; In counting mechanisms of this kind the numeralwheels of the counter which gives a visible indication (hereinafter termed the indicating counter) are. fitted behind a window made of glass, Celluloid or the like which is fitted in the casing of the counting mechanism. Therefore if an attempt I is madeto interfere with the numeral wheels in order to falsify the result indicated it is at least necessary to break this. window.

wheels of the printing counter in such a way that, after adjustment, the numeral wheels of the indicating counter indicate the same numerical value as those of the printing counter; if this is done the unauthorized interference will I not be immediately noticeable. 4 The attempt has previously been made to obviate this possibility of falsification and for this 35 purpose complicated and expensive safety de-- vices have been provided. According to. the present invention,

bility of adjusting the printing counter without detection and therefore any possibilityof fraud 40 is prevented in a simple and certain manner by I providing, in the connection between the glassprotected indicating counter and the printing counter which is drivenfrom it; a member which I transmits the stepping movements of the indi-' 4 catin'g counter to the printing counter and locks I the .indicating'counter, and thereforealso the printing counter,-'so that an unauthorized ad iustment of the indicating counter, cannot be effcted by tampering with the printing counter,

, Preferably the locking'n ember which prevents unauthorized interference with the printing and the; indicating counter is constructedas a pinion which forms part of the Geneva wheel'mechaof the numeral wheels of the indicating 65 As will be seen most clearly from Figure 1 (emu-2i counter and isflxed onthe driving spindle of the I printing counter and,- owing to the flanks of its teeth coacting with the periphery of the pertaining numeral wheel of the indicating counter,

prevents unauthorized adjustment of the driving spindle of the printing counter and therefore of its printing wheels which are accessible from the outside.

A locking deviceconstructed in the manner described is particularly simple because with it no further safety devices arerequired in addition to the parts necessary for driving the two counters.

25 has been possible to adjust the numeral wheels of the indicating counter from the printing any possif A counting mechanism constructed in accord-" ance with the .invention is illustrated by way of I exampleinthe accompanying drawing, in which Figure lis a plan of the counting mechanism. Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the numeral wheels of the indicating counter and of the driving pinion which coacts therewith, while Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Figure 2.- 1

' I Referring to the drawing, the numeral wheels 5, 6 and I of the indicating counter are revolubly mounted on a spindle ,4 between the arms I and I of the frame 3. The numerical values which are indicated by the numeral wheels 5, 6 and 1 can be read through. a slot 9 in the casing 10 1 of the instrument which is covered by a disc 8 30 made of g1ass;Qelluloid or the like. As will later appear, any unauthorized interference with the numeral wheels 5, I and I is possible only after the window 8 has been broken with consequent detection.

To the numeral wheel-5 is rigidly connected 5 a stepping wheel II which is stepped forward, by means of a stepping mechanism which may be of a-knownlrind and is not illustrated in the drawing, in such away that the first numeral wheel 5 of the indicating counter is intermittentlystepped fo'rwardby one numerical unit.

The tens stepping'is effected in known manner by meansof a stepping tooth I2 which is provided on each of the numeral-wheelsJ and 6 and which coacts at each complete revolution of its numeral wheel with one of the driving pinions II and I4 respectively.

- 'Ihe driving pinions i3 and H which effect the tens stepping of the numeral wheelsare mounted on a spindle I! which is iournalled in the arms I and 2 of thefr'ame 3, thedriving pinion. "being fixed to the spindle it by a pin' it, while the driving pinion I4 is mounted loosely on the spindle.

each driving pinion is provided alternately with a narrow tooth a and a wide tooth b, considered in the direction of the axis of the spindle. As long as the steppins tooth II of the numeral wheel is not in engagement with the driving pinion the numeral wheel is free to rotate in the space which is bounded by two wide teeth b and a narrow tooth a. when a tens stepping has to take place, the tooth I2 of the numeral wheel engages the nearest wide tooth b of the driving pinion, so that the driving pinion is rotated by an amount corresponding to the distance between two wide teeth b. Since the teeth a and b of the driving pinions are in engagement at their other ends in the teeth I! and Ho respectively of the next higher numeral wheel, this wheel is also stepped by one numerical unit. This arrangement and method 01 operation is well known.

On the spindle l which is extended beyond the arm I up to the arm I8 01 the frame 3 are mounted the type wheels I! and 2a of the printing counter which carry the type numerals 0-9 on their periphery, these numerals being mirror images of those they represent having regard to the printing process. The printing types t project outwardly through a slot 2| provided in the casing l0 so that they can be brought into contact with a control ticket or the like on which the printing is to take place.

The construction and operation or the type wheels ll, 20 and their tens stepping mechanism are the same as that of the numeral wheels 5, 6 and I.

The printing counter is driven by means of the spindle I! which fixedly carries a pinion 22 which meshes with teeth 2! on the first printing wheel It. In order to eflect the tens stepping from the type wheel I! to the wheel a,

a pinion 24 is revolubly mounted on the spindle II. This pinion is oi about the same construction as the pinions II and H, but reversed end ior end.

The important feature of the invention now is that the pinion I3 is fixed by the pin II to the driving spindle I! of the printing counter ll, 10. Then, it an attempt be made to alter one oi. the two type wheels II or II by moving the type t which project through the slit II, the intended rotation is transmitted through the agency or the teeth 23 and the pinion I! to the spindle I 5 and therefore to the pinion I! which, however, cannot be rotated, because according to the intended direction of rotation one 01' the two wide teeth b or the driving pinion is which coact with the numeral wheel I been against the periphery of the numeral wheel. An adJustment therefore of the printing counter is prevented in this simple manner.

I claim:

A counting mechanism comprising a casing, a numeral wheel mounted in said casing, a window in said casing through which said numeral wheel is visible, 9. type wheel mounted in said casing, a slot in said casing through which said type wheel is accessible for printing, a spindle revolubly mounted in said casing, a pinion last on said spindle having teeth which coact with ,the periphery 01' said numeral wheel, a tooth I on said numeral wheel by which a stepping movement of said pinion is periodically eflected and means for transmitting the movements of said pinion and spindle to said type wheel, said pe-

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