Mechanical counter

Abstract

A counter device includes an outer annular dial which may be set to a desired detent position to indicate, for example, the number of copies required from a copying machine. A push button positioned at a null position within the annular dial may then be depressed to operate a control circuit initiating operation of the copying machine and simultaneously engage the counter mechanism of the counter device. The push button then moves incrementally to register with the setting on the annular dial, whereupon the counter device automatically terminates operation of the copying machine by opening the control circuit and simultaneously resets the push button to the null position. The internal mechanism of the counter device includes a ratchet and pawl operated by an external drive from the copying machine. The ratchet and pawl are advanced in incremental steps to register with the preset detent position of the annular dial. The ratchet is then released and returned to its initial or the null position. Release of the ratchet simultaneously operates a switch to terminate operation of the ratchet advance mechanism. The device also includes a setting which renders the advance and counting mechanism inoperative so that the push button will be maintained in a depressed position to command operation of the copying machine until manually released.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mechanical counter device comprising, in combination: an indexing member positionable to a desired set detent position by movement in a first sense;   detent means movable in unison with said indexing member;   detent engaging means fixed relative to said detent means and cooperative therewith to enable positioning said indexing means to the desired set detent position;   a register member normally in a null position and positionable from said null position in a second sense to an active position, said second sense being distinct from said first sense, said register member also positionable in said first sense by a counting mechanism;   register member locking means fixed in position relative to movement of said register member in the second sense and positionable in unison with said detent means;   receiving means for said locking means, said receiving means attached to move in unison in the second sense with said register member, said receiving means engageable with said locking means when said register is moved to the active position;   unlocking means attached to the register member and engageable with said locking means when said register member is in the null position to thereby release said locking means from said lock receiving means;   means for driving the register member including said counting mechanism in the first sense from a non-registered position to the registered position; and   means for biasing the register member toward the null position.   
     
     
       2. The counter device of claim 1 including means attached to said register member for returning said member from a registered null position corresponding to a set detent position of said indexing member to an unregistered zero index null position. 
     
     
       3. The counter device of claim 1 including switch means responsive to movement of said register member in the second sense direction. 
     
     
       4. The counter device of claim 1 including stop means to limit the travel of said indexing member. 
     
     
       5. The counter device of claim 1 wherein said means for driving said register member including said counting mechanism includes a pawl and ratchet mechanism for incrementally driving said register member in said first direction. 
     
     
       6. The counter of claim 5 wherein said pawl and ratchet mechanism comprises a movable ratchet wheel cooperatively engaged with said register member, a pawl fixed relative to said ratchet wheel and biased toward engagement with said ratchet wheel, said pawl being held out of engagement with said ratchet wheel by a plate member, said plate member being attached to said register member and engaged with said pawl whenever said register member is in the null position. 
     
     
       7. The counter device of claim 1 including means for rendering said means for biasing the register member toward the null position inoperative. 
     
     
       8. The counter device of claim 7 wherein said means for rendering said biasing means inoperative comprises a cam member for engaging and holding said register member in the active position; and linkage means between said detent means and said cam member, for operating said cam member upon appropriate positioning of said detent means in a locking detent position. 
     
     
       9. The counter device of claim 7 including means for simultaneously rendering said means for driving the register member inoperative whenever said biasing means is rendered inoperative. 
     
     
       10. A mechanical counter device comprising, in combination: a housing;   a shaft mounted for rotation and translation in said housing;   a register member fixed to said shaft for coincident rotational and translational movement therewith;   a rotational drive mechanism in said housing for driving said shaft in a rotational sense in incremental steps;   an indexing member mounted in said housing and manually rotational in incremental steps coaxially with said register member, said indexing member including means cooperative with said housing to maintain said indexing member in a manually set rotated position, said register member and indexing member having at least one relative null or zero set position;   first biasing means for biasing said shaft in one sense from said housing, said shaft being manually translatable to a retracted position in the opposite sense against the force of said first biasing means; and   shaft locking means for engaging said shaft to prevent translational movement thereof when said register member and indexing member are out of a relative zero set position whereby the indexing member may be set to a position which is a desired number of incremental steps from a zero set position, and said register member may be manually operated against said biasing force to effect locking of said shaft by said shaft locking means, said drive mechanism then being operable to drive the shaft and attached register member rotationally for an equivalent number of incremental steps to the setting of the indexing member, whereupon said members are again in a relative zero set position and said shaft locking means is disengaged from said shaft in order that said first biasing means may translate said shaft.   
     
     
       11. The counter device of claim 10 including second biasing means for rotationally biasing said shaft toward an original null position. 
     
     
       12. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said indexing member comprises a notched detent wheel coupled with a knob for rotating said detent wheel, and said housing includes a biased arm engageable with the notches of said wheel to hold said wheel in a manually set position. 
     
     
       13. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said indexing member includes a plate having a biased pawl attached thereto, said pawl being biased to engage said shaft, and said shaft includes a slot engageable by said pawl whenever said shaft is translated against said first biasing force. 
     
     
       14. The counter device of claim 13 including a projection fixed to said shaft and engageable with said pawl whenever said members are in a relative zero set position, whereby said pawl is disengaged from said slot to thereby release said shaft. 
     
     
       15. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a ratchet wheel coupled to said shaft cooperable with a pawl fixed to said housing, whereby incremental advances of said ratchet wheel are maintained by said pawl. 
     
     
       16. The counter device of claim 11 wherein said drive mechanism includes a ratchet wheel coupled to said shaft cooperable with a pawl fixed to said housing whereby incremental advances of said ratchet wheel are made against the force of said biasing means and said pawl maintains said incremental advances by preventing rotation of said shaft to said original null position. 
     
     
       17. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes means for maintaining the shaft in the position of its last incremental advance, and means are attached to said shaft to release said means for maintaining whenever the members attain relative zero set or null positions. 
     
     
       18. The counter device of claim 10 including a ratchet wheel coupled to said shaft, a pawl fixed to the housing and cooperable with said ratchet wheel and a projection from said shaft engageable with said pawl when said shaft is extended by said first biasing means, whereby said pawl is disengaged from said ratchet. 
     
     
       19. The counter device of claim 10 including a spring coupled between said shaft and said housing for imparting a rotation to said shaft opposite in sense to the rotation imparted by the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       20. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a drive member coaxial with said shaft, and rotatable on said shaft, said shaft being translatable relative to said drive member and including means for continuously coupling said shaft and drive member for coincident rotational movement. 
     
     
       21. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a drive member which is keyed for rotation with said shaft, said drive member being mounted nontranslatably within said housing. 
     
     
       22. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism comprises a gear keyed on said shaft, said shaft being translatable relative to said gear. 
     
     
       23. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said indexing member includes an annular knob and said register member includes a knob within said annular knob. 
     
     
       24. The counter device of claim 10 including means projecting from said shaft for engaging switch means upon translation of said shaft. 
     
     
       25. The counter device of claim 10, including control means engaging said shaft for mechanically translating said shaft against the force of said first biasing means. 
     
     
       26. The counter device of claim 10 including an electrically responsive control device coupled with said shaft and effective to translate said shaft against the force of said first biasing means. 
     
     
       27. The counter device of claim 10 including a projection from said indexing member cooperative with said housing to limit the degree of rotation that may be imparted to said indexing member. 
     
     
       28. The counter device of claim 10 including means for maintaining said shaft in each position of incremental advance effected by the drive mechanism, and also including means on said shaft for simultaneously disengaging said means for maintaining and operating a separate switch mechanism whenever said members achieve a relative zero set position. 
     
     
       29. The counter device of claim 10 including a ratchet wheel keyed to rotate with said shaft, a pawl attached to said housing to engage said ratchet wheel, a separate switch device mounted on said housing, and a plate on said shaft to engage said pawl and switch simultaneously upon translation of said shaft to effect release of said pawl and a switching action by said switch. 
     
     
       30. The counter device of claim 10 including means for locking said shaft in the retracted position when said members are in a relative null position. 
     
     
       31. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said shaft includes a slot and said device includes a locking pawl mounted on said housing, means for biasing said pawl against said shaft, and linkage means coupling said pawl with said indexing member said linkage means normally maintaining said pawl out of contact with said shaft said indexing member being rotatable to a position to operate the linkage means and release said pawl to engage said slot whenever said shaft is translated to the retracted position. 
     
     
       32. The counter device of claim 10 including a biased pawl on said housing, a cam member engaged with said pawl to maintain said pawl in an inoperative position, said cam member including an arm responsive to rotation of said indexing member to a predetermined detent position, said pawl being released by said cam member to engage said shaft when said indexing member is in the predetermined detent position, said shaft including cooperative engaging means with said pawl to maintain the shaft in the retracted position. 
     
     
       33. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a gear on said shaft and a reciprocating gear drive on said housing, said gear being responsive to advance a set number of incremental steps in response to each reciprocation of said gear drive. 
     
     
       34. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a toothed gear keyed on said shaft and a reciprocating bar on said housing, said bar including a biased projection for engaging single teeth of said gear to advance said gear in a first rotational sense as said bar member is moved in a first linear sense, said projection being retractable against biasing force upon movement of the bar in the reverse linear sense. 
     
     
       35. The counter device of claim 10 wherein the drive mechanism includes a gear keyed to the shaft and a reciprocating bar on said housing for driving said gear, said bar including a depending pawl for engaging teeth of said gear, a leaf spring biasing said depending pawl into engagement with said teeth, a lower projection compatible with said teeth to insure incremental rotation of the gear in response to each reciprocal movement of the bar. 
     
     
       36. The counter device of claim 10 wherein said drive mechanism includes a gear keyed to said shaft and a second driving gear on said housing for driving the keyed gear. 
     
     
       37. The counter device of claim 10 including a contactor attached to said shaft and a plurality of contacts attached to said housing in position to engage said contactor in response to incremental rotation of said shaft. 
     
     
       38. The counter device of claim 10 including a contactor attached to said shaft and contacts on said housing, said contactor being positioned for electrical connection to said contacts by translation of said shaft to the retracted position. .Iadd. 39. An improved counter device comprising, in combination: a frame;   a locking bar mounted on the frame and biased toward a locked position;   a rotatable shaft mounted in the frame, said shaft including a slot to receive the locking bar in a locked position;   said shaft being translatable relative to said bar in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft between an engaged, locked position and a disengaged, unlocked position;   separate biasing means for normally biasing the shaft relative to the bar in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft toward the disengaged position;   drive means for rotating the shaft relative to the locking bar, said bar including means for cooperating with the drive means to disengage the bar from the slot whenever the bar is engaged in the slot and the bar and slot have been rotated with respect to each other from a set position to a null position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 40. The improved device of claim 39 wherein said locking bar is mounted on a separate indexing member, said indexing member in turn being coaxially mounted with the shaft. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 41. The improved device of claim 39 wherein said shaft is attached to a register member, said locking bar is non-translatable and said shaft is translatable in a direction parallel with the axis of said shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 42. The improved device of claim 39 wherein said drive means for rotating the shaft is operative to rotate the shaft in incremental steps. .Iaddend.