Abstract: A bi-directional snap-action register mechanism for an odometer-type mechanical register display. The mechanism includes at least one register display wheel and a bi-directional cam mounted coaxially along a common shaft with the register display wheel. The bi-directional cam engages a helical groove formed along the shaft to allow lateral displacement of the bi-directional cam in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the shaft. A pin is biased by a spring into contact with the bi-directional cam. Rotation of the shaft causes the bi-directional cam to be moved with respect to the pin. The cam abruptly rotates through a predetermined angular distance when the point of contact of the biased pin with the cam moved from a smooth portion to a step transition portion of the cam. The abrupt rotation of the cam is communicated to the register display wheel to cause a new display position to be moved into view.

Abstract: An odometer apparatus having an error elimination mechanism for eliminating an error in an indication figure. The odometer apparatus includes a set of gears rotatably supported on a first shaft for indicating each digit of a set of digits in the indication figure, a set of pinions coupled with the gears and rotatably supported on a second shaft for transmitting a rotation force to the gears, a set of bosses each arranged between two adjacent pinions and formed integrally with the pinions, each of the bosses having a substantially square section taken in a plane perpendicular to the second shaft, and a pressure member for eliminating an error in the indication figure due to a backlash between the gears and the pinions.

Abstract: An external pinion type odometer, in which the outer diameter of at least a lower digit wheel, a surface portion of which has numbers stamped, is made smaller than the outer diameter of the lower digit wheel, another surface portion of which slidingly contacts with a wide tooth of the corresponding transfer pinion. The stamped numbers do not contact with the wide teeth of the transfer pinion, thereby excluding the likelihood that the stamped numbers will come to peel off.

Abstract: A cyclometer register in an electric watthour meter includes a free counterweight for producing a kinetic-energy kick for advancing superior cyclometer drums. A drum counterweight, affixed to the units cyclometer drum, is disposed 180 angular degrees out of phase with the free counterweight. The drum counterweight has a moment equal to one-half the moment of the free counterweight, whereby the maximum sum of moments and the peak-to-peak moment is reduced by half. A harmonic counterweight rotates at twice the angular rate of the units cyclometer drum and reflects one-quarter of the moment of the free counterweight back to the driving elements. The harmonic counterweight reduces further the maximum moment as seen by the driving elements and also increases the minimum moment so that the variability in moment is reduced, thereby enabling an offsetting constant increase in meter torque and reducing metering error.

Abstract: A cash processing system comprises: a transaction terminal having an opening for taking out and putting in a cash, and means for demanding payment or receipt of the cash; cashier terminal which is provided separately from the transaction terminal to effect the payment and receipt of the cash; a passage for connecting the transaction terminal and the cashier terminal; a carriage capable of moving along and on the passage for conveying the cash between the terminals; a system controller for controlling the receipt and payment of the cash; and a conveyance controller for controlling the conveyance of the cash.

Abstract: A flip-over mechanism for a cyclometer register includes an eccentrically balanced fly-wheel freely rotatable on a drum shaft between a driver drum and a first driven drum, each drum being marked with decimal digits 0-9. The driver drum is driven in smooth rotation by a measuring device whose measurements are to be accumulated. At a certain point in its rotation, the driver drum engages and begins rotating the fly-wheel. As the driver drum is rotated into a position at which it performs a 9-to-0 transition, the fly-wheel becomes overbalanced and rotates forward on its stored potential energy until a striker thereon engages a tooth of a first carry pinion located between the fly-wheel and the first driven drum. This applies a momentary forward tap to the first carry pinion. The tap on the carry pinion provides a substantially instantaneous carry operation to be performed in all of the driven drums which are in position to require a carry.

Abstract: Flat indicia wheels are used in conjunction with a Geneva-type register movement. The register utilizes transfer wheels which have an outer edge shaped to contain a plurality of scallops and cusps. Each transfer wheel is associated with a transfer disc that rotates about an adjacent shaft and whose transfer arm causes the transfer wheel to rotate a preselected angular distance by striking a peg attached to the transfer wheel. This type of movement makes possible the use of flat indicia wheels with indicia, or numerals, imposed on a flat surface of the wheel. The presentation of a flat numeral through an opening in a faceplate provides for easier reading and, when used with an automatic reading device such as a light pin, reduces the chances of an erroneous reading.

Abstract: A hubodometer having a wide range of selectable gear ratios so that the same basic structure can be used to indicate distance traveled by wheels of greatly different wheel diameters in either miles or kilometers. The hubodometer has an elongated bore extending through a frame and centered on the axis of rotation of the hubodometer. An odometer helical drive gear and shaft is mounted on the frame transversely to the axis of rotation and removed from the bore in the frame. In assembly of the hubodometer, if a first gear ratio is desired, a support shaft carrying a gear is located within the bore and is fixed to rotate with the casing on its axis of rotation. This gear engages the odometer helical drive gear at a first locus so that the odometer reading is responsive to the rotation of the casing with a first gear ratio. If a second gear ratio is desired, a support shaft having no gear is located within the bore and is fixed to rotate with the hubodometer casing.

Abstract: An apparatus for liquifying a rod of binding by application of heat includes a die-cast aluminum heating member having an elongated conical first channel decreasing in diameter from an inlet adapted to receive a rod of liquifiable bonding material through an elastic funnel surrounding the inlet to an outlet for discharging liquified material through a one-way valve. An electric heater is disposed in a second channel in said member parallel to the first channel and includes an elongated electrically insulating and elastic housing defining a cylindrical cartridge receiving at least one flat PTC resistor disposed between at least a pair of pressure bodies in the housing on opposite sides of the least one PTC resistor. At least one elongated, curved leaf spring is disposed between one of the pressure bodies and at least one PTC resistor for applying pressure to the bodies and the at least one PTC resistor to maintain constant contact pressure therebetween even under thermal expansion and contraction.

Abstract: Stepped-down counting mechanism with number wheels drawn on a locking shaft, with a control disc and with a slotted link. The number wheels and the control disc are moved by a ratchet shaft which is located in the interior of the locking shaft and to which are articulated pawls each acting on one pair of wheels. The switching mode with single or multiple stepping-down can be selected by adjusting the slotted link. The control disc is moved by means of an idle-stroke pawl subjected to the action of the slotted link and, independently thereof, by means of an advancing pawl acting between the control disc and the units wheel.

Abstract: A preset counter has a case and one or more counter units. Each counter unit has a number wheel, a first intermediate wheel in mesh with the number wheel, a preset wheel and a second intermediate wheel in mesh with the preset wheel. Said first intermediate wheel comprises a first wheel which is in mesh with said number wheel and whose rotation is prevented releasably by a locking means and a second wheel which is disposed in opposed relationship with said second intermediate wheel, resiliently connected through a clutch to said first wheel and is formed with a recess or notch cut into the peripheral surface thereof. When the preset wheel is rotated, its movement is transmitted through said second intermediate wheel to said second wheel, but not to said first wheel. When the number wheel is rotated, its movement is transmitted through said first wheel to said second wheel, but not to said second intermediate wheel.

Abstract: A bidirectional odometer having preset features is disclosed. It further includes means for scaling the rate of counting. It incorporates a set of three, four, five or six decade gears of counting gears having numeric indicators thereon and a variable input. The gears are locked together in a sequential chain. The chain can be broken by moving retractable idlers which are moved away to permit repositioning. The device further includes an adjustment controllably locating a multiplier on positive or negative sides of a lead screw to obtain ascending or descending counting. It further incorporates a power take-off drive for rotation of the gear chain from a speedometer cable or the like.

Abstract: A digital readout apparatus includes a housing, a plurality of members providing, respectively, a presentation of units-of-minutes, tens-of-minutes, and hours, a shaft for supporting the members within the housing for movement in rotation imparted either by a timed or manual setting input to the member of lowest order. The digital readout apparatus also includes an endshake element received on the shaft between the hours member and the housing. The endshake element includes cam structure on a side surface which cooperates with cam structure similarly contoured on the housing thereby through selective rotational adjustment of the endshake element relative to the shaft, both the hours and tens-of-minutes members are moved axially along the shaft relative to the units-of-minutes member which is fixed to the shaft for varying clearance between the members.

Abstract: A distance measuring meter includes counting wheels which are indexed by transfer pinions mounted on an axle parallel to the axis of the counting wheels. In order to prevent fraud by rotating the counting wheels back so as to decrease the distance displayed, one end of the axle is detachably secured. When an attempt is made to rotate the counting wheels back, the axle detaches at one end, thereby indicating that the meter has been tampered with.

Abstract: A digital timer has means operable generally for indicating digital time and means for actuating the indicating means to effect the digital time indicating operation thereof. A drive train is provided for connection with the actuating means and includes means adapted to be intermittently rotatable, means for driving the rotatable means in a predetermined time sequence to effect the intermittent rotation thereof, and means for translating the intermittent rotation of the rotatable means to the actuating means.A method of operating a digital timer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A counting device of the kind having coaxial number wheels each with a reset cam and transfer pinions mounted on a shaft which is displaceable relatively to the number wheels the pinions being located between successive number wheels with each pinion meshing with gear teeth on an adjacent number wheel and adapted to engage drive means on the other adjacent number wheel so as partially to rotate the number wheel with which it is in mesh. Reset fingers are provided which are together rotatable about a common axis respectively to engage with the reset cams to reset the number wheels, the reset fingers and transfer pinions being located, prior to resetting, respectively out of engagement with the reset cams and in engagement with the gear teeth on the number wheels. A reciprocably movable actuating member is also provided to effect resetting of the number wheels during movement in one sense and upon movement in the reverse sense is repositioned for subsequent resetting action.

Abstract: An improved "reset" type odometer assembly having counting wheels rotatably supported on a shaft and interconnected by pinion gears therebetween for sequential counting as mileage progresses. A gear wheel between each of the counting wheels is engaged on its right side by a pinion gear which moves with each revolution of the counting wheel located to its right. In turn the gear wheel engages an outer pawl on a molded ratchet spring to cause corresponding rotation of the leftwardly positioned counting wheel. The ratchet spring also has an inner pawl which is engaged by a groove in the shaft when rotated to cause the ratchet spring and counting wheel to rotate during a reset mode of operation. During resetting, the gear wheel and pinion gears are stationary and the outer pawl moves between circumferentially spaced detents in the gear wheel.

Abstract: A counting device of the kind having coaxial number wheels each with a reset cam and transfer pinions mounted on a shaft which is displaceable relatively to the number wheels the pinions being located between successive number wheels with each pinion meshing with gear teeth on an adjacent number wheel and adapted to engage drive means on the other adjacent number wheel so as partially to rotate the number wheel with which it is in mesh. Reset fingers are provided which are together rotatable about a common axis respectively to engage with the reset cams to reset the number wheels, the reset fingers and transfer pinions being located, prior to resetting, respectively out of engagement with the reset cams and in engagement with the gear teeth on the number wheels. A reciprocably movable actuating member is also provided to effect resetting of the number wheels during movement in one sense and upon movement in the reverse sense is repositioned for subsequent resetting action.

Abstract: Two successive ordinal toothed counter wheels are connected by toothed transfer means to make a tens-transfer once during each revolution of the counter wheel of the lower order. The teeth of the counter wheels and of the transfer means are cut out and hollowed so that the teeth are resilient and dampen impacts thereon during the transfer operation.

Abstract: In a rotating drum type of digital clock, the minute drum is fixed to the drum shaft. A drive disc is carried on the shaft, freely rotatable thereon, adjacent to the minute drum. Sandwiched between them is a detent ring which is keyed to the drive disc, but which has limited axial freedom with respect to both the disc and the drum, being pressed toward the web of the drum by a spring. Convex detent bosses extending axially from the ring can engage with any of a plurality of recesses in the web of the minute drum. The drive disc is advanced each minute by the normal actuating mechanism, and drives the minute drum through the detent ring. A setting knob is engageable with the shaft, permitting rotation of the latter, and hence of the minute drum, for setting purposes. In setting, the bosses are forced out of the recesses, the ring retracting axially, so that the drum can be rotated with respect to the ring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a counter feed mechanism as used in digital clock comprising a cam member adapted for advanced rotation and another cam member adapted for delayed rotation both arranged on a common axis so that the advanced rotation of the first-mentioned cam member under a drive force transmitted from a clock mechanism twists a coil spring stretched between both cam members, which is, in turn, charged with energy for rotation of the second-mentioned cam member and, upon rotary displacement of the first-mentioned cam member by a predetermined angle, said second cam member is released to be rotated at once so as to advance a rotary wheel step by step.