Flap type indicating device
AssigneeCopal Company Limited
InventorMinoru Ueda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flap-type indicating device includes two, co-axially mounted indicator assemblies and a resilient synchronizing element interposed therebetween for insuring the synchronous changing of the indicator elements upon the two assemblies at a predetermined time. A cam member, integrally formed upon the rotatable drum of one of the assemblies, is provided for axially biasing the synchronizing element toward the other one of the assemblies so as to prevent the changing of the indicator device prior to the predetermined time, and a lug member is operatively associated with one of the flaps of the first assembly for continuing the biasing action of the synchronizing element towards the other indicator assembly after the cam member has been released from the synchronizing element and until the occurrence of the predetermined time.
Claims6
Flap type indicating device including a low speed rotative indicating assembly having a plurality of flaps swingably mounted in series along the periphery of a first drum and about a first axis so that said flaps are successively swung as said drum is rotated by one revolution so as to exhibit a first series of indications successively by the respective flap, a high speed rotative indicating assembly coaxially arranged with said low speed rotative indicating assembly adjacent thereto and having a plurality of flaps swingably mounted in series along the periphery of a second drum and about a second axis coaxial with said first axis so that said flaps are successively swung as said second drum is rotated by one revolution so as to exhibit a second series of indications successively by the respective flap, and coupling means coupling said high speed rotative indicating assembly with said low speed rotative indicating assembly so that said low speed rotative indicating assembly is actuated to provide the succeeding indication of said first series each time said high speed rotative indicating assembly completes one cycle of exhibition of said second series of indications, said coupling means including a resilient synchronizing member interposed between said low and high speed rotative indicating assemblies and normally held apart from the path of movement of said flaps of said low speed rotative indicating assembly but being axially movable, upon actuation thereof, into the path of movement of said flaps so as to arrest the respective flaps, said resilient synchronizing member being adapted to be released upon completion of the cycle of exhibition of said second series of indications by said high speed rotative indicating assembly thereby permitting the successive one of said first series of indications to be exhibited each time upon completion of exhibition of said second series of indications in synchronism therewith, wherein the improvement comprises an inclined cam member interposed between said resilient synchronizing member and said high speed rotative indicating assembly and rotatable in synchronism with said drum of said high speed rotative indicating assembly so as to axially bias said resilient synchronizing member toward said low speed rotative assembly for arresting the respective flaps of said low speed rotative indicating assembly, and a lug formed in the last one of said flaps of said high speed rotative indicating assembly for indicating the last of said second series of indications, said lug being so arranged that it also axially biases said resilient synchronizing member toward said low speed rotative assembly so as to continue the arresting process of the respective flap of said low speed rotative indicating assembly by synchronizing member when said last flap comes into the position exhibiting the indication born thereon, the angular orientation of said inclined cam member being so determined that it actuates said resilient synchronizing member to arrest the respective flaps of said low speed rotative indicating assembly by the rotation of said drum of said high speed rotative indicating assembly during a period beginning at a predetermined time prior to the completion of one cycle of said second series of indications of said high speed rotative indicating assembly and ending at a time after said lug of said last flap of said high speed rotative indicating assembly comes into the position to actuate said resilient synchronizing member but prior to the completion of one cycle of said second series of indications of said high speed rotative indicating assembly.
In a flap-type indicating device including a first, rotatably indicating assembly having a plurality of flaps serially and pivotably mounted thereon about a first axis, a second rotatable indicating assembly drivingly coupled with said first indicating assembly and having a plurality of flaps serially and pivotably mounted thereon about a second axis coaxial with said first axis, and synchronizing means interposed between said first and second assemblies for synchronizing the pivotable movement of said flaps of one of said assemblies with the pivotable movement of said flaps of the other one of said assemblies, the improvement comprising:
- inclined cam means associated with said one of said assemblies for axially biasing said synchronizing means in a position toward said other one of said assemblies so as to prevent one of said flaps of said other one of said assemblies from pivoting prior to a predetermined time;
- and,
- lug means associated with one of said flaps of said one of said assemblies for engagingly retaining said synchronizing means in said biased position and continuing to maintain said biased position of said synchronizing means after said inclined cam means has been released from said synchronizing means, until said predetermined time,
- whereupon said predetermined time being reached, said lug means will be released from said synchronizing means which will in turn be released from said one of said flaps of said other one of said assemblies whereby said one of said flaps of said other one of said assemblies will be able to pivot in synchronization with said one of said flaps of said one of said assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.