Mechanical fuel pump computer conversion mechanism
AssigneeVeeder Industries Inc.
InventorRaymond H. Devanney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conversion mechanism for selective conversion of a conventional mechanical fuel pump computer to selectively extend the unit volume price range of the computer while maintaining the rotational speed of the right hand cost and volume counter wheels of the computer within acceptable limits and mathematical correspondence of the volume counter readout with the cost counter readout and the established unit volume price. The conversion mechanism comprises cost and volume drive ratio selector mechanisms and one or more sets of single transfer, double transfer and quadruple transfer right hand cost counter wheels and a decimal point selector mechanism for shifting the decimal point of the unit volume price setting and/or cost counter readout.
Claims21
In a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train with a first rotary cost shaft rotated in accordance with the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the set unit volume price and a second rotary cost shaft transverse to and rotated by said first rotary cost shaft, and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said second rotary cost shaft for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the improvement wherein the mechanical computer comprises a cost drive ratio selector mechanism for selectively providing a plurality of different cost counter drive ratios between said first and second rotary cost shafts, the cost drive ratio selector mechanism comprising an intermediate rotary shaft generally parallel to one of said first and second rotary shafts, first and second intermeshing gear means adapted to be selectively mounted on said one and said intermediate rotary shafts to selectively intermesh to selectively provide a plurality of different drive ratios therebetween, and third and fourth intermeshing gear means mounted on the said intermediate rotary shaft and the other of said first and second rotary shafts to provide a rotatable drive therebetween.
In a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a price variator module selectively settable for selectively establishing the unit volume price of fuel disposed within a predetermined multiple place unit volume price range, the price variator module having a rotary volume shaft rotated in accordance with the volume amount of fuel dispensed and a rotary cost output rotated in accordance with the rotation of the rotary volume shaft and the unit volume price established by the price variator module, and a register module with a volume counter drive train rotated by the rotary volume shaft of the price variator module, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train rotated by the said rotary cost output of the price variator module and having a first rotary cost shaft and a second rotary cost shaft transverse to and rotated by said first rotary cost shaft, and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said second rotary cost shaft for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the improvement wherein the register module comprises a cost drive ratio selector mechanism for selectively providing a plurality of different cost counter drive ratios between said first and second rotary cost shafts, the variable cost drive ratio selector mechanism comprising an intermediate rotary shaft, first and second intermeshing gear means adapted to be selectively mounted on said intermediate rotary shaft and said first rotary cost shaft to selectively intermesh to selectively provide a plurality of different drive ratios therebetween, and third and fourth intermeshing gear means mounted on said intermediate rotary shaft and said second rotary cost shaft to provide a rotatable drive therebetween which prevents inertia overtravel drive through said third and fourth gear means by the inertia of the cost counter.
A conversion mechanism for a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train with a first rotary cost shaft rotated in accordance with the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the set unit volume price, and a second rotary cost shaft transverse to and rotated by said first rotary cost shaft, and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said second rotary cost shaft for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the conversion mechanism comprising gear pass between said first and second rotary cost shafts comprising helix type, intermeshing drive and driven gears having drive and driven gear teeth respectively having relatively low friction, primarily recess action engagement with drive therethrough by the drive gear and relatively high friction, primarily approach action engagement with overtravel drive by the inertia of the cost counter.
A conversion mechanism for a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train with a first rotary cost shaft rotated in accordance with the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the set unit volume price, and a second rotary cost shaft transverse to and rotated by said first rotary cost shaft, and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said second rotary cost shaft for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the conversion mechanism comprising a cost drive ratio selector mechanism, in the cost counter drive train downstream of said first rotary cost shaft, for selectively providing a plurality of different drive ratios, a decimal point selector mechanism, in the cost counter drive train upstream of said first rotary cost shaft, for individually selecting two relative drive ratios which differ by a factor of ten, and an anti-overtravel gear pass upstream of the cost drive ratio selector mechanism, operable to prevent inertia overtravel drive therethrough by the inertia of the cost counter.
In a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train rotated in accordance with the product of the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the unit volume price setting of the computer and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said cost counter drive train for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the cost counter drive train comprising a cost decimal point selector mechanism for individually selecting two alternative cost counter drive ratios which differ by a factor of ten, the improvement wherein the volume counter drive train comprises a volume decimal point selector mechanism for individually selecting two alternative volume counter drive ratios which differ by a factor of ten.
In a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the set unit volume price and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the cost counter drive train for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the improvement wherein the cost counter drive train comprises a gear pass with helix type intermeshing drive and driven gears having drive and driven gear teeth respectively with relatively low friction, primarily recess action engagement during forward drive therethrough by the drive gear and relatively high friction primarily approach action frictional locking engagement which prevents over-travel drive therethrough by the inertia of the cost counter.
In a mechanical computer for a fuel dispenser operable for setting the unit volume price and registering the volume and cost amounts of fuel dispensed and having a volume counter drive train, at least one rotary volume counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by the volume counter drive train for registering the volume amount of fuel dispensed, a cost counter drive train with a first rotary cost shaft rotated in accordance with the volume amount of fuel dispensed and the set unit volume price and a second rotary cost shaft transverse to and rotated by said first rotary cost shaft, and at least one rotary cost counter, with a plurality of coaxial number wheels of increasing order of significance, rotated by said second rotary cost shaft for registering the cost amount of fuel dispensed, the improvement wherein the mechanical computer comprises a cost drive ratio mechanism for establishing the cost counter drive ratio between said first and second rotary cost shafts, the cost drive ratio mechanism comprising an intermediate rotary shaft generally parallel to one of said first and second rotary shafts, first and second intermeshing gear means mounted on said one and said intermediate rotary shafts to intermesh to establish the drive ratio therebetween, and third and fourth intermeshing gear means mounted on the said intermediate rotary shaft and the other of said first and second rotary shafts to provide a rotatable drive therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.