Indexing mechanism
AssigneeElster Metering Limited
InventorRonald Gordon Roper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indexing mechanism comprising a body (10) mounted so as to be rotatble about an axis; means (3) for rotating said body about said axis; first cam means (9, 10) for displacing said body along said axis away from an axial rest position during rotation of said body in a first direction; biassing means (11) for restoring the body to its axial rest position on completion of a rotation or a predetermined portion thereof of the body; means (8a) for detecting the axial movement of the body when it is being restored to its axial rest position; and second cam means (2, 9) permitting said body to be rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.
Claims28
An indexing mechanism comprising:
- a body (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis;
- a drive (3) for rotating said body about said axis;
- a first cam (9, 9C, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C) for displacing said body along said axis away from an axial rest position of said body during rotation of said body in a first direction;
- a biasing device (11) for restoring the body to the axial rest position on completion of a rotation or a predetermined portion thereof of the body;
- a detector for detecting the axial movement of the body when the body is being restored to the axial rest position, and for effecting indexing in response to said axial movement;
- and
- a second cam (2, 9, 2A, 9B, 2C) permitting said body to be rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.
An indexing mechanism comprising:
- a body (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis;
- a drive (3) for rotating said body about said axis;
- a first cam (9, 9C, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C) for displacing said body along said axis away from an axial rest position of said body during rotation of said body in a first direction;
- a spring (11), preferably a compressive spring, located coaxially with said body and for restoring the body to the axial rest position on completion of a rotation or a predetermined portion thereof of the body;
- a detector for detecting the axial movement of the body when the body is being restored to the axial rest position, and for effecting indexing in response to said axial movement;
- and
- a device (2, 9, 2A, 9B, 2C) for permitting said body to be rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.
An indexing mechanism comprising:
- a body (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis;
- a drive (3) for rotating said body about said axis;
- a first cam (9, 9C, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C) for displacing said body along said axis away from an axial rest position of said body during rotation of said body in a first direction;
- a biasing device (11) for restoring the body to the axial rest position on completion of a rotation or a predetermined portion thereof of the body;
- a detector for detecting the axial movement of the body when the body is being restored to the axial rest position, the detector comprising at least one wheel (8) which is indicative of a count;
- a plurality of first engagement formations (8A) connected to the wheel (8) and in angularly spaced relationship with each other, wherein the wheel (8) can be driven via the first engagement formations (8A);
- wherein said body (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) has at least one second engagement formation (10, 10D, 111), for engaging and driving the first engagement formations (8A);
- wherein the first cam (9, 9C, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C) is arranged to displace said body along said axis away from the axial rest position is synchronism with rotation thereof in the first direction, such that the first engagement formations(8A) are not driven by the at least one second engagement formation (10, 111) over a substantial portion of a rotation of said body about said axis in the first direction;
- and
- wherein, when said body is being restored to the axial rest position, the at least one second engagement formation (10, 10D, 111) drives the plurality of first engagement formations (8A) so as to index the wheel (8) incrementally in a first sense.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.