System for visualizing, identifying and ordering gearing configurations

• US 4,964,043 A
• Filed: 06/13/1988
• Issued: 10/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Beer Corporation (Boston Beer Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imo Industries Incorporated (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Galvin, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/205,928
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 283/15, 283/55, 283/60.1, 283/98, 283/99, 235/385, 434/198, 434/206, 434/402, 434/404, 434/427, 434/389
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/925 Business

Abstract

The present invention enables visualizing, identifying and ordering speed reduction gearing configurations, particularly enclosed worm gear configurations, by a system comprising a mechanical display and a digital computer, which cooperate in a novel manner. The mechanical display includes sequences of adjustable slide media, each having at least a stationary base component and a rotatable disk component of sufficiently large size for convenient visual and manual access. The digital computer includes a host computer and a plurality of dedicated terminals that communicate with the host computer through telephone lines. Each of the terminals contains a programmed read only memory which guides the terminal user, through a sequence of inquiries, to automatically telephone the host computer, to transmit input data from the mechanical display to the host computer, and to display the result data received from the host computer for confirmation or rejection by the user.

Claims

1. A master system for visualizing and identifying gearing configurations and orientations, said master system comprising:

(a) mechanical display means for mechanically displaying an array of slide media;

(b) each of said slide media including at least a pair of visual components relatively pivotal into a plurality of different angular relationships;

(c) at least one of said visual components presenting a selected gearing configuration, at least another of said visual components presenting a plurality of mechanical identifiers referring to said selected gearing configuration and to different orientations thereof;

(d) a data processing system including host computer means for maintaining a database system and a decision system and a plurality of terminals operatively-connected thereto through telephone lines;

(e) said host computer means including an arithmatic/logic system operatively connected to said data base system and said decision system;

(f) said database system including sets of electronic identifiers corresponding to sets of said mechanical identifiers;

(g) said decision system including means for processing said sets of electronic identifiers to produce result identifiers;

(h) each of said terminals including means for accessing said host computer means, means for transmitting to said decision system electronic identifiers corresponding to said mechanical identifiers, and means for receiving from said decision system result electronic identifiers for visual presentation on said terminals.

2. The master system of claim 1 wherein said array of slide media includes a plurality of rows of said slide media and a plurality of columns of said slide media.

3. The master system of claim 1 wherein an array of said slide media is disposed in two groups carried by two stiff cards that are hinged together.

4. The master system of claim 1 wherein said terminals further comprise a visual display means for displaying alphanumeric characters, said visual display means being a small fraction of the size of said mechanical display means.

5. The master system of claim 1 wherein said gearing configurations are speed reduction configurations.

6. The master system of claim 5 wherein said speed reduction configurations are characterized by showings of input shafts in a first color, output shafts in a second color, and mounts in a third color.

7. The master system of claim 1 wherein said result electronic identifiers correspond to pricing, availability and delivery.

8. A master system for visualizing and identifying gearing configurations and orientations, said master system comprising:

(a) mechanical display means for displaying an array of slide media contained therein;

(b) each of said slide media including at least a pair of visual components relatively pivotal into a plurality of different angular relationships;

(c) at least one of said visual components presenting a selected gearing configuration, at least another of said visual components presenting a plurality of mechanical identifiers referring to said selected gearing configuration and to different orientations thereof.

9. The master system of claim 8 wherein said array of slide media includes a plurality of rows of said slide media and a plurality of columns of said slide media.

10. The master system of claim 8 wherein an array of said slide media is disposed in two groups carried by two stiff cards that are hinged together.

11. A master system for visualizing and identifying gearing configurations and orientations, said master system comprising:

(a) mechanical display means for mechanically displaying an array of slide media;

(b) each of said slide media including at least a pair of visual components relatively pivotal into a plurality of different angular relationships;

(c) at least one of said visual components presenting a selected gearing configuration, at least another of said visual components presenting a plurality of mechanical identifiers referring to said selected gearing configuration and to different orientations thereof;

(d) a data processing system including host computer means for maintaining a database system and a decision system and a plurality of terminals operatively connected thereto through telephone lines;

(e) said host computer means including an arithmetic/logic system operatively connected to said database system and said decision system;

(f) said database system including sets of electronic identifiers corresponding to sets of said mechanical identifiers;

(g) said decision system including means for processing said sets of electronic identifiers to produce result identifiers;

(h) each of said terminals including means for accessing said host computer means, means for transmitting to said decision system electronic identifiers corresponding to said mechanical identifiers, and means for receiving from said decision system result electronic identifiers for visual presentation on said terminals;

(j) said array of slide media including a plurality of rows of said slide media and a plurality of columns of said slide media;

(k) an array of said slide media being disposed in two groups carried by two stiff cards that are hinged together;

(l) said terminals further comprising a visual display means for displaying alphanumeric characters, said visual display means being a small fraction of the size of said mechanical display means.

12. The master system of claim 11 wherein said gearing configurations are speed reduction configurations.

13. The master system of claim 12 wherein said speed reduction configurations are characterized by showings of input shafts in a first color, output shafts in a second color, and mounts in a third color.

14. The master system of claim 11 wherein said result electronic identifiers correspond to pricing, availability and delivery.

15. The master system of claim 11 wherein said gearing configurations are speed reduction configurations, said speed reduction configurations are characterized by showings of input shafts in a first color, output shafts in a second color, and mounts in a third color, and said result electronic identifiers correspond to pricing, availability and delivery.