Mechanical Counter

myminifactory

I had always been curious about how mechanical counters functioned, and what I found out was nothing like I had imagined - something much simpler and more refined in its design. After discovering this truth, I worked on creating a 3D printed version of the counter that could be easily built. Researching various designs online revealed several models with all gearing contained within the number reels, but one particular model stood out as being most helpful for understanding how it works - the one shown on the left. This design features three number reels allowing users to count up to 999 and utilizes a lost motion gear pair between each reel, which transfers motion to the next reel after one complete revolution of the lower digit reel. This counter design is based on Matthias Wandel's model, available at http://woodgears.ca/counter/index.html. I made some modifications to make it suitable for 3D printing and simplified the Actuator to a straightforward push operation. For comprehensive instructions, visit http://www.3dprinterclocks.com/page23.html