Patent GB-674824-A (GB)
Title: Route sectioning and course recording apparatus
IPC: G01C7/04
Filed: 1946-11-04
Abstract: 674,824. Road-contouring and course-recording apparatus. MOYER, R. D. Nov. 4, 1946 [Oct. 23, 1945], No. 32719/46. Class 97 (ii). Apparatus for recording true vertical and horizontal distances by departure from a predetermined horizontal direction of movement is provided with proportional - speed drive mechanism for driving the chart relatively to the recording stylus in accordance with the trigonometric function of the angular departure of the vehicle from the predetermined direction of movement, which mechanism comprises rotatable means, e.g. a cone, driven by a wheel of the vehicle and having a surface affording an infinite number of effective driving diameters over a predetermined sinecosine range of such angular departure. As shown, a carriage 20, Fig. 1, mounted on a wheel 21F of known circumference and a pair of wheels 21R is propellable over the ground whose contour is to be recorded, e.g. by the handle 22. The proportional-speed drive mechanism is mounted in a watertight chamber 27 and the water - proof chamber 29, containing the recording mechanism, mounted at the top of the carriage 20, is coupled thereto by flexible detachable shaftings 30, 31. The carriage 20 is jointed at 32 to permit the use of the lower portion under water in surveying stream-beds &c. A container 33 of marking fluid is provided on the upper portion of the carriage for marking fixed stations on the route to be surveyed, valves 36, 37 being provided for sealing the container 33 and the discharge pump 35 when the lower portion of the carriage is to be used under water. The wheel 21F drives throgh gearing 40, 41, 43, 44 the main shaft 46, Fig. 3, of the propor. tional speed mechanism and an odometer 45. Two gears 48 mounted on the shaft 46 mesh with elongated gears 49, 50 rotatably mounted on a bed-plate 51 and which carry affixed to their shafts the drive-cones 53, 54 formed by plotting the sine-function from 0 to 90 degrees along a base line of suitable length in concentric relationship to each other with their apices just out of contact. The bed-plate 51 is mounted in grooved tracks 55, Fig. 4, in the base 52 and is slidably adjusted by a rack 57 co-operating with a segmental gear 63 mounted integrally with a plumb weight 61 on a shaft 62 mounted on the base 52. When the carriage is horizontal the mid-point of the apices of the cones 53, 54 is vertically above the centre of gravity of the weight 61 and when the carriage departs from a horizontal course the rack 57 and therewith the bed-plate 51 and the cones 53, 54 are displaced relatively to the base 52, by a distance proportional to the angle of ascent or descent of the carriage. Drives proportional to the cosine and sine of the angle of inclination or declination of the carriage from the horizontal are taken off from the cones 53, 54 by friction drive wheels 75 or 76 and 115 respectively to rotate shafts 108 and 129 coupled to the flexible shaftings 31 and 30 for driving the chart shifting and stylus shifting mechanisms respectively. The drivewheels 75, 76, 115 are connected by gearing 91, 92 and 116, Fig. 6, gearing 93, 94, 117, gearing 95, 96, 118, to gears 97, 98, 123. Each of the two gears 97, 98 is connected by bevels 102, 103 to a horizontal shaft 104 carrying a gear 106 meshing with a gear 107 on the vertical shaft 108 provided with a one-way clutch 109 so that the chart is driven whichever wheel 75, 76 is in contact with its respective core. The gear 123 carries a bevel 124 meshing continuously with idler gears 125, 126, each of which carries clutch teeth 127, 128 for engagement with a clutch member 130 splined to the shaft 129. The clutch member 130 is carried by an arm 133 attached to a pivoted weight 131 so balanced as to maintain the clutch 130 intermediate of the toothed surfaces 127, 128 when the carriage is horizontal but to engage with either one or the other when the carriage ascends or descends so that the drive from the gear 123 to the stylus driving mechanism is reversed according as to whether the carriage is ascending or descending. Within the housing 29, Fig. 8, is a rigid chart table 141 over which passes the paper 142, the drive roll 150 of which is driven from the flexible shafting 31 by a gearchange transmission enabling various chart scales to be used. The stylus 162 is supported in a carriage 161, is slidably mounted on rods 160 and carries on its underside a half-segment gear 166 driven by a worm 163 from the flexible shafting 30 through gearing for adjusting the vertical scale. Odometers may be provided for recording the total horizontal and vertical distances traversed. Additionally the carriage may be provided with apparatus for recording the actual course traversed and preferably the means for resolving the horizontal component of the travel into its N-S and E-W components are also comprised by sine-cosine cones positioned by gyroscopic means. As shown, the cones and their respective elongated gears 242, 243, Fig. 13, driven by gears 248, 249 on a shaft 247 from the contour recording mechanism proportionately to the horizontal component of travel are mounted on a bed-plate 244 slidably mounted in the base 246. The bed-plate 244 carries soft-iron cores 275, 276 extending into solenoids 277, 278 which are proportionately energized according to the deviation of the carriage from the meridian by a battery 222 through a rheostat 232 by means of a brush 236 which is stabilized to remain in the meridian by a gyro rotor 230. From the cones a drive proportional to and, by means of a clutch lever 321 operated by solenoids 324, 325, reversible in the sense of the E.-W. component is taken to the chart mechanism and proportional to the N.-S. component to the stylus drive mechanism. A similar rheostat-controlled solenoid and plunger mechanism may be provided instead of the segmental gear 63 to shift the base-plate in the contouring portion of the apparatus, a brush being provided to move over the rheostat which is mounted on and movable with the plumb weight 61. As open to public inspection the Specification describes also the subject-matter of Specification 674,920.