Patent GB-439282-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather and other sheet materials or substances according to thickness
IPC: G01B5/06
Filed: 1934-06-02
Abstract: 439,282. Linear-dimension gauges. WILSON, E. G., Netherwood, Farmoss Road, Blundellsands, near Liverpool. June 2, 1934, No. 33876/33. [Class 106 (ii)] Apparatus for grading or selecting leather or other material in sheet form comprises " feeler elements adapted to operate upon the leather and means to select and operate one of a series of indicator strips in response to the movement of each feeler element, the indicator strips registering with a scale to provide a visual indication of the thickness of the leather. In the arrangement shown, the leather passes between feeding rollers 22 and feeler wheels 1 over a table 24. The vertical movement of the feeler wheel 1, in response to the variation in thickness of the leather, is transmitted through bell-crank lever 2, 3, arm 10 and coupling rod 13 to selector bar 15 sliding horizontally on guide rollers 16. Each selector bar 15 is adapted to receive a vertical impulse from cam rollers 28 mounted on discs 25 driven in opposite senses by suitable gears 29, the movements of the bars being timed to occur successively at predetermined intervals throughout a revolution of the discs 25 which are geared in a suitable manner to the feeding rollers 22. Each bar 15 carries an element 34 flexibly mounted thereon, which upon vertical movement of the bar engages with and raises one of a number of parallel bars 40 which actuate an indicator shown in detail in Fig. 5. A link parallelogram comprising bars 40, 47, bar 43 pivoting about 45 and a similar pivoted bar at the other end (not shown), converts the upward motion of the bars 40 into a rotation of arms 52 secured to bars 43. Each arm 52 carries two pawls, one of which, 53, engages the toothed gear portion of an indicator strip 67 provided with a holding pawl 64 and the other of which engages a common ratchet drum 72 secured to a shaft 73 running transversely of the whole indicator. At one end the shaft 73 is geared to an counting wheel 74, and at the other end carries a pulley on which is wound a weighted rope or chain 76. The strips 67 move under a slit in the cover plate 68a, the slit being provided with a scale showing the thickness to which each strip corresponds and each indicator strip being graduated so as to show in the slit the number of step motions which the strip has performed. Means for observing the position of the ends of the strips 67 are also provided. By these means, each time a selector bar is raised the indicator strip corresponding to the thickness beneath the corresponding feeler wheel at that time is raised one step, and at the end of the run a visual indication of the thickness distribution in the leather is given, the counter wheel 74 giving the total number of registrations. Means are provided for manual resetting of the device, comprising a bar member 59, linked to movable stops 56, 57, 62, which disengages the pawls and releases a holding lever for the ratchet drum 72. The strips 67 and the counter thus return under gravity. Suitable delayed control means might also be used for resetting. According to the Provisional Specification, each bar 40 may form one arm of a bell-crank lever, the other arm of which carries a pawl imparting a step motion to horizontal indicator strips.