An Improved Measuring Apparatus for Coffee, Rice, and other Substances.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Measuring Apparatus for Coffee, Rice, and other
Substances.
We WILLIAM HENRY BASTIN and HOWARD RICHART HANSON both of
Murphysborough, Jackson County, Illinois, United States of America, Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The apparatus of this invention comprises a casing within which are provided
inclined planes for conducting the substance to be measured to a measuring
chamber also within the casing. At the bottom of the measuring chamber, there
is a discharge spout. The bottom of the measuring chamber is normally closed by
a door hinged at one edge to swing downwards. It is held up by a projection
beneath which is arranged a plate or arm pivotted at one end on a guide secured
to the bottom of the casing and actuated by a lever to retain or set free the door
which aided by the weight of the substance swings down and discharges the
substance into the spout from which it may be passed into a bag or other
receptacle. On one side of the casing there is a slide or cut off in connection with
an adjustable part carrying an index operating in conjunction with a scale to
determine the quantity to be measured. The cut off is provided with a stop to
limit its outward movement. The substance having been fed into the casing
suitable wings prevent it from pressing down too much into the measuring chamber
a certain quantity in which is then cut off by the cut off device from the substance
above and discharged by the swing door.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants."
444
1333M
Substances.
We, WILLIAM HENRY BASTIN and HOWARD RICHART HANSON, both of
Murphysborough, Jackson County, Illinois, United States of America, Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The apparatus of this invention which is specially adapted for measuring dry
grocery goods is shewn in the accompanying drawing in which :-

page_text: A is a box or receptacle of any suitable material and shape. A¹ the cover
thereof. a inclined parts serving to conduct the goods from the upper space to the
discharge spout A' through the measuring chamber B. The discharge spout is
secured in any suitable manner to the bottom of the measuring chamber B and
extends any convenient distance below the bottom a' of the box. The bottom of
the measuring chamber is normally closed by a door C pivotted at one edge c
(Fig. 2) to swing downward and is held up in the following manner :-Upon the
under side of the door there is an inclined or cam shaped projection C¹ beneath
which is arranged a plate or arm D pivotted at one end at d (Fig. 3) between the
bottom of the box and guide bracket E whilst its other end moves between the
bottom of the box and guide bracket d'. The plate D is actuated from the lever F
pivotted at f to the bracket d¹ and connected with the said plate or arm by a
link E (Fig. 3), and working in a recess e' in the bottom of the box. The arm D,
when in the position shewn, will support the door and prevent its downward
movement but when the lever is actuated to move the arm D away from the
door the latter will fall by its own weight aided by that of the goods and will
discharge its contents into the spout from which it may be received in a bag or
other receptacle. Supposing the door is to be shut, the lever is operated to throw
the arm Dagainst the projection C' and thus move the door into the closed
position. F is a brace for the discharge spout. 6 is a tapered strip for insuring
the fall of the whole of the goods upon the door. B2 are wings (one only shewn)
within the box or receptacle above the entrance to the measuring chamber and
serving to hold back the major portion of the goods in the upper portion of the
box and prevent it from crowding into the measuring chamber.
G are guides in which is a slide H. Upon one of the guides is fixed a scale
plate G¹ adjustable by a screw g¹ which takes through a slot g. h is a toothed
rack by which the slide H is worked from a circular set of teeth I at the end of
hand lever 1, the circular toothed part being journalled on a central pivot i fixed
in the side of the box and in a guide bar I' for the slide and the toothed end of the
lever. is a curved slot for fixing by means of a screw the lever and circular
set of teeth I in the adjusted position. 2 is a pointer carried on the slide H for
indicating the distance the same is moved. The front side of the box has an
aperture opposite the slide and the rear face of the latter is provided with a
vertical groove (Figs. 2, 4,). Upon the front face of the slide H is mounted a
horizontal guide K in which is fitted a cut off slide K' which may be made with
ribs or corrugations k to give strength and which working in corresponding openings
in the slide H serve to better guide the cut off in its reciprocations for admitting
and cutting off the supply of goods to the measuring chamber. The guide K has
at its front end a transverse rib k¹ slotted as shewn in Fig. 2 and the cut off is
provided with a stop to engage the same and limit its outward movement; it
may also be provided with a finger hole ³ or other means for readily
manipulating it.
The apparatus in operated as follows:-The substance, coffee for instance, is
placed in the box and prevented from pressing down into the measuring chamber
by wings such as B'; the slide H is then moved until the pointer indicates upon the
scale plate G the quantity to be measured, say one, two, or three pounds or the
equivalent. The cut off slide K' is then moved inward to shut off the material
above. The lever F is then moved to bring the arm or plate D from under the
door C when the latter will fall by its own weight aided by that of the material
thereon.
In order to change the apparatus for measuring any article of a different specific
gravity from that for which it is being used, we provide an adjustable plate M
having a vertical groove m and at its upper end lateral projections m' which are
designed to engage in the grooves or slots n in the lower end of the slide H
(Fig. 4). This plate is set by a pin, screw or other means N passed through a
hole n' at the lower end of the groove m (Fig. 5) into the side of the box (Fig. 2).
The slide H is limited in its movements by the projections m³ and the central rib

page_text: formed by the groove m takes in the groove j¹ of said slide H. By changing the
position of the plate M the movement of the slide may be varied according to
the specific gravity of the goods to be measured, the scale plate G¹ being corre-
spondingly adjusted.
Modifications in detail may be made without affecting the spirit of the invention,
for instance, we may sometimes use a thin strip of india rubber or the like with
a slit therein to allow of the passage of the cut off slide K' to prevent the material
escaping with the cut off (Fig. 2).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus of the kind described, a vertically reciprocative slide carrying
a reciprocative cut off working at right angles thereto in guides thereon, for the
purpose specified substantially as described and shewn.
2. The combination with the box or receptacle of the slide H movable in guides
thereon and the adjustable plate M having parts engaging grooves in the said
slide to limit the movement of the same, substantially as described and shewn.
3. The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the apparatus referred to, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 1st day of October 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.