Year: 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM PORRITT INGHAM of Middlesbrough on Tees, in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature.of this invention to be as follows:-
This apparatus is for the same purpose as the Apparatus for which I have
received Provisional Protection No. 7630 but is an improvement on the same. This
apparatus consists of a Box or Case made of any suitable material; through the side
of this box or case is a Vertical slot or groove and working in this slot or groove and
projecting from the same is a Bar, made of any suitable material; the inside end of
this Bar (i.e. the end which is inside the box or case) is connected to a Wheel or
Pulley working on a shaft (which wheel or pulley and shaft are inside the box or case)
by means of a tape made of steel or other suitable material, or by means of an
ordinary rack and pinion-When the said bar is moved up or down, rotary motion is
given to the said Wheel or pulley by means of the said tape or rack and pinion.
On the front of and on the outside of the Box or Case, and protected by a Glass, is
a dial plate, (similar to a clock face) with dimensions marked round thereon.
Through the centre of the dial plate and passing into the box or ease is another
shaft (which shaft is concentric with the first mentioned shaft) on this shaft and on
the outside end of the same is a Pointer or Clock hand, and on the inside of the box
or case and on this shaft is a Break or Catch wheel and also a small Wheel or Pulley;
(or in the case of the Magnetic joint mentioned hereafter a Magnet would take the
place of the small wheel or pulley) this small wheel or pulley is connected to the first
named wheel or pulley, either by a spring, or by a piece of Elastic, or by a string
and small balance weight, or the two Wheels or pulleys can be entirely disconnected,
in which case a Magnetic joint or connection is made by fixing a Magnet on one shaft
and a bar of steel or keep on the other shaft; any of these modes forming an elastic
or Magnetic connection between the two shafts-Working on and against the before-
mentioned Break or Catch Wheel is a small frictional break or catch, which break or
catch is attached to one end of a small lever, which lever works on a pivot or centre,
at the other end of this lever is attached a box or plate for the reception of a penny
or other Coin (this arrangement of working a small lever by a coin is not new, and
Prine d

page_text: per se, I do not intend to claim)-The action of the apparatus is as follows-The
person who wishes to measure his or her height stands under (or the thing to be
measured is placed under) the said Bar; the Bar is then moved level with the top of
the head of the person to be measured (or level with the top of the thing to be
measured), the act of moving the said Bar giving motion to the first named wheel or
pulley, by means of the aforesaid tape (or rack and pinion); the other wheel or pulley
in the meantime being held fast by the before mentioned Break or Catch Wheel and
Broak or Catch-A penny or other coin is then dropped through a slit made in the
case or box for the purpose and fails on to the box or plate which is on the end of the
aforesaid lever, and thereby lifting the break or catch off the Break or Catch Wheel
and thereby leaving the Break or Catch Wheel (and also the Pointer and small wheel
or pulley which are on the same shaft as the Break or Catch Wheel) free to be moved
by the aforesaid, spring, or piece of Elastic, or string and small balance weight; or
Magnetic Arrangement, as the caso may be; the Pointer working round to and
pointing out the required dimension on the aforesaid dial plate-When the penny or
Coin falls off the lever the Break or Catch again returns to the break or catch wheel,
holding the same fast as before, and the apparatus is again ready for another
operation The principal idea in the Apparatus being to convey to the first mentioned
Wheel or pulley by means of the said tape or rack, the position of the said Bar, and
after, by placing a Coin in the apparatus to convey.that position to the outside pointer, the
coin lifting a break or catch and thereby allowing the said flexible joint or Magnetic
connection to work and bring the pointer into the required position-The said position
not being disclosed or pointed out on the dial plate by the pointer until the Coin has
been deposited in the Apparatus.
Dated this Seventh day of July 1887

page_text: An Improved Height Measuring Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM PORRITT INGHAM, of Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the County of York,
Engineer, 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 :-
My said invention relates to improvements in height measuring apparatus in which,
an arm having been adjusted to the height of any person or thing, a band is caused to
indicate such height on a dial by the act of depositing a coin in the apparatus.
The following a description of the mechanism constituting the subject of this.
invention, which mechanism is arranged within a suitable box or case.
An arm or bar the outer end of which projects horizontally through a slot in the
upper part of the case, has its opposite end fixed to a vertical rod sliding or working
within the case, in order to steady the movement of the said arm, and, in some cases,
the said arm and rod are counterbalanced by a suitable weight. The last mentioned
or inner end of the said arm, or, the said vertical rod, is connected by means of a tape
of steel or other suitable material, to a wheel or pulley on a shaft which is carried by
suitable bearings attached to the case or frame of the machine, or, a rack attached to
the inner end of the arm, or, to the rod, is arranged to gear into a pinion on the said
shaft.
On the outside and on the front of the box or case is a graduated dial plate, through
the centre of which, and passing into the box or case, is a second shaft which is
concentric with the first mentioned shaft. The said second shaft has on its outer end
a hand or pointer, and, on that portion thereof which is within the case, is a brake or
catch-wheel. The adjacent ends of the two shafts are connected together by a
suitable flexible, elastic or magnetic joint, for the object hereinafter stated, for this.
purpose a small wheel or pulley or equivalent is fixed on the end of the second shaft
(or, in the case of the magnetic connection, hereinafter described, a magnet or an
armature or keeper) the said wheel or pulley is connected to a wheel or pulley or
equivalent therefor, such as a radially projecting arm, on the first mentioned shaft, or,
it is connected to the shaft itself either by a spring, by a length of elastic material, or
by a cord and small balance weight, or the connection of the ends of the shafts is, in
some cases, effected, as herein before referred to, by a magnet fixed on the end of one
shaft and an armature or keeper fixed on the end of the other shaft. Working on, or
against, the said brake or catch-wheel, is a small brake or catch, which is attached to
one end of a lever working on a pivot or centre, and in close proximity to the opposite
end of the said lever is a box, plate or shoot for the passage of a coin, by the weight
of which coin the lever is moved on its centre. I am aware that the working of a
pivoted lever by a coin, in the manner lastly referred to, is not new, and I lay no claim
to the same.
I will now proceed to refer to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1. is a
front elevation of the apparatus, and Figure 2. is a side view of the same, with the

page_text: side of the case removed. Figures 3., 4., 5. and 6 illustrate various means by which
the two shafts of the apparatus can be connected, with the desired effect. The same
letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Figures. A. is the box or case, B. is
the arm which projects through the vertical slot C. in the case. The inner end of the
arm B. is attached to the vertical sliding rod D., which is shown connected, by a tape,
to the periphery of the wheel or pulley E. on the shaft F. as herein before stated;
d. is a counterbalancing weight, the cord by which the same is suspended passes over
the wheel d¹, and is connected with the rod D. A rack and pinion may be, as
herein before stated, substituted for the said tape and wheel; e is a wheel or pulley on
the shaft F. and e¹ is a weight suspended from the periphery thereof for effecting the
taking up of the said tape on the wheel E. as the arm B. is moved downwards. G. is
the dial at the front of the apparatus, and I. is the second shaft which carries the
hand or pointer K.; L. is the brake or catch wheel, and m. is a small wheel or pulley
both of which are on the shaft I.; n. is a brake or catch which works on, or against,
the wheel L. and is attached to one end of the lever N. the opposite end of which is
illustrated as passing through a slot or slit in the lower part of the guide shoot p;
Q. is the slot in the case for the insertion of the coin. In Figures 1. and 2. no
connection between the shafts F. and I. is shown. Figure 3. is a side view of part
of the mechanism showing the two ends of the said shafts connected by a spring r.
one end of which is fixed to the end of the shaft F. and the opposite end to the
wheel m, on the end of the shaft I. Figure 3ª is a vertical cross section of such
joint through the shaft F. In the arrangement shown at Figure 4. the connection
between the ends of the two shafts consists of a weight s. which is suspended by a
cord from an arm projecting radially from the shaft F. the said cord passing over the
grooved periphery or extended rim of the wheel m. on the shaft I. Figure 4ª is a
cross section of this joint through the shaft F., and Figure 4b is a like view in which
the cord, by which the weight is suspended, passes over a pulley. An elastic
connection between the ends of the two shafts is illustrated at Figure 5. in which
arrangement one end of a length of elastic material, such as india rubber, is
connected to the crank m. at the end of the shaft I., whilst the opposite end of the
said length of elastic material is connected to an arm extending radially from the end
of the shaft F. The magnetic connection herein before referred to is illustrated at
Figure 6, and consists in attaching the magnet t. to the end of the one shaft and the
armature or keeper t¹ to the end of the other shaft.
The action of the apparatus herein before described is as follows.
On
The person, whose height it is desired to ascertain, stands under the arm B., which
is then moved level with the top of his head, if the said arm is moved downwards the
slackness of the tape is wound on to the wheel or pulley E. by the revolving
movement of the shaft F. which is produced by the weight e, if, on the contrary, it
is necessary that the said arm should be moved upward, the tape is wound off the
wheel or pulley E. and the cord by which the weight e¹ is suspended is wound on to
the wheel e., it will be readily understood that when a rack and pinion are used
instead of the said tape and wheel, the weight e¹ and wheel e. are not required.
During the revolving movement of the shaft F, lastly referred to, the shaft I. is
retained in its position by the brake or catch wheel L. and the brake or catch n.
a coin being passed through the slot Q. it slides down the shoot p. on to the free end
of the lover N. which it depresses thereby lifting the brake or catch n. off the wheel L.
and leaving the shaft I. free to revolve which it is caused to do, to an extent
corresponding with the revolving movement previously imparted to the shaft F, by
the means provided for connecting the two shafts. When the connecting medium is
a spring, as shown at Figures 3. and 3ª of the accompanying drawings, the revolving
movement of the shaft F. will have compressed or opened the spring, which, on the
release of the brake wheel, regains its normal position, and, in so doing, causes the
shaft I. to revolve to the required extent. When the medium employed is the weight
illustrated at Figures 4. 4ª and 4 the revolving movement of the shaft F. lifts the
said weight which, on the release of the wheel L., descends and in so doing turns the
shaft. I. to the required extent. In the case of the connection being a length
of

page_text: elastic material, as shown at Figure 5, the revolving movement of the shaft F. extends
the said length ¹, which, on the release of the wheel L., contracts, and, in so doing,
causes the shaft I. to revolve to the desired extent. In the magnetic connection
illustrated at Figure 6, the armature or keeper t' is moved away from the poles of
the magnet t. by the revolving movement of the shaft F, but the two are again
brought together on the release of the wheel L.
The dial G. is so graduated, the hand or pointer K. is so arranged on the shaft I.
and the various parts of the machine are made of such sizes, as will be well understood,
that the revolving movement of the shaft I, as hereinbefore described, will cause the
hand or pointer K. to correctly indicate the height of the person or thing being
measured.
When the coin falls off the end of the lever N, the latter regains its normal position
and brakes or holds the wheel L.
In some cases, where it is desired that the lever N. should remain disengaged from
the wheel L., for a longer period than would be the case when the shoot p. and
lover N., arranged as illustrated at Figure 2. of the drawings, are employed, I use
any suitable contrivance for affecting the desired object, for instance, in some cases, I
cause a catch to engage the lever N. when it has been depressed to a certain extent,
such catch being released through the medium of the coin when the same has
travelled a certain distance along its path, which may be composed of a series of
zigzag inclines.
From the above description of the apparatus constituting the subject of my said
invention, it will be understood that the movement of the arm B, arranges the
mechanism in the required position for causing the hand or pointer to indicate the
height of the person or thing being measured, but that the said hand or pointer does
not move until the shaft I. has been released by the action of the weight of a coin on
one end of the lever N.
I do not desire to claim generally height measuring apparatus in which the
mechanism indicating the height is actuated or released by the action of a coin.
I am aware of Stanley's patent No. 4726 of 1886 for machines for measuring the
height of human beings automatically and I declare that I do not claim the mechanism
therein described and claimed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In height measuring apparatus, forming and arranging the mechanism and
shaft, actuated by the measuring arm, separate from the shaft carrying the hand or
pointer for indicating the height on the dial, substantially as hereinbefore described
and set forth.
And Secondly-In height measuring apparatus, such as hereinbefore described,
connecting the shaft acted upon by the movement of the measuring arm with the
shaft carrying the indicating hand or pointer by a flexible, elastic or magnetic joint,
and fixing on the last mentioned shaft a brake wheel which is held by the end
of a lover, or is released therefrom by a coin, substantially as hereinbeforo
described.
فيدر
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.