An Improved Machine for Starting Races."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"An Improved Machine for Starting Races."
I, JOHN LAWSON JOHNSTONE of No. 64 Cowper Street, Footscray near Melbourne, in
the Colony of Victoria, 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:
This invention relates to what are known as starting machines, that is to those
classes of machines which are used for starting horse and other races.
Its object is to provide a starting machine which will not be expensive to construct
but which will be simple and efficient and not liable to get out of order and one
moreover which will admit of the barrier being easily removed from one part of the
course to another.
The essential feature of this invention consists in the use of an elastic or tensional
barrier in combination with converging guides or ways up which said barrier travels
automatically on its release.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood it will be described with
the aid of the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a plan
Figure 2 a front elevation and
Figure 3 a side elevation of a starting machine constructed according to this
invention whilst
Figures 4 to 11 are various views illustrating details of the machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
A A represent two start posts or uprights which are arranged one on each side of
the course whilst B B represent the con verging guides or ways which consist prefer-
ably of stout wires or wire rope which are preferably inclined away from the horses.
They extend from the upper ends of the uprights A down to a (by preference)
laterally adjustable support such for instance as the carriage C and they are by
preference covered with lengths of rubber tubing 6 or other noise preventing
material, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 which represent a side and an end view of
said carriage and part of the arm upon which it is adjustable. This arm D projects
outwardly from a short post & secured in the ground sufficiently far behind the
uprights A to give the preferred inclination to the guides B. Said arm D may be
bolted rigidly to its post d or it may be pivotally connected thereto by a bolt or
stud d¹ as shown whilst its outer end is held in position by a stay d¹ fitted with a
screw tightener as shown.
The arm D is curved to correspond to the radius of a circle struck from the top of
the upright A so that the carriage C can be moved along it for the purpose of
adjusting the angle of convergence of the two inclined guides or ways B, the barrier
having previously been raised to the upper end of said guides or ways. In order
that said carriage may be held in any desired position upon said arm, the latter is
provided with a number of holes d³ through which a pin such as d can be
passed.
The elastic or tensional barrier is constructed preferably of a number of
coir ropes E the ends of which are connected to a number of lengths F of rubber or

page_text: I
other elastic material or springs, through the medium of stretcher bars f and hooks
or other connections. The outer ends of the elastic lengths are connected to
cross arms f provided with travellers G arranged to run up the inclined guides B.
These travellers are pivotally connected to said cross-arms as illustrated at f. The
way in which the lengths of elastic F are secured to the stretcher bars f and
cross-arms is clearly illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, that is each end of said
lengths of rubber is fitted with a cap or socket H which may be constructed of metal
as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, or of a piece of leather sewn together as shown in
Figure 9. In either case this socket is made to taper, and the end of the length F
of rubber having been passed through it and having had a slit or cut formed through
it near its extreme end the wedge h may be passed through this cut and will serve
to securely jamb the end of the rubber in the socket H.
It is necessary to shorten the ropes E sometimes to suit differences in the weather,
to take up slack or to adjust to different widths. For this purpose one end of each
rope is passed round a pulley I in one of the stretcher bars f and a knot i is tied in
the end of such rope which is then passed around itself and secured with a half
hitch as illustrated in Figure 6. This method of securing the ropes is an exceedingly
useful one, not only because it allows of the slack of the ropes being readily taken
up by pulling on the free end and sliding the knot i further away from the
stretcher bar but because in case of accident (as for instance in the event of a horse
jumping into the barrier) the ropes can be let go instantly and the horse released
before any damage can be done.
Each of the travellers G to which the ends of the barrier are connected is provided
with a short length of wire or a link g fitted at its lower end with a ring or loop g¹
adapted to be placed in engagement (when the barrier has been drawn down) with
the short projecting arms of a pair of firing levers J which are fulcrummed as
illustrated at j¹ upon the carriage C.
.
These firing levers may either be held in their operative positions by mechanical
or electrical means.
If it is preferred to employ a mechanical firing gear then wires such as K are
connected to the free end of each of said levers and led over suitably arranged pulleys
to some convenient position alongside the starter's stand L. Here the two wires K
are joined together and may either be held in the hand and simply let go when the
barrier is to be released, or they can be fitted with a catch plate such as is illustrated
at in Figures 10 and 11, said plates being provided with projecting pins k²
engaging with hook-shaped ends of two fixed cheek plates k³ which are secured upon
any convenient support as for instance upon the back of one of the uprights A.
The firing trigger or handle k4 is also pivotted or mounted between these cheeks k³
and is constructed with a projecting nose-piece 5, which is so arranged that when
the handle k is depressed it will force the plate out of engagement with the hook
shaped cheeks and will thus release same, the effect being that the firing levers J J
will be released and will allow the barrier to ascend and at the same time move
forward in the same direction as the horses if preferred, although the guides might
. be set so that the said barrier could be made to travel in any desired direction. It
will be readily understood that the strain of the barrier on the short arms of the
firing levers J J will when said levers are released turn them round so that they will
set said barrier free and allow it to travel clear of the horses.
In lieu of this mechanical arrangement electro-magnets, such as M, may be
provided upon each carriage C and be arranged to attract the free end of the firing
levers J and they may be coupled up in circuit with a battery and switch arranged
near the starter's stand L, so that the starter can by operating said switch, break
the circuits through said magnets and thus release the firing levers J. The same
electric current can also be used to sound a gong on any part of the course, start a
stop watch or a chronometer in the judge's box, and if desired release a flag on the
course, The cores of the magnets are preferably fitted with slightly projecting
brass pins to prevent the firing levers sticking to them after the current has been
cut off.

page_text: When in use the guides B are curved as the barrier ascends the result being
that at the commencement the angle of convergence is greater and thus the effect on
the barrier will be greatest at the commencement of its travel whereas towards the
end the curves are the other way and thus the guides act as brakes to bring the barrier
gradually to a standstill.
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:
1. In a machine for starting races an elastic or tensional barrier (such as E F) in
combination with converging guides or ways such as B substantially as and for the
purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for starting races a pair of guides or ways (such as B) converging
together at their upper ends substantially as and for the purposes specified and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a machine for starting races a pair of converging guides or ways (such as B)
having their lower ends adjustable laterally substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a machine for starting races the combination with a guide or way (such as B)
of a laterally projecting arm (such as D) fitted with a carriage (such as C) to which
the end of said guide is attached substantially as and for the purposes specified and
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a machine for starting races an elastic or tensional barrier connected at its
ends to a traveller (such as G) fitted with wheels arranged to run up on a pair of
converging guides or ways (such as B) substantially as and for the purposes specified
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a machine for starting races the combination with an elastic or tensional
barrier (such as E F) of a pair of firing levers (such as J J) held in their operative
positions by magnets (such as M) coupled up to a contact breaking switch,
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a machine for starting races a barrier consisting of a number of ropes (such
as E) passed at one end around pulleys (such as I) in a stretcher bar (such as f) and
secured by half hitches with knotted ends substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
8. In a machine for starting races a barrier fitted with a number of lengths (such
as F) of rubber or other elastic material passed through tapering sockets (such as H)
and having a wedge (such as h) fitted in said ends substantially as and for the
purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this twenty-eighth day of August One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-seven.
TARY
nety-seven,
JOHN LAWSON JOHNSTONE.
Gedge & Feeny
Chartered Patent Agents 60 Queen Victoria Street London E.C.