A New or Improved Apparatus for Measuring Textile Fabrics and other Materials Sold by Lineal Measurement, and for Indicating and Registering such Measurement.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th June. 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Measuring Textile Fabrics and
other Materials Sold by Lineal Measurement, and for Indicating
and Registering such Measurement.
We LOUIS SILBERSTEIN, Director, of 57 Leipzigerstrasse, and LUDWIG HORN,
Mechanic, of 52 Kommandantenstrasse, both of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to register automatically on a suitable indicator,
the number of inches, yards, metres or other lengths of materials measured, whilst
the measurement is being taken: so as to avoid the liability to mistakes, and
at the same time afford a check, by which the customer can tell that the proper
measure is being given.
According to this invention in a suitable casing constructed of wood or other
material, we fit registering mechanism, the said imechanism being actuated by
means of a button or projection, protruding through a hole in the upper surface
of the aforesaid casing, so that when the said button or projection is depressed
(when each yard or other length of material is measured out) it shall press down
the tail end of a lever, in order to rotate the registering or indicating wheels of
the mechanism by means of a suitable ratchet wheel or wheels.
We may have numbers round the periphery or peripheries of one or more of
the wheels so as to denote units, tens and so on, such numbers being visible through
an opening or window in the upper surface of the frame.
Instead of having the numbers denoted on the periphery of the wheel, we may
have an endless band or endless bands (passing over the rollers) provided with the
desired numbers.
The said wheels may be brought back to their original positions (so that the
index will be at zero) on being released, by means of a spring, when it is required
to start measuring again.
The apparatus may be made portable or the mechanism may be fitted into a
counter or table or the like.
INCL 1
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Measuring Textile Fabrics and
other Materials Sold by Lineal Measurement, and for Indicating
and Registering such Measurement.
We LOUIS SILBERSTEIN, Director, of 57 Leipzigerstrasse, and LUDWIG HORN,
Mechanic, of 52 Kommandantenstrasse, both of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
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 object of this invention is to register automatically on a suitable indicator

page_text: the number of inches, yards, metres and other lengths of materials measured,
whilst the measurement is being taken; so as to avoid the liability to mistakes,
and at the same time afford a check, by which the customer can tell that the
proper measure has been given.
According to this invention, in a suitable casing, constructed of wood or other
material, we fit registering mechanism, the said mechanism being actuated by
means of a button or projection, protruding through a hole in the upper surface
of the aforesaid casing, so that when the said button or projection is depressed,
when each yard or other length of material is measured out, it shall press down
the tail end of a lever, in order to rotate the registering or indicating wheels of
the mechanism by means of suitable ratchet wheel or wheels.
We have numbers round the periphery or peripheries of one or more of the
wheels, so as to denote units, tens and so on, such numbers being visible through
an opening or window in the upper surface of the frame. Instead of having the
mumbers denoted on the periphery of the wheel, we may have a band or bands
passing over rollers provided with the desired numbers.
The said wheels may be brought back to their original positions (so that the
index will be at zero) on being released by means of a spring, when it is required
to start measuring again.
The apparatus may be made portable or the mechanism may be fitted into a
counter or table or the like.
And in order that our said invention may be more readily understood, we will
now proceed to describe the same with reference to the sheet of drawings accom-
panying this specification, in which
Figure 1. shews a perspective view of the measure, Figure 2 shews longitudinal
view partly in section,
Figure 3 is a section through y―y Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a section through a Figure 2.
Figure 5 shews another way of carrying out this invention, in section, Figure 6
plan of same,
and
Figure 7 a detail hereinafter referred to.
In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. B is a case, in which the registering mechanism is
mounted, is a button, the bottom end of which rests on one end of a lever a, the
other end of which lever a is provided with a pawl, taking into the teeth of a
ratchet wheel keyed on the spindle, together with the drum q, is another drum,
working loosely on the spindle b, to which latter is fixed one end of the spring d',
shewn dotted the other end of such spring is fixed to the interior of the drum z.
The lever a bas its fulcrum on the said spindle b. c is a spring to hold the
aforesaid pawl in position, fis another spring to prevent the ratchet wheel r from
turning back, d is a band, one end of which is fixed to the drum a and the opposite
end to the drum z. On this band are marked the numerals from 1 upwards, g is
a window in the case b, is a slotted piece, sliding on the pin i, to disengage the
spring from the ratchet wheel r.
a is a
At Fig., shew two drums, on the peripheries of which the numerals from 0
10 9 are marked, the one representing the tens and the other the units.
lever, pivotted at a', the end of which protrudes through the case B containing the
mechanism. This lever may be depressed by the finger. The other end of the
pivotted lever a is provided with a pawl, taking normally into the notches on
the drum, having the numerals representing the units. This pawl is shewn in
plan at Figure 7, in order to shew its shape for the purpose hereinafter described.
d, d are springs, for preventing the drums 7, 7 from turning back, shewn dotted
is a coiled spring one end of which is fixed to the spindle on which the drum r
rotates, and the other end is fixed to the inside of said drum. The springs are
similarly fitted in each drum r. c is a spring for keeping the lever a in its normal
position, and el another spring for holding the aforesaid pawl in the notches s on
the peripheries of the drums r.
purpose hereinafter described.
is a deeper notch in the units drum r for the
is a pin fixed on one of the drums r, and e is a

page_text: spring, both for the purposes hereinafter mentioned. t is a piece of wire attached
to the pawl u, and extending through the case B. (in both forms of the mechanism
above described.
With reference to the mechanism shewn at Figs. 2 to 4, the action is as
follows: :-
Supposing the measure to be constructed to measure yards for example.
The salesman places the end of the material, which he wishes to measure at one
end of the measure, and draws off a length until he reaches the button h (which
would be a distance of one yard). He presses down this button which causes
the ratchet wheel r to turn the distance of one tooth, at the same time turning the
drum 9 and drawing the band d the distance equal to one numeral, which numeral
can be read through the window g, and so on until the desired number of yards
is measured.
At the same time the coiled spring a will be wound up.
To turn the measure back to zero, the slotted piece must be pushed upwards.
This will disengage the spring f from the teeth of the ratchet wheel r. The
wire t must also be pulled so as to draw the pawl out of the teeth of the
ratchet wheel r. The band will then be re-wound on to the drums, by the action
of the coiled spring d', thus bringing the numerals back to zero.
With regard to Figs. 5 to 7 the action is as follows:-
The end of the lever a, projecting through the case B is depressed by the finger
or otherwise, when each yard is measured off, as in the former case.
This causes
the pawl u to turn the drum (having the units thereon) the distance from one
notch to another. When this drum has made one revolution, the pawl u will take
into the deeper notch s' and by reason of its shape, shewn in plan at Figure 7, will
actuate the drum r, having the tens marked thereon, the distance of one notch,
the said drum having similar notches to those on the units drum. The width of
the longer portion of the said pawl is not sufficient to enable it to touch the tens
wheel. When however the longer portion of this pawl falls into the deeper
notch s (i.e. once in every revolution) the shorter portion of the pawl will actuate
the tens wheel, as will be easily understood. The springs d are wound up at the
same time.
In order to cause the drums to turn back to zero, it is simply necessary to raise
the springs d, and to pull the end of the wire t, which in this instance passes
through the side of the case B3, thus disengaging the said springs d and the pawl u
from the notches of the drums r,. r. The drums will then turn back under the
action of the springs dd, the spring e coming behind the pin 7 prevents the
drum turning back too far.
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. The new or improved apparatus for measuring textile fabrics and other
material sold by lineal measurement and for indicating and registering such
measurement, substantially as herein before described and represented on the
accompanying sheet of drawings.
2. In apparatus, such as those specified, the indicating drums or ribbons,
actuated by means of a lever, which is depressed by the party measuring the
goods, substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus such as those specified, the use of springs for bringing the
drums back to their normal positions, substantially as described.
Dated this hifth der of June 1806
BROWNE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.