Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Movement of the Pistons of Engines or Pumps and other Reciprocating Mechanism.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Movement of
the Pistons of Engines or Pumps and other Reciprocating
Mechanism.
We, RICHARD HACK of Ranelegh Cottage, Portsmouth Road, Surbiton and
RICHARD ELLIS PLAISTOWE of 34 Westfield Road, Surbiton in the county of Surrey,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for registering the movemen
of the pistons of engines or pumps and other reciprocating mechanism and is specially
applicable to direct-acting pumping and other engines which are without fly-wheels
and have their slide or other valves moved by pistons or tappets.
In pumping engines with fly-wheels the distance passed through by the piston at
each stroke is governed by the fly-wheel and remains constant but in engines without
fly-wheels this distance becomes variable some of the strokes being longer than others.
Engine counters and other registering apparatus in general use only record the
number of strokes without showing their variable length. The object of our invention
is to provide an apparatus that will register the absolute movement of any reciprocating
mechanism continuously in such a manner that the amount indicated is the sum total
of the various reciprocations.
In the manner in which we preferably carry out our invention we mount two
grooved sheaves loosely on parallel spindles. These sheaves are driven in opposite
directions by a cord one end of which is attached to that part of the machine the
reciprocating motion of which is required to be registered and the other end is provided
with a weight or spring to keep the cord taut. These sheaves are each provided with
one or more (preferably two) cam-pawls of convenient shape and having springs to
keep them against the peripheries of discs mounted also on the said spindles. These
cam-pawls are arranged to drive the said discs in one direction only and the cam-pawls
on the two sheaves are so arranged relatively to each other that whilst those on one
sheave are driving the corresponding disc those on the other sheave aro running idle
and vice versa when the motion of cord is reversed. Forming part of or connected to
the two said discs are toothed pinions which engage with a toothed wheel mounted on
a shaft or spindle connected with the indicating mechanism. The effect of this
arrangement is that the wheel is driven constantly in the same direction by both
sheaves one after the other and its motion may be registered in any convenient manner
such as for instance by means of wheels and dials suitably graduated to show at a
glance the distance passed through by the reciprocating part of the machine.
In some cases we fit against the said wheel a second wheel of the same diameter
also engaging with the same pinions. This second wheel is not connected to the said
wheel rigidly but through the medium of a spring which presses its teeth against the
back of the teeth of pinions for the purpose of preventing any backlash.
In some cases instead of causing both pinions to gear into the same wheel we provide
each pinion with a separate wheel mounted on the same spindle or shaft and either
with or without the said means of preventing backlash.
In the foregoing description we have described the apparatus as being driven by a
cord passing over grooved sheaves but we might use a belt rope chain or other flexible
medium or we might substitute a toothed wheel or wheels for the grooved sheaves and
drive them with a rack or racks.
Dated the 15th day of December 1800.
RICHD. HACK.
RICHARD ELLIS PLAISTOWE.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Movement of
the Pistons of Engines or Pumps and other Reciprocating
Mechanism.
We, RICHARD HAOK of Ranelagh cottage, Portsmouth Road Surbiton, and
RICHARD ELLIS PLAISTOWE of 34 Westfield Road Surbiton, in the county of Surrey,
Engineers 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 :-
Our invention rolates to improvements in apparatus for registering the movement
of the pistons of engines or pumps or other reciprocating mechanism and is specially
applicable to direct-acting pumping or other engines which aro without fly-wheels and
have their slido or other valves moved by piston's or tappets.
In pumping engines with fly-wheels the distance passed through by the piston at
cach stroke is governed by the fly-wheel and remains constant but in engines without
fly-wheels this distance becomes variable some of the strokes being longer than others.
Engine counters or other registering apparatus in general use only record the number
of strokes without showing their variable length.
The object of our invention is to provide.an apparatus that will register the absolute
movement of any reciprocating mechanism continuously in such a manner that the
amount indicated is the sum total of the various reciprocations.
In the manner in which we preferably carry out our invention we mount two
grooved sheaves loosely on parallel spindles. These sheaves are driven in opposite
directions by a cord one end of which is attached to that part of the machine the
reciprocating motion of which is required to be registered and the other end is
provided with a weight or spring to keep the cord taut. These sheaves are each
provided with one or more (preferably two) cam-pawls of convenient shape and
having springs to keep them against the peripheries of discs mounted also on the
said spindles. These cam-pawls are arranged to drive the said discs in one direction
only and the cam-pawls on the two sheaves are so arranged relatively to each
other that whilst those on one sheave aro driving the corresponding disc those on
the other sheave are running idle and vice versa when the motion of cord is
reversed. Forming part of or connected to the two said discs are toothed pinions
which engage with a toothed wheel mounted on a shaft or spindle connected with
the indicating mechanism. The effect of this arrangement is that the wheel is
driven constantly in the same direction by both sheaves one after the other and its
motion may be registered in any convenient manner such as for instance by means
of wheels and dials suitably graduated to show at a glance the distance passed
through by the reciprocating part of the machine.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing show one form of our apparatus.
A are two sheaves running loose on spindles B and driven in opposite directions by
the band one end of which is attached to that part of the machine, the reciprocating
motion of which is required to be registered, and the other end is provided with a
weight or spring to keep the band taut.
D are two grooved discs fixed to spindles B, they are driven from sheaves A by
means of cam-pawls E which are kept against the sides of the grooves d by springs e.
F is an ordinary revolution counter which is operated by wheel G on spindle g
driven by pinions H fixed on spindles B.
The effect of this arrangement is that the counter F is driven constantly in the same
direction by both sheaves A one after the other and shows at a glance the distance
passed through by the reciprocating part of the mechanism.
In some cases we fit against the wheel G a second wheel of the same diameter also
engaging with the pinions H. This second wheel is not connected to wheel G rigidly
but through the medium of a spring which presses its teeth against the back of the
teeth of the pinions H for the purpose of preventing backlash.

page_text: In some cases instead of causing both pinions to gear into the same wheel we
provide each pinion with a separate wheel inounted on the same spindle or shaft and
either with or without the said means of preventing backlash.
In the foregoing description we have described the apparatus as being driven by a
cord passing over grooved sheaves but we might use a belt. rope, chain or other flexible
medium or we might substitute a toothed wheel or whoel: for the grooved sheaves and
drive them with a rack or racks.
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 combination and arrangement of registering apparatus as shown in Figs. 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawing and substantially as herein described.
2. In registering apparatus the driving sheaves or wheels running in opposite
directions and driving one counter continuously one after the other by means of cam-
pawls and discs substantially as shown and described.
3. In registering apparatus, recording the distance passed through by reciprocating
mechanisms by means of a band or other medium attached thereto actuating suitable
appliances to enable the result to be read off on a counter substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this 14th day of September 1669
RICHARD HACK.
RICHARD ELLIS PLAISTOWE.