Improvements in Apparatus for Simultaneously Automatically Measuring and Indicating the Height and Weight of Human Beings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th June, 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Simultaneously Automatically
Measuring and Indicating the Height and Weight of Human
Beings.
We, ELLIS PARR, of Long Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, and EDMUND
EDWARDS, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically measuring and indicating the
height of the person using it, and it has for its objects new or improved methods of
combining weighing apparatus with such measuring apparatus, in such manner that
the person using them is automatically and simultaneously weighed and measured, and
his weight and height indicated, by the operation of his weight when standing upon
a moveable platform, such platform being preferably only capable of acting upon the
indicating devices after a suitable coin, such for instance as a penny, has been inserted
into a corresponding opening provided for the purpose.
Our invention may be applied to any suitable form of apparatus, but is preferably
adapted to the apparatus for automatically measuring and indicating the height of
buman beings for which Ellis Parr applied for Letters Patent upon December 16th
A.D. 1886 No. 16531.
In the Provisional specification accompanying the said application, a platform is
described so arranged that a very short movement is sufficient to cause it to move a
lever by which a vertical bar in a standard upon the frame of the apparatus is made to
move up and down for a sufficient distance, this bar having connected with it a
horizontal arm which projects through a slot so that it is brought down upon the top
of the head of the person standing upon the platform.
A revolving fly or vane is also described to prevent the too rapid movement of the
platform and arm, and the latter is hinged so that it is raised by coming in contact
with the head of the person, its inner end being arranged so as to stop the further
descent of the arm.

page_text: A lever is described carrying a detent which prevents the revolution of the fly or
vane, but is released by the weight of a penny or other determined coin introduced
through an opening.
By our present invention, we arrange upon the same standard which carries the
measuring device, or upon a separate one upon the same frame or base, a spring or
weight connected to an indicating hand and dial, which indicates the weight of the
person standing upon the moveable platform, by means of a rod actuating the spring
or weight and drawn down by the lever connected with the platform, which lever also
actuates the bar by which the height is measured as already described. And in order
that when the platform has descended sufficiently to indicate the correct weight, it
may continue to descend if necessary to measure and indicate the height, or on the
other hand that after having descended sufficiently to indicate the correct height it
may continue to descend, if necessary, to indicate the correct weight, we connect the
extremity of the lever operated by the platform to the bars, rods, or their equivalents,
by pulling which down, the height measuring and weight measuring devices respect-
ively are actuated, in such manner that either of the latter may continue to operate
independently of the other, or both can operate simultaneously.
"
22
For this purpose we connect the end of the principal lever to a transverse bar by a
link or universal joint, and to each end of this transverse bar we connect in a similar
way the lower ends of the bars by which the weighing and measuring devices
respectively are actuated.. In this way the transverse bar forms a sort of floating
lever, and when the platform is first depressed it draws down both the bars connected
to its ends, but when either of the latter cease to move down, the other one can
continue to descend by the action of the lever. This arrangement of apparatus may
be modified more or less.
For instance, instead of the ends of the "floating" lever being connected directly
to the actuating rods above, they may be connected to two intermediate levers, turning
upon fixed centres at one end whilst their other ends are jointed to the actuating
bars. In any case the length and size of the levers and wheels and the movement of
the actuating rods are so proportioned that the indices point out the correct height and
weight of the person standing upon the platform.
The bar, or its equivalent, actuating the weight measuring and indicating devices,
is preferably connected with a fly, or vane, similar to that connected with the height
measuring device, in order to prevent its too rapid movement, and the height, measuring
apparatus is provided with the lever or device described in the specification already
referred to by which the coin is removed at the proper time from its lever, the fly or
vane being thereby stopped, and the further descent of the height measuring bar
prevented.
In order to prevent the weight measuring and indicating apparatus being used,
until the penny or other coin has been introduced into the height measuring apparatus,
we arrange a detent or catch which prevents the weight measuring apparatus from
commencing to operate until the height measuring bar or its equivalent has first
descended a short distance, which cannot be the case until the coin has been inserted
and the fly or vane of the latter released by its weight.
The form and arrangement of the apparatus, and of its different component parts,
by which the simultaneous automatic weighing and height-measuring and indicating
are effected, may be varied more or less as may be found advisable in various
circumstances.
The improved apparatus may, if desired, be arranged so that it operates by the
weight of the person using it, without the previous insertion of a coin.
Our new or improved apparatus is simple, cheap, and effective, and not likely to get
out of order.
D
33 1 1
P
1007
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Simultaneously Automatically
Measuring and Indicating the Height and Weight of Human
Beings.
We, ELLIS PARR, of Long Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, and EDMUND
EDWARDS, of 35. Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex Consulting 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, and accompanying drawing (that is
to say) :-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically measuring and indicating the
height of the person using it, and it has for its objects new or improved methods of
combining weighing apparatus with such measuring apparatus, in such manner that
the person using them is automatically and simultaneously weighed and measured,
and his weight and height indicated, by the operation of his weight when standing
upon a moveable platform, such platform being preferably only capable of acting
upon the indicating devices after a suitable coin, such for instance as a penny, has
been inserted into an opening provided for the purpose.
Our invention may be applied to any suitable form of apparatus, but is preferably
adapted to the apparatus for automatically measuring and indicating the height of
human beings, for which Letters Patent were applied for by Ellis Parr upon
December 16th A.D. 1886, No. 10531.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of the invention. Figure 1 is a
vertical section, figure 2 a front view, figure 3 a side view, and figure 4 a horizontal
section, of the apparatus. Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent the compensating
apparatus which actuate the measuring and weighing devices.
Figures 9 and 10 shew modified forms of parts of the apparatus, and figure 11
shews a front view, partly in section, of part of the combined measuring and
weighing apparatus.
The same letters and figures represent the same parts in the several figures.
a is a frame, in which fits the horizontal platform which is carried by levers c of
the kind ordinarily used in weighing machines, or other equivalent arrangement of
levers or guides.
These levers are so proportioned that the weight of the person standing upon the
platform is sufficient to depress the outer end c¹ of one of the levers. c is connected
in the way hereinafter described with the two rods 12 and 13 which pass up the
hollow standard i and of which 12 actuates the height measuring and indicating
apparatus and 13 the weight measuring and indicating apparatus. The rod 12
is connected directly or indirectly to apparatus of the kind described and
shewn in the Specification and drawings No. 16531 A.D. 1886, already herein
referred to, and consisting of a toothed rack o gearing with a pinion which
drives toothed gear, upon one spindle of which is fitted the vane or fly n, by which

page_text: the movement of the rack o is retarded and regulated. The toothed wheel p also
gears with a vertical rack working in guides and having hinged to its upper end
at a light wooden or other bar by which the height of the person is measured.
This bar passes through a slot k, in front of the standard i, upon which a scale
shewing the height may be placed, and a dial plate A may also be fixed upon the
standard, indicating the height by means of a pointer actuated from the rack o as
shown in figures 1 and 2. detent t is arranged turning upon a centre u and raised
by the weight so that it stops the revolution of the vane n, and so prevents the
rack o and arm 7 from descending. A third arm w is arranged so that the weight of
a proper coin dropped upon it through the opening is sufficient to raise the weight u
and so release the detent, the coin still remaining upon the arm w, and being only
removed when the arm has touched the head of the person being measured, by
means of the device shown in figure 1. This consists of a cranked bar or wire 1
turning in bearings at 2 and 3, and carrying an arm 4 upon which the arm w rests so
that the coin cannot fall from it. is an arm fixed to the joint y' of the arm l, so
that when the latter is raised by coming down upon the head of the person being
measured, the arm strikes the bar 1 and so removes the support from the arm w,
and the coin depresses the latter until it falls from it into a drawer or receptacle
indicated in figures 1 and 2. The weight then brings the detent t in contact with
the vane and the arm I can descend no further until a fresh coin has been inserted
into the opening. When the person steps off the platform & the bar 7, rack o and
levers and platform e and bare brought back to their original position by the weight m
suspended to a cord upon a drum on the axle of the wheel p.
l
It will be seen that the height measuring and indicating apparatus is entirely
automatic in its action, the measuring arm being brought down only by the weight
of the person upon the platform and without the necessity for moving any handle or
stop, whilst the apparatus returns to its original position when the person leaves the
platform b.
The release of the vane n, by which the descent of the measuring arm is rendered
possible is effected by the weight of the coin introduced, which coin is removed when
the proper height is indicated, the further descent of the measuring arm being then
prevented. The vanen is preferably connected to its spindle by a ratchet wheel and
spring pall, so that the arm / may rise more rapidly by the action of the weight m,
without turning the vane n.
The rod 13 is connected directly or indirectly to a helical or other spring (shewn in
dotted lines at H in figure 2), and also to the indicating needle in a second dial B
upon which the weight is indicated.
The rod 13 may be connected with toothed gear actuating a vane or fly for the
purpose of retarding and regulating its movement, in the same way as the rod 12.
Such an arrangement is illustrated (on a larger scale) in figure I1, in which the
weight and measuring rod 13 is connected to a toothed rack 14 driving toothed
wheels and pinions 15 and a fly or vane 16, the rod 13 being continued up above the
rack 14 to the spring H and the needle of the dial B shewn in figure 2.
b
In order that the weight of the person upon the platform may properly actuate
the measuring and weighing devices described and shewn, whether the person be tall
or short, heavy or light, it is necessary that when either of the rods 12 and 13 has
been brought down to its proper position the other should be capable of continuing its
movement, and for this purpose we connect the lever end c to the rods 12 and 13, by
means of a transverse floating lever to which it is attached by a link or chain, the
ends of this lever 5 being connected by links or chains 6 and 7 in a similar way to
lovers 8 and 9 turning upon fixed centres 10 and 11. The rods 12 and 13 are
connected to the ends of the levers 8 and 9 respectively.
By this arrangement the lever c¹ continues to draw down either of the rods 12
or 13 when the alternate one has stopped, as shewn in figures 6, 7, and 8, figure 6
shewing the rod 13 continuing to descend when 12 has stopped, Figure 7 shewing the
rod 12 descending when 13 has stopped, and figure 8 shewing both rods descending
simultaneously..

page_text: The rods 12 and 13 may be connected directly to the ends of the transverse lever 5,
without the levers 8 and 9, but with less advantage.
It will be seen that by this arrangement, though the rod 12 cannot descend until
the coin has been inserted in the opening & as already described, the rod 13 would
actuate the weighing apparatus by a weight upon the platform without the insertion
of a coin. In order to prevent this, the vane 16 (figure 11) is prevented from
revolving, and consequently the rack 14 is prevented from acting upon the spring H,
by a detent or catch 17 turning upon the centre 18, and having a projecting arm 19.
When the height measuring rod 12 has commenced to descend a projecting wire or
cam 20 upon it comes in contact with the arm 19 and removes the catch 17 from the
vane 16, which is then free to move.
Figure 9 shews a substitute for the rack, toothed gear, and fly or vane used for
preventing the too rapid descent of the platform b. It consists of a cylinder 21 in
which works a plunger 22 connected to the lever c. The cylinder 21 stands in a
cistern of water, and has a small opening 23 the size of which can be regulated, and
a larger valve 24 opening inward, the lift of which can also be regulated by the
screw 25. The plunger 22 and lever can therefore rise as rapidly as desired by
allowing the valve 24 to rise sufficiently, whilst in its descent the plunger has to
force out the water in the cylinder through the small opening 23, so that its move-
ment may be made as slow as possible.
Figure 10 shews a similar arrangement applied instead of vanes to each of the
rods 12 and 13, so that their speed can be adjusted as desired, each lever 8 and 9 being
connected to a plunger. The improved apparatus may, if desired, be arranged so
that it operates by the weight of the person using it, without the previous insertion
of a coin.
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 in the same machine of automatic height measuring apparatus
and automatic weight measuring apparatus for the purposes described and shewn.
2. The combination of the moving horizontal platform b, levers e¹, 5, 8, and 9, and
height measuring apparatus connected with the rod 12, with the weight measuring
apparatus connected with the rod 13, substantially as described and shewn.
3. The combination in a height and weight measuring machine of the fly or vanen,
detent t, weight e, arm w, moveable bar 1, support 4, and arm with the moveable
bars 12 and 13 actuating the height and weight measuring devices, and the opening,
for the introduction of a coin, as described and shewn.
4. The water cylinders 21, 21, plungers 22, 22, and regulating valves, for retarding
and regulating the movement of the rods 12 and 13 connected with the height
measuring and weight measuring apparatus respectively, as described and shewn in
figure 10.
5. The bar or cam 20, connected with the rod 12 actuating the height measuring
apparatus, in combination with the pivotted arm 19 and detent 17, for preventing
the weight measuring apparatus connected with the rod 13 from operating until the
height measuring apparatus connected with the rod 12 has first commenced to operate,
as described and shewn in figure 11.
EDWARDS. & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Inventors.