Improvements in the Construction of Size Sticks for Boot and Shoe Makers, also applicable for Measuring Instruments of a similar kind.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Size Sticks for Boot and Shoe
Makers, also applicable for Measuring Instruments of a similar
kind.
I EDWARD PRESTON of the Whittall Works Whittall Street Birmingham in
the County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates more especially to improvements in size sticks as used by
boot and shoe makers; but it is also applicable to similar measuring instruments
such as horse standards, height measurers and bale callipers and the like.
Referring first to the ordinary size stick which consists of a graduated stem
having at one end a fixed upright called the foot and a sliding upright moving
upon the body of the said stem this invention consists in applying to the sliding
upright the following new devices for easily adjusting the said sliding upright and
securing the same by an automatic and firm grip in any desired position on the
graduated stem. The lower part of the sliding upright has a square, flat, or other
shaped opening to pass easily over the graduated stem and the said opening is a
little deeper than the stem so as to leave a space on the top side of the stem. Upon
the base of the sliding upright is screwed or otherwise attached a curved metal
finger plate projecting under the graduated stem outwardly and so that the top
thereof is quite free of the underside of the stem. On the outer side of the sliding
upright and a little above the opening for the stem is affixed by screws or otherwise
a metal bracket or fulcrum bearing to which is pinned or pivotted a short lever the
outer end of which is formed into a hollowed thumb plate after the manner of a
latch, and the inner end is formed into a round or other shaped plate, lying entirely
within the space at the upper side of the opening in the sliding upright. To the
lower side of this plate at the inner end of the lever is cemented or otherwise
secured a thin elastic pad for a purpose afterwards described. When the lever is
in a position about parallel with the stem the inner plate and pad lie easily in the
space at top of the opening before referred to. Then I further form within the
substance of the sliding upright a vertical round or other shaped cavity opening
into the transverse opening for stem and in this is placed a spiral metal spring or
other suitable spring, the lower end of which presses upon the top of the inner end
of the short lever. The spring is thus compressed by the depression of the outer
end of the short lever. The operation of moving and adjusting the sliding upright
is as follows:-
Upon placing the finger under the curved finger plate below the stem, and at
the same time applying a pressure of the thumb to the thumb plate on the lever
over the top, the inner end of the latter is raised and the sliding upright is free to
move along stem into any desired position.
Upon releasing the pressure of the finger and thumb the spring at once auto-
matically presses the inner end of lever and the elastic pad upon the stem and grips
it firmly. The pressure is applied centrally so that the sliding upright keeps its
true position. The action of the elastic pad increases the firmness of the grip and
prevents any marking or wearing of the stem.
The application of these or equivalent devices to sliding arms of such measurers
used either vertically or horizontally will be readily understood by any maker of
such instruments for taking heights or standards of horses, sizes of bales, and
so forth.
The uprights or sliding arms may be made as usual of polished wood or may be

page_text: made of metal cored out and with fixed attachments cast on or otherwise as may
be preferred.
DEL
A
1 1000
EDWARD PRESTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Size Sticks for Boot and Shoe
Makers, also applicable for Measuring Instruments of a similar
kind.
I, EDWARD PRESTON of the Whittall Works Whittall Street Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer 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 more especially to improvements in size sticks as used by
boot and shoe makers, but it is also applicable to similar measuring instruments
such as horse standards, height measurers and bale callipers and the like.
Referring first to the ordinary size stick which consists of a graduated stem having
at one end a fixed upright called the foot and a sliding upright moving upon the
body of the said stem, this invention consists in applying to the sliding upright the
following new devices for easily adjusting the said sliding upright and securing
the same by an automatic and firm grip in any desired position on the graduated
stem. The lower part of the sliding upright has a square, flat or other shaped
opening to pass casily over the graduated stem, and the said opening is a little
deeper than the stem so as to leave a space on the top side of the stem. Upon the
base of the sliding upright is screwed or otherwise attached a curved metal finger
plate projecting under the graduated stem outwardly and so that top thereof is
quite free of the underside of the stem. On the outer side of the sliding upright
and a little above the opening for the stem is affixed by screws or otherwise a metal
bracket or fulcrum bearing, to which is pinned or pivotted a short lever the outer
end of which is formed into a hollowed thumb plate after the manner of a latch;
and the inner end is formed into a round or other shaped plate lying entirely within
the space at the upper side of the opening in the sliding upright. To the lower
side of this plate at the inner end of the lever is cemented or otherwise secured a
thin elastic pad for a purpose afterwards described. When the lever is in a position
about parallel with the stem the inner plate and pad lie easily in the space at top
of the opening before referred to. Then I further form within the substance of
the sliding upright, a vertical round or other shaped cavity, opening into the
transverse opening for stem, and in this is placed a spiral metal spring or other
suitable spring, the lower end of which presses upon the top of the inner end of the
short lever. The spring is thus compressed by the depression of the outer end of
the short lever. The operation of moving and adjusting the sliding upright is as
follows: Upon placing the finger under the curved finger plate below the stem and
at the same time applying a pressure of the thumb to the thumb plate on the lever
over the top, the inner end of the latter is raised and the sliding upright is free to
move along stem into any desired position. Upon releasing the pressure of the
finger and thumb the spring at once automatically presses the inner end of lever
and the elastic pad upon the stem, and grips it firmly. The pressure is applied
centrally so that the sliding upright keeps its true position. The action of the
elastic pad increases the firmness of the grip and prevents any marking or wearing
of the stem. The application of these or equivalent devices to sliding arms of such
measurers used either vertically or horizontically will be readily understood by any
maker of such instruments for taking heights or standards of horses, sizes of bales
or so forth. The uprights or sliding arms may be made as usual of polished wood
or may be made of metal, cored out and with fixed attachments cast on, or otherwise
as may be preferred.

page_text: And in order that my invention be fully understood I now proceed to describe
the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1, is a side view partly in section of a size stick shewing the application of
my invention. Fig. 2, is an end view of same.
The scale of the figures is about full size and the same letters of reference apply
to corresponding parts throughout both figures.
A. A. is the size stick or graduated stem, and B, is the fixed upright or foot as
usually constructed. C, is the sliding upright or arm to which my invention
appertains. I construct this sliding upright or arm by preference of boxwood or
other suitable wood or material the same as the other parts of the instrument.
D, is a curved metal finger plate attached by screws, d. d. as shewn to the underside
of the piece C. On the upper side of the opening for the stem I affix a metal
bracket E to the piece C by the screws e. e. or otherwise. Into this is pivotted by
the pin or rivet e the short lever e³, the outer end of which is formed into a thumb
plate as shewn, and the inner end carries the plate or pad e. F, is a cavity formed
within the substance of the sliding upright C also on the upper side of the opening
for the stem. In this is placed the spiral spring f, reacting upon the plate or pad e*
as shewn.
The operation of these devices which will be readily understood from the drawing
is as follows-
In the position shewn in Figure 1 the sliding upright C, as will be seen is held
firmly to the stem by the pressure of the spring upon the pad et which latter presses
on the top of the stem. The sliding upright C is easily moved and set in any
desired position upon the stem by putting the finger under the plate D and pressing
the thumb on the lever plate e thereby raising the pad e. The sliding upright is
then free to be moved at will. By releasing the thumb and finger the sliding head
automatically grips the stem and retains its position while the instrument is moved
to read the measurement. To the underside of the plate or pad et I affix by cement
or otherwise a thin elastic pad to prevent any marking or undue wear of the stem.
It is obvious that many variations and modifications of the above devices may be
made without departing in any way from the main feature of my invention. For
instance a plate spring may be affixed to the bracket E the free end of same
pressing on piece e, or otherwise an india rubber spring may be used in the place
of the spiral spring. The application of this invention to other measuring
instruments of a similar kind will be readily understood by manufacturers of such
instruments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The construction of size sticks and other measuring instruments of a similar
kind in which the sliding arm or upright is held firmly to the stem by a direct
central spring grip which is released when desired for the purpose of taking
measurements by the devices E, e², e³ and e4 and F, /, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and set forth.
Dated this 8th day of July 1893.
EDWARD PRESTON.