Improvements in Apparatus for Measuring and Indicating Distances.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 17th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
COMT LEIN DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Measuring and Indicating
Distances.
I, ADOLF HEINRICH KUHN, of Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Watchmaker, 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:—
My invention relates to apparatus for measuring and indicating distances, and is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a top plan view.
Fig. 2 a plan view of the underside.
Fig. 3 a plan view of the underside, with the bottom half plate removed, and
Fig. 4 is a section through A, B.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they occur.
C is the top half plate; D the bottom half plate; E a sleeve fixed on the bottom
half plate D; F a fork turning on the sleeve E; G a pawl mounted on fork F, and
engaging a ratchet wheel J; G¹ a spring acting on pawl G; H a shaft or arbor
carrying the ratchet wheel J, and having a pinion formed thereon gearing with a
wheel N; a head fixed to the shaft H to enable same to be turned by hand at
will, and through its pinion and centre wheel N to bring the pointer or haud, which
indicates yards on the dial, back to the zero position. In Fig. 2 the head / is not
shown.
I is the bridge piece or support for the shaft H carrying the ratchet wheel J;
J the ratchet wheel; L the centre arbor carrying the centre wheel N, the finger O,
and the pointer or hand for indicating yards (or other fractions of a unit) on its free
end l.
K is a fixed dial (not shown in Fig. 1) divided into yards or other fractions of a
unit, and over which the hand or pointer for indicating same revolves. This dial is
formed with three openings through which the numbers marked on three small
dials M, M', and M", are presented in succession.
M is a dial marked with miles or other units of distance; M' a dial marked
with tens of units, and M" a dial marked with hundreds of units.
N is the centre wheel.
O is a finger carried by the centre arbor, and which engages a star wheel Q.
Qis a star wheel, the axis of which carries the dial M marked with units, and
which is provided with a head P, which enables the dials M, M', M" to be brought
to zero. (The star wheels and dials are not shown in Fig. 2.)
Qis a star wheel actuated by a pin q on the star wheel Q, and the axis of which
carries the dial M¹.
Q is a star wheel actuated by a pin q' on the star wheel Q', and the axis of
which carries the dial M".
TT, T, are spring pawls acting respectively on the star wheels Q, Q1, Q"
U, U', are safety levers or catches, which prevent the operation of the fork F by
the vibrating movements.
V is a pendulum pivotted at vand carrying a pin v', which acts upon the arms f,f',
of fork F.
R, R¹, are stops for limiting the movement of the pendulum V, the stop R being
fixed to the bottom plate D.
S is a pawl mounted on the bottom plate D, and which prevents the ratchet
wheel J from moving backwards; S' is a spring acting on pawl S.
W, W¹, are stops for limiting the outward movement of the safety levers U, U¹,
respectively.

page_text: Y, Y¹, are stops for limiting the inward movement of the safety levers U, U₁,
respectively, and also the movement of the fork F in opposite directions.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The apparatus is enclosed in a box or case which is secured to the revolving axle
of a vehicle or wheel, and revolves with such axle. Assuming the weight of
pendulum V to be acting in the direction of the arrow X, the different parts will be
in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the axle has made a half revolution
the direction of action of the weight in relation to the other parts of the mechanism
will be reversed. The pendulum by its weight will be brought to bear against the
stop R'. The safety lever U¹ will bear against stop W', and the lever U will pass
beneath arm of fork F, and bear against stop Y. In its oscillation pendulum V
will, by the action of its pin v¹³ on arm f¹ of the fork F, carry such fork with it.
The pawl G engaging the ratchet wheel J will actuate the latter in the direction of
the arrow. The pawl S will permit one tooth to pass.
At the end of a second half-revolution the pendulum will impart movement to the
fork F in the opposite direction; pawl S will hold the ratchet wheel J stationary,
while pawl G will slip over one tooth. The parts will, therefore, resume their
original positions, as shown in Fig. 2.
The result, therefore, of the complete revolution, is that the ratchet wheel J has
had angular displacement imparted to it, equal to one tooth.
The development of the circumference of the wheel with which the apparatus is
to be employed being given, it is only necessary to calculate the number of teeth
which is required to enable the ratchet wheel J to make a complete revolution
while 110 yards are traversed.
Supposing this to have been effected, the proportion of the number of revolutions
of pinion H to wheel N being 16, the latter will make th of a revolution. The
pointer carried by the axis of wheel N will indicate 110 yards. As 16 times
110 yards makes one mile, for one mile the pointer will make a complete revolution.
Supposing this to have occurred, the finger O will have also made a complete
rotation and caused the star wheel Q to move so that dial M indicates one mile.
For a complete revolution of dial M dial M' will make the 16th of a revolution.
The relation of dials M' and M2 is the same.
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 :-
In apparatus for measuring and indicating distances the employment of the
vibrating fork and the safety levers or catches, substantially as described and as
shown in the drawings.
Dated this 17th day of June 1892.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.