IMPROVEMENTS IN CYCLOMETERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES VERNON BOYS of 7 Dorset Square N.W. in the County of Middlesex
Demonstrator of Physics do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN CYCLOMETERS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in Cyclometers or instruments for
measuring and recording the number of revolutions of a wheel or the distance
that it rolls, whereby greater facilities for finding the distance travelled are
afforded and greater accuracy obtained.
For this purpose I arrange in a suitable case, counting mechanism, such as is well
understood which shall register the number of revolutions of a pendulum or weight
hung in the case or the number of revolutions of the case when the pendulum does
not turn with the case.
The number of teeth are arranged so that one arbor revolves once for every mile
travelled by the wheel to which the Cyclometer is to be fixed, and other arbors are
arranged to revolve once for certain convenient multiples of this distance. These
arbors carry hands or indices which show on a suitably divided dial the distance
travelled. To overcome the difficulty of observing the hands at night time I paint
the dial with luminous paint.
On one of the arbors, generally the one that revolves once for every mile
travelled by the wheel, I fix a cam which as it revolves lifts a lever against a
spring and liberates it once or if desired more than once every revolution. The
lever on springing back causes a hammer to strike a bell or spring or the case of
the instrument. I sometimes fix a cam on another arbor, for instance, one turning
once in ten miles and with another hammer cause it to strike the same or a
different bell or to press a damper against the bell whereby a peculiar sound
is given by the bell when struck so as to distinguish every tenth mile.
I fit one of the wheels on its arbor by a stiffly sliding joint so that it is possible
to set the first index into any position and so cause the bell to ring when the wheel
has travelled any distance less than one mile that may be desired. I make the
other hands also capable of being set to any desired position.
As the pendulum is liable when the wheel travels over rough roads to get up a
swing and so be jerked over and thus cause an error in the registration, I employ a
well known device, the friction grip, acting between the pendulum and the case so
that the pendulum cannot turn backwards at all, though free to turn forwards, and
so cannot get up a swing.
Though the instrument as described would register miles which is most often
required for bicycles or other vehicles, it is obvious that by suitably arranging the
train of wheels any other distances or any desired number of revolutions may be
indicated on the dial and be made known by the ring of the bell.
Dated thin bouter crored day of Fahru 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES VERNON BOYS of 7 Dorset Square N.W in the County of Middlesex,
Demonstrator of Physics do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN CYCLOMETERS and in what manner the same is to be perforined,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My invention relates to improvements in cyclometers or instruments for
measuring and recording the number of revolutions of a wheel whereby greater
facilities for finding the distance travelled are afforded and greater accuracy
obtained.
For this purpose I arrange in a suitable case counting mechanism such as is well
understood, which shall register the number of revolutions of a pendulum hung in
the case or what is the same thing the number of revolutions of the case when the
pendulum does not turn with the case. The number of teeth on the wheels are
arranged so that one arbor revolves once for every mile travelled by the wheel to
which the cyclometer is to be attached and other arbors are arranged to revolve
once for certain convenient multiples of this distance such as 10, 100, 1000. These
arbors carry hands or indices which show on a suitably divided dial the distance
travelled. To overcome the difficulty of observing the hands in the dark I paint
the dial with luminous paint.
On one of the arbors, generally the one that revolves once for every mile
travelled by the wheel, I fix a cam which as it revolves lifts a lever against
a spring and liberates it once or if desired more than once, (the cam being
properly shaped in the manner that is well understood), for every revolution.
The lever on springing back causes a hammer to strike a bell or spring or the case
of the instrument which must then be made sonorous as in some alarum clocks.
I sometimes fix a cam on another arbor, say, one turning once in 10 miles, and with
another hammer cause it to sound the same or a different bell or to press a damper
against the bell whereby a peculiar sound results which shall distinguish every
tenth mile. When I use the method of the damper to produce a distinguishing
sound, I prefer to use a pin fastened near the edge of the 10-mile wheel, instead of
using a cam, which pin lightly presses a lever armed with cork, rubber, leather or
other soft material against the edge of the bell, just as the cam on the arbor of the
one-mile wheel allows the hammer to strike the bell every tenth time.
I fit one of the wheels on its arbor by a stiffly sliding joint so that it is possible
to set the index into any position and so cause the bell to ring when the wheel has
travelled any distance less than one mile that may be desired. I sometimes make
the other hands capable of being independly set.
"
As the pendulum is liable when the wheel travels over rough roads to get up a
swing and so be jerked over and cause an error in the registration, I employ a well
known device the "friction gripi acting between the pendulum and the case so
that the pendulum cannot turn backwards at all though free to turn forwards, and
so cannot get up a swing. Any of the well known clutches used for driving
tricycles or feeding sawing machines made on a sufficiently small scale may be
applied as the "friction grip."
Though the instrument as described would register miles which is most often
required for bicycles or other vehicles, it is obvious that by suitably arranging the
train of wheels, any other distances or any desired number of revolutions of the
travelling wheel may be indicated on the dial and be made known by the ring of
the bell

page_text: I am aware that clocks, musical boxes, counters and many pieces of mechanism
are arranged to ring a bell or make a sound every time that some part has revolved
a certain and desired number of times, and therefore I do not claim as novel any
counting instrument which shall ring a bell after a desired number of revolutions
of some part, but having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
1. A cyclometer in which motion is given to the mechanism by the action of a
hanging body, while the instrument or the thing by which it is supported revolves,
which shall ring a bell or make an audible sound at the end of a desired number
of revolutions of the instrument or supporting body, substantially as herein before
described.
2. A ringing or "signal" cyclometer in which the face is rendered visible at
night by means of luminous paint substantially as described.
3. A ringing cyclometer in which every fifth, tenth (or other desired number)
ring or stroke shall be made distinguishable from the others by the means described
herein.