Improved Mechanism for Automatically Checking the Movements and Work of Carriages, Carts, Waggons, Cycles, Motor Cars, and such like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1899
Improved Mechanism for Automatically Checking the Movements
and Work of Carriages, Carts, Waggons, Cycles, Motor Cars, and
such like Vehicles.
I, HORACE GROVES SADGROVE, Surveyor, of Aitken Chambers, Cannon Street,
in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention consists in the construction of an apparatus to be affixed to
the axle of wheels of any vehicle when let out on hire or in charge of employees,
to automatically record the time of day when the vehicle was running, and con-
sequently when at rest, also the speed at which the vehicle has travelled at any
given time, and the distance.
According to this invention a removable cardboard or other suitable disc or
dial is attached to ordinary clock work arrangement of wheels and springs, and
takes the place of the small or hour hand,, the mechanism of such clock however
being set for 24 hours for each revolution of the disc or dial. The cardboard disc
or dial is divided into 24 compartments, by lines drawn from the centre. to 24
equi-distant points on the circumference, and is again subdivided in twelve parts
each, which parts therefore will travel in five minutes across any given point.
This disc or dial can be readily attached and removed whenever the vehicle is
used and is renewable, and it is marked so to be set true to time. The winding
of the clock sets the disc rotating at the rate of one revolution every 24 hours
or if a larger disc one revolution each 5 or 6 days by reason of the running down
mechanism before referred to. The recording movements (which with the clock
and disc are encased in a box of iron; tin or other suitable material) work in-
dependently of the clock mechanism, and consists of a sliding rod or its equiva-
lent (which is kept pressed against the wheel by a (spring) playing onto a cam
affixed to the hub of the wheel, such cam at one point of its rotation being raised
or brought into operation so as to compress the sliding rod which partly protrudes
from the case in which the indicator is placed, which indicator is fixed in a con-
venient and most accessible position on the axle of the wheel. That part of the
sliding rod which is incased in the indicator has a projection or pin and also a
pallet affixed at two separate points in its length. At time of compression of
the rod by the revolving cam the projection or pin presses upon a pencil or style,
which is pivotted with sufficient play to produce a mark upon the revolving disc,
which said disc appears upon the disc or time dial as a continuous line com-
mensurate with the time of the day. The points of contact between the projection
or pin and the pencil or style are so shaped or tapered that the pencil only
presses against the disc momentarily, so that should the vehicle come to rest
while the rod is compressed by the cam the pencil cannot remain compressed
against the disc during its continued revolution. The rod and the pencil are
kept in position by springs which return the rod to its normal position of pres-
sure against cam of wheel, and retain the pencil at proper distance from the rod
to receive the next compression from the movement of the said rod.

page_text: The pallet, as aforesaid, is attached in a suitable position upon the sliding rod
so that at each compression it engages a ratchet toothed wheel, kept in position
by a pawl, and moves it one tooth onward. This ratchet toothed wheel carries
a number of teeth corresponding with the number of revolutions required by
the wheel of the vehicle to traverse a quarter of a mile, and at one point of its
rotation engages, by means of a projection or pin, a spring, which compresses a
needle adjusted immediately underneath the pencil so to pierce the card record-
ing disc or dial and to return to its normal position; thus, when four perforations
are made one mile has been traversed, and as the recording disc revolves the
number of perforations appearing in the five minutes space show the number of
quarter miles covered in that time, thus, 4 perforations show the rate of 12 miles
an hour, G perforations 18, 3 perforations 9 miles an hour, and this can be read
off at a glance.
Instead of setting the disc or dial out to 24 hours it may be set to 18 or 12 or
other suitable working hours, and instead of using a disc or dial for recording
the work done a travelling tape or slip may be operated by the clock mechanism
with the same ultimate result, other than the tape may record a weeks work or
a longer period of time than the disc.
Dotad hin Onl 1
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Applicant's l'atent Agents.
Improved Mechanism for Automatically Checking the Movements
and Work of Carriages, Carts, Waggons, Cycles, Motor Cars, and
such like Vehicles:
I, HORACE GROVES SADGROVE, Surveyor, of Aitken Chambers, Cannon Street,
in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is an improved instrument for automatically recording the
distance covered in any particular time by road vehicles such as cycles, motor
cars, carriages and wagons, and also the rate of speed at which that particular
distance was accomplished, the said instrument being so constructed that a per-
manent record of each journey or run can be accurately obtained.
In the instrument according to this invention a removable paper or similar
disc or dial is attached to ordinary clock or time mechanism so as to be carried
upon and revolved by the hour arbor, the said dise or dial being suitably divided
up around its circumference into a number of spaces, and arranged so that it can
be readily attached and detached from the said clock mechanism and renewed
when desired. The said dial is operated upon by a marking mechanism con-
structed as hereinafter described which together with the said dial and the
time mechanism is enclosed in a box-like casing for protection, the said mark-
ing mechanism however being an independent one of any of the clock movements.
This marking mechanism is brought into action by the movement of a rotating
part (such as a wheel) upon the vehicle to be measured and whose work is to be
recorded.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention is illustrated in the accom-
panying sheet of drawings in section in Fig. 1 and in plan in Fig. 2, and it will

page_text: be hereinafter described in connection therewith by the aid of reference letters
which indicate the parts.
A removable cardboard or paper disc or dial e is attached to the hour arbor
of a clock or time mechanisms c³, supported between frame plates c, c, and which
is removably fitted to the one end of an enclosing casing a divided by a part-
ing wall a², the said end being closed by a removable lid or cap a which is
preferably transparent for viewing the hands c, c8, of the time mechanism. This
disc or dial c is detachably connected to the arbor 2 so as to be rotated by it,
and when in its working position within the casing, a, comes between the frame
plate, and the parting wall a², and is held or supported between them loose
enough to rotate. The outer face of the frame plate is preferably formed into
a dial, or a dial is fitted to it at the back of the fingers, 68.
The marking mechanism is located within the part a' of the casing a, and con-
sists of a sliding rod, or bar, ;d and its hereinafter described fittings, a wheel e
rotated by the said bar, and devices g, i, operated respectively off the said rod
and the wheel, for marking and perforating the disc or dial c intermittently as
it is rotated by the time mechanism; the device y tracing a defined line thereon,
and the device i making a perforation every determined period. The sliding rod
or bar d is fitted at its outer end d with a roller d³, at its middle with a pallet
or pawl d and a pivotted projection or pin d, and is suitably mounted within
the casing a so as to be movable backwards and forwards with as little friction
as possible. Sleeves are shown in the drawings as simple forms of bearings.
A spring is also fitted to the said rod to keep it in a normal position in its
bearings in respect of the case, its displacement being effected by its protruding
end d being acted upon by a cam or similar device, m, which is carried by the
wheel of the vehicle to be measured or checked. Stop collars, ds, are fitted to
the said rod or bar to limit its backward and forward movement, and these may
be adjustable on the rod if needed.
The projection or pin is pivottedly connected to the rod so as to move away
from its normal position (as shown) in one direction only, an abutment g² staying
it in the other direction. This pin or projection operates the tracing device g at
each inward movement of the rod d, and causes it to be momentarily pressed
against the disc or dial, c, against the action of a spring g³. The said device is
a pencil or style, fitted to work in a bracket extension g of the parting wall a²
of the casing and so that its point is adjacent to the disc c, and it is so formed
on its head that the projection or pin , which operates it, will always freely
and idly pass it when the rod d is moved by the spring do. The terminations or
tips of the parts d, g, are preferably inclined as shown.
The pallet or pawl imparts a rotation to the extent of one tooth to the
wheel for every inward movement of the rod d, and this wheel at each complete
rotation causes, through the intervention of a peg e and a lever h, the device i
to be brought momentarily into action to perforate the disc c, the said device.
being preferably a reciprocating part such as with a needle point, and being
fitted with a spring within a supporting extension upon the parting plate a².
The peg is carried upon the wheel e, and the lever his pivotted to a pillar
bracket rigid with the casing, and holes 3, h, are formed through the parting
wall a² of the casing and the frame plate of the time mechanism to admit the
passage of the needle point of the device i to and through the disc c. The wheel e
may be fitted with an additional pawl, e, to hold it after being turned.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-
The disc c is continuously rotated by the clock mechanism, and the rod dis
forced inwards at each rotation of the cam or similar device m. At each inward
movement of the rod, against the spring 6, a tracing device 9 is forced down
onto the disc by the projection de rubbing over it, and the wheel e is rotated
one tooth, the said projection d wiping idly over the part g each time the rod
moves back into its normal position. After the wheel e has made one complete
rotation or sufficient movement as may be determined, the peg momentarily

page_text: rocks the lever hand causes the perforating device i to pass through the disc, a
perforation being preferably made for every quarter of a mile travelled by the
vehicle; so that the speed at which the vehicle was travelling can be read off
the disc by the number of perforations contained in a divisional space upon the
dial c.
In like manner the marking of the tracing device shows a continuous,
or a broken, line commensurate with the time of day for indicating when the
vehicle was travelling and when at rest.
The apparatus as shown in the drawings illustrates the invention in its most
suitable form for fitting to the wheel of a carriage or wagon, the casing a con-
taining the mechanisms being suitably affixed upon the axle so that the roller d³
on the rod d is wiped by the cam m fixed onto the inner part of the hub of the
wheel, but the invention when applied to a cycle differs in no essential respect
from that shown.
A face view of the disc e is shown in the drawings at Fig. 3, and an edge view
of the cam in Fig. 4.
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
First. In a road vehicle speed and distance meter, the combination of an
enclosing casing, a renewable disc or dial carried and operated from a clock
mechanism, a perforating device operated from a wheel, and a pusher rod which
intermittently rotates the wheel and which is operated by a cam or similar device
and a spring, substantially as described.
Second. In a road vehicle speed and distance meter, the combination of an
enclosing casing a, a renewable disc or dial c and a clock mechanism, a perforator i
operated by a lever device from a wheel, e, and which is fitted with a spring, a
tracing device g fitted with a spring, and a pusher rod d which intermittently
rotates the wheel e and operates the device g by a pivotted projection which is
fitted with a spring such as de, substantially as described.
Third. In a road vehicle speed and distance meter, the combination of a
renewable disc or dial c and a clock mechanism for rotating it, tracing and per-
forating devices g and i, and a sliding rod or bar d which is indirectly connected
with the said devices so as to momentarily operate them, substantially as described.
Fourth. A road vehicle speed and distance meter constructed with parts com-
bined and arranged in the manner substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 3rd day
1000
W. P, THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
W. P, THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.