Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 17th Aug., 1888
I; WILLIAM FORD STANLEY, of Cumberlow, South Norwood, in the County of
Surrey Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements are upon my Patent No. 4726, 1886, for a machine for
measuring the height of human beings automatically which is there briefly
described.
This machine in its outward parts consists of a platform on which a person stands
to be measured. At the back of the platform there is an upright box surmounted by
a dial with movable hand or hands upon which the height of the person is indicated.
A flat bar or a bar carrying a light disc is automatically lowered upon the head of
the person at his will by himself or any other person touching a knob or other
mechanical part to release a detent. This knob or part may be supported by a short
standard erected near the front of the platform so as to be easily reached by the hand
and is connected with the upright by a steadying rail. The detent may be so
arranged that it cannot be released unless a penny forms a connection with some of
its parts or it may be released without this intervention by slightly varying the
construction of this part.
When the person steps off the machine the height bar and height index return to.
zero or it may be raised before doing so at will.
My improvements are as follows:-
1. The use of single or double cams to throw the rack against the ratchet wheel
described in my patent No. 472686 so as to put the index back to zero.
2. Revolving dial or dials to indicate the measurement instead of stationary dial
and revolving hand, or hands.
3. A straight scale, which acts as a counterbalance; to the carriage carrying head
plate, or this scale may form part of the counterbalance weight it is marked off in
feet inches or other measures and as the carriage, and head plate, descends, it
draws this sliding scale up, so that the exact measurement, can be read at a fixed

page_text: pointer, seen through an opening made in the case for that purpose. This arrange-
ment may be varied by a fixed scale being fixed inside the case and pointer attached
to the counterbalance used, as an indicator.
4. To prevent concussion and noise and make the machine work smoothly and evenly,
with unequal weights, I employ air cushions, by enclosing the counterbalance weights
in tubes with holes or regulators at the bottom so that a certain resistance is put upon
the working parts a similar arrangement made with a piston and valve is also used,
affixed to the lower lever of the machine.
5. Penny taking arrangements formed by a sliding link which the penny is made
to fall between and thus make it a fixed one, this forming connection between levers
to be used sometimes instead of penny being used as a fulcrum as described in my
Patent No. 472686.
6. A penny taking arrangement made by two pieces centred near the angle, one
inverted and fixed nearly the width of a penny. (or other desired distance) apart,
so that when the detent is about to be released by pressure of a knob, com-
munication is made by a cord or other contrivance through a steadying rail, which
lifts one end of one of the Ls this when the coin is between the Ls communicates
the movement to the other L, which in turn releases the detent on the measuring
wheel by lifting the detent lever. The coins by this device are shot through into
a closed hopper upon which any locking bag arrangements can be used.
7. To prevent the machine being tampered with 1 place the principal rack inside
the case, at the back of a slide between which the carriage carrying the head
plate is made to run. A pawl is thrown into the rack directly the head plate is
touched, upon the upper part of this balanced lever is also fixed a locking piece
which is thrown into the rack above the carriage carrying the head plate so that the
head plate cannot be pushed up from the outside of the case.
Dated 01 A
1007

page_text: 1, WILLIAM FORD STANLEY, of Cumberlow, South Norwood, in the County of
Surrey, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the height measuring machines of the kind
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 4726 of 1886, the object of the
present invention being to render such machines stronger and more portable.
The improvements comprise the use of single or double cams to throw the rack into
gear with the ratchet wheel or to otherwise operate the height measuring index so as
to replace it at zero: the employment of revolving dials for indicating the measure-
ment, instead of using a single dial: a rising and falling scale or index adapted to
indicate the measurement visible through the case of the machine and forming part
of the actual measuring mechanism: an index suspended from the carriage carrying
the head plate and forming a part of the counterbalancing and measuring apparatus ;
the said index reading into a scale placed within or upon the case of the machine:
the application to various parts of the machine, of pressure chambers containing a
suitable fluid and an escape valve or valves to prevent shock and noise and cause the
said parts to work smoothly and regularly: novel arrangements of coin receiving and
discharging mechanism and an arrangement of mechanism for causing the head plate
to move into a position of safety directly it has touched the head of the person whose
height is being measured, so as to prevent its being tampered with.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating my single cam arrangement for bringing the
height measuring index to zero and releasing the same.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 are similar views showing three ways of applying my double
cams or arins for bringing the index to zero with the same effect as the arrangement
shown in figure 1.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of part of the height measuring machine showing
two revolving dials for indicating the measurements in feet and inches, the figures
being marked upon the faces of the dials.
Figure 6 is a back elevation showing an arrangement of snail and catch for
operating the feet dial from the inches dial.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the upper part of the front of the machine illustrating
two revolving dials having the figures denoting feet and inches respectively marked
upon their peripheries mechanically equivalent to the arrangement shown in figure 5.
Figure 8 is a similar view to figure 7 illustrating my rising and falling scale, shown
in dotted lines behind the case and reading through an opening.

page_text: Figures 9 and 10 are similar views showing two arrangements of rising and falling
indexes reading into a fixed scale.
Figure 11 is a similar view showing my rising and falling scale adapted to a
measuring machine having a fixed platform and a simple cord for operating the index
which may be either a straight scale or revolving dial.
Figure 12 is a transverse section through the case of the machine the mechanism
being represented in elevation.
Figure 18 is a vertical section showing a pressure chamber and escape valves
adapted to be applied to the platform lever of the machine.
Figure 14 is an elevation, and
Figure 15 a sectional elevation illustrating my novel arrangements of coin receiving
and discharging mechanism.
Figures 16 and 17 are vertical sectional views showing the mechanism for causing
the head plate to move under a covering cap or into some other position of safety
directly it has touched the head of the person whose height is being measured.
Figure 18 is a rear elevation with the back of the case removed showing a height
measuring machine provided with the various improvements illustrated in figures 1,
8, 13, 15, and 16.
Figures 19, 20, and 21 are respectively a front elevation, a side elevation, and a
transverse section of the machine.
Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the drawings.
Referring to figure 1, is the cam which I employ for operating the rack rod K
for bringing the index back to zero. The cam a is pivotted upon a rod b connected
to the platform lever of the machine and is so shaped that, when the lever is depressed
by the weight of a person upon the platform, it will hear upon a tooth or projection c
on the rack rod K and carry the rod down with it thereby rotating a pulley or toothed
wheel and bringing the index back to zero. When this has been done a tail d on the
cam a strikes against a pin e fixed to the case of the machine and the cam is thereby
moved free of the tooth or projection e. The rack rod K will remain in this position
until the detent is released. f, fare guides for the rods K and b. The lower end of
the rod K is free and its upper end is connected to a cord or its equivalent passing
over or fixed to a pulley as hereinafter described and shown in figure 4 or it can he
formed with a rack geared into a toothed wheel as in figure 3.
When using double cams or arms, as shown in figure 2, I suspend the rack K at a
short distance from the toothed wheel J and pivot the cams or arms a, a to the case
of the machine in such a manner that they throw the rack against the toothed wheel
when the rack is drawn down by the weight of a person on the platform; when the
plain part of the rack reaches the toothed wheel, the height measuring mechanism is
free to be operated as in my said former specification.
The arrangement shown in figure 3 is substantially the same as that shown in
figure 2 except that the rack remains in gear and is drawn down by a tooth or catch
on a rod connected to the platform, the said catch coming against the tooth
or catch c on the rack rod, the lower end of which, in this case, is free, as in the
single cam arrangement shown in figure 1.
In figure I have shown the cams or arms placed against the rod b, and the
rod K is connected to a cord passing over or fixed to a pulley J and is mechanically
equivalent to the arrangements hereinbefore described.
In the arrangement of revolving dials, shown in figures 5 and 6, the inches
dial A is actuated by the band from the head plate by which the height is measured
and the feet dial is operated by the inches dial in any suitable known manner such
as by a snail and lever arrangement, as shown in figure 6.
The arrangement of dials shown in figure 7 is similar to that shown in figure 5,
with the exception that the figures are marked on the peripheries of the dials and the
feet dial is operated by mechanism similar to that employed in some kinds of paging
and calculating machines; it therefore needs no further description.
Figure 8 shows the rising and falling scale 2 with which I sometimes provide the
machine to replace the dial for indicating measurement in the apparatus described in

page_text: 5
by former specification or the dials described in the present specification. This scale
attached to one end of the cord passing over the pulley F leading to the head plate
It generally
nd reads through an opening g, glazed or not, in the front of the case.
orms a counterbalance to the head plate. The general arrangement by which this
cale is actuated will be hereinafter described when referring to the complete machine
hown in figures 18 to 21.
The arrangement shown in figure 9, is the same as that herein before described with
reference to figure 8 except that the height is indicated by an index carried upon a
sliding head suspended from or placed at a distance below the head plate ( and
reading into a fixed scale preferably placed behind a glazed opening in the front of the
case, a counterweight being employed to overbalance the head plate.
Figure 10 shows the index placed on the counterweight of the head plate
When adapting the arrangement of dials, scales, or indicators hereinbefore described
and illustrated in figures 5 to 10, to a height measuring machine having a fixed platform
and a simple cord or other device for operating the index by hand, as mentioned in
my said former Specification, I attach the scale (when a scale is used) to the
carriage of the head plate C by an arm k', as shown in dotted lines in figure 11, the said
scale being counterbalanced by a weight on the end of a cord i passing over the
pulleysk and 1, as shown in figures 11 and 12, or the scale may constitute the counter-
balance or part thereof. Or, when rising a dial, as shown by the dotted circle and
figures marked A in figure 11, I pass the cord i around a grooved pulley on the
dial and attach the counterweight to the depending end of the said cord, as shown
in dotted lines at j. It will be understood that the dial and scale are not both required
in the same machine and they are only here shown together for the sake of simplicity
of description.
The pressure chamber and valves for preventing shock and noise from the working
of the various parts of the machine are illustrated in figure 13, which shows the same
as applied to the platform lever is a chamber containing air or other fluid in
which works loosely a piston 12 carried by a rod m² connected to the platform lever.
In the said piston are arranged valves n, a adapted to open when the lover is raised
and to close when the lever is depressed by the weight of a person on the platform,
the air then passing gradually into the chamber between the piston and the chamber
or through holes in the piston or chamber.
Figure 14 shows a coin-receiving and discharging mechanism which I sometimes
employ instead of the arrangement described in my said former specification in which
the coin was used to form a fulcrum for the detent-releasing-lever. In this arrange-
ment I provide the coin shoot S with a sliding bottom of moving in a link or slotted
guide p so as to retain the coin until the bottom o' is moved from under the coin
shoot S by operating the knob, handle, or lever, connected with the said bottom by a
cord passing over pulleys and s. The coin will then fall through the conduit t onto
the detent-lever o which retains the measuring wheel F by bearing against a stop u
thereon.
The weight of the coin upon the detent-lever thus releases the said measuring
wheel and allows the head plate to descend, the coin falling into a receiver T.
In the coin receiving and discharging mechanism represented in figure 15, I
employ two L-shaped levers and we pivotted at or near their angles and locking into
a slot & into
one another as shown. The lower arm of the lever we projects through
the coin shoot S so that when a coin is introduced it will fall upon the said arm and
move the lever we into the position shown in dotted lines, thereby unlocking the lever v
and allowing the detent to be released through its rod y when the same is drawn down
by operating the knob connected therewith by means of the cord y. The lever vis
provided with a pawl which, as the former is operated, returns the lever w to its
locking position. The lever in returning forces the lever a slightly backwards and
the two levers then again become interlocked; as shown in the drawings.
a and a² are stops for limiting the play of the lever .
Referring to figures 16 and 17, C represents the head plate which I pivot to the
carriage carrying the head plate, which carriage runs between the rack D (which is

page_text: placed inside the case) and the front of the case.
and and a weighted pawl is pivotted in the lower part thereof. This pawl is
The carriage is made in two parts b
thrown into the rack D directly the head plate C in descending touches the head of the
person through a projection e¹ on the tail of the head plate bearing upon the weighted
pawl. Upon the upper part of this pawl is a locking piece adapted to engage with
a tooth upon the upper part of the carriage. As the pawl d¹ is thrown into the
rack D, the said locking piece is disengaged from the tooth g¹ and the upper part of
the carriage will immediately rise and carry back the head plate C under a covering
cap ² or into some other convenient position of safety as shown in figure 17. The
lower part of the carriage is connected to a band which actuates the indicating
mechanism. The upper part 1 is connected by a cord to a weight which is heavier
than the upper half of the carriage but lighter than the two parts combined.
?,
Figures 18 to 21 show a complete height measuring machine provided with the
various improvements illustrated in figures 1, 8, 13, 15, and 16. It will be seen that
instead of using a levor under the platform for releasing the detent, the latter is con-
nected with the operating knob Q by means of the cord which
steadying rail of the short standards of the machine and over pullies. Also that the
passes through the
rising and falling scale is connected to the lower part c² of the carriage by the band i
running over pullies and whilst the upper part of the carriage is connected to
the cord passing over a pulley m' to the weight of the same hereinbefore referred
to. The wheel for bringing back the indicator to zero is placed in the position
shown for the sake of convenience and operates the scale by means of the cord i¹
when a person stands upon the platform, the platform being again raised when the
person steps off by means of a weight n'; the wheel F is connected to the platform
lever L by the arrangement of cam and rods herein before described and shown in
figure 1: The operation of the pressure of the pressure chamber for the platform will
be well understood.
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. In a height measuring machine the employment of single or double cams or arms
as a part of the apparatus for bringing the indicator back to zero, substantially as
bereinbefore described and illustrated respectively in figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a height measuring machine the use of a pair of dials for indicating the
measurements in feet and inches, the said dials being arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 5, 6, and 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a height measuring machine, the use of a rising and falling scale or index
adapted to indicate the measurements visible through the case of the machine and 4
forming part of the actual measuring mechanism, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in figures 8 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangement of dials and scales adapted for use with machines having fixed
platforms and a simple cord for operating the index by hand, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in figures 11 and 12 of the acconipanying drawings. 4
5. In a height measuring machine, the use of an index suspended from the carriage
carrying the head plate and forming a part of the counterbalancing and measuring
apparatus, the said index reading into a scale placed within or upon the case of the
machine, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in figure 9 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. The use in combination with various parts of a height measuring machine, of
pressure chambers containing a suitable fluid having an escape valve or valves,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
5
7. In a height measuring machine, the use of the coin receiving and discharging
mechanism hereinbefore described with reference to figures 14 and 15 of the 5
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 8. In a height measuring machine the use of the mechanism for causing the head
plate to move into a position of safety directly it has touched the head of the person
whose height is being measured, substantially as herein before described with reference
to figures 16 and 17 of the accompanying drawings.
9. The improved height measuring machine hereinbefore described and illustrated
in figures 18 to 21.of the drawings.