Improvements in Automatic Measure-testing and Assorting Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: °
Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Measure-testing and Assorting
Machines.
I, MAX SPONHOLZ, of 6 Exercier Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a measure-testing machine of the kind in which parts
which have to be made of very exact dimensions, as is the case for rifles, scientific
apparatus and articles produced in great quantities, are tested as to their accuracy,
and in which the parts are at the same time assorted in three separate compartments,
in the one of the same those answering the requirements, in the second compart-
ment the pieces which are too long or too thick, and in the third those which are
too short or too thin. The pieces which have too great dimensions may be worked
again and reduced to their correct length or thickness.
Now, my invention consists in the peculiar and novel way in which the assorting
is effected, and in the means employed therefor. I employ a slide which is raised by
the machine and released when it has reached its upper position, and the downward
course of which is regulated by parts operated by the stamp bearing upon the pieces
to be measured; and according to the extent of the downward course or fall of this
slide, a mechanism operated by a catch or nose on the same brings the mouth of a
chute receiving the measured pieces over one of three compartments and allows the
pieces to drop into the same, the pieces of the required dimension being collected in
the middle compartment, the pieces exceeding this dimension into one of the side
compartments, and those falling short of the requirements into the other.
In order that my invention may be understood more easily and completely, I will
proceed to describe a measure-testing and assorting machine made according to my
improvements referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, on which :
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine,
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,
Figs. 3 & 4 are views correspoding to Fig. 4, showing but the principal parts of
the machine, and illustrating the function of the assorting device. In Fig. 3 the
position of the parts is shown, as it occurs when the piece to be measured is too
short, whereas in Fig. 4 the position is shown which the parts will assume in the
case of the measured piece being too long.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional plan of the upper part of the machine drawn on the
line A-B of Fig. 1.
Similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Motion is imparted to the machine by means of the driving-shaft g; two eccentrics o
and on the same operate two distinct mechanisms of the machine, one of these
mechanisms moving two slides upwards and then allowing the same to drop, the
other effecting the movement of the measuring-stamp. I will first describe the former
mechanism, operated by the eccentric h.
This eccentric during the revolution of shaft g raises the rod f, passing through
and guided in a support and a guide a above the same; the upper end of rod f
emerges at the top of a and an arm e is fixed to this end by means of a screw-nut.
The other end of the arm e is by means of two nuts secured to the threaded end of
a vertical rod fixed with its lower end to a slide c moving up and down in the
guide a. Inside the slide c there is another slide d, moving likewise up and down
and resting, during the upward course of slide c, on a suitable stop provided at the
.

page_text: lower end of the latter. The slide d has on its front side a catch ', arranged to
collide with two noses and on a lever i, presently to be described.
I will now describe the mechanism operated by eccentric o on shaft 9. This
eccentric is placed on the same side of shaft y as the other eccentric and raises a
rod passing through and guided in the post . To the upper end of rod n outside
the post, is secured an arm m, firmly connected at its other end to the measuring-
stamp ; the latter is guided in eyes provided in the ends of two horizontal arms
extending from the post 1. Between the arms a knife-edge is secured to the
measuring stamp k, and this knife-edge acts upon one arm of a bent lever i,
pivotted between the points of screws passing through the ends of a forked post p;
the upper end of the lever is formed with two noses or catches and 2. It is
apparent that the position of lever i depends on that of the measuring stamp k, and
the position of the latter on the dimension of the piece placed under the lower end
of the same.
Thus, when this piece is too long, the position of the lever will be
such, that the nose will catch the projection d and hold the slide d suspended at
this height in the slide when the piece is of correct dimension, the slide d will be
held by the nose, and should the measured piece be too small, the slide will not be
caught at all, but fall down to the stop at the lower end of slide c. Now, according
to these three positions of the slide d, the lower end of the chute 4, into which the
pieces drop through a suitable hole provided in the table of the machine after having
been measured, is placed over one of the three compartments of a receptacle .
This is effected by means of a third mechanism operated by a lug secured to the
slide d, and which I call the assorting mechanism.
I will now describe this assorting mechanism. The chute 7, which oscillates
between the points of screws is joined at or near its pivot with a levers having at
one end a series of teeth, and connected at its other end to the lower end of a
vertical rod t, guided in a post u and adapted to collide with the lug on slide d.
I may also mention that said lug v is adjustable in height. Now when the slide d
descends, it depresses the rod t more or less according to the extent of this downward
course, and thereby the chute q is turned round its pivot, so that its lower end is
placed ever the right compartment of the receptacle r, or over the middle compart-
ment, or over the left one, as explained. In order to hold the chute in its
position for a time, I provide a lever w, pivotted at w¹, one end of which is formed
as a click engaging with the teeth of lever s, and the other has an eye to through
which passes a rod, secured to the exterior slide and carrying at its lower end
a displaceable nut ; this nut during the upward movement of slide c knocks
against the lever w, and thereby disengages the click from the teeth of levers,
thus releasing the chute 7 and allowing it to resume its original position.
The operation of the machine the following:
is
As soon as the measuring-stamp is lifted by the rod n operated by the eccentric o,
the exterior slide c and the interior slide d carried along with the first have been
raised to their highest position by means of the rod operated by the eccentric ;
now the piece to be measured is placed under the measuring-stamp k either by hand
or by a special feeding device, which may be of any usual construction suitable for
this purpose. The revolution of shaft continuing, the measuring-stamp
gradually lowered, until it collides with the piece to be measured. During the
movement of the measuring-stamp k the lever is continually turned by the knife-
edge, until the measuring-stamp k is stopped, as described. At the same time the
slides c and d move downwards, and the latter, according to the position of lever,
is either allowed to finish its downward course, or caught and held back by the
noses or colliding with catch d'. The slide in its downward movement also
depresses the rod t by means of the lug e, and thus turns the chute 9 more or less by
means of the levers, which is secured in its position by the click on lever . Here-
after the measured piece passes through the opening in the table of the machine and
drops into the chute and hence into one of the compartments of the receptacle r.
Now the pieces are measured and assorted and the measuring-stamp k and slides c
and d are raised again, whereby the nut on rod is driven against the eye w³ of

page_text: the lever w, the click at the end of the latter disengaged from the teeth of lever s
and thus the chute y is released.
Dated this 25th day of January 1892.
By Robert Deissler,
38, Alexander Strasse, Berlin, C., Germany, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Measure-testing and Assorting
Machines.
1, MAX SPONHOLZ, of 6 Exercier Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany,
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 :-
My invention relates to a measure-testing machine of the kind in which parts
which have to be made of very exact dimensions, as is the case for rifles, scientific
apparatus and articles produced in great quantities, are tested as to their accuracy,
and in which the parts are at the same time assorted in three separate compart-
ments, in the first of the same those answering the requirements, in the second
compartment the pieces which are too long or too thick, and in the third those
which are too short or too thin. The pieces which have too great dimensions may
be worked again and reduced to their correct length or thickness.
Now, my invention consists in the peculiar and novel way in which the assorting
is effected, and in the means employed therefor. I employ a slide which is raised
by the machine and released when it has reached its upper position, and the down-
ward course of which is regulated by parts operated by the stamp bearing upon the
pieces to be measured; and according to the extent of the downward course or
fall of this slide, a mechanism operated by a catch or nose on the same brings the
mouth of a chute receiving the measured pieces over one of three compartments
and allows the pieces to drop into the same, the pieces of the required dimension
being collected in the middle compartment, the pieces exceeding this dimension
into one of the side compartments, and those falling short of the requirements into
the other.
In order that my invention may be understood more easily and completely, I will
proceed to describe a measure-testing and assorting machine made according to my
improvements, referring to the drawings left with the Provisional Specification, in.
which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine,
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,
Figs. 3 & 4 are views corresponding to Fig. 2, showing but the principal parts of
the machine, and illustrating the function of the assorting device. In Fig. 3 the
position of the parts is shown as it occurs when the piece to be measured is too
short, whereas in Fig. 4 the position is shown which the parts will assume in the
case of the measured piece being too long.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional plan of the upper part of the machine drawn on the
line A-B of Fig. 1.
Similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Motion is imparted to the machine by means of the driving-shaft g; two
eccentrics o and on the same operate two distinct mechanisms of the machine,
one of these mechanisms moving two slides upwards and then allowing the same to
drop, the other effecting the movement of the measuring-stamp.
1 will first
describe the former mechanisin operated by the eccentric h.
This eccentric h during the revolution of shaft g raises the roi, passing through.
and guided in a support 6 and a guide a above the same; the upper end of rod j

page_text: emerges at the top of a and an arm e is fixed to this end by means of a screw-nut.
The other end of the arm e is by means of two nuts secured to the threaded end of
a vertical rod fixed with its lower end to a slide c moving up and down in the
guide a. Inside the slide c there is another slide d, moving likewise up and down
and resting, during the upward course of slide c, on a suitable stop provided at the
lower end of the latter. The slide has on its front side a catch d', arranged to
collide with two noses and 2 on a lever i, presently to be described.
I will now describe the mechanism operated by eccentric o on shaft g.
This
eccentric is placed on the same side of shaft y as the other eccentric h and raises a
rod n passing through and guided in the post 7. To the upper end of rod n outside
the post, is secured an arm m, firmly connected at its other end to the measuring-
stamp the latter is guided in eyes provided in the ends of two horizontal
arms extending from the post 1. Between the arms a knife-edge ¹is
secured to the measuring stamp k, and this knife-edge acts upon one arc of a
bent lever, pivotted between the points of screws passing through the ends of a
forked post p; the upper end of the lever is formed with two noses or catches i¹
and . It is apparent that the position of lever i depends on that of the measuring
stamp, and the position of the latter on the dimension of the piece under the
lower end of the same. Thus, when this piece is too long, the position of the lever i
will be such, that the nose will catch the projection d¹ and hold the slide d
suspended at this height in the slide c; when the piece is of correct dimension, the
slide d will be held by the nose 2, and should the measured picce be too small, the
slide will not be caught at all, but fall down to the stop at the lower end of slide c.
Now, according to these three positions of the slide d, the lower end of the chute 4,
into which the pieces drop through a suitable hole provided in the table of the
machine after having been measured, is placed over one of the three compartments
of a receptacle r. This is effected by means of a third mechanism operated by a
lug secured to the slide d, and which I call the assorting mechanism.
I will now describe this assorting mechanism. The chute q, which oscillates
between the points of screws, is joined at or near its pivot with a levers having at
one end a series of teeth, and connected at its other end to the lower extremity of a
vertical rod t, guided in a post u and adapted to collide with the lug v on slide d.
I may also mention that said lug is adjustable in height. Now when the slide d
descends, it depresses the rod t more or less according to the extent of this down-
ward course, and thereby the chute 9 is turned round its pivot, so that its lower end
is placed over the right compartment of the receptacle r, or over the middle
compartment, or over the left one, as explained. In order to hold the chute q in
its position for a time, I provide a lever g, pivoted at w', one end of which is formed
as a click engaging with the teeth of levers, and the other has an eye w² through
which passes a rod, secured to the exterior slide c and carrying at its lower end a
displaceable nut ; this nut during the upward movement of slide c knocks against.
the lever, and thereby disengages the click from the teeth of lever s, thus
releasing the chute 1. and allowing it to resume its original position.
The operation of the machine is the following:
C
As soon
as the measuring-stamp is lifted by the rod n operated by the
eccentric o, the exterior slide and the interior slide d carried along with the same
are raised to their highest position by means of the rod operated by the
eccentric ; now the piece to be measured is placed under the measuring-stamp k
either by hand or by a special feeding device, which may be of any usual con-
struction suitable for this purpose. The revolution of shaft y continuing, the
measuring-stamp is gradually lowered, until it collides with the piece to be
measured. During the movement of the measuring-stamp k the lever i is continually
turned by the knife-edge k', until the measuring-stamp is stopped, as described.
At the same time the slides c and d move downwards, and the latter, according to
the position of lever i, is either allowed to finish its downward course, or caught
and held back by the noses " or colliding with catch d. The slide in its
downward movement also depresses the rod t by means of the lug v, and thus turns

page_text: the chute g more or less by means of the lever s, which is secured in its position by
the click on lever w. Hereafter the measured piece passes through the opening
in the table of the machine and drops into the chute q and hence into one of the
compartments of the receptacle v. Now the pieces are measured and assorted, and
the measuring-stamp k and slides c and d are raised again, whereby the nut ¹ on
rod is driven against the eye w² of the lever w, the click at the end of the latter
disengaged from the teeth of levers and thus the chute is released.
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:
1. An automatic measure-testing and assorting machine, characterized by the
combination of an arresting lever i adapted to be operated by the measuring
stamp k, with a slide d adapted to be caught at different heights during its fall by
the said arresting lever i, and a delivery-device adapted to be operated by the
weight of the slide d in such a manner, that the pieces to be assorted are caused to
fall into different compartments of a suitable receptacle according to their size or
thickness, for the purpose set forth.
2. In a machine of the kind claimed under head 1: The combination, with the
slide d, of an eccentric, cam, or equivalent mechanism on the shaft of the machine,
and means, adapted to be operated by said mechanism, for raising the slide d,
substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a machine of the kind claimed under head 1: The combination, with the
measuring stamp k, of means, adapted to be operated from the machine, for lifting
said stamp, a bent lever i, adapted to be operated by the knife-edge ¹ on the
measuring stamp k, and formed with two arresting noses for stopping the fall
of the slide a guided in the lifting slide e, substantially as described, and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1802
MAX SPONHOLZ,
By Robert Deissler,
38, Alexander Strasse, Berlin, C., Germany, Agent for the Applicant.