Parcels or Persons and Actuating Advertisement Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 5th May, 1888
Parcels or Persons and Actuating Advertisement Machinery.
ROWLAND WILLIAM BROWNHILL of 44 High Street Aston Now Town near
Birmingham mechanical engineer & GEORGE MILNE DUNCAN of 39 Scott Street
Bootle, near Liverpool commercial traveller do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of improvements hereinafter explained whereby a weighing
machine for weighing parcels or persons is constructed to actuate advertisment
machinery: the weighing machine may be of any suitable construction for weighing
parcels or persons. I use the indicator with revolving fly and falling weight as
patented by R. W. Brownhill March 24th 1886 No. 4097 which may either revolve
the index finger, or a dial plate. In case of using a dial plate an aperture is made in
the case of the machine to expose so much of the dial as gives the weight on the
machine, this apperture is provided with a moveable shutter to close when not in use,
so that the weight upon the dial cannot be seen This shutter is fixed upon one end
of a main lever, and at the same end of this main lever is fixed the receptacle box for
the coin, at the other end of this main lever I use a pair of bellows or an air cylinder
as a cataract, this main lever is pivoted between the two ends, for the cataract a large
valve is used to let the air in freely, when it is raised by the action of a coin put in
the receptacle box, at the other end of this main lever, the bottom of the receptacle
box is closed by a ballanced bottom in the form of a lever one end of which forms
the bottom of the coin box, and the other end of this lever when it falls to the bottom
catches a projecting ballanced lever fixed to the outside case, when the coin is put
in the receptacle box, the lever falls and opens the shutter when the indicated weight
can be seen, the bottom of the coin box is opened by the projecting ballanced lever
fixed to the outside case, and the coin falls into the cash box below, the main lever at
once commences to return, the ballanced projecting lever lifts up to allow the coin
box lever to pass, a small hole is made and regulated to operate as a cataract in the
bellows or cylinder so as to allow of any desired time before the main lever closes
the shutter. The mode of working the change of advertisements, I make my index

page_text: column in the shape of a bay window with one roll of canvas for advertisements up
the centre of the index column reaching from the platform of the weighing machine
up to the indicator, and on each of the slanting sides a roll of canvas for advertise-
ments on each side of the index column, these three rolls of canvas run upon three
roilers at the top and three rollers at the bottom of the index column, these rollers
are connected together in the angles both at the top and the bottom, by four pairs of
bevil wheels, the rollers are capable of adjustment for the purpose of pulling the
canvas tort, upon the centre bottom roller is a spur wheel which gears into a larger
spur wheel, which said second spur wheel is fixed upon a shaft working in journals
upon this same shaft is fixed a ratchet wheel which revolves with it, this ratchet is
actuated by a lever and pall, this lever is drawn up by a cord working round a
pulley which works upon the indicator spindle, upon the return of the machine
after weighing, this pulley which works upon the indicator spindle is released from
the spindle by a catch before coming to zero so as not the interfere with the accurate
weighing of the machine, the bottom lever which works the pall then falls by its own
weight ready for the next operation and so continuously changing the advertisements.
Dated this Fifth day of May 1887.
ROWLAND WILLIAM BROWNHILL.
GEORGE MILNE. DUNCAN.

page_text: Parcels or Persons and Actuating Advertisement Machinery.
ROWLAND WILLIAM BROWNHILL of 441 High Street Aston New Town near
Birmingham Mechanical Engineer and GEORGE MILNE DUNCAN of 39 Scott Street,
Bootle near Liverpool, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention consists of improvements hereinafter explained whereby a Weighing
Machine for weighing parcels or persons is constructed to actuate advertisement
machinery the weighing machine may be of any suitable construction for weighing
parcels or persons. use the indicator with revolving fly and falling weight_as
patented by R. W. Brownhill March 24th 1886 No. 4,097 which may either revolve
the index finger or a dial plate. In case of using a dial plate, an aperture is made
in the case of the machine to expose so much of the dial as gives the weight on
the machine, this aperture is provided with a moveable shutter to close when not
in use so that the weight upon the dial cannot be seen, this shutter is fixed upon
one end of a main lever, and at the same end of this main lever is fixed the
receptacle box for the coin; at the other end of this main lever I use a pair of
bellows or an air cylinder as a cataract, this main lever is pivoted between the
two ends; for the cataract a large valve is used to let the air in freely when it
is raised by the action of a coin put in the receptacle box at the other end of this
main lever; the bottom of the receptacle box is closed by a balanced bottom in
the form of a lever one end of which forms the bottom of the coin box and the
other end of this lever when it falls to the bottom catches a projecting balanced
lever fixed to the outside case; when the coin is put in the receptacle box the
lever falls and opens the shutter when the indicated weight can be seen; the
bottom of the coin box is opened by the projecting balanced lever fixed to the
outside case and the coin falls into the cash box below; the main lever at once
commences to return; the balanced projecting lever lifts up to allow the coin box
lever to pass a small hole is made and regulated to operate as a cataract in the
bellows or cylinder so as to allow of any desired time before the main lever closes
the shutter. The mode of working the change of advertisements I make my index
column in the shape of a bay window with one roll of canvas for advertisements up
the centre of the index column reaching from the platform of the weighing machine
up to the indicator, and on each of the slanting sides a roll of canvas for advertise-
ments on each side of the index column these three rolls of canvas run upon these rollers
at the bottom of the index column, these rollers are connected together in the angles both
at the top and the bottom by four pairs of bevel Wheels; the rollers are capable of
adjustment for the purpose of pulling the Canvas taut; upon the centre bottom

page_text: roller is a Spur Wheel which gears into a larger Spur Wheel which said second
spur wheel is fixed upon a Shaft working in Journals, upon this same Shaft is
fixed a ratchet wheel which revolves with it, this ratchet is actuated by a lever and
pawl, this lever is drawn up by a Cord working round a pulley which works upon
the indicator Spindle, upon the return of the machine after weighing this pulley,
which works upon the indicator spindle, is released from the Spindle by a Catch
before coming to zero, so as not to interfere with the accurate weighing of the
Machine, the bottom lever which works the pawl then falls by its own weight ready
for the next operation and so continuously changing the Advertizements.
And in order that this our said Invention may be more clearly understood we
will now proceed to describe it by the aid of the accompanying Sheet of drawings.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts in every figure in which they
occur.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a weighing Machine and Automatic Advertiser
constructed according to our Invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the same.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the dial and shutter mechanism to a larger scale, with
shutter closed.
Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. 4 but with shutter open and other parts in their
corresponding positions.
Fig. 6 is a side Sectional Elevation of the ratchet Gear to a larger scale.
a. is the casing of the apparatus made preferably of cast iron and of the shape
of a Bay window as seen in plan there are vertical dividing pieces a¹ a¹ in it,.
formed as sash bars and supporting panes of glass b b.
The lower portion of the casing projects at a and is surrounded by the platform c
on which stands the person wishing to be weighed or on which is placed the article
to be weighed.
The weighing mechanism not being novel is not shewn on the drawings.
d is the dial plate which is caused to partially rotate on its axis when a person
stands, or a parcel is placed on the platform c until a figure which shows the weight
is brought opposite to the aperture a³ in the casing which is opaque in front of
the dial. Now if while the weight of the person or parcel is on the platform ca
penny or other suitable coin h be dropped into the slot a', then the weight of this
coin h resting on the receptacle e¹ at the end of the lever e depresses that end of the 3
lever which carries a shutter e² and removes this shutter from the aperture a³ thus
enabling the figures on the dial d which shews the weight of the person or parcel on
the platform to become visible. As the coin / falls it is freed from the receptacle e'
at the end of the main lever e by the action of the balanced lever e pivotted on
the main lever and f which is a stud fixed to the casing and it drops into the 4
catch box below, the parts then returning automatically to their normal position by
the preponderance of the weight e on the end of the main lever e remote from the
receptacle for the coin.
In order to give time for the figures on the dial to be properly observed we,
provide a bellows, cataract, or dash pot g under the end of the lever e.
4
This consists preferably of a cylinder with a moving piston g¹ to which the end of
the lever e is attached. This Cylinder g is closed at the bottom and provided with a
small hole g in the bottom through which air is driven when the piston g¹ falls. The
speed at which the piston falls and by consequence the speed at which the shutter e
closes the aperture a³ is governed by the size of the hole g³ which is suitably adjusted, 5
a valve g³ opening inwards admits a fresh supply of air to the cataract Cylinder 9 when
the piston grises under the action of the weight of the coin in the receptacle e¹ at
the other end of the main lever e.
We will now proceed to describe the mechanism for displaying Advertisements in
conjunction with the weighing apparatus.
In the front part of the casing a and just behind the pane of glass b is a band of
5

page_text: canvas or other suitable material. On this band are printed Advertizements or the
advertisements may be affixed to it in any suitable manner. This band j may be a
long one not endless but unwound from the roller at one end and wound on the roller
at the other end by mechanism to be afterwards described-In this case the band
would require to be rewound on its original roller at suitable intervals by an attendant.
But we prefer to make the band endless as shewn on the drawing in which case it
passes around an upper pulley k and a lower one l.
The Advertisements which are on that part of the band j which for the time being
happens to be in front can be seen through the frame of glass b in the front of the
casing a-This Central endless band j does not extend the full height of the machine.
but only up to the dial d.
Each of the oblique side faces as a of the Casing a is glazed in a similar manner
to the front part and behind each of these side faces there is an endless band m
carrying advertisements in a similar manner to the endless band j only these bands
may extend the full height of the apparatus.
The endless bands m m revolve over upper pulleys n n and lower pulleys o o.
These pulleys are provided with teeth at their lower ends o¹o which gear into
similar teeth on the central pulley, the object being that whenever the central
band of advertisements is caused to move, the side bands m m shall move
simultaneously and in a similar manner. .
We will now describe the means by which rotary motion is given to the lower
pulley of the central endless band. The mechanism being similar when the band is
not endless. A lever p fig. 2 is connected with the platform c so that it vibrates on
its fulcrum p' as the platform rises and falls.
The platform is kept in its normal raised position by means of a spring or other
suitable means.
A pawl is centred on the lever p at p²; This engages with a ratchet wheel r, the
teeth of which and the end of the pawl q' are formed in such a way that when the
free end p³ of the lever p is depressed by any weight being placed on the platform c,
the pawl q will slip over the teeth of the ratchet wheel r. When the weight on the
platform (whether person or parcel) is removed, the free end p³ of the lever prises,
with the platform c and the pawl q engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel k and
gives it a rotatory movement through part of a Revolution.
S
This movement may be increased to any desired extent by means of the train of
wheelwork which is interposed between the ratchet wheel and the lower roller
thus causing the lower roller and the other rollers oo which are geared with it to
revolve enough to cause a sufficient space of the endless bands, preferably six inches j
and m m to bring the required number of advertisements into the front where they
may be seen through the panes of glass bb as aº. A corresponding number of
advertisements of course disappear, and the constant change of advertisements affords a
pleasing novelty.
We may make all three endless bands of the same length, that is, the side one
short like the middle one and gear them together both at top and bottom if desired.
Instead of three simple endless bands passing over three sets of pulleys, we may, in
certain situations, make the bands longer and pass them over additional idle pulleys so
as to afford a larger range of advertisements.
We do not claim the exact configuration and arrangement of parts herein described
and illustrated, but we may vary them without departing from the principle of our
Invention, as for instance, by varying the number of faces to the casing and bands
without departing from our said Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The application to weighing machines which have a revolving dial showing
the weight, of an aperture in an opaque casing of the dial, which aperture is covered

page_text: by a Shutter which is opened by the falling weight of a penny or other suitable coin
and closed by its own weight directly or through a lever as herein described and
illustrated.
Second. The application of bands containing advertizements passing over rollers,
moved by the return motion of the platform of a weighing machine, as herein before
described and illustrated.
Third. The general construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially
as herein before described and illustrated, the whole forming "Improvements in
Automatic Weighing Machines, for weighing parcels and persons, and actuating
advertisement machinery."