Leather Measuring Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Leather Measuring Machine.
JOSEPH PLACE TOLTON Commission Agent 105 Summer Street. Boston Mass.
U.S.A. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvement in a machine for measuring leather, consisting of a horizontal roll,
longer than the width of the leather to be measured, a series of wheels, equally
distant apart, and independent of each other, above the said roll, but not touching,
a brake for each wheel to prevent running back, a tank of water, or other liquid,
weights connected by cords to the hubs of the wheels, mounted above the roll; a
scale standing upright from a float in the said tank, the whole so constructed and
arranged that by passing a skin of leather between the horizontal roll and the
wheels, that the wheels wherever they touch the leather would revolve and with-
draw the weights from the liquid, thus lowering the level of the liquid and causing
the float attached to the graduated scale to drop in proportion with the fall of the
liquid, which is regulated in its turn by the weights that are withdrawn by means
of the leather passing over the roll and under the wheels, and winding up the cord
attached to the weights on the hub of said wheels, in proportion to the surface of
the leather passed between the roll and wheels.
Dated this 20th day of July 1895.
Leather Measuring Machine.
JOSEPH PLACE TOLTON, 105 Summer Street, Boston, Mass. U.S.A. Com-
mission Merchant, 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 machine is constructed to measure leather by simply passing the side of
leather over a table and between a single lower feeding cylinder and a series of
independent upper measuring wheels and adjusted to come in contact with the
moving side of leather and to be made to rotate by it and to rotate only while in
contact with the leather. The amount of rotation of each of the measuring wheels
determines the movement of a series of weights which are suspended in a
corresponding series of upright tubes containing a liquid, all of the tubes being
connected to a single closed tank which has an upright branch in which the height
of the liquid can be measured, the height of the liquid in the branch depends upon
the position of the weights in the tubes and as the positions of the weights are
determined by the rotation of the measuring wheels it is apparent that the height
of the liquid in the branch of the tank will have a fixed relation to the area of the
side of leather that has passed under the measuring wheels. The mechanism by
which I accomplished this is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 are views in detail to illustrate the construction of parts.
The frame of the machine consists of two side pieces A. and A' which are joined
together at the top by the cross piece B at the middle by the cross piece B' and
near the bottom by the tank T. All of the parts being firmly bolted together by
screw bolts as shown.
The feeding cylinder D is mounted in the frame and has on its shaft fast ard
loose pulleys D'-D². The feeding cylinder D should be sufficiently long to take
the widest sides of leather. The upper side of the table C should be at or nearly
level with the highest part of the feeding cylinder so that the side of leather to be
measured may be easily fed into the machine.
Immediately above the feeding cylinder D are placed a series of measuring
wheels E-E. These measuring wheels are free to rotate independently of each
other. Each one is journaled in an adjustable arm F. See Figures 3 and 4.
Said arms being pivoted at their rear ends to the rod H, their front ends being
adjustably held by the screw bolts F2-F2 each of the bolts F2-F2 being provided
with a head F3 and a check-nut F4 sec Figure 4. Each of the measuring wheels
has a hub E3 through which the spindle E2 passes.
A cord K is attached to each of the hubs of the measuring wheels and has a
weight Khung to it so that as the wheels are made to rotate the weights K'-K'
are drawn up.
Each of the measuring wheels E-E has a check pawl P pivoted on the rod P
so that the said measuring wheels cannot turn in the wrong direction. To free
the measuring wheels from the pawls an eccentric cylinder Pl passes under them,
this eccentric cylinder can be operated by the handle P' which is connected by a
link P to an arm P³ extending from the said eccentric by drawing the handle P
forward the eccentric Pl is turned which action will lift all of the pawls P-P from
the measuring wheels and leave them free to be adjusted to the zero point.
The series of weights K-K' are adapted to move freely in the series of upright
tubes TT which are partly filled with liquid, the weights K' displace a certain
amount of the liquid so that the position of the said weights will determine the
height of liquid in the tubes, and as these tubes are all connected interiorly with
the closed tank T which in turn is connected to the branch T it is evident that
the position of the weights in the series of tubes will determine the height of the
liquid in the tubes T-T and also in the branch tube T It being understood
that the weights K-K, are so made and arranged in relation to the tubes T-T
and to the liquid within them that the said weights are never wholly immersed in
the liquid.
Within the branch tube T4 a float T is placed this float which is provided with
a graduated stem T6, by the aid of which, the exact level of the liquid may be
determined. T³ is a tube connected with the tank T and is used for filling the
same. To use this measuring device the wheels are so set as not to touch the
feeding cylinder D but so near as to come in contact with the side of leather if any
part of it comes between the cylinder and the wheel, and so long as there is any
portion of the leather between the cylinder and any of the wheels then the said
measuring wheels will rotate.
Before the side of leather is placed for measurement the wheels are so set that
the weights K-K¹ will be sufficiently immersed to cause the liquid to stand at a
level that will cause the graduated stem T to indicate zero. That is, the liquid is
at its highest point and any movement of any of the measuring wheels will lift the
corresponding weights K-K' and cause the level of the liquid to fall the amount
of this falling of the liquid will be indicated on the stem T and will be in exact
proportion to the total movement of the measuring wheels and to the consequent
raising of the weights K-K¹. When the entire side of leather has passed
between the cylinder and the measuring wheels then all of the wheels will stop and
the figures on the graduated stem To will indicate the total area of the side of
leather.

page_text: 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
1st. In an area measuring machine a feeding cylinder, a series of measuring
wheels adapted to operate as described, in combination with a series of weights,
mechanically connected to the said measuring wheels and moved by them, and
partially immersed in a liquid and adapted by their movements to raise or lower
the surface of the said liquid and means for measuring the height of the said liquid
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In an area measuring machine the combination of a feeding cylinder and a
series of measuring wheels as described; with a series of weights the movements of
which are governed by the movements of the said measuring wheels said weights
by their movements causing a change of level in a liquid, in which they are partially
immersed, and a device for measuring the said change of level of the said liquid
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In an area measuring machine the combination, a feeding in cylinder Da
series of measuring wheels E-E weights connected to said wheels and operated
by them-tubes T-T' tank T, branch tube T₁ float T' and graduated stem To all
adapted to operate together substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this First day of October 1895.
JOSEPH PLACE TOLTON.