IMPROVEMENTS IN ODOMETERS AND REGISTERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster
and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ODOMETERS AND REGISTERS." A communication from
abroad by Patrick Eneas McDonnell 'of Chicago in Cook County, State of
TIL
TT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ODOMETERS AND REGISTERS"
A communication from abroad by Patrick Eneas McDonnell of Chicago, in Cook
County, State of Illinois one of the United States of America.
This Invention relates to odometers and registers heretofore consisting of a
complicated arrangement of cogs pinions springs and pendulums operating upon
each other and provided with a pivoted pointer operating to indicate upon a
numbered dial the revolutions of machinery or miles travelled by land conveyances
and which being adapted for registering but comparatively a limited number of
revolutions or miles require to be reversed quite often for effective operation.
The constructions above referred to are not only costly but owing to their
complicated arrangement and frailty of some of its parts are liable to frequently
get out of order and be totally unfit for use and incapable of withstanding sudden
jars and concussions to which they are necessarily subjected
The objects of this Invention are to avoid these objections by providing an
odometer or register the capacity of which for recording the number of revolutions.
or miles in units of tens hundreds thousands and millions is substantially unlimited

page_text: or in other words the odometer perpetual and at the same time dispense with
springs pointers etcetera heretofore required and have all of the parts substantial
durable and capable of standing the roughest of usage to provide an odometer
capable of being hermetically sealed to exclude water dust etcetera and to effectually
prevent its operative parts from being tampered with for the purpose of falsifying
its record.
Set screws are employed to secure the odometer to the hub of a buggy wheel by
means of a shank.
To protect the dial is a cover provided with a pivot rigidly fixed in a lid which
lid is hermetically sealed in the rim of the case and provided with eye-holes
exposing one set of units at a time in each of the dials.
This cover is pivoted so that when moved upwards it will completely cover the
face of the dial and is retained in that position when desirable by any suitable
means.
The dial is ruled to indicate one hundred spaces each of which spaces represent
one mile and has every fifth space numbered beginning at 5. a smaller dial
provided with internal teeth and numbered from 1 to 10 makes but one revolution
while the larger dial is making 10.
The rail road odometer it may here be noted has three graduated dials numbered
from 1 to 100 with a cipher placed before the single digits and the units removed
from 100.
The case has-35-internal-cogs-and-inside-it-are-placed-three-wheels-hereinafter-
called wheels Nos. 1, 2, and 3 having 34 cogs each.
On a centre pin hangs on a weight rigidly attached to an eccentric.
The Eccentric fills the hole in the centre of wheel No. 3 and by placing this
wheel No. 3 upon the eccentric, said wheel will mesh with the cogs in the case
direct with the stroke of the eccentric.
If the case is rotated to the left one revolution the weight being retained at the
bottom by gravity causes the wheel No. 3 to mesh with the 35 cogs in the case
thus making the wheel No. 3 go one cog more than its revolution so that when
the case makes 34 revolutions the wheel No. 3 will make 35 revolutions on its own
axis or one entire revolution in the case.
Wheel No. 3 has a pin or shoulder engaging with a slotted eccentric giving it the
same revolution with itself, this eccentric fills the hole in the centre of wheel
No. 2 and meshes the wheel No. 2 with the case the same as wheel No. 3 is meshed
by the eccentric attached to it.
The three eccentrics connected with the three cog wheels rotate on the centre pin
and all have the same stroke but eccentric No. 1 is twice the distance of the stroke
larger than No. 2 while No. 2 bears the same relation to No. 3.
'
This function is necessary to allow the three cog-wheels to make the rotary
reciprocating movement required to mesh them with the case at different periods
and not have the pins attached to them come in contact with the next eccentric.
When the eccentric No. 2 and wheel No. 3 gain one rotation on the case wheel
No. 2 gains one cog so that the case must make 34 times 34 or 1156 revolutions to
cause the wheel No. 2 to gain one revolution; the wheel No. 2 has a pin which
meshes in the slotted eccentric No. 1 controlling it the same as wheel No. 3 controls
eccentric No. 2 and with the same result, thus the case must make the cube of 34
or 39,304 to cause the wheel No. 1 to gain one, this being about the number of
times a buggy wheel of the ordinary size rotates in passing over 100 miles or
39,304 in one mile.
The wheel No. 1 rotates the dial with itself by reason of a pin and slot engaging
with each other and carries the spaces and figures under the pointer
The small dial has ten internal cogs meshing with the wheel No. 4 having nine
external cogs, this wheel is placed on the centre pin and retained from rotation by
a pin or shoulder projecting into the lid on the dial-two shoulders keep the small
dial in mesh with the wheel No. 4.

page_text: When the dial makes one revolution it meshes the small dial with the nine cogs
on the wheel No. 4 thereby carrying said dial ahead one cog and shewing another
number under the eye piece in the lid.
A piece of mica the size of the lid is placed against the under side of the lid
the effect of which is to hermetically seal the eye piece, the lid being likewise
sealed to the case thus making the case impervious to dust and water and prevent
its being tampered with without detection.
It will here be noted that as the weight is the motive power it is only necessary
that the odometer be rotated to cause it to register.
Another important feature of this Invention is that the wheels and dials rotate
in the same direction when the odometer is turned to the right that they do when
it is turned to the left.
a
This function is accomplished by a pawl attached to the weighted eccentric in
connection with four ratchets
It has been previously stated that by turning the case to the left the weight will
remain at the bottom thereby furnishing the power to drive the wheels and dial,
if the case be revolved to the right the pawl falling by its own gravity engages
with a ratchet and prevents the weight from remaining at the bottom but instead
lifts it up to the to the top and allows it to fall over moving in the same direction
as if rotated to the left and catches in the opposite ratchet making one-half
revolution for every one half revolution made by the case.
In the odometers for railway cars one million of miles are registered as the .
highest number with three dials
This is accomplished by having 101 cogs within the case and 100 cogs in each of
three wheel which are designated 1, 2, and 3,-there is also a wheel + with 98
cogs meshing with the 101 cogs in the case which will be definitely described
hereafter
It is required to have three different sizes of dials so that the numbers on each
dial may be seen through the eye piece.
The wheels 1, 2, and 3 each having 100 cogs when meshed the entire circum-
ference of the case gain one cog and are ineshed by eccentrics (the same as
the one for the buggy before described) each wheel governing the next by an
eccentric the only difference being that there is placed a dial ou each wheel
marked by 100 numbers.
Each dial being between the wheel and the next eccentric the wheel moving
the dial by means of a shoulder and slot and the dial moving the eccentric
Each cog gained on the wheel 1 represents one mile each cog gained on wheel
represents one hundred times that of wheel 1 and each cog gained on wheel 3
represents one hundred times that of wheel 2 or the cube of 100 as the greatest
number.
It will be understood that there will be nothing gained on the dial of wheel 2
until wheel 1 gains at least 80 cogs the reason of this being that the dials rotate
on a pin and the wheels being moved by eccentrics make a rotary reciprocating
motion and have to make nearly twice the distance of the stroke before they move
the dial perceptibly so that it is while the wheels 1 and 2 are moving from
Nos. 80 to 100 that the next dials are moved one number
Wheel 4 which in the present instance is made with 98 cogs is governed by the
weighted eccentric and as it gains three cogs for every revolution of the case it
requires 322, revolutions of the case to make one move of this wheel which in turn
governs wheel 1 by an eccentric showing one number on the dial of wheel 1
To allow the car axle and wheel to make the proper number of rotations to pass
over the distance of one mile which in this instance is 620%,-the case is made with
19 cogs on its outer surface and rotate it by a worm placed on the car axle-
nineteen rotations of the car wheel are required to give the case one rotation and
19 x 32 = 620³/,
To give any required number of revolutions before shewing one number on the

page_text: dial of wheel 1 it is only necessary to change the number of cogs on wheel 4 and
the case.
The lid is riveted and sealed to prevent its being tampered with
To tell the distance a vehicle passes over in a certain time the number on the
odometer when it goes out for use is subtracted from the number when it comes in
and the difference is the distance travelled.
While I have described this odometer as particularly adapted for wheel vehicles
it is obvious that it may be applied to water meters gas meters and other
machines for measuring gallons, feet et cetera or to determine the number of revo-
lutions in any kind of machinery

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th June 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord St. Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ODOMETERS AND REGISTERS."
A communication from abroad by Patrick Eneas McDonnell of Chicago in Cook
County State of Illinois one of the United States of America
This Invention relates to odometers and registers heretofore consisting of a
complicated arrangement of cogs, pinions, springs and pendulums operating upon
each other, and provided with a pivoted pointer, operating to indicate upon a
numbered dial the revolution of machinery or miles travelled by land conveyances,
and which being adapted for registering but comparatively a limited number of
revolutions, or miles, required to be reversed quite often for effective operation.
The constructions above referred to, are not only costly, but owing to their
complicated arrangement, and frailty of some of its parts are liable to frequently
get out of order, and be totally unfit for use, and incapable of withstanding sudden
jars and concussions to which they are necessarily subjected.
The objects of this Invention are to avoid these objections by providing an
odometer, or register, the capacity of which for recording the number of revo-
lutions or miles in units of tens, hundreds, thousands and millions is substantially
unlimited, or in other words, the odometer perpetual, and at the same time dispense
with spring pointers, et cetera heretofore required, and have all the parts substantial,
durable, and capable of standing the roughest of usage; to provido an odometer
capable of being hermetically sealed to exclude water dust et cetera and to
effectually prevent its operative parts from being tampered with for the purpose
of falsifying its record.
These objects are obtained by devices illustrated in the accompanying Drawing
in which-
Fig. 1 represents a full sized front view of a bicycle, carriage and buggy-
odometer embodying this Invention, showing its attachment to a buggy wheel, and
having the cover swung back upon its pivot to expose units of tens and hundreds,
which in the present instance, indicate 780 miles.
Fig. 2, a similar view with the cover, lid, and shank removed.
Fig. 3, a back view showing a pin meshing in a slot in the wheel ƒ shown
in Fig. 4.
Fig. 4, a similar view with both dials and the pinion i. removed.
Fig. 5, a similar view with the same parts, and the eccentric removed.
Fig. 6a similar view with the same parts mentioned in Fig. 5, and the
wheels g,j, and slotted eccentric removed.
Fig. 7 A sectional view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 represents a front view of a half sized rail road-car-odometer.
Fig. 9, a back view of the same with the lid removed.
Fig. 10, a sectional view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 11 represents one of the dials in Fig. 8 of which there are three graduated
in size as shown in the eye-piece of Fig. 8 and,
Fig. 12, shows the attachment of the rail-road odometer to a car-axle by a clasp
and worm.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
Drawings.

page_text: In Fig. 1 8. s. are set screws employed to secure the odometer to the hub of a
buggy-wheel by means of a shank.
c. is a cover provided with a pivot a, rigidly fixed in a lid I, which lid is
hermetically sealed in the rim of the case, and provided with eyeholes exposing
one set of units at a time in each of the dials shown in Fig. 2.
Cover c is pivoted so that when moved upwardly from its position shown in
Fig. 1. it will completely cover the face of the dial and is retained in that position
when desirable by any suitable means.
D is a dial ruled to indicate 100 spaces, each of which spaces represent one mile
and has every fifth space numbered beginning at 5,
d, is a smaller dial provided with internal teeth and is numbered from 1 to 10
and makes but one revolution while the larger dial D is making 10.
p, is a pin engaging with a slot o, in wheel f, and t, a slotted eccentric pivoted
upon a center pin P.
In Fig. 9, L, is the lid of the railroad odometer, and it will here be noted that as
shown in Fig. 11, this odometer has three graduated dials, numbered from 1 to 100
with a cipher placed before the single digit and the units removed from 100.
In Figs. 6 and 7, C is a case having 35 internal cogs, and in Figs. 4, 5, and 7 the
wheels f, g, and, have 34 cogs each.
Center pin, P, (see Fig. 7) hangs on a weight w. (see Fig. 6) having an eccentric e.
also hanging on the pin C, but rigid on the weight w.
Eccentric e, fills the hole in the centre of wheel j. and it will be seen that by
placing the wheel j. upon the eccentric c. said wheel will mesh with the cogs in the
case C, direct with the stroke of the eccentric.
If the case C, is rotated to the left one revolution, weight w. being retained at
the bottom by gravity, causes the wheel j. to mesh with the 35 cogs in the case C,
thus making the wheel j. go one cog more than its revolution, so that when the
case C, makes 34 revolutions the wheel j, will make 35 revolutions on its own axis
or one entire revolution in the case.
Wheel j. has a pin or shoulder u. engaging with the slotted eccentric v. see
Fig. 5 and 7 giving it the same revolutions with itself; v. fills the hole in the
centre of wheel g, and meshes the wheel g, with the case, the same as wheel j, is
meshed by eccentric e.
The eccentrics t, v, and e, rotate on the center pin P, and all have the same
stroke, but t, is twice the distance of the stroke larger than v. while v. bears the
same relation to e,
This function is necessary to allow the wheels f, j, and g, to make the rotary
reciprocating movement required to mesh them with the case C, at different periods
and not have the pins y, and u. (see Figs. 4, 5, and 7) come in contact with the next
eccentric.
When the eccentric v, and wheel j. gain one rotation on the case C. wheel g. gains
one cog so that the case must make 34 times 34 or, 1156 revolutions to cause the
wheel g to gain one rovolution; the wheel g, has a pin y, which meshes in the
slotted eccentric t, (see Fig. 4) controlling it the same as j, controls v. and with the
same result; thus the case C. must make the cube 34 or 39304 to cause the wheel f
to gain one, this being about the number of times a buggy wheel of the ordinary
size rotates in passing over 100 miles, 39,304 in one mile.
The wheel, rotates the dial D. with itself, by reason of pin P, and slot o,
engaging with each other, and carries the spaces and figures under the pointer
shown at 80 Fig. 1.
The dial d. has ten internal cogs meshing with the wheel i, having nine external
cogs; this wheel i. is placed center pin P. and retained from rotation by a pin or
shoulder x, (see Fig. 7) projecting in to the lid l. on the dial D,.
In Fig. 2 are shown two shoulders n, n, that keep the dial din mesh with the
wheel i.
When dial D makes one revolution it meshes dial d. with the nine cogs on the

page_text: wheel. thereby carrying said dial ahead one cog and showing another member
under the eye-piece in the lid L. (see Fig. 1).
A piece of mica the size of the lid . is placed against the under side of the lid,
the effect of which is to hermetically seal the eye piece, the lid being likewise
sealed to the case, thus making the case impervious to dust and water and prevent
it being tampered with without detection.
It will here be noted that as the weight w. is the motive power, it is only
necessary that the odometer be rotated to cause it to register.
Another important feature of this Invention is that the wheels and dials rotate
in the same direction when the odometer is turned to the right that they do when
it is turned to the left.
This function is accomplished by a pawl q. attached to the weighted eccentric c. v.
in connection with four ratchets. r, (see Fig. 6).
It has been previously stated that by turning the case C to the left, the weight w.
will remain at the bottom thereby furnishing the power to drive the wheels and
dial; if the case C is revolved to the right the pawl q. falling by its own gravity
engages with one of the ratchets as seen in the Drawing and prevents the weight w,
from remaining at the bottom but instead lifts it up to the top, and allows it to fall
over, moving in the same direction as if rotated to the left, and catches in the
opposite ratchet making one half revolution for every one-half revolution made by
the case C, this will be more readily understood by viewing Fig. 6 inverted.
In the odometers for railroad-cars one million of miles are registered as the
highest number with three dials 190,544 being shown in the eyepiece A. in Fig. 8.
This is accomplished by having 101 coga within the case, G, Figs. 9 and 10, and 100
cogs in each of three wheel which are designated 1. 2, and 3, Fig. 10; there is also
a wheel 4 with 98, cogs, meshing with the 101, cogs, in the case, which will be
definitely described hereafter.
It is required to have three different sizes of dials as shown in Fig. 10, so that
the numbers on each dial may be seen through the eyepiece.
In Fig. 9 it will be seen that there are, about 20 cogs in the case and this merely
to facilitate the manufacture as the proper space is there for 101 cogs.
The wheels 1, 2, and 3, each having 100 cogs, when meshed the entire circum-
ference of the case G. gain one cog and are meshed by eccentrics (the same as the
one for the buggy before described,) each wheel governing the next by an eccentric;
the only difference being that there is placed a dial on each wheel marked by 100,
numbers, Fig. 11. each dial being between the wheel and the next eccentric, the
wheel moving the dial by means of a shoulder and slot, and the dial moving the
eccentric, (see Fig. 10)
Each cog gained on the wheel 1 represents one mile; each cog gained on wheel 2,
represents one hundred times that of wheel 1; and each cog gained on wheel 3
represents one hundred times that of wheel 2 or the cube of 100, as the greatest
number.
It will be understood that there will be nothing gained on the dial of wheel 2,
until wheel 1 gains at least 80 cogs; the reason of this being that the dials rotate
on the pin P. Fig. 10, and the wheels being moved by eccentrics make a rotary-
reciprocating-motion, and have to make nearly twice the distance of the stroke
before they move the dial perceptibly so that it is while the wheels 1 and 2 are
moving from Nos. 80 to 100 that the next dials are moved one number.
Wheel, 4, which in the present instance is made with 98 cogs, is governed by the
weighted eccentric w. Fig. 10, and as it gains three cogs for every revolution of
the case G. it requires 32 and 2, revolutions of the case to make one more of this
wheel, which in turn governs wheel 1 by an eccentric, showing one number on the
dial of wheel 1.
To allow the car-axle and wheel to make the proper number of rotations to pass
over the distance of one mile, which in this instance is 620 2/,, the case G is
made with 19 cogs on its outer surface, and rotate it by a worm placed on the car-

page_text: axle Fig. 12, nineteen rotations of the car-wheel are required to give the case one
rotation and 19 × 32 2/s = 620.2.
To give any required number of revolutions before showing one number on the
dial of wheel 1 it is only necessary to change the number of cogs on wheel 4 and
the case.
The lid L, Fig. 10, is riveted and sealed to prevent its being tampered with
To tell the distance a vehicle passes over in a certain time, the number on the
odometer, when it goes, out, for use is subtracted from the number when it comes
in, and the difference is the distance travelled.
While I have described this odometer as particularly adapted for wheel vehicles,
it is obvious that it may be applied to water-meters, gas-meters, and other machines
for measuring gallons, feet et cetera or to determine the number of revolutions in
any kind of machinery.
Having now described the Invention exactly as communicated to me what I
claim under the Letters Patent is
-
1. In an odometer the combination with a case having an internal gear, and
one or more toothed wheels having a less diameter, and engaging with the case, of
a revolving dial connected with said wheels, and a weighted eccentric, actuating
the same, substantially as described.
2. In an odometer or register, a case having an internal gear, a series of toothed
wheels having a less diameter and engaging with the case, in combination with a
_dial_plate_connected_with_said wheels and with a central dial having an internal
gear, and a pinion engaging with said internal gear and means for operating the
same substantially as described.
3. An odometer or register, the case of which is provided with internal gears, in
which mesh wheels of a less number of gears, each wheel controlling the next by
an eccentric having a slot or shoulder in which meshes a slot or shoulder of the
wheel rotating it substantially as described.
4. In combination with an odometer or register the case of which is provided
with internal gears, in which mesh wheels of a less number of gears, each wheel
controlling the next by an eccentric having a slot or shoulder in which meshes a
slot or shoulder of the wheel rotating it, the weighted eccentric e. w. pawl q. and
ratchets r. substantially as described.
5. In an odometer, or register, substantially as described the combination with
the wheel i, dial d, and shoulders n, n, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.