IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED BY WHEELED VEHICLES, OR THE NUMBER OF REVO- LUTIONS PERFORMED BY ANY WHEEL THEREOF
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, GEORGE CHARLTON WILDMAN, of Peel Works, Peel Street, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, electro-plate manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING
THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED BY WHEELED VEHICLES, OR THE NUMBER OF REVO-
LUTIONS PERFORMED BY ANY WHEEL THEREOF, to be as follows:-
This invention refers, first, to means whereby a case containing a train of wheels
actuating fingers upon recording dials is mounted upon an axle, wheel-hub, or
wheel, of a vehicle, in combination with means for giving motion from such axle or
wheel of a vehicle to such train of wheels; and, second, to means for keeping the
face of the dials-in convenient position for being easily read by the rider whilst the
vehicle is running.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention, for registering the distance
travelled by wheeled vehicles or the number of revolutions performed by any
wheels thereof, consists as follows:-
A screw is formed upon, or fixed rigidly to, a rotating axlo of the vehiclo in
respect of which it is desired to measure the distance travelled, or to record the
number of revolutions of a wheel upon such axle, and a case carrying suitable
mechanism for recording upon an index face thercon the distance or number of
revolutions, as required, is hung upon such axle. The screw, aforesaid, upon the
axle, is geared into a worm-wheel carried by the case, and thus, the case itself being
prevented by its own weight from turning with the axle, the screw gives motion to
the worin wheel as the axle revolves, and motion is conveyed from the worm-wheel
to a train of wheels within the case, and the distance travelled by the vehicle, or
the number of revolutions made by any wheel thereof, is recorded by means of
fingers and dials upon the face of the case.
In the case of bicycles and any other vehicles, where it is desirable that the face
of the dials should be easily seen by the rider without dismounting from the
vehicle, I attach to the bearings of the case a lamp or other weight in such manner
as to balance the case up into a convenient position for the rider to easily read the
dials at the face thereof.

page_text: For convenience of fixing the apparatus to bicycles and tricycles, and in all cases
where it is desired, I put the screw together in halves upon the axle, and I also
divide the bearings of the case so that they may be put together in halves; and, in
order to make the apparatus more complete for attachment, the screw may be
formed with plain projecting ends upon which the bearings of the case may hang
instead of direct upon the axle.
When the apparatus is employed for a bicycle it is of course placed inside the
wheel.
In cases where the wheel is driven to turn loosely upon a fixed axle, the screw,
aforesaid, must be carried by the hub of the wheel and a case hung therefrom.
Instead of hanging the case as described and fixing the screw, the screw itself
may be loose on the axle or hub and have a weight hanging therefrom to prevent
it turning with the axle or hub, the case being fixed to the hub or wheel.
According to this modification the screw may, also, be formed as a scroll in a
vertical plane so as to face towards the case which is fixed at the side thereof.
31 .
T
1000

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Registering the
Distance Travelled by Wheeled Vehicles, or the Number of
I, GEORGE CHARLTON WILDMAN, of Peel Works, Peel Street, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, electro-plate manufacturer, do hereby declare the natura
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING
THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED BY WHEELED VEHICLES OR THE NUMBER OF REVO-
LUTIONS PERFORMED BY ANY WHEEL THEREOF, and in what manner the same is to
bo perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the lettors of
reference marked thereon:—
This invention refers to means whereby a case containing a train of wheels
actuating fingers upon recording dials or other recording mechanism or appliances,
is mounted upon an axle, wheel-hub, or wheel, of a vehicle, in combination with
means for giving motion from such axle or wheel of a vehicle to such train of
wheels.
An apparatus constructed according to this invention, for registering the distance
travelled by wheeled vehicles or the number of revolutions performed by any
wheel thereof consists as follows:-
According to one modification, a screw is formed upon, or fixed rigidly to, a
rotating axle or wheel-hub of the vehicle in respect of which it is desired to
measure the distance travelled or to record the number of revolutions of a wheel
upon such axle, and a case containing suitable mechanism for recording upon an
index face thereon the distance or number of revolutions, as required, is hung upon
the axle or upon the wheel hub. The screw, aforesaid, upon the axle (or wheel-
hub) is geared into a worn wheel carried by the case, and thus, the case itself being
prevented by its own weight from turning with the axle, the screw gives motion
to the worm wheel as the axle (or wheol-hub) revolves, and motion is conveyed
from the worm wheel to a train of wheels within the case, and the distance
travelled by the vehicle, or the number of revolutions made by any wheel thereof,
is recorded by means of fingers and dials upon the face of the case or by other
recording mechanism or appliances at the face. A lamp, when required, may be
attached or hung to the case.
When my invention is applied to bicycles, and other vehiclos in which it is
desirable that the face of the dials should be easily seen by the rider without
dismounting from the vehicle, I attach to the bearings of the case a lamp or other
weight in such manner as to balance the case up into a convenient position for the
rider to easily read the dials at the face thereof; or, I construct the indicator with
a face at its top for the dials, and impart motion from the train of wheels to the
recording mechanism or appliances at the fare by means of vertical spindles and
bevel or mitre gear.
Instead of hanging the case as described and fixing the screw, the screw itself
may be loose on the axle or hub and have a weight hanging therefrom to prevent

page_text: it turning with such axle or hub, the case itself being fixed to the hub or wheel, so
as to rotate therewith. According to this modification the screw may, also, be
formed as a scroll in a vertical plane so as to face towards the case fixed at the
side thereof.
A convenient application of this invention to the front axle of a bicycle
(applicable also in the case of tricycles and analogous vehicles) is illustrated by the
accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a plan of the mechanism for recording
the distance travelled by the vehicle or the number of revolutions performed by
the front or steering wheel thereof. Figure 2 is a part side clevation and part
longitudinal section through figure 1. Figure 3 is a corresponding view to
figure 1, but shews the dial plate removed, and also shews the screw and certain
other parts in section. Figure 4 is a section on line xx of figure 3; and figure 5
shews the relation of the recording face to the driving wheel (the hub and inner
ends of the spokes of such wheel only being shown) the arrow a indicating the
direction in which the bicycle is supposed to be travelling. The same letters of
reference occurring upon any two or more of these views indicate corresponding
parts. A is the ordinary driving axle of the machine. B is a false axle or sleeve,
made in halves longitudinally and screwed together when placed around the
axle by means of screws bb in collars OC at each end, as shewn at figure 4.
This false axle is fixed upon and concentrically with the axle A by means of set-
screws c c c etc through the collars CC, and thus the false axle or sleeve B may
be fixed upon any axle which is not greater in diameter than its own internal
diameter. D is a worm formed upon the false axle B. E is a case containing a
train of wheels and also index dials E F F and G (to indicato, respectively, say
fractions of a mile, units, tens, and hundreds of miles) and containing also a worm
wheel G. The case E is hung by means of bearings H H upon journals J J turned
in the false axle B. The bearings H H are put together in halves by means of the
screws dd etc. In order to balance up the dial face into the position shewn, so
that the indications may be easily read by the rider without dismounting from his
seat, the lamp, or a weight K, is attached to the bearings H H on the opposite side
of the axle to the case E. Motion is given from the axle A to the fingers of the
dials through the medium of the worm D, worm wheel G¹, pinion on the same
spindle as the worm wheel, and train of wheels. Any convenient arrangement of
the train of wheels may be adopted, and it will be unnecessary to describe to
persons of ordinary skill in the trade to which this branch of the invention relates
the exact operation of the train illustrated and of the dials and pointers upon the
L is a glass to protect the dial faces.
case.
The weight K may be constructed and fixed to act with any desired leverage, so
that such weight may be made much lighter if desired than the indicator which
it balances up. It will often doubtless be preferred to extend the leverage so as to
make the weight as light as possible and thus keep down the extra weight of the
machine to a minimum.
I am aware that the balancing up of an indicator by means of a weight is not in
itself new, as an arrangement has been adopted in which a weight is fixed or hung
to the bearings of an indicator, but at right angles to the indicator and not opposite
thereto as in my invention.
Figure 6 illustrates in vertical section a modification of my invention, in which
without a counter-balance weight the indicator may be easily read by a rider
without dismounting from bis seat. In this modification the indicator dials are
arranged on the top of the case, the finger for one of such dials being shewn at E".
Motion is imparted from the horizontal spindle e, corresponding to one of the
spindles of the train of wheels illustrated by figures and 3, to the finger El
through the medium of the mitre wheels ff and vertical spindle g. The parts on
this view similarly lettered to the parts on the other views indicate corresponding
parts, and sufficient only of the mechanism is shewn to make this application clear.
The index dials will in this case, preferably, be in position rearward of the axlo.
If it is desired to attach a lamp to this indicator, it may be hung thereto by means

page_text: of two buttons on the lamp entering holes in projections on the front of the
indicator. One of such projections is shewn in side elevation at M, and one of the
holes is shewn in front elevation by figure 7, of which is a round hole to receive
the head of the button and a slotted hole into which the shank of the button is
lowered.
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. The combination of a fixed screw or worm upon an axle or wheel with a
hanging indicator carrying a worm wheel gearing into such screw or worm and
thereby imparting motion to a train of wheels in such indicator; and also tho
reverse arrangement according to which the indicator is fixed and the screw or
worm loose; all substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shown
by the drawings.
2. The improved means or apparatus for registering the distance travelled by
wheeled vehicles or the number of revolutions performed by any wheel thereof,
substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the
accompanying drawings.
3. The improved means or apparatus for registering the distance travelled by
wheeled vehicles or the number of revolutions performed by any wheel thereof,
substantially as herein described with reference to figure 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. A false axle (B) and worm (D), constructed and fixed upon and to an
axle (A), substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn by the
drawings.
5. The method of balancing up the indicator by means of a lamp or other weight
connected to the bearings of the indicator extended on the opposito side of the
axle, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn by the
drawings.
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