An Improved Apparatus for Indicating and Recording the Passage of Trucks Used to Convey Ore Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED WOODHOUSE, of Coolgardie, Western
Australia.]
An Improved Apparatus for Indicating and Recording the Passage
of Trucks Used to Convey Ore Material.
I, SYDNEY MORSE, of 4 Fenchurch Avenue, in the City of London, Solicitor, 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 invention, as described by my correspondent Alfred Woodhouse, of Cool-
gardie, Western Australia, relates to an improved apparatus for indicating the passage
of trucks used to convey material containing ore, obtained in mining operations,
from the millhouse to the place at which the material is to be treated, and for
automatically recording the passage of each truck.
In describing the apparatus reference is made to the accompanying drawing,
which indicates partly in diagrammatic form the essential features of the invention.
The ore material is conveyed in a truck a running upon a rail or tramway b, between
the place where the milling operation is performed and the place where the truck is
emptied. On one of the sides or other convenient part of each truck used a pro-
jecting bolt c is securely attached, all the trucks used having a similar projection
secured at the same corresponding position. Assuming the projecting bolt e to be
on the side of the trucks a, (as shown in the drawing), an arm d is pivoted at d¹
to some suitable support upon the side of the tramway, so that it is struck by the
projecting bolt c of each truck passing it, which causes it to swing upon its pivot
until clear of the bolt, when the arm is released and swings back into its normal
position. The arm d is hinged at a point beneath the pivot d', in order that if
the empty trucks are returned upon the same line of rails the upper portion of the
arm is not moved past its normal position in the reverse direction; but if the trucks
are shunted on to a second line of rails after discharging their contents to run in the
reverse direction, the hinge can be dispensed with. A suitable stop e prevents the
arm d being carried too far forward when struck by the projecting bolt c; and
similar stops e, and e², respectively limit the range of the hinged portion of the arm,
and the upper portion thereof to its normal position, on its return swing, in readiness
for the succeeding truck.
The aforesaid forward movement of the arm d is caused to strike a gong or bell e
to indicate the passage of each truck past the arm, by a system of wires and bell
cranks e, as shown, or by any other known and convenient means. The same move-
ment of the arm is also caused to actuate a ratchet wheel by a ratchet lever g and
pawl g' suitably connected at one end to the arm d, as shown; the ratchet gear is
mounted on a suitable support, as indicated in the drawing.
The forward movement of the arm d (shown by dotted lines) impels the pawl against
the ratchet wheel f, and turns the same upon its axis a certain portion of its circum-
ference. The ratchet wheel fis mounted in bearings upon a suitable frame and on
the same axis is also mounted a second ratchet or lifting wheel h, and a drum or pulley i,
all turning together. Provision is made on the aforesaid frame for guides j, in which
a light bar or stamp k is lifted vertically, when a projection on the bar engages
with each lifting tooth of the wheel h, and falls by gravity as soon as the projection k¹
s clear of the tooth. In falling, the bar k strikes the end of the flat spring 1,

page_text: a small wood block being interposed, which carries a needle . A table m is con-
veniently secured upon the aforesaid frame which also is adapted to carry bearings for
four axles, the upper two being for guide wheels n, another for a pulley and drum o
and o' respectively, and the fourth for a drum p carrying a supply of paper tape 9,
which is led over the said guide wheels n, and wound on to the drum o. A driving
belt is passed over the upper pulley i and the lower pulley o to drive the latter and
wind up the paper tape 9. The paper tape is caused to pass over the table m and an
orifice therein just beneath the needle 12, so, that on the passage of each truck, as
aforesaid, the bar k is lifted and dropped upon the needle block, the paper tape is
perforated by the needle, and the spring withdraws the needle 12 clear of the tape
in readiness for the next truck that passes. Consequently, the number of trucks
passing the actuating arm d is indicated by the bell e³, and automatically recorded by
a corresponding number of perforations in the travelling paper tape g.
It will be understood that the apparatus must necessarily be adapted to suit require-
ments of the outside position at which the arm d must be placed, and the indoor
or other protected position in which the recording portion of the apparatus is
placed. Also that the paper tape q may be driven differently without departing from
the nature of my invention.
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 :
An improved apparatus for indicating and automatically recording the passage of
trucks used in conveying ore material, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and shown by the drawing.
Dated this 19th day of September 1896.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.