Improvements in Automatic Measure-testing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Measure-testing Machines.
I, PAUL KÄMMERER, of Troisdorf, in the Province of the Rhine, Kingdom of
Prussia, Germany, 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 relates to a machine, by means of which the dimensions of bodies
may be automatically measured. It is especially the object of the machine to
measure or to test the correctness of a dimension of bodies, parts and pieces which
are manufactured in great quantities and the dimension of which must be of
greatest accuracy, as necessary, for instance, with all those parts used for the
The machine is
manufacture of guns, rifles, revolvers and other weapons.
characterized by its ability to not only separate parts of correct dimension from
those of incorrect dimension, but also to separate parts which are too long or too
thick from those which are too short or too thin. Measurements of any imaginable
kind may be executed perfectly automatically, and with an exactness and quickness
not having been attained heretofore.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views, and in
which:-
Fig. 1 is a side-view of the machine, partly in section taken on the line 9-10 of
Fig. 2, and seen from lever to lever do.
Fig. 2 is a back-view;
Fig. 3 is a modification of a part of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a detail-view of Fig. 3;
Figs. 5-8 illustrate several methods of measurements.
For the sake of distinctness I deem it advisable to describe at first the mechanical
construction of the machine, and afterwards the effect and co-operation of the several
parts, which consist in the whole of a feeding device for the pieces to be measured,
of a measuring-device, and of a delivery-device for the measured pieces.
C
Two feet or supports s and t carry a frame at to which is attached the table a.
This latter bears three socles be and e²; for holding the feeding device,
and ee for holding two bolts and e between which the piece to be measured is
placed. Socle (Fig. 1) has a slide c and two upwardly extending arms 9 g which
latter hold a tube or channel in which the pieces to be measured are contained.
Slide c is connected at its rear side with the upper extremity of a double-armed
lever no by means of a short arm m, and has at its front side a bent fork e which
is influenced by a spring f, and is secured to a longish projection d firmly secured to
slide c.
Fork e holds always the undermost piece which is carried forward by
the movement of slide whereat a flap i forming the under extremity of tube h
is swung outward.
The flap is closed afterwards automatically by a spring k.
Lever no has its fulcrum or bearing in a strong arm p downwardly extending
from table a. Said arm has also a flat spring r influencing arm n of the lever to
the other arm o of which is attached a roll u, which may be influenced by a long
projection of a disk v, fixed to a shaft w. The latter has its bearings in the feet
or supports of the machine. Shaft w carries at the righthand side of disk v (i.e. the
lefthand side in Fig. 2) another disk which is also provided with a somewhat
longish projection ¹ by means of which a lever y may be moved. Projection .¹
does not act directly on lever y but first on a roll z¹ attached to said lever for
decreasing friction. Lever y is secured at a side to a strong arm a¹ which extends
downwardly and is held by two other arms a² a fixed to frame a*; the other side
of lever y holds a vertical rod provided at its top with a wedge z and at its

page_text: other end with a weight c³. Said rod is guided by guides c¹ c³ which are also fixed
to the arms a³ a³ and a respectively.
Shaft w has moreover a third disk g a side of which is provided with an oblique
projection g' which may act on a roll g* secured to the under extremity of a double
armed lever. The latter has its fulcrum or bearing in an arm g downwardly
extending from frame a', and is influenced by a spring g² which tends to impart a
vertical position to lever after the latter has been deviated by disk 9. The
upper extremity of said lever bears a hollow spindle f³, to the righthand side of
which (i.e. lefthand in Fig. 2) is secured a very strong flat spring f. Hollow
spindle contains the thinner part of a bolt, the thicker portion of which is
inserted and guided in head e³ of socle e³, and which has at the other side two
female screws g¹ resting against spindle f and drawing the thick portion of bolt e
against spring. It will thus he seen that the reciprocating motion of bolt e will
always be of same extent as it merely depends on the height or size of projection 9*
of disk 95 on shaft w. Spring f is so strong that it is not bent or influenced in the
least as long as regular work is done by the machine; said spring acts, so to
say, as safety-valve, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.
A similar bolt is contained in head e of socle e¹, and has at its lefthand side
(i.e. the righthand side in Fig. 2) a projection 2 against which presses a spring f¹.
By this pressure bolt e is pressed against an adjustable screw f, which is fixed to
the upper extremity of a double-armed lever having its fulcrum in a bearing d
secured to table a. Lever is at its under extremity connected with a bent
rod the other end of which is attached to a short arm d³ which is made in one
piece with another double-armed lever e. The latter has its fulcrum in a bearing d¹
fixed to support of the machine, and has its short arm counterbalanced by a
weight d². The other end of lever influences a bent vertical rod 6 (Fig. 1)
which is in connection with a short arm ' secured to a swinging or oscillating
funnel b'.
Funnel swings between two points i¹³ (Fig. 2) provided in two arms a a³
downwardly extending from table a. The upper opening of said funnel moves
below a stationary funnel a arranged between socles and before socle b, whilst
the under opening of said funnel moves above three delivery tubes or channels 6³ ³
which are firmly connected at the upper extremities, but diverge thereafter to the
respective delivery boxes, not shown in the drawing. To a side of funnel ¹ is
secured a double-wedge which, of course, partakes of the oscillations or
movements of the funnel, and which may be influenced or fixed by edge 2 of rod c².
Shaft w has at one side a loose and a fast pulley h³ and at the other side a
hand-wheel h', the purpose of which needs no further explanation.
Having thus described the mechanical construction of the machine, I now proceed
to explain the effect and co-operation of the several parts.
The
After having filled tube with a portion of those pieces the length of which
shall be tested or measured, and after having adjusted or regulated screw f³ of
lever d³ according to the normal length the respective pieces ought to have, the fast
pulley is inserted and thus shaft w with its three disks a g' caused to rotate.
bolts ese in the heads ee of the socles ¹e have, when in normal position as shown
in Fig. 2, such a distance as to allow each of the pieces brought forward by slide c
to freely enter the space between them. Now, as soon as projection v¹ of disk r
pushes against roll u of lever on slide c with its appurtenances def and with one
of the pieces is moved forward by arm m as far as to bring that piece / directly
between the bolts ese. Instantly thereafter projection of disk g pushes against
roll of lever f" thus deviating the upper arm of it to the lefthand side
(ie. the righthand side in Fig. 2) and extending spring g³. By this movement of
lever also bolt and with it the piece to be measured, and bolt are moved.
The extent of the movement or displacement of bolt e depends merely on the size
and height of projection on disk as already explained; the extent of the
displacement of bolt es, however, depends on the length of that piece contained
between, and held by, said bolts. As bolt e' is pressed now against screw
of

page_text: lever d' this latter is deviated, and its deviation is conveyed by rod d' and arm d³
to lever e³ and the deviation of levere is conveyed by rod 66 and arm 6° to the
oscillating funnel 61.
d
It is obvious that also the deviation of funnel 1 depends on the length of that
piece between the bolts ees, and, in consequence of this deviation, the under
opening of funnel will be guided or placed over one of the tubes ² 1³. In
case the piece measured be of exactly correct length, funnel will stand over
tube, e. the middle one; in case the piece be too long, funnel will be
placed over tube 64, and in case that piece be too short, funnel ¹ will be deviated so
as to get tube b³.
Now, it may happen, however, that the piece measured be but very little too
long or too short, and that the dimension be still within the scope of allowance. In
such a case funnel b' will not be placed directly over one tube, only, but more or
less over two of them, according as the length of the respective piece be within or
without the scope of allowance, by which latter term I understand the slight
deviations the pieces or parts are allowed to have without being declared
incorrect.
As it is necessary, however, to direct funnel 61 always perfectly over one of said
tubes, or, in other words, to direct it above tube 63 in case the deviation in length
be within the scope of allowance, and to direct it above tube 3 or 4 in case the
deviation in length be without the scope of allowance, the device shown by
x x¹ 2¹
yzc has been provided. The parts indicated by these letters have been
formerly explained.
0
Now as soon as funnel 61 has reached the position imparted to it by the lever-
arrangement before described, projection ¹ of disk leaves roll u of lever on thus
causing slide c to regain its original position by the effect of spring r. During that
time rod c³ is raised by the influence of projection of disk on roll 2¹ of lever y
and thus the respective position of funnel is regulated, finished and fixed by the
wedge-like effect of edge z on the double-edge c¹. The same effect may be had by
furnishing rod with a double-edge and funnel b' with a single one.
Instantly after funnel is fixed in correct position projection y of disk g
leaves roll g of lever f' and the latter regains its normal vertical position by the
influence of spring 92. Now, as the pressure exerted by lever f' on the bolts, on
the piece measured, and on the other lever-arrangement ceases, the latter parts
regain also their normal position, and the respective piece is carried by the bolts
over the stationary funnel a. When in normal position, the distance between the
bolts is somewhat greater than the parts or pieces to be measured as already said,
thus the latter when arriving directly over funnel u will be let loose by the bolts,
and will fall downwards through funnels a' and 6' into that tube which leads to the
box containing those pieces which the piece just measured belongs to. The
measurement of that piece is thus accomplished.
In certain cases it may be of advantage to furnish the three disks on shaft w
with two or three noses or projections, and thus to rotate shaft w with but a half or
a third of the velocity used with one projection.
It has been shown in the foregoing in what manner testings of lengths could be
effected. The machine is capable, however, of also testing or measuring for
instance, either the thickness of a piece, or the correct shape of a cone, or the
correct length of the worm of a screw, or the depth of a hole; in short, every
imaginable dimension or shape of any part, piece or portion may be tested.
For executing measurements of such kind a modification of bolt es and of the
mechanism for moving it is necessary, as bolt es before effecting the displacement of
bolt, and the deviation of the lever-arrangement must gripe a certain extent
over or into the respective piece, as shown in Fig. 3. In this case is tested the
conical part of a piece which is pressed against the bolte, and causes the
regulation of the funnel in exactly the same manner as before described. This
modified form is constructed as follows:
The head of socle e³ is enlarged so as to form two guides e³ e³ (Fig. 4) in which

page_text: two slides o¹ o connected by a hollow bolt, m³ may be moved to and fro. Said
bolt m³ is connected with a crank-disk by means of two pinions m³ 1 and a
connecting-rod m'. Disk rests on a bearing and is secured to the upper
extremity of a shaft which is driven by shaft w by means of two conical
wheels. Bolt m³ is at a side furnished with a chuck n' which is fastened by
means of a screw ³. The size, shape bore etc. of the chuck depends on the kind of
measurement to be made, and must, of course, correspond thereto.
A third socle m³ is arranged between socle and bearing , and holds a
horizontal rod m' which is secured to the head of said socle, and may be adjusted,
by female screws m³. Rod m' extends through bolt m³ and reaches into the chuck
so as to prevent the chuck from taking the piece measured with it when all the
parts regain their normal positions. The manner of working of this modified form
is clearly to be understood from the foregoing description and from Fig. 3.
201
In Fig. 8 it is shown that the chuck may be attached not only to bolt m³, or e
respectively, but also to socle e'. In this figure r is the chuck which is secured to
head e of socle e¹ by a ring and screw Bolt has a peg or pin reaching
into the hole of piece the depth of which hole is to be tested. A flat spring p²
fixed to bolt e and having a hook p² serves for drawing the piece off after the
measurement is finished.
Figs. 5-7 illustrate several kinds of measurements which need no further
explanations.
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
In an automatic measure-testing machine :
1. The combination of a shaft (w) having three disks (vxg) and of three rods
or levers (no c³ ƒ6) with a feeding device, with a measuring-device, and with a
delivery-device, said rods or levers being influenced by said disks, and acting on
said devices, substantially and for the purpose as described.
2. The combination of a disk having one or more noses or projections r¹, and of
a lever (no) actuated by said disk, with a slide (c) acting on the feeding-device,
substantially as described.
3. The combination of a disk (96) having one or more noses (96) and of a
lever (f) actuated by said disk, with a displaceable bolt (e) acting on the
measuring device, substantially and for the purpose as described.
4. The combination of a disk (c) having one or more noses (¹), and of a
rod (2) actuated by said disk, with a single or other edge or wedge (*) acting on
the delivery-device, substantially and for the purpose as described.
5 The combination of a displaceable bolt (e) moved by the machine, with
another displaceable bolt (e) moved by the machine and by the piece or part to be
measured, too; said bolts adapted to receive the pieces to be measured between
them, and acting on the delivery-device, substantially and for the purpose as
described.
6. The combination of a single or other edge or wedge (2) fixed to rod (c'), and
of an oscillating funnel (6¹) actuated by bolt (e), with another single or other
edge or wedge (c¹) fixed to said funnel; said edge or wedge () adapted to regulate,
finish and fix the position of funnel (61), substantially and for the purpose as
described.
Dand this 10th of T1001