Improvements in or connected with the Holders and Winders of Measuring Tapes Used for Geodetic and like Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Holders and Winders of
Measuring Tapes Used for Geodetic and like Purposes.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK CASELLA of the Firm of L. Casella of
147. Holborn Bars, Loudon E.C. Scientific Instrument Manufacturers and
JAMES MORTLOCK of 40 Milton Road, Fitzhugh, Southampton in the County
of Hants, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be 'as
follows:-
"
Our invention relates to the holders and winders of measuring tapes such as
are used for geodetic and like purposes and has for objects to simplify the
construction of the fittings used in connection with the box or case in which the
tape is wound and to enable the tape to be readily removed for renewal in the field
and replaced without special appliances.
Our invention consists in the construction of the bushings forming the bearings
for the spindle at each side of the tape case and in the form of hole in each side of
said case which receives said bushing also in the construction of the spindle and
crank.
We employ a bushing bored plain internally so as to afford a bearing for the
spindle and screwed externally to receive a nut. The inner end of the bushing is
provided with a flange which when the bushing is inserted in position in the
tape case is drawn against the inner surface of the side of the case by the out
above mentioned being screwed down upon the outside of the case.
The bushing
is prevented from turning with the nut by two pins which project from the surface
of the flange facing the nut, engaging with corresponding notches formed in the
edge of the hole in the case through which the bushing passes. These. pins, and
consequently the notches, are placed diametrically opposite to one another and the
notches extend so far from the edge of the hole as to permit of the bushing being
passed to the inside of the case for the purpose of being inserted in position without
distortion of the material of the case by the passage of the flange.
The spindle and its head are formed in one, the winding crank (which is
furnished with a handle and made to fold up in the ordinary way) screwing as a
nut on to the free end of the spindle after the latter is inserted in the tape case.
The journals of the spindle are formed the one by a turned portion upon the
spindle itself immediately inside the head and the other by the external surface of
the abovementioned nut, which consists of a cylindrical projection upon the inner
surface of the web of the crank. This web extends around the nut portion so as
to form a flange or collar, which by bearing against the outer face of the bushing
at that side, serves (in conjunction with the head of the spindle which bears
similarly against the bushing at the other side of the case) to keep the spindle in
position. Both journals are preferably made of considerably larger diameter than
the intermediate portion of the spindle so as to reduce wear and obviate liability
of the spindle to run loose. The screwed end of the spindle is made of sufficient
length to receive a check-nut outside the crank and the screw-thread is cut in such
a direction as to tend to tighten the crank in the spindle when the tape is being
wound up.
In order to facilitate screwing and unscrewing the spindle and crank, a notch
adapted to receive the edge of a coin or other convenient article as "screw-driver,"

page_text: is cut diametrically across the outer surface of the spindle head, the bottom of said
notch being curved in the direction of the length of the slot so as the more readily
to retain the coin in position when being used. The slit for securing in the spindle
the inner end of the tape may either extend diametrically across the spindle and
reach from the screwed end a sufficient distance towards the head, or it may enter
the spindle in a slanting direction at any convenient point intermediate between
the screwed end and the head.
Dated this 27th day of September 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in or connected with the Holders and Winders of
Measuring Tapes Used for Geodetic and like Purposes.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK CASELLA of the Firm of L. Casella, of
147, Holborn Bars, London, E.C. Scientific Instrument Manufacturers, and
JAMES MORTLOCK of 40, Milton Road, Fitzhugh, Southampton, in the County
of Hants, Engineer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the holders and winders of measuring tapes such as
are used for geodetic and like purposes and has for objects to simplify the
construction of the fittings used in connection with the box or case in which the
tape is wound and to enable the tape to be readily removed for renewal in the field
and replaced without special appliances.
Our invention consists in the construction of the bushings forming the bearings
for the spindle, in means of fixing the bushings in the sides of the case, also in the
construction of the spindle aud crank.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figure 1 is a side view and Figure 2 a part sectional edge
view of the measuring tape case. Figure 3 shews the hole in the side of the case
to receive the bushing for the spindle bearing and Figure 4 shews an outside face
and edge view of the bushing separately.
The
A is the case made of leather or other suitable material and provided with
bushings B B (preferably interchangeable) for journals C C¹ formed or fixed on
the tape winding spindle D to run in. Each bushing is bored plain internally so
as to afford a bearing for the spindle and screwed externally to receive a nut b, the
inner end of the bushing being provided with a flange which when the bushing
is inserted in position in the tape case A is drawn against the inner surface of the
side of the case by the nut 6 being screwed against the outside of the case.
bushing is prevented from turning in the side of the case by two pins (Figure 4)
which project from the coned surface of the flange facing the nut and engage with
corresponding notches a¹ a¹ (Figure 3) formed in the edge of the hole a in the side
of the case in which the bushing is secured, these pins 6* and consequently the
notches a¹ being placed diametrically opposite to one another and the notches a
extending so far from the edge of the hole as to permit of the bushing being
passed edgewise through the hole a to the inside of the case without distortion of
the case by the passage of the flange for the purpose of inserting the bushing into
its position in the side of the case from the inside.
The spindle and its head C which forms the one spindle journal are made in one,
the other journal C' screwing as a nut on to the threaded end of the spindle after
the latter is inserted in the tape case. The journals of the spindle are thus

page_text: formed the one by a turned portion of the head of the spindle itself immediately
inside the shoulder or flange of the head and the other by the cylindrical portion
of the nut C. Both the spindle journals have flanges or collars which by bearing
against the outer faces of the bushings serve to keep the spindle in position
whilst both journals are made of considerably larger diameter than the inter-
mediate portion of the spindle so as to reduce wear, obviate liability of the
spindle to run loose, and facilitate the introduction of the spindle with the tape
attached. The winding crank E is made in one with the nut C' and is hinged
at e to fold up in the ordinary way, the crank handle being then received in a
cavity in the end of the spindle and there retained by a spring * The
screwed end of the spindle is made of sufficient length to receive a check-nut c
outside the nut C¹ and the screw thread is cut in such a direction as to tend to
tighten the nut C¹ against a shoulder d on the spindle when the tape is being
wound up, the shoulder d serving to keep the flanges of C and C¹ from binding
upon the outer ends of the bushings B B.
In order to facilitate unscrewing and screwing up the spindle and nuts, a notch f
adapted to receive the edge of a coin (as shewn by the dotted circle ƒ¹) or other
article which may conveniently serve as a turnscrew, is cut diametrically across
the outer surface of the spindle head, the bottom of said notch being curved in
the direction of the length of the slot so as the more readily to retain the coin
in position when being used. The slit g in the spindle D for securing thereto
the inner end of the tape is a saw-cut entering the side of the spindle in a
slanting direction near one end and extending in a longitudinal direction towards
the other end of the spindle. The doubled end of the tape can be readily
slipped into the slit and will be securely retained by a piece of string lying in
the fold to act as a stop to prevent the tape drawing out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a measuring tape holder or winder the herein described means of inserting
and securing the bushings in the sides of the case, substantially as specified.
2. In a measuring tape holder or winder the spindle having journals formed
by an enlarged flanged head at one end and a flanged collar screwing as a nut
on the other end of the spindle, the said collar being in one with the winding
crank.
3. The herein described measuring tape holder or winder provided with a spindle
slitted as described, having at one end an enlarged flanged head and at the other
end a flanged screw collar in one with the winding crank the flanged head and
collar forming journals of large diameter and being received in bushings of
correspondingly large diameter secured in the side of the case substantially as
specified.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.