IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINE COUNTERS OR REGISTERING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Smith, of 10, Walnut Tree Walk,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Modeller and Machinist. for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINE COUNTERS OR REGISTERING
MACHINES
1
Sealed the 7th August 1868, and dated the 11th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th February 1868.
1, THOMAS SMITH, of 10, Walnut Tree Walk, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Modeller and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINE COUNTERS OR REGISTERING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object an arrangement of counting wheels
adapted to be used without springs for steam engine counters and other
registering purposes. For this purpose I employ a series of lock wheels
similar to the stop wheels used in a musical box, only with this difference,
CP 811

page_text: that instead of leaving one space or the periphery of the division
wheel uncut, as in the case of a musical box, I cut out the whole of
the spaces for the purpose of getting continuous motion. The wheels
are all of the same diameter throughout the series, half of which have
ten divisions cut in their periphery, and the remaining wheels have each,
a single tooth with a cavity on each side of it, the rest of the wheel
being circular. Between each of the ten divisions formed in the first-
mentioned set of wheels there is hollowed out a segment of a circle
corresponding in radius with the periphery of the wheel which has to
work in it, thereby forming a lock without the aid of springs by the
convexity of the one wheel fitting into the corresponding concavity of
the other. The wheels are mounted between two plates and each wheel
is mounted on a separate spindle. The wheels with a tooth are, by
preference, mounted on steel spindles, and those with the divisions in
them are, by preference, mounted on hollow brass spindles through which
the steel spindles are passed, which latter have their bearing in the back
plate. There is inserted in the tooth wheel a pin ranging with the tooth
and either one of the divisions in the other wheel, which pin passes into
a hole at the back of the division wheel. For the purpose of keeping
these two wheels in gear a spring is fixed to the back plate and bears
on the end of the steel spindle. The train of wheels is set in motion
by means of an ordinary ratchet wheel of ten teeth on the spindle of the
first tooth wheel, thereby transmitting motion to the succeeding wheels
by the tooth of cach tooth wheel passing into the divisions of the
successivo division wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent
filed by the said Thomas Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SMITH, of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Modeller and Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Smith, Her special licence,
that I, the said Thomas Smith. my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time, and at all times thereafter, during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINE COUNTERS OR REGISTERING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Smith, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Smith, do hereby declarc
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement -
My Invention of Improvements in Steam Engine Counters or
Registering Machines" has for its object an arrangement of counting
wheels adapted to be used without springs for steam engine counters
and other registering purposes. For this purpose I employ a series of
lock wheels, similar to the stop wheels used in a musical box, only with
this difference, that instead of leaving one space on the periphery of
the division wheel uncut, as in the case of a musical box, I cut out
the whole of the spaces for the purpose of getting continuous motion.
The wheels are all of the saine diameter throughout the series, half of
which have ten divisions cut in their periphery, and the remaining
wheels have each a single tooth with a cavity on each side of it the
rest of the wheel being circular. Between each of the ten divisions
formed in the first-mentioned set of wheels there is hollowed out a
segment of a circle corresponding in radius with the periphery of the
wheel which has to work in it, thereby forming a lock without the aid
of springs by the convexity of the one wheel fitting into the
sponding concavity of the other. The wheels are mounted between two
plates, and each wheel is mounted on a separate spindle. The wheels
corre-

page_text: with a tooth are, by preference, mounted on steel spindles, and those with
the divisions in them are, by preference, mounted on hollow brass spindles
through which the steel spindles are passed, which latter have their bear-
ing in the back plate. There is inserted in the tooth wheel a pin ranging
with the tooth and either one of the divisions in the other wheel, which
pin passes into a hole at the back of the division wheel. For the purpose
of keeping these two wheels in gear a spring is fixed to the back plate and
bears on the end of the wheel spindle. The train of wheels is set in
motion by means of an ordinary ratchet wheel of ten teeth on the spindle
of the first tooth wheel thereby transmitting motion to the succeeding
wheels by the tooth of each tooth wheel passing into the divisions of the
successive division wheel.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a face view of the counter; Fig. 2 is an elevation with the
front plate removed; Fig. 3 is a horizontal view of the working parts of
the apparatus; Fig. 4 represents the ratchet wheel and a division wheel,and
Fig. 5 a tooth whoel detached. In these several Figures the same letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The instrument is worked by the rocking lever a being connected
in any convenient manner to some part of the engine having a recipro-
cating motion, this lever being connected at its lower end to a pawl b
taking hold of the ratchet wheel c. This pawl is formed with a
prolonged toe, as shewn in Fig. 4, and this toe being acted on by
the tooth succeeding that with which the pawl is engaged, the pawl
is lifted out of gear as soon as the wheel has been moved round the
required distance. By this arrangement there is a security that only
the proper amount of movement shall be given to the ratchet wheel
even if by an error in adjustment the pawl should have had given to
it a longer stroke than is necessary. The ratchet wheel is clipped
between a pair of springs which cause sufficient frictional resistance
to prevent the wheel from overrunning when the counter is being
worked at high speed. On the same spindle as the ratchet wheel c
is a wheel & having one tooth of the form shewn in Fig. 4. This tooth
engages with the division wheel e, this latter being of such form that

page_text: except at the moment when it is to be acted upon by the tooth of the
wheel dit is locked by a portion of its circumference fitting against
that of the wheel d. By this arrangement the wheel e is moved one-
tenth of a revolution for each revolution of the wheel d. The axis of the
wheel d carries a disc marked with the unit figures, which, as the axis
revolves, are successively shewn at the right-hand opening in the face
of the instrument, whilst the axis of the wheel e carries another disc
the figures on which are successively shewn at the second opening
from the right. By means similar to those described the motion
is successively communicated to the five other spindles of the instru
ment, each spindle carrying a disc marked with figures which are
exhibited at the corresponding opening, and each spindle making one
revolution for every ten revolutions made by the spindle to the right of
it.
I will now describe the arrangement for enabling the numbers
exhibited to be at any time readily adjusted. Instead of the disc marked
with figures being fixed directly on the several spindles they are fixed
on tubes which embrace the spindles, whilst other tubes on the spindles
carry what may be termed the receiving wheels or those (corresponding
to the wheel e in Fig. 4) which receive the motion from what may
The trans-
be termed the transmitting wheels of the preceding axes.
mitting wheels on the other hand are fixed on the spindles themselves
and each one is provided with a projecting stud which enters one of
ten holes formed in the receiving wheel of the same spindle, as shewn
in the wheel c in Fig. 4. Each spindle, except that on which the
ratchet or first wheel is placed, is capable of being moved a short
distance longitudinally, this longitudinal movement enabling the stud
just mentioned to be withdrawn from the hole in the transmitting
wheel on the same spindle and at the same time causing the tooth of
the transmitting wheel to be disengaged from the receiving wheel of
the next spindle. By means of the springs disposed as shewn in the
plan, the spindles are pressed towards the front of the instrument and
the studs on the transmitting wheels are thus under ordinary cir-
cumstances kept in gear with the holes in the receiving wheels. When
the counter has to be set to zero, or to any particular number, all that
is necessary is to place a key on the square at the end of one of the
spindles and press the spindle inwards until the transmitting wheel
on it is disengaged from the receiving wheels on its own and the next
spindle when it can be turned round until any required figure on the

page_text: disc is shewn at the opening. In this way the several discs can be
adjusted successively with facility.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,-
First.
The arrangement of counting wheels adapted to be used
without springs, consisting of a series of lock wheels or receiving and
transmitting wheels acting with continuous motion as herein-before
described.
And, secondly. The arrangement of
The arrangement of parts described adapted for
adjusting the exhibition of particular numbers as may be required.
In witness whereof 1, the said Thomas Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
JOHN WILLIAM SMITH,
Modeller and Machinist,
20, Walnut Tree Walk,
Kennington Road.
THOMAS SMITH. (L.S.)