A Height-measuring Standard for Polo Ponies or other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1898--Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Height-measuring Standard for Polo Ponies or other purposes.
CHARLES SHEATHER, F.R.C.V.S., 50A, York Terrace, Regent's Park,
London, N.W., Veterinary Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
A heavy base with a rigid pillar, rising vertically from it. The upper part of
pillar to be a hollow tube, and containing a telescopic arrangement of rod or tube
within it. The top of this rod or tube carries, by means of a universal joint, a
single or double hinge, a ball and socket joint or some mechanical device allowing
of movement in every direction, a cross arm. The cross arm is to be long enough
on the one side to project over object measured, on the other to bear a handle,
shorter and loaded if necessary to roughly balance. The longer arm is to carry
a level, to determine when horizontal. The pillar may be fitted with a rack, screw,
or other mechanical device to raise or lower contained tube or rod, which latter
may carry graduation marks. By this instrument the exact height may be ascer-
tained, or if fixed at a height, the level will show if object is above or below it.
Dated this 15th day of April 1897.
CHARLES SHEATHER.
I, CHARLES SHEATHER, F.R.C.V.S., 50A, York Terrace, Regent's Park, in the
County of London, Veterinary Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 device or apparatus for measuring the heights of polo
ponies, horses and other animals or objects.
According to the invention I construct the device or apparatus of an upright
pillar, preferably consisting of a metal tube, provided at its lower end with a suit-
able support or stand preferably folding or collapsable, and of a graduated rod
which telescopes in the said tube and is provided with a suitable clamp whereby
it can be secured in any position in the said tube. The said graduated rod has
pivoted to its upper end a lever or cross arm, one arm of the said lever
being of sufficient length to project over the pony etc., the height of which is to be
determined, and carrying a spirit or other suitable level whilst the other shorter
arm is provided with a handle which may act as a counterweight for practically
balancing the lever. The lever and graduated rod are so connected to one another
and to the pillar or tube that the said lever can be moved in any direction.
PR71

page_text: To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus for measuring the heights of ponies and
other objects, constructed according to the invention:
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale; and,
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Figure 1 also drawn to a larger scale.
a is the pillar, which in the drawing is shewn formed of a metal tube. It is
provided at its lower end with a sleeve 6 which can slide upon it and to which
are pivoted the ends of a number, preferably three, of links c, the other ends of
which are pivoted to the lower ends of legs d, the upper ends of which are pivoted
to lugs upon a collar e fixed to the said tube a. By this construction, the support
for the device can be opened out as shewn in Figure 1 by sliding the ring 6 to its
lowermost position where it is stopped by a pin a¹ on the lower end of the tube a
or it can be collapsed by sliding the said ring 6 upwards.
tube a
b
f is the graduated rod, which, as shewn, telescopes in the upper part of the
g is a ring with which the said rod f is provided, the said ring 9 being
furnished with a set-screw gl by means of which it can be tightened upon the rod f
and hold it in any desired position in the tube a by forming a collár round the
said rod which rests upon the upper end of the tube a as clearly shewn in Figures 1
and 3.
h, is the lever or cross arm which is pivoted by means of the thumb-screw i in
the split or forked upper end of the rod f, as shewn in Figure 2. j is the level
with which the longer arm of the lever is provided and k is the handle or counter-
weight with which the shorter arm thereof is provided.
To employ the apparatus, the lever h, h¹ is raised, as indicated by the dotted
lines, so as to enable the arm h to project over the object, for instance, the pony,
the height of which is to be measured, and is then lowered until the said arm rests
upon the pony. The rod is then adjusted in position by loosening the set
screw gand sliding the rod in the ring g and tube a, until the level ง indicates
that the lever h, his horizontal; the height of the pony is then read off on the
graduated scale on the rod f. In cases where the pony, for example, must not be
above a certain standard height it suffices to clamp the rod f in the position corres-
ponding to the said height by means of the screw g' and to then rest the arm h
upon the pony and observe, by means of the level, whether the said arm is above
or below the horizontal. To prevent malpractices the level can be riveted to the
lever so that its position cannot be tampered with.
By hinging the lever h, h¹ to the rod f, it is movable in one plane, the movement
in a plane at right angles thereto being obtained by means of the ring g which can
slide upon the upper end of the tube a.
Instead of the hinge and ring arrangement above described, I can secure the 4
lever, to the graduated rod f by a universal joint or by any other suitable
means. It will also be obvious that the arrangement of collapsable or folding
support which I have described and shewn can be replaced by any other suitable
stand and that the apparatus can be made of wood or of any other suitable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said 4
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A device or apparatus for measuring the heights of ponies, horses and other
objects, consisting of an upright pillar provided with a suitable stand and in which
a graduated rod slides, the said rod having pivotally secured to its upper end a 5
lever or cross-arm carrying a level, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein-
betore described.
2. In apparatus for measuring the heights of ponies, horses and other objects,
the employment of a swinging lever or cross-arm having a level substantially as,
and for the purpose, herein before described.
5

page_text: 3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for measuring the heights of ponies, horses, etc., herein before described and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 13th dox of Tanu1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London.,
Agents for the Applicant.