An Improved Method of Automatic Registration of the Number and Weight of Various Articles or Things.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1834
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1895
⚫PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Automatic Registration of the Number
and Weight of Various Articles or Things.
WILLIAM PLAYER MILES St. Cuthbert's, Grove Park, Kent, Gentleman, does
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The
For loading unloading or shifting. A standard moving in a base with or without
a curved top bent forwards towards its work or an arm projecting a required distance
fixed to the standard or to any upright-height, size and length being adapted to
requirements. In the first case moving with the standard, in the second having a motion
of its own, is to be placed between the articles to be lifted and shifted or conveniently if
over articles only to be lifted and weighed. The lift is accomplished either by a
cord, rope or chain of any suitable material placed over a grooved wheel at the end
of the curve or weighing lever hereinafter mentioned one end attached to the
article the other of sufficient length for uphaul. Or by passing over pullies fixed
at proper distances to clear the standard one at either end of a cross bar connecting
the end of the curve with the standard and one above or near the centre upon which
the weight rests to act upon a spring. These pullies to be fitted with a partial
sheave or boxing or other means to prevent the cord from being thrown or slipping
off. A weighing lever connected at one end with a weight or spring of any kind
or weight and spring acting either inside the standard or if outside the weight end
or as much as needed for concealment to be boxed in together with the registering
apparatus a slile or door being made in the boxing so fastened that only the
possessor of the key or secret can open it to view the record of the weight of the
article or its deficiency or take out the record and put in another blank.
registering apparatus consists of a tape with lines or marks or figures upon it
against which a pencil or marker presses. One end of the tape being clipped or
fastened to the face of a bobbin or cylinder and wound on to it the other end being
fastened on to another bobbin the latter having a toothed or notched surface upon
one of its rims. The bobbins and face of the tape will be held horizontal or
perpendicular according to requirements. Both the pencil and the bobbins are
moved by attachments to a suitable part of the action caused by the lifting of
articles and their releasement as beforementioned. The mark between two or more
lines upon the tape will show the state of the balance. The tooth upon the rim as
aforesaid is projected by the end of a rod or other suitable driver taking its motion
from the action abovenamed thereby moving the bobbins and tape. A spring catch
or paul or friction may be required to prevent back action of the toothed bobbin.
When it is desired to ascertain the correctness or incorrectness of articles of a
known weight (such as a truss of hay or a pocket of hops) or that which ought to
be the weight of it the lever weight must be less the known weight by as much or
more than it has been found known or suspected or likely to be short of the true
weight. A spring acting in conjunction with the lever weight being used to define
the difference if any which is done by the pencil being moved by the spring only
showing the excess or deficit the lift of the lever stretching the spring.
1004

page_text: An Improved Method of Automatic Registration of the Number
and Weight of Various Articles or Things.
I WILLIAM PLAYER MILES of St. Cuthbert's Grove Park Kent, S.E..
Gentleman 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 :-
.
The apparatus is used with machines for loading unloading weighing or shifting.
A standard moving in or with a base with or without a curved top bent forwards
towards its work or an arm projecting a required distance fixed to the standard
or to any upright is employed, height size or length being adapted to requirements.
In the first case it moves with the standard when drawn over either way and in
the second case it is placed between the articles to be lifted and shifted, or
conveniently over the articles if only to be lifted and weighed. The lift is to
'be accomplished either by a cord rope or chain of any suitable material placed
over a grooved wheel upon the end of the curve or crossbar connected with the
standard by which a weighing lever or beam may be upheld with pulley and cord
as above mentioned, one end being attached to the article and the other being of
sufficient length for uphaul; or by passing over pulleys fixed at proper distances to
clear the standard, one at either end of a cross bar or arm connecting the end of
the curve or arm with the standard, or there may be one above, on, or near the centre
upon which the weight rests to act upon a spring or counterbalance. These
pulleys are fitted within a partial sheave or boxing or other means to prevent the
cord from being thrown or slipping off. A weighing lever connected at one end
with a weight or spring of any suitable kind, or weight and spring, acting either
inside the standard or if outside the weight end or as much as needed for conceal-
ment to be boxed in together with the registering apparatus, a slide or door being
made in the boxing and so fastened that only the possessor of the key or secret
can open it to view the record of the weight of the article or its deficiency, and
can take out the record and put in another blank. The registering apparatus
consists of a tape with lines or marks or figures upon it against which a pencil or.
marker presses. One end of the tape being clipped or fastened to the face of
a bobbin or cylinder and wound on to it, the other end being fastened on to another
bobbin the latter having a toothed or notched surface upon one of its rims. The
bobbins or cylinders and face of the tape will be held horizontal or perpendicular
according to requirements. Both the pencil and the bobbins are moved by attach-
ments to a suitable part of the action caused by the lifting of articles and their
releasement as before mentioned. The pencil is held in a transverse hole made in
the lever in a place suitable for it to act upon the tape or in or by any attach-
ment to the motion obtained at a place suitable to do the same as before
mentioned.
When other means of weighing are used, a spring keeps it in contact in the
usual manner.
The extent of the mark across the lines upon the tape will show
the state of the balance. The tooth upon the rim aforesaid is projected by the
end of a rod or other suitable driver taking its motion from the action above
named thereby moving the bobbins and tape. A spring catch or pawl or friction
may be required to prevent back action of the toothed bobbin. When it is desired
to ascertain the correctness or incorrectness of articles of a known weight such as
a truss of hay a pocket of hops and the like or that which ought to be the weight
of it the lever weight must be less the known weight by as much or more than it
has been found, known or suspected or likely to be short of the true weight. A

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1. 2. and 3 represent in vertical sections and plan an srrangement of my
automatically registering apparatus mounted upon a fixed base suitable for lifting,
shifting and weighing.
Within the standard portion of the framework is a spiral spring S, secured to
the base at its lower extremity but having room for expansion upwards. This is
surmounted by a guide G consisting of two discs, separated to some extent by a
distance piece for the purpose of imparting an equable movement to the pencil or
marker U, when indicating the sum of the load put upon the spring.
A wire rope or chain C, is attached to the guide G and passes over rollers R to
the extreme end of the crane neck where it is shackled to a pulley. This pulley
revolves upon a short axle which is carried in two sliding blocks traversing slots
provided in the cheeks of the crane neck in the direction of its curve.
It will now
be seen that the tension caused by any weight being hung upon the pulley E will be
conveyed through the connecting chain C to the main spring S which by its expansion
provides a means whereby the sum of any load being weighed may be ascertained
and indicated upon a graduated scale. By reference to Fig. 2 the altered position
of the several working parts will be observed, such as will take place upon a load
being attached and especially it will be noticed that upon such readjustment of
parts the marker U will have travelled from zero, its normal position in Fig. 1
to a measure corresponding with the weight hanging upon the pulley.
Connected
to the framework and placed in any convenient position is my automatically
registering apparatus which will be more readily understood and conveniently
explained by referring to Sheet 3, but it will be necessary to say that the whole of
the registering apparatus is encased in such a manner that the sum total of any
weight being recorded can only be discovered by the person in charge who will
hold the key of the case.
Letters of reference correspond with like details upon all figures.
Fig. 4 is an example of a weighing lever intended for discovering and registering
the weight of articles suspected of being short of their proper weight. The lever L
is balanced in the usual manner, having a pulley E at one end over which to sling
the load and at the other being attached as in Fig. 1 through a guide G to a spiral
spring S, in this case, and in order to simplify the process and also to reduce the
are through which the lever ends move the spring S is loaded with a weight or
series of weights W to somewhat less an extent than the proper weight of the
article to be tested, so that when the lever has been loaded the spring S acting in
conjunction with the weight W, indicates and registers either the excess or deficiency
of the article in question.
.
Fig. 5 is an instance where the weight of either light or heavy parcels may be
secretly recorded and registered, in this case a volute spring may be used with
advantage, the section of the metal of which shall be of a gradually diminishing
thickness towards its upper end. This is surmounted by a disc V supporting a
rod T which runs in guides D and carries a pulley E over which the chain N
supporting the load exerts a direct action, causing a marker carried by the disc V
to automatically indicate and register the weight. Contrary to examples explained
and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 where the indicator works upwards from zero, in
this instance a reverse action takes place, the indicator working downwards, which
will be afterwards explained. Fig. 6 represents an ordinary hand crane fitted
with a weighing lever L balanced upon the upper rail X carrying a pulley E at
one end as in Fig. 4 and attached at its other extremity to a spiral spring S and
guide discs G one of which carries the indicator or recording marker as in the
former examples, the whole being attached to the crane and consequently moveable

page_text: with it. Fig. 7 is a warehouse crane which receives its load over a pulley at the
jib end in the ordinary manner, hence it passes to the winch, but records the load
in my automatically registering apparatus which is fixed inside the wall of the
building as at A. The adaptation of this arrangement is equally applicable to
cranes worked by hydraulic jiggers. In this case the load subjects. the spring to
compression as in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an elevation of my automatically registering
apparatus and Fig. 9 is a plan of the same arranged for attachment to machines
where the main spring is closed when in a normal condition, whilst Figs. 10, 11
and 12 represent an arrangement where the norinal condition of the spring is
extended.
"
F and F are two reels or bobbins one being mounted and running freely upon its
spindle, the other being keyed to the spindle K. Upon the "dead" bobbin Fa
tape is wound, its other end being attached in any convenient manner to the "live
bobbin F so that as cach load is recorded, the bobbin F¹ winds it in its direction
whilst its fellow bobbin F un-winds in a like measure, thus preparing a clear space
for the registering of the next load. The tape is prepared with a graduated scale
of weights agreeing with the power of the main spring S. The automatic winding
movement of the "live" bobbin F¹ is accomplished by extending an arm from one
of the discs of the guide G through the casing of the standard at H, and this is
provided with an inclined surface M.
When the main spring S is in its normal condition of rest, a sliding bolt Y is
in contact with the said inclined surface M, whilst its opposite end is in gear with
the ratchet wheel below the live bobbin F. When a load is put upon the spring S
the inclined surface M is raised, and the sliding bolt Y runs down the said incline,
propelled in that direction by the small spring Z, Fig. 9.
In this manner the
ratchet end of bolt Y which is constructed in the form of a spring falls into another
tooth of the ratchet wheel.
Upon the release of the main spring S, and return of the inclined surface M into
its position of rest the bolt Y is driven forward and turns the ratchet wheel one
tooth, carrying with it the tape, thus providing a clear space for the next
registration. The record is given by the marker U which is hinged upon the
guide G at J and kept up to its work by a light spring O. The sliding bolt Y
acts in the double capacity of a pawl as well as a driver for moving the tape.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 represent in elevation and plans a similar arrangement of secret
registration and is adapted for instances where the main spring S is normally
expanded and where compression is necessary for recording the load.
In this case,
the upper disc of guide G carries the recording marker U and registers its measure
of weight from zero in a downward direction whilst the lower disc of guide G
carries the arm with inclined surface M for manipulating the movement for successive
reading, as in instances mentioned under Figs. 1, 4 and 6.
Fig. 11 is a plan, taken on line A, B. and Fig. 12 is likewise, taken on
line C, D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The application of the action caused by the raising and releasing a weight as
hereinbefore described for the purpose of secret registration and counting, some
of the methods of doing which are shown as well as the intent of the application
thereof.
2. The application and use of an automatically registering apparatus working in
conjunction with a spring or weight or weights, which, whether they be raised or
lowered upon the application of a load, shall be the means whereby a pencil or
marker or pointer indicates the sum of such load upon a prepared surface,
substantially as shown and described.
3. The application and use of an automatically registering apparatus working in
conjunction with a balanced lever, which is loaded at one end with a spring or

page_text: weight, and which is the means whereby a load hung upon the opposite end of the
lever is ascertained and recorded, substantially as shown and described.
4. The application and use of an automatically registering apparatus, working in
conjunction with a balanced lever, which is loaded at one end with a spring or
weight, for recording the sum of the load hung upon the opposite end of the lever,
and attached to a crane substantially as shown and described.
5. The application and use of an automatically registering apparatus working in
conjunction with a warehouse or other crane, the recording marker of which is put
in motion by the pressure of the hauling chain or rope on its way to the crane or
winch, and situated either within or outside the building substantially as shown and
described.
6. The application and use of a registering apparatus consisting of a spring or
weight which when being raised or lowered by the application of a load, carries
with it, or upon any part of the mechanism connected with it, a pointer or marker,
and which shall during its "upset" movement, record the measure of the load being
held by the crane or weighing machine, and which shall by its own movement when
unloaded, prepare a clear space for the marker to register the next load substantially
as shown and described.
7. The application and use of a registering apparatus, the recording portion of
which consists of one or more bobbins upon which a tape or paper is wound in such
a manner, that by the turning of a ratchet wheel attached to one of the bobbins
and actuated by a short lever, which is propelled by the descent or ascent of a
bevelled surface when brought into the same plane as the said short lever, moves
the ratchet wheel, and winds or unwinds the recording tape, substantially as shown
and described.
T
WM. P. MILES.