A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF COUNTER OR MACHINE FOR REGISTERING THE REVO- LUTIONS AND SPEED OF ENGINES AND OTHER MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Lewis Potter Muirhead and
Robert James Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st January 1873.
We, LEWIS POTTER MUIRHEAD, of the Firm of James Muirhead and
Sons, Nautical Instrument Makers, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, and ROBERT JAMES WOOD, Clockmaker, of the same
Place, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF COUNTER OR MACHINE FOR REGISTERING THE REVO-
LUTIONS AND SPEED OF ENGINES AND OTHER MACHINES," to be as follows, that is
to say:
-
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of a counting machine for registering the
number of strokes or revolutions of motive power engines and other
machines, the distinguishing features and advantages of which are great
simplicity and durability, with little liability to derangement, together
with the absence of all springs, which in the common description of
engine counters are found most liable to derangement.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention or machine consists all

page_text: whcols or rollers are mounted to rovolve loose on a main or stationary
rod or spindle, preferably carried in standards on the sole plate, carrying
all the other moving parts of the machine secured to it in a portablo
manner, so as to be easily inserted and removed from the small enclosing
and protecting case or box. The outer circumferences or edges of these
counting wheels are turned parallel and of sufficient width to have the
numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0 equally divided and marked in a
usual manner round each, but having a corresponding number or series
of ten equally divided short lateral pins projecting from one side for
actuating each individually by a new or improved actuating duplex
pallet lever oscillating loosely between the counting wheels by their
one end upon another rod or spindle ranged parallel to the former.
Each pulley except the last has an annular groove formed round nine-
tenths of its web, and a V cam shaped part joining the same to complete
the circuit or revolution; and each lever has a pin on one side worked
down and up this cam groove so as to be actuated by it, while the two
pallets on the other side work into the pins of the wheel which they
actuate on that side, so as to turn it one pin at a time every upward and
downward or double stroke of the lever by the forward motion of its
actuating cam wheel; the pallets as they come back to their normal
position lock the wheel between the pin immediately acted upon and the
receding one. The first wheel is actuated by its pins and the pallets of
an improved actuating arm or lever (corresponding to the former) but
reciprocated by a connecting link from a lever on the ordinary first
motion spindle, the projecting end of which passes out through the
enclosing case having the ordinary lever fixed on it actuated by a tappet
pin, wire, or other equivalent from the engine shaft or other moving
part of the machine whose revolutions or strokes are to be counted or
indicated by the numerals on the edges of the said rollers or wheels
shown through a row of square holes opposite them in the front of the
cnclosing case. The V cam part of the groove in the first wheel works
the first transmitting lever by its lateral pin, as stated, so as to recip-
rocate it to and fro, and cause the two pallets on the other side to turn
the second wheel by its set of pins to the extent of onc-tenth of a
revolution (or pin, division, and number, as before described) for cach
revolution of the first wheel or (0) cypher on it; while in like manner
for cach revolution of the second wheel and (0) cypher on it, the V cam
part of the groove reciprocates the second transmitting pallet lever, and
moves the third counting wheel one division or tenth of a revolution

page_text: and number, and so on throughout the series of wheels and pallet arms
so that the six wheels will indicate up to 999,999, double strokes
or revolutions (without a repeat) of any engine or machine connected so
as to actuate its outside first motion lever. The exact number of
revolutions at any time is readable by the units on the first wheel, the
tens on the second wheel, and the hundreds on the third wheel, and so
on from right to left as in ordinary rotation.
It will be understood that other constructions of case and arrangement
of ordinary parts of these counters than those herein-described may be
adopted to suit different circumstances, and yet embody and be in
accordance with the essential nature and novelty of this Invention, as
specified.