Improvements in Automatic Height, Weight, and Strength Measuring Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Jan., 1889
Improvements in Automatic Height, Weight, and Strength
Measuring Machines.
1, HELEN ALICIA BURT of 82 Lupus Street London S.W. artist do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The Improvement relates to the reading of the Index and to the registration of coins
taken-In existing machines the pointer or registering hand reverts to zero on the
index after each successive registration-By means of this Invention the registering
index is shown through a glass window and is obscured during the normal condition
of the machine, but by the combined action of inserting a coin and standing on the
foot board of the machine, a moveable screw is made to rotate or reciprocate by means -
of pulleys or otherwise about a pivot, which action unveils the index hitherto obscured by
the screen, and the combined action above referred to maintains the index on view as
long as may be required-The said reciprocating or rotary motion registers the number
of coins taken on an ordinary engine counter.
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Height, Weight, and Strength
Measuring Machines.
I HELEN ALICIA BURT of 1 Cremorne Road London S.W. artist 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 :-
This invention relates broadly to improvements in automatic height, weight, or
strength measuring machines, in which the information sought may be obtained
after the introduction of a predetermined coin into the machine. In particular the
invention relates to the reading of the index of such machines and to the registration
of the coins introduced therein.
In existing machines, the pointer or registering hand reverts to zero on the
index after each successive operation.
In machines constructed in accordance with this invention, the index is mounted
behind a glass window or other suitable opening. During the normal condition of
the machine, the index is obscured by a moveable screen. The index may, however,
be rendered visible by the combined action of introducing a coin into the machine,
and standing or pressing upon a footboard on the outside thereof, the said action
causing the screen to rotate or oscillate about a pivot by means of pulleys or other-
wise, in such a manner that the index is unveiled as aforesaid. The index is
maintained on view by the above combined action as long as may be required.
The above rotary or oscillatory motion may, through the medium of an ordinary
engine counter, be made the means of registering the number of coins introduced
into the machine.
The invention may be understood from the accompanying drawing, which is a
vertical section of my improved apparatus.
In this,
A is the cabinet or case of a machine such as set forth above. The cabinet is
supported in any suitable manner, as upon a standard or pedestal A'. The cabinet
is provided with a window or opening a, which is preferably glazed, as shown. The
index finger B is capable of oscillating immediately in front of, or behind, the
window a. The spindle of the index finger is connected by suitable means to the
mechanism of the machine proper, the nature of these connections depending greatly
upon the purpose and construction of the machine. Cis the index, which is mounted
in any suitable manner behind the window a, and carries the desired information upon
its face.
A screen D placed between the window and index finger and the index, is mounted
upon a shaft or pivot d, and is connected with a footboard and with coin actuated
mechanism, as hereinafter described.
E is a money duct, below which is placed a money pan F to receive the coin
inserted into the duct. The dash-pot is in contact with or attached to one end of a

page_text: lever F, which, on the introduction of a coin into the pan, can turn upon its pivot f,
when released by the operator, as hereinafter set forth.
The lever F may be connected with the movable screen D by any suitable
mechanism, such as pulleys and chains, or levers and links. In the drawing,
the pivot of the said lever carries a pulley G, to the rim of which one end
of a chain or cord G₁ is attached, the opposite end of the chain or cord being
attached to a pulley G on the screen pivot d. In the drawing, the screen
is shown attached to the rim of the pulley, though it could, if desired, be
secured by one or more arms to its pivot d. Obviously, the pulleys G G² could be
replaced by their mechanical equivalent, a pair of rocking levers. The chain or
cord G¹ could also be made to pass right round both pulleys, or it could be replaced
by a rigid link. Or the pulleys might be geared together either directly or through
the medium of intermediate wheels. The precise nature of the connecting mechanism
will depend greatly upon the purpose of the machine in which it is placed, but in
any case, it would be such that when the lever is in its elevated position, as shown in
the drawing, the screen D obscures the index C.
A stop His placed below or in contact with the coin lever, and prevents it from
being actuated by the weight of the contained coin. A footboard J or its equivalent
is connected with the stop EI, and enables the operator to release the lever F₁ as soon
as a coin has been placed in the money pan. A spring H¹ or its equivalent is provided
for returning the money pan F, lever F, stop H, and footboard J or its equivalent, to
their original position.
The outer end or side of the money pan is open, so that the coin can roll out
when the lever F¹ is depressed, as shown on dotted lines. The coin is, however,
retained in the pan, until it has completed its downward movement, by the curved
surface a¹.
The money pan is so balanced (as by a counterweight "), that on the escape of
the coin which has been the means of depressing it, it will not return to its
normal position until the operator ceases to actuate the footboard J, or its
equivalent.
'
The shaft or pivot d of the screen is connected to an ordinary engine counter
within the box K, in such a manner as to register each operation of the lever F¹,
that is, each introduction of a coin into the machine.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
:―
On the introduction of a suitable coin into the money pan F and on depressing
the footboard J, the lever F¹ moves the screen D by means of the gear G GG²,
and
exposes the index (to view behind the finger B. The machine proper may now he
operated, and the information sought may be read off on the index by means of the
finger B. On the operator ceasing to operate the machine and releasing the footboard,
the finger B resumes its normal position, and the other parts, except the counting
mechanism, are returned to their normal positions by the spring H¹.
The above described mechanism may be applied to various classes of automatic
machines, such as those for measuring height, weight, strength, etcetera.
Having, now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with the index pointer or finger of an automatic height, weight,
or strength measuring machine, a window located in front of or behind said finger,
an index mounted behind both the window and finger, and a movable screen inserted
between the index and finger, and adapted to obscure said index when the automatic
machine is in its normal position, but capable of being withdrawn, to expose the index
to view, by the combined action of a coin introduced into the machine and of a foot-
board or its equivalent operated from the outside thereof, substantially as described.
2. In an automatic height, weight, or strength measuring machine, the combination
of a movable index screer such as described, of a balanced money pan device connected
therewith, of a spring pressed stop retaining the money pan in its normal position

page_text: against the weight of a contained coin, and of a footboard or its equivalent on the
outside of the machine and connected with said stop, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. In an automatic height, weight, or strength measuring machine, the combination
with a rotary or oscillating index screen and with mechanism as described for operating
the same by the combined action of a coin introduced into the machine, and of a foot-
board or its equivalent on the outside thereof, of an engine counter connected with
the said screen for the purpose of registering the number of coins introduced into the
machine, substantially as described.
4. The coin freed indicated and registering apparatus as a whole, constructed
substantially as shown and described.