An Improved Coin-freed Machine for Measuring Human Force.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coin-freed Machine for Measuring Human Force.
I, CARL OTTOMAR PAUL, of No. 10, Radebergerstrasse, Loschwitz, near Dresden,
in the German Empire, Merchant, 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 to a machine for measuring and indicating, after the
insertion of a coin, the pressure exerted on a crank lever by a hand; the machine
being constructed so that the coin is returned to the person trying his strength,
if the latter exceeds a certain degree.
In order that this invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, like letters referring to like parts in the
various figures.
Figure 1 is a part sectional side view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a part sectional transverse view thereof.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figures 4-6 illustrate the transfer of the coin by mechanism designed for the
purpose.
A crank lever 12 is pivotted to the rear side of a casing a. The end of the
crank lever is provided with a stout handle, which can be reached by a person
through a suitably large hole in the front of the casing, Figures 1 and 2. The
extreme end of the other limb 62 of the crank lever is connected to a stronger spiral
spring c. To this limb is pivotted at or near its centre a rod d, the opposite front
end of which has a slot e. Below this rod is a second rod f which has also a slot g
situated exactly below the slot e when the rods are in their final position of rest,
see Figure 1.
The two slots serve to receive a coin. The latter falls through a small receptacle
or hopper h, situated over the slots e g, into such a position that one half is in
the lower slot and the other half in the upper slot, Figures 4 and 5. The upper
rod d is situated directly above the lower rod f. The front end of the latter rests
by side pins & in slotted guiding pieces Figs. 1 and 2 the rear end is held by
the upper rod by means of a strap m, Figures 1, 2 and 3. The upper rod d has a
downward projection.n which abuts against the rear end of the lower rod f,
when the rods are in such a position that the slots of the rods are exactly above
each other.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the person, who desires to test his strength has placed a coin through
the receptacle or hopper h into the slots e g situated above each other and exerts
pressure on the handle so as to depress the latter, the limb 62 of the crank lever
moves towards the back of the casing and the upper rod d follows this movement.
The inserted coin drops into an oblique position, Figure 4, and thus couples the
lower rod f with the upper rod d so that at a further movement of the rod d the
lower rod f is compelled to follow the movement, Figure 5. When the person
ceases to press, the upper rod d is returned by the tension of the spring c, the

page_text: lower rod fremaining at rest until the projection n again abuts against the rear
end of the rod f, such projection n during the preceding movement of the upper
rod having been removed from the rear end of the lower rod, to an extent corre-
sponding to the space required by the oblique position of the coin in the slots
Therefore the two slots become again situated above each other, the coin becomes
free and drops down, Figure 6.
J.
If the pressure exerted during the before described operation is such that the rods
are pulled back a sufficient distance, the coin drops out through a rear shoot pas
shown in Fig. 6 and the person receives back the coin. Otherwise the coin falls
into the front channel o and passes over an oblique surface into a receptacle
provided within the casing. The coin is thus lost to the person who tested his
strength.
In order to prevent the lower rod f from being moved back by the upper rod d
directly by friction or other cause when the upper rod d returns, a flat spring &
Figs. 1, 5 and 6 is arranged at the side of the guide piece 7 and is provided with.a
drop loop, which engages around the pin k, thus forming a resistance opposing the
return of the lower rod as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
To indicate the pressure exerted on the crank handle 6, the lower rod f is con-
nected by an army with an indicating mechanism r¹, the hand of which, s, is
arranged in a glass casing on the side of the machine.
In order to provide an intermediate step corresponding to a considerable
exertion of force, but less than that required for the return of the money, an
arrangement is provided whereby a bell is sounded when such an amount of force
is exerted. For this purpose an arm is provided on the lower rod, the free end
of which operates the hammer of a bell situated at a convenient spot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. A machine for indicating hand pressure exerted on a crank lever 61 62
subiected to the tension of a spring having a rod a pivotted to said crank lever
and slotted at the end, and a rod f below the other rod, also slotted at the end,
such rods being coupled, during the movement of the upper rod towards the
back, by a coin inserted into the slots e, g. of the beforementioned rods. until the
pressure on the crank ceases; the return of the upper rod being effected at once
and that of the lower rod after the striking of a projection n on the rear end of the
lower rod the coin being thus freed and allowed to drop either into a channel
leading to the outside of the machine or into a channel o leading to a coin receptacle
or cash box according as to the amount of force exerted substantially as described.
2nd. A form of construction of an apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which the
lower rod is subjected to the braking action of a spring i so that such rod retains
the position occupied by it at the cessation of the pressure until the projection n
presses on it, substantially as described.
Dated this Dand do.
J
1000
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.