Improved Electrical Apparatus for Indicating and Registering the Arrivals in Velocipede Races.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electrical Apparatus for Indicating and Registering the
Arrivals in Velocipede Races.
I, GUISEPPE BESOZZI, of 15 Place du Statut, Turin, Italy, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to an improved electrical apparatus for indicating and
registering the arrivals of the riders at the winning post in velocipede races,
which is composed of two separate parts, namely firstly, a series of treadles
arranged in line side by side across the course at the winning post, so that
each velocipede in passing over one of these treadles actuates the same so as to
momentarily close a contact on an electrical circuit; secondly there is the
registering apparatus proper, which is composed of a band of chemically prepared
paper, cloth, or other suitable material made to travel over a conducting surface,
and a series of conducting fingers are arranged in contact with the paper, each of
which fingers is in electrical connection with the contact of the circuit of one
of the treadles, and with one pole of a battery, the other pole of which is
electrically connected to the conducting surface over which the strip of paper
passes.
Thus every time the circuit is completed by the depression of one of the treadles,
a current passes from the corresponding finger through the prepared paper strip to
the conducting surface, and in doing so produces a mark. In addition to the
fingers in connection with the treadle contacts is a separate finger which is con-
nected with contacts on the battery circuit that are opened and closed at regular
intervals by a clockwork mechanism or by a simple seconds pendulum, so that
at each second of time the electric current in flowing through such finger on
to the travelling paper strip and conducting surface, will produce a mark, the
row of marks thus produced indicating a scale of seconds with which the marks
produced by the depressions of the treadles can be compared for ascertaining the
time of arrival of the first rider, and the intervals of time occurring between this
and the arrivals of the other riders. The conducting surface is by preference
made as a revolving metal drum over which the paper strip is drawn from a reel,
and which is either rotated by hand or by a suitable motor.
On starting the rotation of the drum, a finger thereon is made to actuate a
detent so as to release the clockwork or pendulum of the seconds marking
apparatus, and if necessary, the finger may also actuate vibrating spring contacts
in connection with which is a second finger that marks small fractions of a second
on the paper.
There may also be combined with the apparatus an ordinary seconds chrono-
graph, which is started on the starting of the riders, and which is automatically
stopped by a finger on the revolving drum when this is started, so that by
adding the time indications of the registering apparatus to the time at which
the chronograph was stopped, the total duration of the race will be ascertained; the
indicating apparatus is in this case only started when the riders are nearing
the winning post. A hand switch is provided for keeping the battery circuit
open until the moment when the registering apparatus is to be put in action.
counter-
The treadle contacts may be constructed in various ways; by preference they
consist of hinged wooden flaps which are ordinarily maintained by a
weight or spring, or both, in a position with the free end slightly raised above

page_text: the surface of the race course, in which position a contact plate fixed thereon
is removed from a fixed contact. On the front wheel of the velocipede passing
on to the raised side of the flap, it depresses it so as to close the contact, and
immediately after, on passing off the tail of the flap, it depresses this and so raises
the front end again so as to break the contact. On the passing of the rear wheel
of the velocipede, the above operation is repeated, so that a double mark is
produced by each rider.
Dated this 29th day of January 1895
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Electrical Apparatus for Indicating and Registering the
Arrivals in Velocipede Races.
I, GUISEPPE BESOZZI, of 15 Place du Statut, Turin, Italy, Engineer, 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 an improved electrical apparatus for indicating and
registering the arrivals of the riders at the winning post in velocipede races, which
is composed of two separate parts, namely firstly, a series of treadles arranged in
line side by side across the course at the winning post, so that each velocipede in
passing over one of these treadles actuates the saine so as to momentarily close a
contact on an electrical circuit; secondly, there is the registering apparatus proper,
which is composed of a band of chemically prepared paper, cloth or other suitable
material made to travel over a conducting surface, and a series of conducting
fingers are arranged in contact with the paper each of which fingers is in electrical
connection with the contact of the circuit of one of the treadles, and with one pole
of a battery, the other pole of which is electrically connected to the conducting
surface over which the strip of paper passes.
Thus every time the circuit is completed by the depression of one of the treadles,
a current passes from the corresponding finger through the prepared paper strip
to the conducting surface, and in doing so produces a mark. In addition to the
fingers in connection with the treadle contacts is a separate finger which is
connected with contacts on the battery circuit that are opened and closed at regular
intervals by a clockwork mechanism or by a simple seconds pendulum, so that at
each second of time the electric current in flowing through such finger onto the
travelling paper strip and conducting surface, will produce a mark, the row of
marks thus produced indicating a scale of seconds with which the marks produced
by the depressions of the treadles can be compared for ascertaining the time of
arrival of the first rider, and the intervals of time occurring between this and the
arrivals of the other riders.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn apparatus constructed according to my
above described invention.
Fig. 1 shews a diagrammatic plan of the complete apparatus,
Figs. 2 and 3 shew an elevation and section of the registering apparatus, and
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a section and part plan of the treadle contacts.
Across the race course at the winning post is placed a set of treadles, constructed
as shewn at Figs. 4 and 5; they consist of boards a, arranged closely side by side,
and connected by a hinge-joint at a¹ to longitudinal pieces b, so that the flaps are
level with the ground. They have a counterweight c which ordinarily holds them
in the raised position shewn at Fig. 4, in which contact plates d on the underside
thereof are raised out of contact with the continuous conductor t which extends

page_text: across the course and is connected to one pole of the generator of electricity P
Fig. 1, so that the contact plates d being in conducting connection with one of a
set of wires at e connected with the other pole of the generator P through the
registering apparatus A, it will be seen that on a bicycle passing on to the front
end of the treadle a, and thereby depressing it, the corresponding electrical circuit
is closed, and a registration is effected by the apparatus A as will be presently
described.
Immediately afterwards the bicycle in pressing on the back end of the flap
raises the front end of the same again and thus breaks the circuit.
At the registering apparatus Figs. 2 and 3 the circuit wire of each flap is
connected to one of a series of small spring blades p arranged closely side by side,
and bearing with their extremities lightly upon the periphery of a metal cylinder A,
over which passes a band of chemically prepared paper or other fabric f
When the circuit of a flap a is closed as before described, an electric current
passes from the corresponding spring contact blade through the fabric to the
metal cylinder and thence back to the current generator P through a contact T
and the current in acting on the chemically prepared fabric f produces a coloured
mark thereon. The paper or other fabric is uncoiled from a reel 9 and is drawn
round by the cylinder as this rotates, the fabric being kept moist, both for making
it adhere to the cylinder, and to enable the current to pass through it readily. On
the opposite side of the cylinder is provided a knife h, which detaches the fabric
from the cylinder.
The fabric may be prepared with any suitable material, such as potassium iodide,
that will produce a coloured mark on the passage of the current. As this is only
of momentary duration the mark will appear as a dot or very short line. The
same strip of fabric can be used over again a great number of times; if treated
with potassium iodide, the marks thereon can be removed by again treating it with
the iodide solution or, preferably, with sodium hyposulphite.
At the side of the row of contact blades p are arranged one or more other
blades which is or are also connected with an electric circuit in which are one or
more chronometric interrupters, by the action of which, momentary currents are
passed through the fabric and cylinder at regular short intervals of time, so that
by this means one or more rows of dots are obtained longitudinally on the strip of
fabric as this travels along, the intervals between which dots represent small
fractions of time, which, when compared with the marks made by the closing of
the pedal circuits, will accurately indicate the intervals of time elapsing between
the passing of the winning post by the several bicycles.
The cylinder A may for this purpose be rotated by any means such as by a
crank handle, as the registrations of the arrivals relatively to the time indication
will always be correct, although the cylinder may be rotated at variable speeds.
The interrupter for the above purpose may consist of a pendulum j with heavy
bob, so as to oscillate for a certain length of time when started, which pendulum is
held at rest in one extreme position by a pivotted stop S, which, when the
cylinder A commences to turn is released by the passage of the crank handle
acting on a detent S¹, whereupon the stop is withdrawn by a spring 1, so as to
allow the pendulum to oscillate. The oscillations of the pendulum produce
alternate make and break contacts in a small vessel K¹, containing mercury by
means of a pin on a tail of the pendulum.
Thus, assuming the period of to and fro oscillation of the pendulum to be one
second, the distances between the coloured marks on the fabric will represent one
second. The detent S¹ in being released as described, may be made to stop an
ordinary seconds chronograph combined with the apparatus, so that if the electrical
chronograph be only started towards the end of a race, the entire duration of
this will be ascertained by adding to the registration on the strip of fabric, the
registration on the ordinary chronograph up to the moment when it was stopped by
the detent.
There may be added two other electrical interrupters for indicating fractions of

page_text: a second, consisting of two spring arms such as i i¹, which receive impulses by the
passing crank handle, and in being thus made to vibrate, establish at each double
vibration a contact in a mercury cup K 2 and K 3, and in thus closing a circuit
connected to a marker in contact with the fabric on the cylinder, a row of marks
denoting small subdivisions of time are produced. Although the crank handle in
passing one of the spring arms interrupts its markings, yet as the one or other
spring is always vibrating while the other is interrupted, a continuous registration
will be produced.
The row of marking blades p being connected respectively to the corresponding
pedals in the same order as these, the positions of the markings will indicate the
particular rider who passed over the corresponding pedal, at the same time that
they will indicate his position in regard to time.
When the apparatus is not in use, the connection between the cylinder A and
the battery P is broken by shifting the switch T off a contact; it is closed
automatically on commencing to turn the cylinder, by the crank handle striking
against a tail T¹ on the switch.
The contacts d on the treadles a are by preference made double for insuring
perfect contact.
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 :-
:-
1. In electrical apparatus for indicating and registering the arrivals in velocipede
races, the arrangement of a series of treadles side by side across the race course,
such treadles being provided with electrical contacts so that when a velocipede
passes over a treadle it effects the closing of an electrical circuit in which is
included a chronometric registering apparatus, so that the time at which the
velocipede passes over the treadle is thus registered, substantially as described.
2. In electrical apparatus for indicating and registering the arrivals in velocipede
races such as is referred to in the first claim, constructing the registering apparatus
of a revolving cylinder of conducting metal in connection with the one pole of a
current generator, over which cylinder passes a chemically prepared strip of fabric
on which bear a row of spring contact arms that are respectively included in the
circuit of one of the treadles so that on the depression of a treadle by a velocipede
a current sent through the corresponding circuit and contact arm causes a coloured
mark to be made on the strip of fabric on which, at the same time, are made one
or more longitudinal rows of marks indicating units of time, substantially as
described.
3. In registering apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claims, the use
of a pendulum arranged to open and close an electrical circuit at each to and fro
oscillation for producing the row of marks on the fabric denoting intervals of time,
substantially as described.
4. Apparatus for indicating and registering the arrivals in velocipede races,
combined and operating as herein described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 26th day of October 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.