An Improved Automatic Height Measuring Machine.
Year: 1886

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Height Measuring Machine.
JAMES HENRY AIREY Watchmaker Jeweller &c. 126 High Street Sunderland
County of Durham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of a measuring machine constructed so that by placing a
penny through a slit, a person will be measured & the height indicated on a dial or
any suitable index. A penny in falling through the apparatus, strikes a lover & sets
the machine in motion. The mechanism consists of a straight rack. Projecting Arm.
Clockwork for indication. Weight to weigh down rack. Counterweight to counteract
the rack. A jointed shoot to free & add weight to the counterweight. A lever
from platform to force the shoot to a height of 4 feet. A Locking rod to
lock the rack. Two Tell Tales to record the number of Pennies & Halfpennies that
are put into the machine, and Two Clockwork Figures to make the machine
attractive.
To describe the action of the machine I will commence with the rack which is
straight & about 4 or 5 feet long by 1 in. by in. On one edge there is ratchet teeth
& on the other edge Cogs. The rack when at rest reaches from the centre of the
machine to the top. From the top end I place a projecting arm a few inches long; to
this I attach a descending rod of about 24 ins., at the end of which I attach a Plate
horizontally. This is the measurer.
To weigh down the measurer. I attach a weight of about 4 lbs. to the bottom end
of the rack. At the top of the rack 1 attach a cord, chain or the like, and run it over
pulleys to which I attach a counterweight of about 3 lbs. On the top of this counter-
weight, I have a lead ring of about 2 lbs. This ring when allowed to rest on the
counterweight causes the rack & measurer to ascend to its resting place. Before the
measurer can descend again, the lead rings must be raised. To obtain this, I
construct what I call a shoot, which has to rise a distance of 4 feet or thereabout.
This shoot is as it were a great number of scissors fastened together. The lead ring is
attached to the top pair. To raise the shoot I place a lever from the platform to the
bottom centre action of the shoot, which causes the bottom pair (of scissors as it
077

page_text: were) to close, causing all the rest to expand, carrying the lead ring up with them, the
lover is actuated by the weight of the person getting on to the platform to be
measured.
The rack is connected with clockwork behind the dial which works the pointer on
the dial or index which indicates the height of the person measured.
The locking rod which is connected to the lever is carried up to the rack &
a bolt into the ratchet part of the rack thereby locking it.
presses
I also construct two tell tales which are worked by the coin passing down the tube,
one to record the number of pennies, and the other to record the number of
halfpennies put into the machine.
To make the machine more attractive I construct two clockwork figures, which I
place at the left & right corners above the dial. The left side one to have a tablet
outside its mouth with the words on (Shall I Measure you, or the like). The right
side figure will have a tablet inside its mouth. By a contrivance, so soon as a person
gets on to the platform, or a coin is dropt into the machine, the tablet will be drawn
into the mouth of the left figure, and the tablet inside the mouth of the right figure
will come outside, with the words on (Thank You).

page_text: An Improved Automatic Height Measuring Machine.
JAMES HENRY AIREY Watchmaker & Jeweller 126 High Street Sunderland
County Durham England 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 :-
My invention consists of a Height Measuring Machine, so constructed that by
putting a penny through a slot into the apparatus, a person will be measured &
the height indicated on a circular dial or any suitable index. A penny in falling
through the apparatus strikes a lever & sets the machine in motion.
The mechanism may consist of a complication of levers pulleys, springs, or the like.
Or a straight rack. Projecting arm to receive measurer. Clockwork for indication.
Counterweight to counteract the rack & measurer. A locking rod to lock the rack.
(Or any equivalent mechanism may be used). A tell tale to record the number of
pennies that is put into the machine, & 2 Clockwork Figures to make the machine
more attractive.
Before commencing to particularly describe my invention, I may mention, I have
abandoned the Shoot, (mentioned in my provisional specification) which was for the
purpose of lifting the lead ring off the counterweight. And preferably employ a
toothed. quadrant, wheel, pulley, & rod, (hereinafter described) to obtain the same
result. And instead of using two tell tales one for the pennies & and one for the half-
pennies, I use only one tell tale & that is for the pennies. This I think is the only
deviation from the Provisional Specification.
The accompanying drawings in illustration of my invention, consists of ten figures
1 to 3 & 4 to 10.
Fig. 1 & 1 A. Complete Front View of case, dial, platform, measurer,
Fig. 2 & 2 A. Full View of side of machine with side of case removed.
Fig. 3 & 3 A. View from back of machine of entire machine..
Fig. 4. Horizontal section of indication dial-work, quadrant, pulley &c.
Fig. 5. Enlarged view of flyback action.
Fig. 6. Sectional view of index & rack work.
Fig. 7. Full sized section view of money recorder.
Fig. 8. Platform interior with top removed.
Fig. 9. View of top of platform with split parts removed.
Fig. 10. Shows tablet work. for the two figures.
&c.
In all the figures similar letters represent similar parts. Figures 1 & 1 A. 2 & 2 A.
3 & 3 A, 4. 6. 8. & 9. are drawn about 2 in. to the foot.
In commencing to describe my invention, I will begin by supposing a person has
got onto the platform G. (Fig. 1) Lever L connected with support K will be forced
down, thereby pressing up rod M (Fig. 2 & 3) which is connected to quadrant N

page_text: gearing into pulley wheel O revolving pulley P. To which is attached cord Q Fig. 2
& 3 which draws up lead ring R to the top of guide wires S. Before the measurer A
will come down which is balanced by counterweight F1 by a cord running over
pulley E Fig. 2 A, and attached to projecting arm D¹ Fig. 2 A. A penny must be
put into slot E, Fig. 1 which on falling through tube X will strike the lever Y which
is held in position by the spring Z releases locking bolt A¹ which is drawn out of the
rack C by the spring B¹ the measurer A then begins to descend down the standard
bar M³, to ensure the steady, smooth, & gentle action of the slide N³ Fig. 2 A working
up & down the standard bar M³ I attach 4 flat springs 03 which pressed gently
against each of the 4 sides of the standard bar M³. The rack C₁ in its descent works
into the rack wheel G¹ revolving the pinion H which rotates index wheel I carrying
round with it pulley J¹ thereby extending spring K' & index hand D being attached
to this arbor is carried round as indicated on the index dial C (Fig. 1) by the arrow
& on the measurer A coming in contact with the head of the person getting measured.
The height is indicated on the index dial C (Fig. 1) Before the measurer A can return
to its resting place the person must get off the platform G allowing the lead ring R
to come back onto the counterweight F' adding weight to the same thereby weighing
back the measurer A to the top of the machine. To Regulate the gentle approach of
the measurer A to the head of the person getting measured I place a wheel L¹
working into a pinion M¹ on which a fly N is secured to control the descent of
the rack & the measurer A. When a person gets off the platform the rod A:
which is attached to the lever L at B is pulled down & being connected to the.
crank C presses against the pin D* forcing the bolt A¹ towards & into the teeth of the
rack & the lover Y locks the bolt A' at E.
To make the machine more attractive I construct a new kind of working figures
(i.e. two busts, say of judges or the like) whereby any known arrangement of levers
pulleys & springs, rack & pinions or their equivalent may be used to project out of
the mouth through the lips a tablet tongue or the like, with any suitable wording
thereon, or on the mouth opening a stationary tablet may be show with any suitable
wording thereon, those two figures K2 I place in the receptacles L2 behind the index
dial C. M² in Figure 4 shows a tablet out of the mouth of one of the figures with
the wording on it (Shall I measure you) N2 Fig. 10 is a lead weight attached to
wire 02 connected to a pivoted arbor P2 working between plates Q2 to which is applied
the loose action S connected with the pulleys T2 on the spindles R2 on which is
attached the tablets or the like, on the pin U2 in the rack descending one of the
arms V2 is operated on & the weighted arm 02 is moved & overbalanced & being of
sufficient weight carries along with it the loose action S2 actuating the pulleys T & the
spindles R², thereby projecting the tablet or the like through the lips of one of the
With
figures & drawing in the tablet or the like into the mouth of the other figure.
the downward action of the rack C₁ the tablet (Shall I measure you) is drawn into
the mouth & the tablet (Thank you) is projected out of the mouth of the other figure.
On the ascending these tablets & wordings will be reversed.
As similar machines are too silent I place inside the case B a small bell A³ on
which a hammer B³ is lifted by the pin U2 in the rack C coming in contact with
the tail C3 of the hammer each time a person is measured & the bell is struct
once. When the rack ascends, to allow it to pass, the tail of the hammer is jointed..
The money recorder 1. 3. & 7 is actuated by the crank I3 which is a strong piece of
wire riveted to Lever Y Fig. 3 & moved by a penny striking the plate J thereby
throwing crank tail K³ down & striking & moving the ratchet wheel L³ one tooth,
the star wheel M³ & hook N³ holds the recorder hands exact to position, after
being moved by K³. For the recorder I use pinions of 7, 5 wheels of 70, ratchet &
star wheel of ten teeth each.
- Money box E³ (Fig. 3) I construct with an incline bottom to throw the money
forward. On a door at the side of the case B being opened & a slide F3 pulled out
from under the money box, and the slide H3 lifted up, the money will all slide out of
the box into a bag or the like.
To prevent as far as possible the trickery which is so prevalent with other penny

page_text: machines, I construct a special arrangement to throw back the index hand D after the
height of the person being measured is indicated. It may consist of any known
arrangement of levers, springs, clockwork or their equivalent. Supposing a person
on the platform after getting measured were to try & let another person get onto the
platform the top or split part of the platform is in two parts, one half for right foot
& the other half for the left foot, the right or left will each work up or down, without
the other. By the springs H Fig. 9. This Fig. 9 platform being not split act as a
foundation for platform G Fig. 1. Likewise to attach platform iron work to, to be
measured for the one penny. The toe or heel would be followed by the top of the split
part of the platform being pressed upward by the springs H (Fig. 2 & 9). Guide
studs S¹ which is connected to crank T pulls crank U₁ connected to spur V₁ which on
being pulled by the aforesaid means presses spur wheels W' Fig. 5 and moved the index
wheel 1 & releases the flyback action P³ Fig. 5 & the index hand D is thrown back
to its normal position Q3 Fig. 5 by the spring K¹ connected to the pulley J'.
In case the aforesaid is done unwittingly I place a second index hand Z' which is
carried forward only, by pins between the hand D & the hand Z. The index hand Z¹
is held in position by the slide spring A2 Fig. 5, & will remain at any part of the
dial C Fig. 1 it may be carried to by the index hand D. On the band been thrown
back by the aforesaid actions the hand Z remains steady to show the height of the
person just measured.
The hand Z' is not drawn back to its resting place until the person gets off the
platform & the measurer A ascends to within 3 or 4 inches off the top of the machine
when the pull back action B2 (Fig. 3 A) is caught by a projecting part C² from the
arm D¹ & the hand Z is drawn back by a cord R³ connected to the pulley H2. After
the hand D has been thrown back, the measurer A, will have to return to its resting
place D³ Fig. 2, before it can get into action ready for measuring again. Should
anyone wish to examine the index C very minutely, they must press in the knob L³
before taking their head, away from the measurer A, this will prevent the measurer
descending. The knob presses a wire over onto Fly N¹ Fig. 2 stops its action.
To prevent any distress to the machine, caused by anyone jumping on & off the
platform causing the lead ring R to be jumped up & down by the action of the plat-
form, I place at each side of the guide wires S, two saw like strips U, (Fig. 3). So
soon as anyone gets onto the platform, at anytime, the lead ring R is raised off the
counterweight F¹, and the saw strips Ú having teeth from top to bottom & the arm T
being jointed so as to allow of the upward action only the lead ring R is prevented
coming down, after being raised by the action of the platform. The saw strips U are
kept close by the weight of the counterweight F.
person
has
On a person getting onto the platform & putting a penny into the apparatus & the
machine set in motion, the weight F¹ leaving the lever O' allows the strips U to
expand diagonally. By this action the jointed arms T will work clear of the teeth of
the strips U on the lead ring R coming down with the weight F¹ after the
got measured & left the platform. The strips U are jointed to lever O¹ at B' & to
holdfasts W at B5 those strips are nearly balanced by the springs V so that the
weight F by its weight is sufficient to close them by coming down on the lever O'
P is a rest for the lever O'. Only one strip U is shown but two are used. I counter-
balance the quadrant N, rod M, & the platform by spring R¹ (Fig. 2) & quadrant
counterweight Q (Fig. 3).
To steady the action of the rack C₁ working into the rack-wheel G¹, I use a
crescent spring A³ as shown in Fig. 6.
I am aware of Stanley's patent No. 4726 of 1886 for. "Machine for measuring
the height of Human Beings automatically" and I declare that I do not claim the
mechanism therein described and claimed.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said invention,
& in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1stly. The use & manufacture of an Improved Automatic Height Measuring
Machine whereon a coin or the like being placed into the apparatus the height of a

page_text: person being measured will be indicated on a circular dial about 4 to 5 feet from the
top of the case or any suitable index substantially as hereinbefore described &
represented.
2ndly. The throwing back off an index hand on a circular or any suitable index
substantially as & for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3rdly. A new kind of mechanical figures whereby a coin or the like, is caused to
actuate the figures, & a tablet or the like will be projected out of the mouth, or shown
in the mouth, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4thly. An Improved Automatic Height measuring machine substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described & represented in the accompanying drawings,
in figures 1 to 3 & 4 to 10.