Improvements in Machines for Measuring and Sorting Balls and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895 -Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE CLEVELAND MACHINE SCREW COMPANY,
of Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.]
Improvements in Machines for Measuring and Sorting Balls and
the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 devices for sorting accurately according to size, balls
which have been previously turned and ground to true spheres, and consists in a
cabinet provided with a series of drawers for holding the different sized balls,
arranged so as to allow the balls to be passed through the different drawers until
they reach their proper places.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved cabinet showing the drawers
provided with spring catches, and also showing the dropping and sorting machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the improved cabinet and sorting
device, showing a side elevation of the dropping machine.
The cabinet is preferably used in connection with a machine which automatically
allows the balls to drop, one at a time, upon an inclined plane or measuring slide
down which they roll over a longitudinal slot whose edges diverge gradually from
top to bottom; the design being to have the balls drop through the slot as soon as
they reach a place where its width corresponds to their diameter.
Beneath this inclined slot is placed the improved cabinet which is provided with
drawers which are connected with hoppers placed beneath the slot at different points
along its length as hereinafter described in detail.
In the drawings, A represents the automatic dropping machine, and a is the
delivery spout through which the balls drop on to the measuring slide B, provided
with the longitudinal slot O.
This measuring slide B is made in two separate sections K, K², having the slot O
between them, down which the balls roll. The sides of this slot may be accurately
separated any desired amount by micrometer screws at each end, and consequently
the flare of the slot may be adjusted so that it is possible to know at what diameter
the balls will drop into each hopper O' 00' 0 and 0 beneath.
These hoppers 01 02 03 04 and 0, are arranged successively beneath the
inclining slot O and are connected respectively by the pipes G G² Ġ³ G* and G³,
with the drawers C¹ C2 C3 C4 and C, of the cabinet C as follows:-
The pipes G G2 G* G* and G extend down to the top of the cabinet to
which they are secured, directly over the holes H' H² H³ H' and H' which extend
down into the drawer C'.
In the drawer C' directly beneath the holes H2 H3 H* H* are rigidly secured
the short upright tubes cc which connect with openings in the bottom of the
drawer C¹ into the drawer C' and thus form an unbroken passage through the
drawer C¹.
In the same way drawer has three tubes 2 through it; drawer C³, two
tubes c³, and drawer C, one tube c; by which means, when the drawers are closed,

page_text: a continuous passage is formed from hopper O³ to drawer C³, from hopper O to
drawer C and so on; while at the same time, it allows the drawers to be opened
easily but makes it impossible for balls to pass from one drawer to another.
The drawers are provided with spring catches J1 J2 J3 J and J Figure 1, so
that they may be held firmly closed when the cabinet is in operation, in order to
bring the pipes and tubes properly in line and allow the balls free passages to their
proper drawers.
Although there are shown five drawers in the cabinet, any number, more or
less, may be used according to the number of different sizes of balls required.
Should the diameter of the ball which rolls down the measuring slide be smaller
than the variation allowed in merchantable balls, the slot is so arranged that it
will drop into the first hopper O and be conducted thence by the pipe Go to the
receptacle Y.
Should it be too large for use, it will not drop through the slot until it reaches
the receptacle X. Between these two sizes, the ball will drop into one or the
other of the various hoppers, and be conducted thence to its respective drawer.
In the cabinet, the slot is so arranged that the balls nearest to the standard
size required, will drop into the central hopper and drawer; the drawers above
and below this central drawer containing balls of uniformly varying diameters
respectively smaller and larger than the standard.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a measuring machine a measuring slide and a series of drawers, each
drawer being connected to said slide by an independent tube or inlet, substantially
as described.
2. In a measuring machine a common measuring slide having two or more outlets
in combination with a cabinet having two or more drawers, each drawer having an
inlet connecting with one of said outlets, substantially as described.
3. In a measuring machine a cominion measuring slide provided with a series of
outlets connected with the top of a cabinet, in combination with a series of
drawers, each drawer provided with an independent tube or inlet connecting
directly by superimposed, independent tubes with each of said outlets, substantially
as described.
4. In a measuring machine a cabinet provided with a series of drawers having
independent, superimposed tubes, whereby continuous passages are formed through
the drawers, and the articles to be measured are passed through the cabinet until
they reach their proper drawer, substantially as described.
5. In a cabinet for measuring or assorting machines, a sorting slide in combination
with a series of boxes or drawers, provided with tubes arranged as shown, whereby
different sized balls may fall into their proper places, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of February 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.