IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO REGISTERING DYNAMOMETERS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY WHERE A VERY GREAT REDUCTION OF SPEED IS REQUIRED FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
and of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO REGISTERING
DYNAMOMETERS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER MACHINERY WHERE A VERY GREAT REDUCTION OF SPEED IS
REQUIRED FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE MACHINERY."
A communication from abroad by the Transmitting Dynamometer Company,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO REGISTERING DYNAMOMETERS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY WHERE A VERY GREAT REDUCTION OF SPEED
IS REQUIRED FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE MACHINERY."
A communication from abroad by the Transmitting Dynamometer Company, of
the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to produce an attachment to shafts and pulleys,
toothed wheels, cranks, or other equivalent rotary machinery for the purpose of
measuring, and at the same time recording the amount of power delivered by the
shaft to the pulley, or by the pulley to the shaft, so that upon inspecting the
register and the record automatically made by the improved mechanism, the
amount of power actually used can at once be ascertained.
The Invention is intended to be applicable to all pulleys, gear-wheels, cranks, and
the like, and may be readily attached to those already in use.

page_text: The Invention consists principally in applying to the pulley which we will
adopt in this Specification as the specific device for this purpose (although when I
say pulley I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the application
of the Invention to a pulley) a rotating dial plate which joins in the rotating
movement of the pulley, but has an independent rotation of its own, either slightly
faster or slightly slower than that of the pulley itself, and in placing against said
dial plate a pencil or marking tool which is fitted into a jointed arm capable of
vibratory movement in such manner that the variations of pressure imparted to a
spring or set of springs by an arm or arms transmitting the movement of the shaft
to the pulley, or vice versa, will control the movements of said pencil-holder, and
cause it to mark on the dial plate the varying positions of said pencil, the pencil-
holder revolving with the pulley. The dial plate however has, as already stated,
a certain independent movement, and by the differential speed between the pencil-
holder and the dial plate one is enabled to make progressive lines on the dial plate
which show the variations of power transmitted from time to time.
The Invention also consists in various details of improvement in the mechanism
employed which are hereinafter more fully specified.
Upon the driving shaft is keyed or otherwise securely fastened an arm or a series
of arms which project radially from the shaft. Instead of these radial arms a
suitable wheel or pulley may be employed for the same purpose to which these
arms are put, as hereinafter specified. A pulley loose on the shaft derives its
motion by means of the aforementioned arms which press against springs that are
interposed between said arms and certain projections of the pulley. The apparatus
is so arranged that the more power there is required from the pulley, or in other
words, the more resistance it offers to the shaft, the more fully will the springs be
compressed, and that the less resistance there is the less will said spring be com-
pressed. Thus it also follows that during the revolution of the shaft, if there be
varying power transmitted by the machinery which connects with the pulley, there
will also be varying distances between the arms.
This variation of distances is taken advantage of for moving the recording
pencil, which is a suitable style or marking tool set into a lever, bereafter called
the style lever, which lever at one point is pivoted to one of the arms and at
another point jointed to the pulley or any projection thereof. As the pulley is
revolved, if there be varying degrees of power transmitted, there will be a cor-
responding vibration of the style lever, and the pencil or marking tool will thus
be moved from time to time nearer to or further away from the main shaft. Thus
in one position the springs are supposed to be expanded and no resistance is
supposed to be on the pulley, and the pencil is therefore in the zero position over a
dial plate, which dial plate surrounds the main shaft concentrically and is marked
with concentric rings to show the various degrees of power. The more power there
is used the nearer under the arrangement shown will the pencil be brought to the
main shaft, and make its mark on the inner series of circles. The less power is
used the greater will be the distance between the pencil and the shaft, and the
marks will be on the outer series of circles.
The dial plate, which may be a paper disc, is fitted upon a supporting disc which
loosely surrounds the hub of the pulley or the shaft itself, and which disc has a
toothed edge.
Into this toothed edge meshes a pinion, say pinion No. 1, the shaft of which
pinion carries likewise a large ratchet or friction wheel loosely fitted on said shaft,
and another toothed wheel, say No. 2, tightly fitted thereon.
Into both of these two wheels, which are of equal diameter but of which one has
one tooth more than the other, meshes another pinion, say No. 3, the stud of
which projects from the ratchet or friction wheel that is loose on the shaft.
The shaft is firmly secured upon a spoke of the pulley, and is not capable of
turning on its axis. A pawl is hung on to a sliding rod that extends through the
rim of the pulley and is pressed outwards by a suitable spring.
As the belt which is put around the pulley arrives over the outer projecting end

page_text: of the sliding rod or bar it presses it down or inwards, and thereby moves the
pawl so as to turn the ratchet wheel one tooth or its equivalent on a piston wheel.
The movement of the ratchet wheel is transmitted to the wheel No. 3 as it rolls
around the fixed wheel No. 2, and every rotation of the wheel number 3 in turn
causes the wheel No. 1 to be turned one tooth, because the pinion No. 3 in revolving
around the fixed wheel No. 2 will cause the movement of one tooth to be produced
owing to the difference in the number of the teeth of the wheels Nos. 1 and 2.
The movement of the pinion No. 1 is transmitted to the disc with toothed edge
and to the dial plate, and for the purposes of this illustration the above mentioned
differential gearing has been so adjusted that the dial plate and its disc will receive
one independent revolution during about 35 days of constant revolution of the
pulley.
The revolution of the dial plate may either be very little faster or very little
slower in about the proportion indicated than that of the pulley. It is immaterial
whether it be faster or slower so long as there is an independent movement of the
dial plate in a given ratio to the movement of the pulley. By this independent
motion of the dial plate the pencil pressing upon it under the influence of a suitable
spring will make a continuous mark on said dial plate, which continuous mark will
show by its position in the inner or outer circles of the dial plate the amount of
power actually transmitted by the pulley.
I have described the mechanism thus far as being applied to the pulley when the
pulley is to be driven by the shaft. The Invention is equally applicable and will
work precisely as described if the power is transmitted from the pulley to the shaft,
in which case however the direction of the rotation will be reversed unless the
pulley is reversed on the shaft.
The pawl bar if applied to a toothed wheel instead of a pulley will obtain its
reciprocating movement by contact with the opposite gear, and if applied to a
crank by contact with a suitable stationary contrivance. In order to adjust the
tension of the springs to a suitable zero position I prefer to use an adjusting screw,
and which extends through a lug that projects from the hub of the arms, and bears
upon another lug that projects from a part of the pulley. The further the screw
is moved to increase the distance between the lugs the more will the springs be
compressed, and thus the normal position of the said springs can be readily
regulated.
I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of the
mechanism here described, nor to the number of wheels in the transmitting gear,
nor to any special kind or construction of pencil, as many of said details and parts
mentioned may be varied without departing from the spirit of the Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th April 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO REGISTERING DYNAMOMETERS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY WHERE A VERY GREAT REDUCTION OF SPEED
IS REQUIRED FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE MACHINERY."
A communication from abroad by the Transmitting Dynamometer Company, of
the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a face view, partly in section, of the
improved dynamometer; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 3 is
a back view thereof, and Fig. 4 a central section on an enlarged scale of the
differential gearing used to move the dial plate. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
The object of this Invention is to produce an attachment to shafts and pulleys,
toothed wheels, cranks, or other equivalent rotary machinery, for the purpose of
measuring and at the same time recording the amount of power delivered by the
shaft to the pulley, or by the pulley to the shaft, so that upon inspecting the
register and the record automatically made by the improved mechanism the amount
of power actually used can at once be ascertained.
The Invention is intended to be applicable to all pulleys, gear-wheels, cranks,
and the like, and may be readily attached to those already in use.
The Invention consists principally in applying to the pulley which we will adopt
in this Specification as the specific device for this purpose (although when I say
pulley I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the application of
the Invention to a pulley) a rotating dial plate which joins in the rotating
movement of the pulley, but has an independent rotation of its own either slightly
faster or slightly slower than that of the pulley itself, and in placing against said
dial plate a pencil or marking tool, which is fitted into a jointed arm capable of
vibratory movement in such manner that the variations of pressure imparted to a
spring or set of springs by an arm or arms transmitting the movement of the shaft
to the pulley, or vice versa, will control the movements of said pencil holder and
cause it to mark on the dial plate the varying positions of said pencil, the pencil
holder revolving with the pulley. The dial plate however has, as already stated,
a certain independent movement, and by the differential speed between the pencil
holder and the dial plate one is enabled to make progressive lines on the
dial plate, which show the variations of power transmitted from time to time.
The Invention also consists in various details of improvement in the mechanism
employed, which are hereinafter more fully specified.
In the accompanying Drawing the letter A represents the driving shaft. Upon
this driving shaft is keyed or otherwise securely fastened an arm B, or a series of
arms B, which project radially from the shaft. Instead of these radial arms B a
suitable wheel or pulley may be employed for the same purpose to which these
arms are put, as hereinafter specified. C is the pulley which is to be driven by the
shaft A. This pulley is loose on the shaft A and derives its motion by means of
the aforementioned arms B, which press against springs D that are interposed
between said arms B and projections E, E, of the pulley, as clearly shown in the
Fig. 1. In Fig. 1 the arrows indicate the direction in which the shaft revolves the
pulley, and it will be readily seen from what has already been stated that the more
power there is required from the pulley, or in other words the more resistance it
offers to the shaft, the more fully will the springs D, D, be compressed, and that
the less resistance there is the less will said spring be compressed. Thus it also

page_text: follows that during the revolution of the shaft A, if there be varying power
transmitted by the machinery which connects with the pulley, there will also be
varying distances between the arms B, B.
This variation of distances is taken advantage of for moving the recording
pencil F, which is a suitable style or marking tool set into a lever G, which lever
at a is pivoted to one of the arms B and at d jointed to the pulley or any projection
thereof. As the pulley is revolved, if there be varying degrees of power transmitted,
there will be a corresponding vibration of the lever G, and the pencil or marking
tool F will thus be moved from time to time nearer to or further away from the
shaft A. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the springs D are supposed to be
expanded and no resistance is supposed to be on the pulley, and the pencil is
therefore in the zero position over a dial plate H, which dial plate surrounds the
shaft A concentrically and is marked with concentric rings to show the various
degrees of power. The more power there is used the nearer under the arrangement
shown will the pencil be brought to the shaft and make its mark on the inner
series of circles. The less power is used the greater will be the distance
between the pencil and the shaft and the marks will be on the outer series of
circles.
The dial plate H, which may be a paper disc, is fitted upon a supporting disc I,
which loosely surrounds the hub of the pulley or the shaft itself, and which disc I
has a toothed edge, as clearly shown in the Drawing. Into this toothed edge
meshes a pinion b, the shaft s of which pinion carries likewise a large ratchet or
friction wheel J loosely fitted on said shafts and another toothed wheel e tightly
fitted thereon.
Into both of these two wheels b and e, which are of equal diameter, but of
which one has one tooth more than the other, meshes another pinion f, the stud i
of which projects from the ratchet or friction wheel J that is loose on the
shaft 8.
The shaft 8 is firmly secured upon a spoke of the pulley, and is not capable of
turning on its axis; is a pawl, which is hung onto a sliding rod L that
extends through the rim of the pulley and is pressed outwards by a suitable
spring m.
As the belt which is put around the pulley arrives over the outer projecting
end of the bar L it presses it down or inwards and thereby moves the pawl
so as to turn the ratchet wheel one tooth or its equivalent on a friction
wheel.
i
The movement of the ratchet wheel J is transmitted to the wheel ƒ by the
pinion as it rolls around the fixed wheel e, and every rotation of the wheel ƒ in
turn causes the wheel b to be turned one tooth, because the pinion fin revolving
around the fixed wheel e will cause the movement of one tooth to be produced,
owing to the difference in the number of the teeth of the wheels b and e.
The movement of the wheel d is by the pinion b transmitted to the wheel I
and to the dial plate, and for the purposes of this illustration the above
mentioned differential gearing has been so adjusted that the dial plate H and
its disc I will receive one independent revolution during about 35 days of constant
revolution of the pulley.
The revolution of the dial plate may either be very little faster or very little
slower in about the proportion indicated than that of the pulley. It is immaterial
whether it be faster or slower, so long as there is an independent movement of the
dial plate in a given ratio to the movement of the pulley. By this independent
motion of the dial plate the pencil pressing upon it under the influence of a
suitable spring n will make a continuous mark on said dial plate, as indicated
in Figure 1, which continuous mark will show by its position in the inner or outer
circles of the dial plate the amount of power actually transmitted by the pulley.
I have described the mechanism thus rar as being applied to the pulley when
the pulley is to be driven by the shaft. The Invention is equally applicable and
will work precisely as described if the power is transmitted from the pulley to the

page_text: shaft, in which case, however, the direction of the rotation will be reversed unless
the pulley is reversed on the shaft.
The pawl bar L if applied to a toothed wheel instead of a pulley will obtain its
reciprocating movement by contact with the opposite gear, and if applied to a
crank by contact with a suitable stationary contrivance. In order to adjust the
tension of the springs D to a suitable zero position, I prefer to use an adjusting
screw o, which is shown in Fig. 3, and which extends through a lug p that projects
from the hub of the arms B and bears upon another lug r that projects from a part
of the pulley. The further the screw o is moved to increase the distance between
the lugs p, r, the more will the springs D, D, be compressed, and thus the normal
position of the said springs can be readily regulated, and it will be seen from the
Drawing that the pencil F is not shown on the outermost ring of the dial plate,
although there is no power applied to the pulley, because the screw o has been
turned to reduce the distance between the arms B and E beyond what it would be
the normal position were it not for said screw o.
desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of
im here -' wn, nor to the number of wheels in the transmitting gear, nor
kind or construction of pencil, as many of said details and parts
mentioned may be varied without departing from the spirit of the Invention.
Having now described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent as the best mode known to me of carrying it into effect, I wish it to
be understood that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The automatically registering dynamometer, which consists of the pencil
holder or marker F, G, in combination with the rotary circular dial H, and with
mechanism for vibrating said pointer and for imparting independent slow rotation
to said dial plate within the rapidly revolving carrying wheel C, substantially as
described.
Second. In combination with the shaft A and its rotary projecting arm B, the
loose pulley or wheel C, spring or springs D, and the pencil holder G, which is
connected to said arm B and to said pulley for marking the dial H, substantially as
described.
Third. The combination of the wheel or pulley C and its shaft A with the
reciprocating pawl carrying bar L, ratchet or friction wheel J, intermediate
differential transmitting gear and loose toothed wheel I, all arranged so that said
wheel I will have a slow independent rotary movement imparted to it within
the rapidly revolving wheel C, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a rotary dynamometer, the combination of the power transmitting
arm B, power receiving arm E, and intervening spring D, which bears directly
against both of said arms and with the adjusting screw o, all arranged so that by
means of said screw the tension of the spring is regulated, substantially as
described.
Fifth. The recording rotary dynamometer consisting of the combination of the
shaft A, its arm B, and spring D, with the pulley or wheel C, loose dial plate H,
reciprocating bar L, ratchet wheel J, intermediate transmitting gear to convey
motion from the wheel J to the disc I that carries the dial, and with the pencil
carrying bar G, which is connected to the arm B and to the pulley, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our