Year: 1898

page_text: JOHN BROWN, Longhurst, Dunmurry, Belfast, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A long sledge shaped frame adapted for sliding along the road is provided
with a hinged lever carrying at its free end a wheel (road wheel) to run in contact
with the surface of the road and follow its inequalities which it registers on a
revolving drum by means of a pencil caused to move up and down in unison with
the road wheel.
The said lever by means of a silent feed or other suitable motion, actuates a
decimal counting indicator so as to measure and register the sum of the road
wheel's vertical motions during a given traverse along the road.
To indicate the quantity of mud on the road a shoe or slider is provided close
to the road wheel and which rides over the top of the mud, the average thickness
of which is thus measured and indicated on a decimal counter actuated by a disc
and pulley integrator controlled by the slider and road wheel. The quantity of
mud may also be measured by collecting it with a scraper and revolving brush
combined and so arranged as to lift the mud over a certain width.
Dated this 20th day of Auril 1898
I, JOHN BROWN, of Longhurst, Dunmurry, Belfast, Ireland, Gentleman, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a machine which shall automatically
record a profile of any road surface, along which it may be caused to travel.
The mechanism for a machine for this purpose is carried upon a sled or sliding
D
07

page_text: frame, and comprises a profiling wheel mounted at one end of a lever which is
pivotted at its other end to the frame: when the sledge is trailed upon the surface
of the road to be tested, the runners, being of considerable length maintain the
sledge upon the normal level of the road whilst the profiling wheel rises and
.falls relatively to the sledge in passing over the irregularities of the ground and
transmits vertical motion to a recording pencil. The pencil traces a record of its
vertical reciprocations upon paper drawn along in front of it by means of gear
actuated by rotation of the revolving profiling wheel: the curve traced by the
pencil on paper thus moved is very approximately a profile of the portion of the
road along which the profiling wheel has travelled.
Means may also be provided by which the total amount of irregularity of the
road is computed. This is effected by a counter or other indicating gear set in
motion whenever the profiling wheel, descends into or rises out of any depression
in the road upon which it trails.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example one form
jof machine constructed according to this invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, a portion of the frame being removed for the sake
of clearness;
Figure 2 is a plan of the machine, and
Figure 3 is a plan of a modified alarm device.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 show in plan and elevation an alternative construction of alarm
device.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The sledge shaped frame A upon which the testing and recording mechanism is
carried comprises two runners A¹ of considerable length connected together by a
platform A3 and by various cross pieces A³. A lever B pivotted at one end to
the frame at BI is provided at its free end with a jaw carrying a spindle C free
to revolve within it. Upon a portion of the spindle C which projects beyond the
jjaw of the lever B is mounted a wheel C¹ provided with teeth c. The wheel C¹,
called above the profiling wheel, trails upon the ground and according to the
unevenness of the ground surface imparts vertical motion to the end of the lever B.
A second lever B2 is arranged above the lever B and is pivotted at B³ to a
bracket D secured to the frame A. This lever Be is connected by a link 134 to
the lever B and is thus made to participate in any vertical movement of the
latter. The free end of the lever B2 is provided with a pencil or marker 15 the
point of which is always maintained in contact with a band of paper E arranged
to travel over a drum E¹.
A second pencil or marked B6 supported from the frame A by a light arm or
bracket B7 is also made to bear upon the travelling band of paper E at a point
slightly in advance of the pencil or marker B.
The drum E¹ hereinafter called the recording drum is made to revolve in order
that the paper E may be drawn over it and wound upon a drum E³ hereinafter
called the record drum. To drive the recording drum E¹ a worm wheel F is
provided at its base gearing with a worm " mounted in a jaw at the pivotted
end of the lever B. The worm F' is formed upon a shaft F2 which passes through
the jaw at the free end of the lever 13 and is provided with a bevel gear wheel 13
fast upon it. The wheel F3 gears with a second wheel F4 mounted fast upon
the spindle C of the recording wheel C¹. The teeth c on the wheel C₁ ensure
the revolution of the latter as it trails upon the ground and this motion is trans-
mitted to the recording drum E by the intermediate gear. The drums E¹ E³
are held in place by and are free to revolve upon vertical spindles el e respec-
tively, mounted fast on the platform A, but the record drum ³ is carried by
and is free to revolve upon a spindle e³ which forms part of a rectangular frame E
The frame is pivotted upon a pin et mounted on the platform A2 and is provided
with a springe which acting upon the frame E always keeps the drum E³ in
frictional contact with the drum E¹.

page_text: To enable the drum E3 to be drawn away from the drum E¹ when necessary,
against the action of the spring e, a link e pivotted at one end to the frame E
is passed through a block e fastened to the frame A the free end of the link es
being threaded, and secured by a nut es on that side of the block remote from
the frame E. When it is desired to remove the drum 13 away from its contact
with the drum E¹ the nut es is revolved so that an increased length of the link e
is drawn through the block e and thus the frame E is made to swing away from
the drum E and against the action of its spring e³.
On a frame G is mounted a collar or nut G¹ free to revolve and travel upon a
threaded spindle G2 which forms part of the said frame. The frame G.is free
to turn upon a vertical pin G³ fast on the platform A3 and is provided with a
spring G which always presses it towards the supply drum. E. By the action
of the spring G the collar G is kept in frictional contact with the paper on the
drum E so that as the paper is drawn from the drum the collar revolves and
travels up the threaded spindle G2. At the upper end of the spindle G a bell G
is fixed and the collar G is provided with a catch piece G6 adapted to engage with
a striker on the bell when the collar approaches sufficiently near to the latter.
To indicate the total amount of unevenness in the portion of road tested a
system of decimal or other counting gear enclosed in a casing H carried by the
bracket D is employed. A spindle H¹ in engagement with the gear within the
casing H projects beyond the same and is provided with a double grooved
pulley H fast upon it. A cord H3 attached by one end to a bracket b on the
free end of the lever B is passed over the pulley H2 in one of the grooves and
attached by a spiral spring H+ to a projecting piece H on the platform A².
second cord H attached at one end to the bracket D passes over the pulley H2 in
the second groove and is attached by a spring H7 to the projecting piece H³ on the
platform A. The object of this arrangement is to drive the pulley in one direc
tion when the profiling wheel drops into a rut or depression of the road and
to prevent its return when the wheel again rises as hereinafter described.
A
The frame A may be provided with means, such as A' by which it may be
attached to any convenient form of tractor. The lever B may be provided with
means by which the wheel C' can be raised from the ground when not required
to trail, and for convenience in packing the runners may be made to fold up.
The operation of the machine is as follows;
The drum being charged with paper the end is carried over the recording
drum E' and attached to the record drum E3. The frame is then attached to
As the
some form of tractor and drawn along the road it is required to test.
machine passes over the ground the wheel C in passing over any uneven parts
imparts vertical motion to the end of the lever B as described above, and this
motion by means of the link B and lever 132 is transmitted to the pencil or
marker 135 at the same time the teeth c cause the wheel C¹ to revolve as it is
trailed and to drive the recording drum E which will cause the paper E to travel.
These two movements-that of the pencil and that of the paper-combined will
cause the pencil or marker B to describe a diagram on the paper E as it passes
over the drum E' which diagram will correspond to the profile of the road travelled
over by the profiling wheel C. Having received the record the paper passes on
to the drum E3 which is revolved by means of its frictional engagement with
the drum E.
The stationary pencil or marker B6 arranged beside the oscillating pencil B
0 describes at the same time upon the paper E a horizontal datum line correspond-
ing to the normal even surface of the road which line consequently serves to
indicate upon the paper those portions of the road which are above or below such
normal even surface.
At the commencement of the testing operations the collar G¹ may be set in any
5 desired position on the spindle G2 so that it may indicate by rising on the same
and striking the bell when any predetermined quantity of paper has been removed
from the drum E2 thus indicating that a given length of road has been tested.

page_text: The counting gear is operated in the following manner:
When the wheel C' drops as above described it acts on the cord H³, attached
to the lever B and causes the spring H to extend and the pulley H2 to revolve in
the direction indicated in Figure 1 by an arrow. The revolving of the pulley H
acting on the cord H causes the spring H' to extend and slacken the cord He s
that it will slip on the pulley H. When the wheel C and consequently the
lever B, rise, the cord H³ is slackened and allows the spring H to retract to it
original amount of tension, but the cord H fixed at one end to the bracket I
remains stationary and the spring H7, the tension of which was only momentarily
changed prevents the pulley from returning with the cord H. The counting o
other gear is thus always driven forward when the wheel C¹ drops into a rut o
depression in the road and thus computes the total depth of the number of such
ruts or depressions encountered, on the given length of road prearranged for.
For the satisfactory performance of either of the above operations it is essential
that the runners A¹ should be of considerable length in order that the recording
mechanism may travel in a line approximately parallel to the normal level of
the road.
If preferred the counting gear may be driven by ratchet mechanism such as
shown in Fig. 3. The pulley H2 is in this case provided with only one groove
and is mounted free on the spindle H¹. Fast on the spindle H' is a wheel I
provided with ratchet teeth I' 12 on its periphery and on one face respectively.
The pulley H2 is provided with an arm J carrying a ratchet J' which engages
with the teeth 12 of the wheel I and a ratchet piece K fixed to the bracket D
engages with the teeth I¹ of the wheel I. A spring L fast at one end to the
bracket D is attached at the other to the arm J of the pulley H².
The operation is as follows:
The cord H³, connected and operating as in the former arrangement, revolves
the pulley H2 with its arm J against the spring L whenever the lever B descends.
At the same time the arm J by its ratchet J drives round the wheel I by means of
the teeth 12 and thus operates the train of gear in the casing H. When the
lever B rises again the cord H³ is slacked and drawn back by its spring H* and
the spring L brings the pulley H2 back into its original position; but the wheel I
is prevented from returning from the position to which it has been moved by the
ratchet K; which engaging with the teeth I¹ prevents any backward revolution.
The gear in the casing H is thus always driven in one direction as in the former
arrangement.
Figure 4 illustrates a modified construction of the alarm device for indicating
when a given length of paper has been drawn off the drum E2.
tion the thread on the spindle H2 is dispensed with and the bell G is mounted
In this modifica-
on a sleeve G which is free to slide upon the spindle G2 but is prevented from
revolving upon the same. To prevent the sleeve from revolving upon the spindle
the latter is provided with a pin G8 which engages with a slot or channel G in the
former. The lower end of the sleeve G is threaded to receive the collar or
nut G which is provided with a hollow extension or boss G¹º.
this construction of alarm device is to avoid the paper E. being carried up the
The object of
drum E by the collar G when travelling up the spindle G2 as in the construction
first described so the device as illustrated in Figure 4 is provided with suitable
means such as the tongue G engaging with an annular recess G12 in the end of
the boss Go by which the collar or nut G¹ is prevented from rising. Con-
sequently the collar G when revolving being unable to rise draws down
the sleeve G7 until the catch piece G6 strikes the trigger of the bell G³. When
the sleeve G is drawn down sufficiently for the bell to be operated as
described the threaded portion has passed entirely through the collar G¹ and the
sleeve is caught and supported by a spring G13. To reset the alarm the collar G¹
is revolved in the opposite direction to that in which it revolves when in opera-
tion so that the threaded portion of the sleeve G7 aided by the spring G¹³ will

page_text: then re-enter the collar G¹ and the various parts will again assume the normal
relative positions shown in Figure 4. To ensure that in starting, the bell G5
shall always be a given distance from the catch-piece G6 the end of the sleeve G'
is provided with a projection G against which a pin or stud G₁ on the inside
of the boss G strikes when the sleeve G7 has passed a given distance through
the collar G¹.
Figures 5 and 6 show a construction of alarm device arranged within the
recording drum E¹.
The whole of the alarm apparatus is carried upon a plate G16. The plate G16 is
pivotted upon the spindle e¹ which is provided with a collar G" to prevent the
plate Go from coming in contact with the revolving drum E. The alarm
gong G5 is, fixed at one end to the plate G16, and at the opposite end is pivotted a
Thammer G18, normally kept forward against a stop G by a spring G. The
hammer G18 is provided with a tail or extension by which it may be drawn back
against its spring Go by means of a suitable trigger piece G". The trigger
piece G is pivotted at the same end of the plate G as the hammer G18 and
has three projecting fingers or teeth G³ arranged to engage with a pin G23³ pro-
jecting from the inside of the drum E¹.
The plate G16 can be turned about the spindle e¹, and may be fixed in any
position relatively to the pin G on the drum E¹ by means of a milled or other
nut G24
The operation is as follows:-
The plate G16, and consequently the trigger G, having been set at the required
distance from the pin G2, the nut G2 is screwed up tightly and the machine
brought into operation upon the road surface it is required to test. As has
been described above the drum E' under these conditions revolves about its
spindle e and at each revolution the pin G23 will come into contact with one of
the projecting fingers or teeth G2 of the trigger G21. By this means at each
revolution of the drum a partial revolution will be given to the trigger piece G";
at the third revolution of the drum E¹ the third finger or tooth G will be engaged
by the pin G, and will cause the trigger piece to engage with the tail of the
hammer G18 As the drum continues to revolve the trigger piece will draw the
hammer G18 back against its spring G20, until the trigger piece slipping from
the tail of the hammer will allow the latter to fly back and strike the alarm
gong G³ this will indicate that three revolutions of the drum E¹ have been com-
pleted, and that a given length of paper has been drawn from the drum E².
It is obvious that by setting the plate G16 with its trigger G2 at different dis-
tances relatively to the pin G23 and also arranging it so that only one or two of
the fingers G may be engaged by the pin before operating the hammer G18,
different lengths of paper may be indicated as having been drawn from the
drum E2.
Any convenient device may be arranged to prevent the trigger piece G₁ from
being moved out of its position by any jolting or vibration of the machine when
the pin G23 is not in actual engagement with either of the fingers G. In the
figures referred to a spiral spring G2 is shown as exercising a slight pressure
upon the trigger piece to effect this object.
Although this machine has been described as having one recording wheel
trailed upon the ground it is obvious that a number of such may be arranged side
by side each recording on a common drum or on separate drums. By this means
profiles of parallel portions of the width of road under test could be obtained.
Also the machine may have more than two parallel runners and the runners may
be provided with a series of rollers or wheels to lessen the friction between them
and the road. The machine may be further modified by fixing the recording
pencil and giving vertical movement to the surface upon which the profile of the
road is recorded in addition to the horizontal movement imparted to it; further
the mechanism by which the pencil or marker is operated may be made to either

page_text: reduce or increase the amount of vertical movement imparted by the rise or fall of
the wheel C and the paper E may also be made to travel at any desired speed to
afford diagrams of any desired scale. The increase or reduction of the amount of
motion imparted to the marker may be effected by placing the link B* nearer to
the pivotted end of the lever 12 or B respectively and the paper may be made
to travel faster or slower by varying the gear of the wheels FF. It is obvious
that by this means the amount of vertical movement imparted to the marker
may if desired be considerably out of proportion to the amount of horizontal move-
ment imparted to the recording surface or vice versa.
Further modifications may be made such for instance as the employment of a
pen or other means for marking the record in the place of a pencil; also the
totalling mechanism may be actuated by the recording wheel as it rises from a
depresion thus giving the heights of elevations or both the amount of fall and
rise may be totalled. The details of the machine described above may in fact
be variously modified without departure from the nature of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A machine for recording the profile of a road-surface over which it moves
substantially as described.
2. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with a moving
recording surface of a marker the movements of which correspond to the irregu-
larities of the road-surface travelled over.
3. A machine which when moved along a road-surface automatically totals
the depths of depressions or the heights of elevations in the surface traversed sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination of runners which
travel upon the tops of surface irregularities a device which descends into the
depressions and autographic apparatus producing a profile from the traversing
movement of the runners and the vertical movements of the device aforesaid.
5. In a road-surface profile recording machine of the kind described an auto-
graphic recording device in which the travel of the record-bearer and the trans-
verse reciprocating motion of the pencil in relation to the record-bearer or vice
versa are controlled the one by the movement of the runners along the road, and
the other by the rise and fall of the device aforesaid relatively to the runners.
6. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination of a pivotted
arm and a profiling wheel carried thereby which in its rotation drives a record-
carrier and in its rise and fall produces transverse movement of a pencil or
marker in relation to that of a record-bearer or vice versa for the purpose described.
7. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with an oscilla-
ting marker of a travelling recording surface and means for adjusting the move-
ment of the marker relatively to that of the recording surface whereby the vertical
scale of the record may be the same as or different from the horizontal scale.
8. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with an oscilla-
ting marker and a travelling recording surface of a fixed datum line marker sub-
stantially as described.
9. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with a profiling
wheel of a pivotted arm which carries the profiling wheel and operates the record-
ing pencil or marker.
10. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with the total-
ling-mechanism of a spring-controlled non-return friction brake substantially as
and for the purpose described.
11. In a road-surface profile recording machine an audible alarm device opera-
tively connected with a wheel rolling upon the road so as to come into action
upon the completion of a certain number of revolutions of that wheel.
12. In a road-surface profile recording machine the modified alarm device

page_text: arranged and operating substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
13. In a road-surface profile recording machine the combination with a revolving
drum of an alarm device arranged and operating substantially as described.
14. The complete road-surface profile recording machine with or without the
automatic totalling device substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of January 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.