Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Distance Travelled by Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1894--Accepted, 19th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Distance Travelled
by Wheeled Vehicles.
I, ROWLAND Neville Umfreville PickerING commonly signing as
R. N. Pickering of 50 Upper Berkeley Street Portman Square in the County of
Middlesex, M.R.C.S. etc., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus of the cyclometer class adapted to measure
the distance travelled by carriages and other wheeled vehicles.
According to this invention it is proposed to connect a train of wheels
to the piston rod of a small cylinder, such connection being readily made
by a lever or connecting rod and the play of such lever or rod, and con-
sequently the number of teeth in the ratchet wheel which it will operate upon
each stroke is governed by a screw down or other regulator. The piston
cylinder is connected by a small pipe with a box near the wheel, said box
containing an india rubber vessel or ball which is pressed by the action of an
eccentric each time the wheel revolves. The compression and expansion of the
rubber vessel or ball operates the piston in the cylinder, thus moving the indicating
mechanism. In lieu of a rubber ball the piston may be operated from the eccentric
by means of connecting rods and springs. A suitable dial is supplied for registering
miles and fractions of miles or other given distances.
Dated the 19th day of September 1893.
PHILE
55 & 56, Chancery Lan
JUSTICE,
oudon, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Registering the Distance Travelled
by Wheeled Vehicles.
1 ROWLAND NEVILLE UNFREVILLE PICKERING of 50 Upper Berkeley Street
London, W. Surgeon 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 cyclometer consists of a train of wheels connected to the piston rod g of a
small air cylinder H, the connection being made by means of a jointed lever or rod
attached to a ratchet wheel A having fine teeth; the length of the stroke of the
piston rod is regulated by a screw down E, and by this means the number of teeth
engaged by the stroke may be increased or diminished so as to adjust the instrument
for any vehicle, whatever the size of its wheels.
The said ratchet wheel A is capable of moving over another ratchet wheel I)
also having fine teeth, each of these wheels have pauls Cand springs so attached
to their circumferance as to be able to move freely in one direction over the teeth
but always to engage a tooth when the wheel moves in the opposite direction.
By this means during the upstroke of the piston rod g the upper ratchet
wheel A moves round without advancing the train while during the downstroke,
its teeth are caught by its springs, and the lower ratchet wheel D is moved
round and the train advanced.

page_text: The train of wheels is so arranged to work the hands on a dial to afford a
convenient register of miles or portions of miles travelled.
The number of miles or fraction of a mile registered on the dial may be made
to vary in different instruments to suit the purposes for which the instrument may
be required. Thus eighths and quarters of miles-miles-ten miles and a hundred
miles or more may be accurately indicated.
The screw down E consists of an endless screw carrying on its thread a stop F
which arrests the piston rod g in its upstroke, by turning the screw, this stop is
made to advance or recede and the length of the stroke is diminished or increased
and so the instrument is regulated. The screw may be manipulated either by a
key, or by a knob outside the case.
The cyclometer is worked by causing each revolution of the wheel of the vehicle
to compress a rubber vessel L containing air which vessel is connected by means
of a small tube a portion of which is flexible to permit of the movement of the body
of the vehicle upon its springs, with the cylinder of the instrument.
The rubber vessel L is contained in a box I through the bottom of which passes
a small rod carrying a disc M the rod is connected below to a lever N which is
hinged to the side of the box, under this lever is placed a spindle having on it an
eccentric to the end of the spindle is attached an arm P which is deflected by a
pin or rod driven into the hub of the wheel of the vehicle. The box is fixed upon
the top of the lower plate of the spring of the vehicle by means of the clips
belonging to the spring or by means of clips screws or other suitable means.
Each deflection of the arm of the spindle causes the eccentric to raise the hinged
lever and to compress the rubber vessel and consequently eject air through the
pipe into the cylinder of the cyclometer and to raise the piston.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is
The construction of a cyclometer which is worked by the compression of a rubber
vessel at each revolution of the wheel of the vehicle, a screw down being used to
regulate the cyclometer to suit vehicles having different sized wheels.
Sigued this 18th day of October 1894.
R. N. PICKERING.