Counting and Controlling Apparatus applicable to Yard and other Measures, to Surveying Boards, and generally in cases where Errors arise by Wrong Counting.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Counting and Controlling Apparatus applicable to Yard and other
Measures, to Surveying Boards, and generally in cases where
Errors arise by Wrong Counting.
I, RICHARD OTTOMAR OSTMANN of 3 Albrecht Strasse Steglitz near Berlin Germany
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Between the two sides of a casing of brass or other suitable material I mount two
hollow drums of equal diameter one near each end of the casing. One of them
contains a fusee spring, one end of which is fixed to the inside of the drum and the
other end to the fixed axle on which the drum can turn. To the outside of this fusco
drum is fixed a tape measure by means of a clip. This tape is wound round the
fusee drum and passes on to the other drum which I call the ratchet drum, guides
being provided in the casing and flanges on the drum for keeping the tape in proper
position. The ratchet drum is, by preference provided with equidistant square notches
in its rim, a spring pawl with a corresponding tooth being adapted to drop into the
notches one after the other. The notches correspond to the division numerals marked
on the tape and which may be from 1 to 100 or 1 to 200 for metrical measure or
1 to 36 or 1 to 72 for yard measure or any other divisions as required. The ratchet
drum is provided with a winding key. Each drum may have a central partition in
the fusee drum for keeping the spring in the half chamber thus formed and in the
ratchet drum for conveniently soldering the key spindle to it.
In the front side of the casing is a hole for shewing the numerals through one by one
as the tape passes by it. A knob is provided which when depressed against the pawl
spring enables the fusee in the drum to act. When the ratchet drum is turned to the
left by means of the key the tape is wound off the fusee drum and upon the ratchet
drum while the fusee spring is at the same time coiled up. When now the knob is
depressed the pawl tooth is released and the fusee spring can draw the tape to the
right and wind it upon the fusee drum and so far as the next ratchet tooth when the
pressure on the knob is taken off. For each depression the tape will thas advance
from one numera! on the tape to the next, each such being shewn through the hole in
the casing, from 1 upwards. When inserted in yard or other measures or in surveying
tables, where in measuring the material at the beginning of the measure that is to
say where the knob is, has to be held by the pressure of the thumb or hand, the
apparatus will thus count and control without any extra handling and so also for
surface measuring when the knob is arranged at the end of the measuring stick and
thus is pressed against the ground. As the tape contains at least 100 numerals it
may even be inserted in a half meter measure and 50 metres running be counted
therewith as by the larger apparatus at least 100 metres or yards.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows:-To measure say a length of cloth
the yard stick fitted with the instrument described is held in the right hand by the
handle end while the cloth is pressed by the thumb of the right hand in the place
where the actuating knob of the instrument is situated thus putting the apparatus into
action which counts so that the operator need not count, but merely observes the
numerals as they appear in the aforesaid opening in the outer case.
Dated this 11th day of A 1900
D
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Counting and Controlling Apparatus applicable to Yard and other
Measures, to Surveying Boards, and generally in cases where
Errors arise by Wrong Counting.
I, RICHARD OTTOMAR OSTMANN of 3 Albrechtsstrasse, Steglitz, near Berlin,
Germany, Merchant 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 will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
of which
Fig. 1 is a part front elevation, Fig. 2 vertical longitudinal section on line A B
Fig. 3. plan section on line C D and Fig. 4 a plan of the apparatus proper all drawn
to an enlarged scale. Fig. 5. is a vertical cross section on line E F. Fig. 6 is a plan
of a yard measure fitted according to my invention and Fig. 7. a side view.
Between the two sides of a casing A of brass or other suitable material I mount
two hollow drums a and d of equal diameter one near each end of the casing.
They may be open at one end as shewn. The casing a contains a fusee spring e one
end of which is fixed to the inside of the drum, and the other end to the fixed axle b
on which the drum can turn. When the drum is turned left round the spring is
wound up or put in tension. To the outside of this fusee drum a is fixed a tape
measure m by means of a clip or as shewn here by a slit in the drum. This tape is
marked with numerals at equal distances and is wound round the fusee drum and passes
on to the other drum d which I call the ratchet drum the end being fixed thereto,
guides k being provided in the casing, and flanges a¹ and d' on the drums a and d for
keeping the tape m in proper position and out of contact with the spring pawl f
presently to be referred to.
The ratchet drun dis by preference provided with equidistant square notches in its
rim, see Figs. 2 and 3, a spring pawl with a corresponding tooth being adapted to
drop into the notches one after the other as the drum Dis rotated. The notches
correspond to the division numerals clearly marked on the tape m and which may
be 1 to 100 or 1 to 200 for metrical measure, or 1 to 36 or 1 to 72 for yard
measure, or any other divisions as required. The notched drum d is provided with a
winding key which when turned left round winds the tape m upon the drum d and
puts the spring e in tension.
Each drum may have a central partition as shown, in the fusee drum a for keeping
the spring e in the half chamber thus formed, and in the ratchet drum d for con-
veniently soldering the spindle of the key to it.
In the front or upper side of the casing A. is a hole n for shewing the numerals
through, one by one, as the tape passes by it. A knob g is provided, which, when
depressed against the force of the pawl spring pushes the pawl tooth f out of its
notch in the rim of the drum d and thus enables the fusee spring e to act. A
spring raises the knob when the pressure on it is released. When the ratchet
drum d is turned to the left by means of the key 1, the tape m is wound off the
fusee drum a, and upon the ratchet drum d, while the fusee spring e is at the
same time coiled up. When now the knob g is depressed and the pawl tooth
thereby released the fusee spring can draw the tape to the right and wind it upon
the fusee drum and so far as the next notch in the rim of the drum d for the
pawl tooth will then drop into such next notch and hold it. For each depression
of the knob the tape will thus advance one numeral on the tape to the next, say
for instance one inch, each such numeral being shewn through the hole n from 1
upwards. When the tape m has been wound off the drum a the instrument has
to be wound up again by means of the key l.
g is
When the instrument is inserted in yard or other measures the material to be
measured is at the beginning, of the measure, that is to say, in the knob
situated to be held by the pressure of the thumb or band against the knob and

page_text: the apparatus will thus count and control without any extra handling and so also
for surface measuring when the knob is arrauged at the end of the measuring stick
and thus is pressed against the ground. As the tape contains at least 100 numerals
it may even be inserted in a half meter measure and 50 meters running be
counted therewith, as by the larger apparatus, at least 100 meters or yards.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew a yard stick or meter measure fitted according to my
invention. The box A containing the apparatus described is partly let into the
stick, which has a hole cut in its upper side corresponding to the opening n Figs. 2
and 3, for showing the numbers through. The knob g passes out through the top
of the stick.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows: To measure say a length of cloth
the yard is held in the right hand by the handle end o while the cloth is pressed
by the thumb of the right hand in the place where the knob g is situated thus
putting the apparatus into action; which counts so that the operator need not
count but merely observes the numerals as they appear in the opening of the
case A at n.
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 counting apparatus applicable to yard and other measures, surveying boards
and the like consisting of a tape marked with equidistant numerals one of which is
made visible at a time as the tape coils off one drum to the extent of the distance
between two numerals and coils onto a second drum when a spring ratchet appliance
retarding the one drum is released and in consequence the two drums and the tape by
means of a fusee spring connected to one of the drums is moved until the ratchet stop
is again allowed to hold the drum automatically substantially as set forth.
2. In a counting appliance as firstly claimed the application of a ratchet stop
consisting of a ratenet adapted to drop into notches in the circumference of the rim
of the drum in combination with a knob g for releasing the ratchet and thus putting
the drums and band in motion to let the ratchet go into the next notch.
3. The construction of counting apparatus and its application to yard and other
measures as described and shewn.
Dated this 10th day of 1900
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.