Coin-freed Lung-testing Apparatus or Spirometer.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 29th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
CA Coin-freed Lung-testing Apparatus or Spirometer.
I WILLIAM WATSON of No. 26 Boundary Street Freehold Rochdale in the County
of Lancaster Plumber do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
My invention relates to machines or apparatus used for the purpose of testing the
respiratory powers of the lungs of human beings.
"
The object of my invention being to provide an apparatus or simple contrivance
which may be located and affixed in public places and which upon the insertion of a
coin of the realm-a penny-shall admit of being operated or allow the apparatus to
be used as a Lung tester after such use the apparatus to become inoperative until the
apparatus be provided with another coin.
My invention consists of suitable mechanism arranged in a casing. I conveniently
provide in connection with a suitable opening or slit provided in the casing a coin
receiver or tray the said receiver is attached to a weighted lever conveniently supported
between its extremities the said lever being adapted to operate a valve covering an
opening or thoroughfare of a tube which extends to the outside of the casing and
terminating with a mouth piece which I term the "blow pipe" or tube. In proximity
to and opposite the entrance to the thoroughfare in the tube I employ vanes or
wing pieces" of suitable form provided on a horizontal shaft conveniently supported
at its extremities. At any convenient part of the shaft or spindle is attached a
flexible cord preferably "cat gut," at the lower end of the cord is provided a weight
which is situated between vertical guides the said weight being provided with a
finger or pointer which terminates in front of a suitably gradated scale. Below the
coin receiver is situated the one extremity of a lever its other end extending to and
between the guides at a convenient elevation so as to engage with or rest against the
weight. The operation of my invention is as follows..
Upon the insertion of a coin thro the slit the same passes into the receiver thus
depressing the receiver and consequently the one arm of the weighted lover raising
its other arm the thoroughfare of the blow pipe is by this means uncovered the
apparatus being then ready for operation. Upon the operator blowing through the
tube the horizontal spindle is caused to rotate as the action of the force exerted from
the lungs of the operator is directed upon the surfaces of the vanes thus the cord is
caused to wind on the spindle and raise the weight the finger or pointer consequently
being raised records or ocularly demonstrates upon the gradated scale any numerical
force tabulated thereon also (when the spindle is caused to rotate) toy figures may
be set in motion or mechanical motion for various purposes may be employed for the
purposes of amusement for observers, when the pointer has attained its maximum
height the weight and consequently the pointer being allowed to descend, when the
weight has reached its lowest point the one arm of the lever before referred to is
depressed its other arm consequently raised and caused to engage with the receiver
or tray decanting the same and discharging the coin therefrom into a suitable
receptacle below the apparatus then resumes its normal position or condition and
remains inoperative until the tray be provided with a coin.
Dated this 27th Ave of Anril & D 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Coin-freed Lung-testing Apparatus or Spirometer.
I, WILLIAM WATSON, of No. 26 Boundary Street, Freehold, Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Plumber, 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 :-
My Invention relates to machines or apparatus used for the purpose of testing the
respiratory powers of the lungs of human beings. The object of my Invention being
to provide an apparatus or simple contrivance which may be located and affixed in
public places, and which, upon the insertion of a coin of the realm-a penny--shall
admit of being operated or allow the apparatus to be used as a lung tester; after such
use the apparatus to become inoperative until the apparatus be provided with another
coin.
In the accompanying explanatory drawing Figures 1 and 2 are elevational views,
and Figure 3 a plan, having respectively a front, side and top removed, of a machine
constructed according to my said improvements. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate by a
front and side elevation the coin receiver or tray with part of its actuating mechanism,
Figure 6 showing, by a plan view partly in section, an arrangement for registering the
lung powers of the operator.
In carrying out my Invention I arrange the mechanism within an enclosing case A
formed with an opening or slot a in combination with a shoot b and a coin receiver,
tray or receptacle B, the latter being suspended, by a rod c moving vertically in a
guide c¹, to one end of a weighted lever C which latter acts as, or with, a valve cover
or closing device and is carried in a pivoted manner on a support c² so as to close
and open the thoroughfare of a tube D which extends to the outside of the casing A
and terminates with a mouth piece d connected to the flexible blow pipe or tube. In
proximity to, and opposite the inside entrance to the thoroughfare in the tube D, I
employ vanes or wing pieces E of suitable form provided on a horizontal shaft F
conveniently supported or otherwise carried in bearings at its extremities. At a
suitable point on the shaft or spindle F I attach a flexible cord e, preferably cat-gut;
at the lower end of the cord is provided a weight G which is situated between two
vertical guides g, 9, said weight being provided with projections gl, g', sliding in the
grooves of the guides 9, 9, and also with a finger or pointer g² which terminates in
front of a graduated scale. (In lieu of this scale, and finger or pointer moving
vertically thereon, I may employ the arrangement shown at Figure 6 which com-
prises a pinion h, mounted on the front end of the spindle F, gearing with a toothed
wheel or with a train of wheels so as to rotate a spindle i carrying a hand or
pointer round a graduated dial face 2.) Below the coin receiver B is provided the
weighted extremity j of a wire or stop H, said wire or stop, which is fulcrumed at its
centre, terminating at its other extremity in a flange which rests under, and is
depressed by, the weight G when same is at its lowest point of travel.
The apparatus constructed in the foregoing manner according to my said Invention
is operated in the following manner :-
Upon the insertion of a coin into the machine, through the slit or opening a, it
passes into and depresses the receiver B (as shown by the arrow Figure 5 and by the
dotted lines) consequently depressing also the one end of the weighted lever C,
raising the other end, and thereby uncovering the thoroughfare of the blow tube or
pipe thus rendering the apparatus ready for use. Upon the operator blowing
through the tube D the horizontal spindle is caused to rotate, as the force exerted
from the lungs of the operator is directed upon the surfaces of the vanes E, the
cord e being thus caused to wind on the shaft F, or on a drum or pulley on the
shaft, and raise the weight G the finger g consequently being raised, or the hand
rotated, as the case may be, thus recording or ocularly demonstrating upon the
graduated scale or dial a numerical force tabulated thereon. When the weight
reaches its lowest point of travel it comes in contact with, and depresses, the flanged

page_text: end of the pivoted arm H aforesaid the weighted end j of the arm being conse-
quently raised and caused to engage with the tray B, which is loosely hung by a
cross piece formed in the open lower framework of the rod c, thus upsetting or
decanting the same (as shown in dotted lines more particularly at Figure 5) and
discharging the coin therefrom into a suitable receptacle J below the apparatus,
whereupon the tray recovers its normal position and the apparatus remains inopera-
tive until the tray is provided with another coin. A strip of metal k, secured to
the under side of the tray B and bent at right angles thereto, retains the tray in
its normal horizontal position. A stop pin or projection k¹, forming part of the lower
end of the rod c, serves to prevent the tray B from being raised too far by the end j
of the arm H.
If desired, I may employ a suitable arrangement to actuate toy figures or other
objects for purposes of amusement when the spindle F is put in motion.
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 :-
The coin freed lung testing apparatus or spirometer constructed and working as
herein set forth.
day of January 1890.
JAMES STEVENSON,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.
JAMES STEVENSON,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.