CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LAND AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Mechanic, send grecting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of July, in the tenth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and succesors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Chesterman, His especial licence that I, the said James Chesterman,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Chesterman,
my exors, admiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS ON MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING LAND AND OTHER
PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said James Chesterman, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Chesterman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to
consist in what is commonly called a measuring tape, in which the cylinder or
barrel on which the tape is wound is connected with a strong watch or clock
spring, according to the size required, in such manner as to wind up the tape

page_text: after it has been drawn out, without any effort on the part of the operator; and
in further compliance with the said proviso; I, the said James Chesterman, do
hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed,
by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents one of my improved meausuring machines of a short
length, as, for instance; a yard, for which length a simple attachment of the
cylinder or barrel on which the tape is wound to any ordinary strong steel
spring is sufficient, as here shewn. A is the outer case of the machine; B, the
cylinder to which the tape is fastened, and which forms also the box of the
spring; C, the stud to which the spring is attached, being also the axis on which
the cylinder turns; D the spring coiled round in the box; E, the tape and loop
to pull it out by; F, two rollers between which the tape passes; I, a small
bolt which pushes the tape against one of the rollers, and thus stops it at any
given length till the bolt is withdrawn.
.
Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1, in which similar letters are used to
denote similar parts. G is a top or cover screwed down upon the case over
the works, to keep the same in their places when the spring is in action.
Figure 3 represents one of my improved measuring machines of a larger
size and a greater length of tape, for which it is necessary to provide that
the tape shall wind up on the cylinder faster than the spring unwinds from the
stud or axis, otherwise the spring would be of an inconvenient length. This is
effected by an arrangement of cogged wheels or racks and pinions, as here
shewn. A is the outer case of the machine; B, the cylinder on which the
tape is wound, and which in this case is separate from the box which holds the
spring; D is the spring lying coiled in its box; and it will be seen that the
box is furnished inside its upper rim with a rack or cogs which take into the
cogged wheel at C, which in its turn takes into the pinion E.
fixed to the four arms of the tape cylinder B, the axis of which
to form a stud to fasten the inner end of the spring to the arms H, H, C,
serve to keep the spring in its place while in action. The rest of the apparatus
is the same as Figure 1. Now it will be seen by this arrangement that while
the tape is drawing out or off the cylinder B, the pinion E will act upon the
cogged wheel at C, which cogged wheel, taking into the rack inside the spring
box, will wind the spring slowly up, and the cylinder will thus perform. several
revolutions to one of the spring box. If the tape then be released, the rack
attached to the spring box communicates motion to the cogged wheel at C,
This pinion is
pinion serves

page_text: and thence to the pinion E, which winds up the tape with the same relative
velocity.
Figure 4 is a section of Figure 8, in which G represents the cover or top
of the machine, which part is supposed to be removed in Figures 1 and 3, for
the purpose of better shewing the mechanical arrangement of the machine.
Now whereas it is evident that this instrument is susceptible of various modifi-
cations, both as to material and arrangement; but whereas I claim as my said
Invention the application of a spring to make it a self-winding instrument,
together with the application of two speeds in order to make the soil of the
spring here shewn answer for long tapes, and also the adjusting bolt I; and
such my Invention being to the best of my knowledge and belief entirely new,
and never before used within that part of His said Majesty's United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said Dominion of Wales, or
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification
of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply
in all respects fully and without reserve or disguise with the proviso in the said
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained, wherefore I do hereby.
claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chesterman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty.