Surveying Wheelbarrow.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Surveying Wheelbarrow.
We, JOHANN STÁDEL, of 32, Városházuteza, Raab, Hungary Landed Proprietor,
and EMERICH TORKOS, of No. 1, Liczko, Hungary, Tenant Farmer, 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 present invention relates to a wheelbarrow by means of which it is possible
to measure ground, fields, or other areas in a simple, rapid and reliable manner,
This wheelbarrow also enables persons who are not skilled in the work of an
engineer, to make measurements of such areas. The use of this apparatus further
allows of dispensing with another person's help of any kind, which help is ab-
solutely necessary when effecting such measurements by means of a surveyor's
chain or other apparatus. The subject of this invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of the wheel
barrow.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the counting mechanism mounted on the wheel
barrow, on a larger scale, and
Figure 3 is a back view of the same.
The chief constituent of this surveyor's wheelbarrow is formed by the wheel b
which is mounted between the supporting rods a, a, and the diameter of which
wheel is made such that its periphery is equal to a determined measure of length,
for example 1 or 2 yards. The periphery is divided into parts of the corre-
sponding unit of length, for example into feet, and each division is provided with
a rib c on the periphery of the wheel b. It is advisable to arrange the spokes at
these places of division. The axle e of the wheel b is connected at one end with
a counting device which indicates the number of the revolutions of the wheel b.
This counting device which is shewn in Figure 2 in front elevation, consists of
a rotary figured dial f and of a stationary hand or pointed g. The dial f engages
with its toothed periphery with the screw h which forms a continuation of the
axle e
Consequently this screw h rotates with the wheel b and thereby moves
also the dialf past the fixed hand g. The dial f is provided with a scale of
divisions and advances gradually to the extent of one division for one or more
of the revolutions of the wheel b." The ratio of the gearing may be in any suitable
proportion, for example one revolution of the dialf may be made to correspond
to one hundred revolutions of the wheel b, in which case of course, the scale of
On the rear of the
divisions must also contain one hundred division marks.
dialf there is arranged a triangular piece i in such a manner that at each
revolution of the dial this piece will move past a circular excision / provided in
the rear part of the casing k (Figure 3). In the excision there takes the pin m²
of a hammer m which is arranged on the elastic shank m¹. The point of the
hammer m bears upon the inner surface of the bell o which is situated on the
rear side outside of the casing of the dial. It is shewn in dotted lines only in
the accompanying drawings for the purpose of better illustrating the hammer
arrangement. Now when the triangular tappet i moves past the excision /, the
pin m² of the hammer m moves along the inclined surface of the triangle up to

page_text: the apex of the latter, and then falls suddenly down whereby the point of the
hammer strikes upon the bello and thereby indicates each revolution of the
dial f. The supporting bars a a are provided at their rear ends with folding
feet p. When it is desired to measure the width or the length of a field, the
operator walks along the said distance and pushes the wheel barrow long in front
of him. It is clear that the number of revolutions of the wheel will indicate
the length of the distance in the corresponding unit of measurement. The
number of the revolutions is partly indicated by the number of the signals
given by the hammer m, and it is also partly read off from the counting device.
Each signal given by the hammer indicates the measuring off of so many
units of length as there are divisions on the dial f. On now adding to
the number of these units of length the number of the units of length
which are read off from the dial and which have been measured since the last
signal was given, there will be obtained the total number of the complete units
of length, whilst the fractions, such as fect for example, can be determined by
means of the traces or marks left behind by the ribs c on the ground. From
the lengths so obtained the superficial area of the ground to be measured can be
calculated in the well known manner. In order to enable the reading off to be
effected more conveniently, the dial f is set each time to zero before commencing
to walk over the distance to be measured. For this purpose the screw which
presses down the dial is loosened, and then the dial f is pushed forward by the
action of the spiral spring arranged underneath, so that the outer teeth can be
moved out of engagement with the screw thread of the screw and the dial can
be rotated freely by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A surveyor's wheel barrow characterised by a wheel b having a periphery
equal to a determined unit of length (yard etc.), and the axle e of which is con-
nected by means of an endless screw h with a counting device f g for the purpose
of indicating the number of the revolutions of the wheel b, that is to say the
distance travelled over by the said wheel.
2. In the surveyor's wheel barrow specified in Claim 1 the arrangement of a
bell alarm apparatus, connected with the counting device g, characterised by a
tappet which is arranged on the rear side of the rotary figured dial f, and by
means of which the pin m² of a hammer m is raised so that in falling down it
strikes the bell and thus indicates each time a complete revolution of the figured
dial f
.
3. In the surveyor's wheel barrow specified in Claim 1 the use of ribs e on the
periphery of the wheel for the purpose of marking the fractions, such as feet
for example of a determined unit of length (such as the yard) on the surface of the
ground.
15th day of May 1899.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.