Year: 1896

page_text: I, JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY of High Street, West Bromwich in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to an instrument for determining and indicating gradients
principally for use of cyclists, the drivers of carriages and others, and consists
essentially of a rotating and geared-up drum, having marked off upon its
periphery, a graduated scale of feet, indicating different gradients ranging
from 1 in 5 to 1 in 90, the said scale having a double set of markings each starting
at nothing and ending at ninety. This graduated drum is enclosed within a
box or casing having an opening in its periphery through which the markings
of the scale are seen, and is made fast to an axis carrying a pinion which inter-
gears with a toothed sector formed within or carried by a plumb weight preferably
hung from a centre above the centre of the drum, the said sector being located
at a point considerably removed from the centre on which the weight is hung so
as to multiply to the drum and pinion the movement made by the swinging of
the plumb. By the toothed sector of the plumb-weight intergearing with the
pinion of the drum axis, the movement of the drum relative to the oscillations
of the weight are considerably increased proportional to the extent to which the
drum is geared up, and thus the scale is very sensitive to the slightest movement
of the plumb-weight when a vehicle or cycle carrying the same changes from a
horizontal to an inclined plane.
The outer casing is supported with and embraced by a horse-shoe-shaped clip
or band carrier, wherein the clinometer is adjusted, when the vehicle may be in
a horizontal plane, so as to bring the scale either in front of a gap in the casing
or opposite to a pointer on the carrier for setting.
The said spring clip or bracket is connected to a like band clip for embracing
the frame member of a machine, with the one clip member swivelly connected
to the other by a pin or rivet, but with a spring washer or yielding bearing coming
between them, so as to make a stiff joint.
The plumb weight is stopped by horns or projections upon its lower end coming
against pins on the framing.
In use, the clinometer is fixed upon a machine or carriage and set when on a
horizontal plane. Then on a machine commencing to ascend or descend a
gradient, the teeth of the rack on the plumb weight, which always tends to fall
or remain in a vertical plane, intergear with the teeth of the drum pinion, which
drum is carried round at a multiplied rate to an extent proportional to the
steepness of the gradient.
As a modification, the plumb weight may be hung from the same axis as the
drum wheel and further, the gradient may be indicated by a pointer carried by
the drum traversing a dial on the side of the casing.

page_text: I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact means of
multiplying the motion of the drum relative to the movement of the plumb-weight,
which may be effected in a variety of ways, such as by band or friction gear, or
by a train of wheels interlocated between the sector or equivalent of the weight
and the drum or pointer to be rotated.
Instead of a rotating pointer, I may employ a rotating dial and a fixed finger.
Instead of the instrument being mounted in a band or horse shoe shaped elip
it may be mounted upon a central axis, arranged only to be moved stiffly.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
I, JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY of High Street, West Bromwich in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, 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 relates to an instrument for determining and indicating gradients
principally for the use of cyclists, the drivers of carriages and others.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a part of the front of a
bicycle, with my improved clinometer or gradient indicator attached to the handle
bar of the same.
Figure 2 is a full-sized view of the said clinometer and its carrier attachment
and
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the said instrumeat, taken upon the dotted
line, Figure 3 and enlarged to double full size.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of Figure 4 upon the dotted line ¹.
Figure 6 represents, upon the same scale as Figure 4, the rotating drum or
scale-carrier of the instrument in front elevation, plan and vertical section.
Figure 7 represents a front elevation, an edge view and a vertical section of the
plumb weight of the same.
Figure 8 shows the carrier attachment separately, and upon the same scale as
Figure 2.
The same letters of reference indicates corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 8
of the drawing.
The improved instrument a, consists essentially of a rotating and geared-up
drum b, carrying or having marked off upon its periphery 61, a graduated scale 63,
indicating different gradients ranging say from 1 in the 100 to 20 in the 100,
the said scale having a double set of markings each starting at zero and ending
at say 20. This scale-carrying drum is enclosed within a box or casing a', having
an opening a, in its periphery through which the markings of the scale are seen,
and is made fast to an axis 63 mounted in a frame c and carrying a pinion b which
intergears with a toothed sector d', formed within or carried by a plumb weight d,
preferably hung from a centre d³, above the centre of the drum, the said sector
being located at a point considerably removed from the centre on which the weight
is hung, so as to multiply to the drum pinion the movement made by the swinging

page_text: of the plumb. By the toothed sector of the plumb-weight intergearing with the
pinion of the drum axis, the movement of the drum relative to the oscillations of
the weight are considerably increased, proportional to the extent to which the
drum is geared up, and thus the scale is very sensitive to the slightest movement
of the said plumb-weight when a vehicle or cycle carrying the same changes from
a horizontal to an inclined plane in ascending or descending a gradient. To protect
the interior of the instrument from damp, the aperture 2, may be closed by a
piece of transparent substance h.
The outer casing a', is supported within and embraced by a horse-shoe-shaped
clip or band carrier e, wherein the clinometer is adjusted, when the vehicle may be
in a horizontal plane, so as to bring the zero point of the scale in front of the
gap a, in the casing or the casing may be rotated in the clip so as to bring a
mark (such as g, Figure 2) upon it opposite to a pointer on the carrier, (as
indicated by the dotted lines g', in Figures 2 and 8) for setting.
The said spring clip or bracket e, may be connected to a like band clip f, for
embracing the frame member of a machine, with the one clip member swivelly
connected to the other at f¹ by a pin or rivet, but with a spring washer or yielding
bearing 2, coming between them, so as to make a stiff joint.
The pendulous suspended plumb-weight may be stopped by horns or projections
upon its lower end coming against pins on the framing.
In use, the clinometer is fixed upon a machine as in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or to a
suitable part of a carriage and set when the cycle or vehicle is upon a horizontál
plane. Then on a machine commencing to ascend or descend a gradient, the
teeth of the rack on the plumb weight, (which always tends to fall or remain in
a vertical plane) intergear with the teeth of the drum pinion, which drum is
carried round at a multipled rate to an extent proportional to the steepness of
the gradient.
As a modification, the plumb weight may be hung from the same axis as the
drum whoel and further, the gradient may be indicated by a pointer carried by
the drum traversing a dial on the side of the casing.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact means of
multiplying the motion of the drum relative to the movement of the plumb-
weight which may be effected in a variety of ways, such as by band or friction
gear, or by a train of wheels interlocated between the sector or equivalent of the
weight and the drum or pointer to be rotated.
Instead of a rotating pointer, I may employ a rotating dial and a fixed finger.
Instead of the instrument being mounted in a band or horse-shoe-shaped clip
in may be mounted upon a central axis, arranged only to be moved stiffly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
First: An improved clinometer or gradient indicator, comprising a hanging
or pendulous-suspended plumb-weight carrying a quadrantly-disposed toothed
rack, intergearing with the teeth of a pinion whose axis has made fast to it, a
drum or equivalent carrying a scale upon its periphery, said scale being seen
through an aperture in the casing of the instrument, which is supported in a
suitable carrier, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly: An improved clinometer or gradient indicator, comprising a hang-
ing plumb-weight carrying a toothed rack intergearing with a pinion whose axis
bas made fast to it, a pointer dial or other indicator, located on or visible from
the outside of the instrument, substantially as herein described.
Thirdly: A carrier or holder for clinometers, consisting of a spring clip,
adapted to embrace the casing of the instrument, which is capable of being moved
round therein for the purposes of adjustment.
Fourthly: The improvements in clinometers or gradient indicators, and in

page_text: holders or carriers for the same, substantially as herein described and set
forth.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1897.
JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY.
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.