Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June. 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 15th June, 1888
GEORGE DAVYS HAM, Surveyor of Customs, Warborough Cottage, Balham,
London, S.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For measuring the internal length of casks by an apparatus to be inserted in the
bung-holo, consisting of a main or principal rod, about half way down which, and at
right angles with it, is an arbor or spindle, which is worked by gearing communicating
with a dial or dials at the upper end of the main rod. From this arbour is suspended
a box or tube, which by means of a small rod passing through the main rod to the
dial, can be drawn up parallel with, or inside of, the main rod, or can be depressed so
as to be at right angles with the main rod. Within this tube is a measuring rod,
the upper side of which is toothed, so that it can be driven by a pinion on the arbor
from which the tube is suspended. The result being that the tube containing the
toothed measuring rod can be drawn up parallel with, or inside of, the main rod, and
thus inserted or withdrawn. For measuring, the tube can be in the same way
lowered to a horizontal position, and the toothed rod extended at either end of the
tubo, and the amount of extension exactly registered on the dial or dials.

page_text: I, GEORGE DAVYS HAM, of Warborough Cottage, Balham, S.W. Surveyor of
Customs, 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 invention is an instrument for measuring the internal lengths of casks.
It consists of a main or principal rod, the lower part of which is for insertion into
the bung-hole of the cask the length of which is to be measured.
At a certain distance down this rod, as may be most convenient according to the
size or proportion of the casks for which the instrument is to be used, and at right
angles with the rod, is an arbor or spindle which is worked by gearing communicating
with a handle or winch, and also with a dial; the handle and dial being both at the
upper end of the main rod.
From this arbor a barrel or tube is suspended or slung, by two cheeks, or straps,
which project side by side, about equi-distant from end to end of the tube.
Within
this tube is a measuring rod, the upper side of which is racked or toothed, so that
it can be driven by a pinion on the arbor from which the tube is suspended. This
arbor carries, or has on it, two pinions; one of these is driven, as before mentioned,
by gearing communicating with the upper part of the rod; the other drives the
measuring rod, which is slung in a barrel, or tube, immediately under the pinion.
A small rod passing down the main rod, and attached at its lower end to the barrel,
at a short distance from when the barrel is suspended from the arbor, enables the
barrel to be turned on the arbor a quarter of a circle, whereby its position can be
changed from a vertical to a horizontal one, and vice versa. The upper end of this
small rod locks into the upper end of the main rod in two places or positions. When
locked at one position, the barrel containing the measuring rod is drawn up parallel
with the main rod, enabling it to be inserted into, or withdrawn from, the cask.
When locked at the other point the barrel is brought at right angles with the main
rod, ready for measuring the length of the cask.
By turning the handle or winch before mentioned, the measuring rod is made to
travel until it touches the head of the cask, and this distance is indicated on the
dial, and also registered by an index or indices which remain in the position the
gearing drives them to, until they are moved back by hand.
to
In the accompanying drawing, figure 1 represents the instrument closed; that is
say, the barrel containing the measuring rod is drawn up into a vertical position
within the main rod. This is effected by the lifting rod I, R, which at the lower
end is attached by the strap S to the barrel B, and at the upper end to the key K,
by which it is locked in a vertical position for insertion into, or withdrawal from, the
cask, or in a horizontal position when being actually used for measuring.
Figure 2 shews the instrument with the barrel in a horizontal position as when
in use in the cask. The measuring rod M is propelled by a driving rod G passing

page_text: down the main rod. This driving rod is set in motion by a winch W at the back of
the rod, and as the measuring rod M is extended an index I is driven from the
centre of the dial by a spur projecting from the driving rod G. These indices are
free to travel up and down a slot in the dial, and are held by springs at the points to
which they are driven, until brought back by hand. On the dial two scales of equal
parts are laid down, the numbers on each running from the centre, and the exact
distances that the ends of the measuring rod have travelled from the centre is shewn
by the indices on the dial; and the sum of these two distances is the length of
the cask.
Figure 4 shews a section of the barrel B suspended on the arbor which carries two
pinions P and P. Pis worked by the driving rod G, which is racked or toothed at
the upper and lower ends, and P¹ drives the measuring rod M inside the barrel B.
Figure 3 gives a side elevation of the barrel B, and shews how it is raised and
depressed by the lifting rod L R, and the straps S.
Figure 5 gives a section of the rollers or pulleys between which the driving rod G
works; and figure 6 is an elevation showing a portion of the driving rod G kept in
position by the rollers or pulleys R.
In this drawing the gearing I have shewn is a driving rod, toothed at the upper
and lower ends, transmitting the motion imparted to it by a winch and pinion at the
upper end to the pinion P at the lower end; but I do not confine myself to this or
to any particular mode of gearing.
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 :-
One, that as a whole the instrument is entirely new and original.
Two, that the movement by which I am able to drive and alter the position of the
measuring rod without throwing it out of gear is entirely new and original, and,
consequently new in its application.