Improvements in Apparatus for Testing, Indicating, and Recording Weight and Speed and Power Obtained by Physical Exertion, Applicable also for Exercising Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1887
Complete Left, 1st Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Testing, Indicating, and Recording
Weight and Speed and Power Obtained by Physical Exertion,
Applicable also for Exercising Purposes.
I JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68 Bridge Street, Birkenhead in the County of
Chester, Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in providing means for testing, exhibiting, indicating and
recording manual speed, power and weight by mechanical appliances such as hereafter
described, which appliances can also be used for manual exercising purposes.
According to my Invention I arrange a crank shaft carried by and running in
suitable bearings and having a driving wheel and a crank, or cranks provided with a
treadle, or treadles and a weighing seat, or seats in combination with (and whereby
a person, or persons can drive) a secondary shaft and clutch discs, or equivalent
devices, a fly wheel, or wheels, a speed indicator, a time indicator, a speed recorder
and a power break, or equivalent strength indicator in such a manner that a person
sitting on the seat, or persons sitting on the seats can drive the secondary shaft and
by means of the speed indicator, time indicator, speed recorder, or power indicator
exhibit, or record, or test the speed at which they can drive the apparatus the time
for a given number of revolutions and, or the power they can exert. The apparatus
is stationary and can be used for competitive trials in places of amusement.
A convenient form of apparatus may be constructed as follows. Upon a suitable
framework, I mount in suitable bearings a shaft having a crank and treadles (similar
to an ordinary bicycle crank and treadles) at each end. On the centre of the shaft
I mount a chain wheel and over the chain wheel I provide a bicycle saddle mounted
on a spring and carried by a lever in connection with a weight indicating mechanism,
having a dial and pointer which may be of that class which is brought into operation
through the insertion of a coin through a slot. In front of the crank shaft and carried
by a frame and running in suitable bearings I provide a secondary shaft having a
chain wheel loose thereon and provided with pawls which work into teeth on the
shaft, or on a second disc, or boss on the shaft. The chain wheel on the secondary

page_text: shaft and thereby the secondary shaft is driven by an endless chain from the chain
wheel on the crank shaft, which is worked by a person sitting on the seat, so that as
long as such person is exerting power, he is driving the secondary shaft, but should
he stop, the secondary shaft will run on until the momentum is exhausted. The
secondary shaft is also provided with a fly wheel, or wheels, and is connected to a suitable
speed indicator and a speed integrator. The shaft is also provided with a break
appliance for indicating power. The speed indicator, the speed integrator and the
power indicator are all provided with suitable dials and pointers in which are fitted
sliding stops, which will indicate the maximum that has been attained. In con-
nection with these indicators there is also provided a clock showing the time occupied
in obtaining a certain number of revolutions. To compute the weight with time the
weight indicating device may consist of a weighted lever operated once at every
revolution or any fixed number of revolutions for example say the weighted lever may
be set for a man to lift fifty pounds every minute at a speed of a fixed number of
revolutions of the apparatus. If this speed is not reached the weight is not lifted in
the time given. Each of the indicating appliances is also connected to an ordinary
electric bell which can be attached so as to ring when any given speed is reached,
when any given number of revolutions has been accomplished, or when any given
power has been obtained.
A convenient form of speed indicating appliance may consist of an electrically
insulated spindle connected to the secondary shaft having a glass barrel round which
the wires from an electric battery are passed, and are continued to a clockwork device
having a pointer arranged as a contact maker to travel round a metal ring having a
contact breaker once in a given period, say one, two, or three minutes. The operator
starts the clockwork which makes the electric circuit complete and thus constitutes
the device on the secondary shaft a magnet, which attracts a spring connecting piece
on the spindle of a revolution indicator, so that on the operator starting the clockwork,
it will go for say one minute only and the exact number of revolutions which he has
performed will be shown on the revolution indicator.
The power testing device may consist of a simple lever, or other friction break
working in connection with a pulley on the secondary shaft and indicating the power
by dead weight, or a spring balance.
The indicating numerals on the various indicating devices may be in relief and the
stop pieces which are moved by the indicating pointers may have slots in which a
ticket may be inserted which after the figure has been reached can be pressed against
the numeral leaving on the ticket an imprint of the performance.
Each of the indicators are preferably arranged to be released and brought into
operation only by the insertion of a coin through an aperture on the plan common to
such devices.
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page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Testing, Indicating, and Recording
Weight and Speed and Power Obtained by Physical Exertion,
Applicable also for Exercising Purposes.
I, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68 Bridge Street, Birkenhead in the County of
Chester, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 consists in providing means for testing, exhibiting, indicating and
recording physical speed, power and weight by mechanical appliances such as
hereafter described which appliances can also be used for physical exercising
purposes.
According to my Invention I arrange a crank shaft carried by and running in
suitable bearings and having a driving wheel and a crank, or cranks provided with a
treadle, a treadles and a weighing seat, or seats in combination with (and whereby
a person or persons can drive) a secondary or other shaft and clutch discs or equivalent
devices, a fly wheel, or wheels, a speed indicator, a time indicator, a speed recorder
and a power brake, or equivalent strength indicator in such a manner that a person
sitting on the seat or persons sitting on the seats can drive the secondary or other
shaft and by means of the speed indicator, time indicator, speed recorder or power
indicator, exhibit or record, or test the speed at which they can drive the apparatus,
the time for a given number of revolutions and, or the power they can exert.
The apparatus is stationary and can be used for competitive trials in places of
amusement.
A convenient form of apparatus may be constructed as follows-Upon a suitable
framework, I mount in suitable bearings a shaft having a crank and treadles (similar
to an ordinary bicycle crank and treadles) at each end. In the centre of the shaft I
mount a chain wheel and over the chain wheel I provide a bicycle saddle mounted
on a spring and carried by a lever in connection with a weight indicating mechanism,
having a dial and pointer which may be of that class which is brought into operation
through the insertion of a coin through a slot. In front of the crank shaft and
carried by a frame and running in suitable bearings I provide a secondary or other
shaft having a chain wheel loose thereon and provided with pawls which work into
teeth on the shaft, or on a second disc, or boss on the shaft. The chain wheel on the
secondary or other shaft, and thereby the secondary or other shaft, is driven by an
endless chain from the chain wheel on the crank shaft, which is worked by a person
sitting on the seat, so that as long as such person is exerting power he is driving the
secondary or other shaft, but should he stop, the secondary or other shaft will run on
until the momentum is exhausted. The secondary or other shaft is also provided
with a fly wheel or wheels and is connected to a suitable speed indicator and a speed
integrator. The shaft is also provided with a brake appliance for indicating power.
The speed indicator, the speed integrator and the power indicator are all provided

page_text: with suitable dials or scales of the usual kind and pointers in which are fitted sliding
stops which will indicate the maximum that has been attained. In connection with
these indicators there is also provided a clock showing the time occupied in obtaining
a certain number of revolutions.
The power testing device may consist of a simple lever or other friction brake
working in connection with a pulley on the secondary or other shaft and indicating
the power by dead weight, or a spring balance.
The indicating numerals on the various indicating devices may be in relief and the
stop pieces which are moved by the indicating pointers may have slots in which a
ticket may be inserted which after the figure has been reached can be pressed against
the numeral leaving on the ticket an imprint of-the performance, as known in such
apparatus.
Each of the indicators may be arranged to be released and brought into operation
only by the insertion of a coin through an aperture on the plan common to such
devices.
The before going being the nature, object and purposes of my Invention I will now
proceed to describe how the same may be carried out into practical effect, reference
being had to the annexed sheets of Drawings which make a part of this Specification
and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, like letters and figures being
_used to denote the same, or like parts throughout the several views and figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an example of an apparatus according to
my Invention.
Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown at Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the apparatus shown at Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of an example of a combined seat, or saddle
and a weighing apparatus according to my Invention.
The apparatus shown in the Drawings represents an example of the carrying out
of my Invention. It consists of a crank shaft a provided with treadles al and a
toothed wheel b and mounted on a frame a² which is carried by and adjustable on a
rod a³. Mounted on the frame a' there is a shaft c which carries a toothed pinion 61
and a chain wheel &. The frame a² is provided with a standard d having an adjustable
handle d. At the rear of the shaft a there is a standard e carrying a saddle or
seat e¹ by means of the screwed rod e³ and capable of vertical adjustment by means
of the screw.nute and the bevel wheel gear e and the handle e. In front of the
shaft a there is a shaft carried by and running in bearings g on a frame h. On the
shaft there is mounted a wheel i and a shaft gripping device at k, which may be of
´any known kind that will engage with the shaft when turned with a speed equal to
that of the shaft f and will leave the shaft f free to revolve when its speed is higher
than that of the device at k. For example the 1 device may consist of the well known
pawl and ratchet movement, by which the shaft f is rotated. The device at k is
provided with a chain wheel k¹ by which it is actuated and is connected by the endless
chain k with the chain wheel 6 on the driving shaft c which conveys movement to
it. Two gripping devices k³ k of a like nature to that at k are worked by a cord k
which is passed round the devices at k³ k and round a guide pulley . The cords
are provided with handles k7 by which the apparatus can be worked by hand. On
the frame there is provided an integrating counter which is driven from the
-shaft by the endless band m and pulleys m² and m³. This counter / may be of any
known kind that will record the number of revolutions of the shaft f. There is also
provided a time keeping clock designated p the function of which is to throw the
counter in and out of gear with the shaft f. This is effected by providing the arbor
of the clock p with a cam wheel p¹ which acts on a lever r and causes the end of
it to press on the side of the endless band m, thereby causing the band m to bite on
the pulley m¹ of the shaft f and the pulley m³ of the counter 7 and so sets the counter /
-in action. The clock p may be timed to set the counter in motion for one minute,

page_text: or other period of time that may be desired. The clock p is started by an attendant
lifting a stop latch p³ and at the end of the period of time, by the bent end r¹ of the
lever falling into the notch p² on the wheel p¹, the counter is put out of gear with
the shaft f. So as to arrest the motion of the counter at the exact time, the pully m²
is provided with stops m³ and the lever r is provided with a pin which engage
when the end of the lever falls into the notch p² on the cam p². The cam p¹ is
provided with pins p* and the stop latch p³ is so hinged on the clock p that when one
of the pins pt comes under the said latch a recess in its end engages with the pin
and stops the clock p at the same time that the stop pin stops the counter l. Over
the shaft and carried on the standards s there is a lever t, one end of which is
connected to the end of a strap brake u which passes over the pulley on the shaft f,
and the other end being provided with a weight w.
The apparatus is designed for Recreation purposes for testing speed and strength
in relation to time, for example in operation the competitor gets on to the saddle e¹
places his feet on and works the treadles a¹ and by means of the endless chain 2 and
the device k works the shaft f. The shaft is put into gear with the counter / and
at the end of say a minute the counter is thrown out of gear by the bent end of the
lever coming into the notch p² in the wheel p' and the performance of the operator
is then read off from the counter l. The operator may simply try his powers against
time, or he can be one of a number competing against one another. When the trial
is for speed only the counter / alone is used and when the trial is for speed and
strength the brake u is also put onto the shaft and the weight w is adjusted to
put the required power on the brake. For trials of strength only the brake is
alone used.
The apparatus may be worked by one person from the saddle e¹ by the treadles a',
or by means of the cord k³ and handles k².
In Figure 4 the saddle e' is shown in combination with a dial weighing machine.
In this case the saddle e¹ is carrier on a lever es one end of which is fulcrumed on the
standard e and the other end is connected to the rod e² of the dial weighing machine e
which is carried by a bracket e³ from the standard d a sliding sleeve d* being provided
to guide the lever es. When it is not required to use or after using the weighing
seat, the seat can be kept steady by inserting pins in the holes d³ above and below the
sleeve d².
In addition to the revolution counter which records the number of revolutions
done, in a certain time, the apparatus may be provided with a speed indicator which
may be worked from the machine in like manner to the counter and which will
show the speed at which the machine is running.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood
that I do not confine my Invention to the exact form of apparatus herein described
and illustrated nor to the collective combination of parts set forth for indicating speed,
time, and strength as such parts may be used together, or independently but I declare
that what I claim is:-
First. In apparatus for testing indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a seat, a wheel operated by treadles, and a device, or devices for
indicating speed, time, and strength, or either of them substantially as set forth.
Second. In apparatus for testing, indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a weighing seat,-a crank shaft worked by treadles, a gripping
device, a free shaft and wheel or wheels, a speed indicator, a time indicater, a speed
recorder or counter, and a power brake, or strength indicator, all combined and
operating as or substantially as set forth.
Third. In apparatus for testing indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the com-
bination of a seat, e¹, a crank shaft, a, worked by treadles, a', a gripping device, k,

page_text: said crank shaft and gripping device being connected as described, a shaft, ƒ, an
integrating counter, l, a clock, p, and a brake u all operating as set forth.
Fourth. In apparatus for testing, indicating, and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a seat, e¹, a crank shaft, a, worked by treadles, a¹, a gripping device, k,
said crank shaft and gripping device being connected as described, a shaft, f, and an
integrating counter, 7, all operating as set forth.
Fifth. In apparatus for testing, indicating, and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a seat, e¹, a crank shaft, a, worked by treadles, a¹, a gripping device, k,
said crank shaft and gripping device being connected as described, a shaft, f, an
integrating counter, 1, and a clock, p, all operating as set forth.
Sixth. In apparatus for testing, indicating, and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the com-
bination of a seat, e¹, a crank shaft, a, worked by treadles, a', a gripping device, k,
said crank shaft and gripping device being connected as described, a shaft, f, and a
brake, u, all operating as set forth.
Seventh. In apparatus for testing indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion, applicable also for exercising purposes the
combination of a shaft, f, gripping devices, k³, k, a hand cord, ko, working said
gripping devices as described an integrating counter, 1, a clock, p, and a brake, u, all
operating as set forth.
· Eighth. In apparatus for testing, indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion, applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a shaft, f, gripping devices, k³, k, a hand cord, k, working said
gripping devices as described and an integrating counter, I, all operating as set
forth.
Ninth. In apparatus for testing indicating and recording weight and speed and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes, the
combination of a shaft, f, gripping devices ³, ka hand cord, k³, working said
gripping devices, as described, an integrating counter, 1, and a clock, p, all operating
as set forth.
Tenth. In apparatus for testing, indicating and recording weight and speed, and
power obtained by physical exertion applicable also for exercising purposes the
combination of a shaft, f, gripping devices, k³, k, a hand cord, ³, working said
gripping devices as described and a brake, u, all operating as set forth."
Dated this 29th day of February 1888
JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
15, Water Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents.