IMPROVE- MENTS IN INDICATORS FOR GAS WATER AND OTHER METERS AND FOR OTHER MEASURING CHECKING OR COUNTING APPARATUS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Irving Edmondson and Frank Edmondson, both
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INDICATORS FOR GAS WATER AND OTHER METERS AND FOR OTHER
MEASURING CHECKING OR COUNTING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Irving Edmondson
and Frank Edmondson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
10th December 1881.
CHARLES IRVING EDMONDSON and FRANK EDMONDSON both of Manchester in
the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATORS FOR GAS WATER
OTHER METERS AND FOR OTHER MEASURING CHECKING OR COUNTING
APPARATUS."
AND
"
Our Invention relates to indicators in which more than one dial is used for gas
water and other metres and for other measuring checking or counting apparatus.
The object of our improvements is to construct indicators that may be readily
read without liability to error. We place on the spindle of the unit finger a cam
and on the spindle of each succeeding indicating finger a cain wheel and cam.
The cam on the unit spindle gears into the wheel on the spindle of the following
indicating finger so that as every revolution of the unit finger is completed
the cam will move the wheel on the spindle of the following or "tens" indicator
one tooth, thus causing the "tens finger to move forward one figure, this
finger having remained stationery while the units finger travelled from zero to nine.
When the "tens" finger completes each revolution the cam or single tooth on its
spindle moves the wheel on the "hundreds" finger spindle one tooth and in the same
manner the spindles of the "thousands," tens of thousands, and higher numbers
when used will be caused to turn in each case (excepting the units indicator) the
finger of the indicator moves at once from one figure to the following figure on the
dial as the preceding finger completes one revolution and does not move gradually
as in indicators of the ordinary construction.
In some cases instead of a finger we mount on each spindle (or on all but the
units spindle) a plain disc in which is a hole sufficiently large to allow one figure
on the dial to appear.
By the use of our Invention the liability to error in reading indicators is entirely
obviated and no training is needed for reading our improved indicators.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Irving Edmondson and Frank Edmondson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th June 1882.
CHARLES IRVING EDMONDSON and FRANK EDMONDSON, both of Manchester in
the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATORS FOR GAS, WATER,
AND OTHER METERS, AND FOR OTHER MEASURING, CHECKING OR COUNTING
APPARATUS."
Our Invention relates to indicators in which more than one dial is used for gas,
water and other metres and for other measuring, checking or counting apparatus.
The object of our improvements is to construct an indicator that may be readily
read without liability to error. We place on the spindle of the unit finger a
cam and on the spindle of each succeeding indicating finger a cam wheel and cam.
The-cam-on-the-unit-spindle gears into the wheel on the spindle of the following
indicating finger, so that as every revolution of the unit finger is completed the cam
will move the wheel on the spindle of the following or tens indicator one tooth
thus causing the tens finger to move forward one figure, this finger having remained
stationary while the units finger travelled from zero to nine. When the tens finger
completes each revolution the cam or single tooth on its spindle moves the wheel
on the "hundreds" finger spindle one tooth and in the same manner the spindles
of the thousands," tens of thousands," and higher numbers when used will be
caused to turn in each case (or with the exception of the units indicator) the finger
of the indicator moves at once from one figure to the following figure on the dial
as the preceding finger completes one revolution and does not move gradually as in
indicators of the ordinary construction.
"
In some cases instead of a finger we mount on each spindle (or on all but the
units spindle) a plain disc in which is a hole sufficiently large to allow one figure
on the dial to appear.
By the use of our Invention the liability to error in reading indicators is entirely
obviated and no training is needed for reading our improved indicators.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried.
into effect we will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the indicator. Fig. 2 an elevation in section. Fig. 3
a plan of the same and Fig. 4 a detailed view of parts of two wheels.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A is the dial plate. b is the spindle of the units dial, c is the spindle of the tens
dial, and is the spindle of the hundreds dial. On the spindle bis fixed the
toothed wheel e having as many teeth as there are numerals on the units dial
which receives motion from a worm and wheel connected to the fan (if applied to
a gas meter) or to other mechanism actuated by the gas or other fluid or body to
be measured or counted: on the front of the wheel e is a circular plate f, in the edge
of which is a slot and from which projects a cam or pin g so placed as to come in
contact with a tooth of the wheel on the spindle c as the finger on the spindle b
moves from 9 to 0 in completing a revolution; the finger on the spindle c is thus
moved at once from one numeral to the following one on its dial: there is a toothed
plate at the back of the wheel h and as it is turned a tooth on the plate i enters a
recess in the plate f on the front of the wheel e: the object of these plates is to
keep one wheel from turning except just while the preceding wheel is completing a
revolution; this is effected by the teeth or projections on the plate on the back of
one wheel resting against the edge of the plate on the front of the preceding wheel

page_text: (see Fig. 4). When the finger on the spindle c has almost completed a revolution
while moving from 9 to 0 the pin k projecting from the plate comes in contact
with a tooth of the wheel on the spindle d and moves its finger from one numeral
to the following one, a tooth on the plate m on the wheel enters a recess in the
plate when the wheel is being moved. In measuring gas a worm on or
connected to the fan spindle gears into the worm wheel r (see Fig. 3) on the
spindle s on which is fixed the circular plate t from which projects a pin u that
gives motion to the wheel e on the spindle 6: there is a slot in the edge of the plate t
as in the plate f and there is a toothed plato similar to the plate on the wheel c
to keep it from turning except while the plate t is completing a revolution.
When the indicator is used for counting tickets or people passing an entrance or
turnstile, the wheel on the spindle b is actuated by a pawl or catch as is well
understood.
It is obvious that the number of dials may be increased and that hundreds of
thousands or millions may be indicated in the same manner as units, tens and
hundreds.
Having stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of performing
the same.
We declare that we claim.
1. The improved indicator substantially as and for the purposes herein shown
and described.
2. In an indicator for measuring checking or counting apparatus having more
than one indicating spindle the combination with an indicating spindle of a wheel
having as many teeth as there are numerals on the dial of the said spindle and
provided with a pin or projection that while the indicating finger is completing
each revolution moves forward the succeeding indicating finger one division
substantially as herein set forth.
3. The application to indicating spindles of a circular plate in which is a slot and
a circular plate on which are projections to keep the spindle from turning when
the preceding spindle is not completing a revolution as herein described and
shown.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Irving Edmondson and Frank
Edmondson have hereunto set our hands and seals this Seventh day of
June One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
(L.S.)
C. I. EDMONDSON.
FRANK EDMONDSON. (L.S.)