Improvements in Coin or the like Operated Apparatus for Testing. the Force of a Blow
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1893
TROYDDIONAL DEELDIVA LJUN
Improvements in Coin or the like Operated Apparatus for Testing.
the Force of a Blow..
ERNEST GEORGE MATTHEWSON of 31 Palace Road, Upper Norwood in the
County of Surrey Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a machine whereby the force of a blow
by the hand is indicated by a coin or the like and to carry this into effect I construct
my machine as follows:-
The external appearance of the machine is made somewhat similar to a miniature
of the mallet striking machines seen at fairs and places of amusement, which are
machines whereby a blow from a large mallet upon a block in front of the machine
causes a weight to ascend a high upright rack at the back to a height according
to the force of the blow delivered.
My machine is made to about one quarter scale of the size of the mallet
striker and the blow is given with the fist upon a suitable padded cushion instead
of with a mallet upon the wood block, and instead of the blow causing a weight to
ascend, it causes the coin inserted in the machine to ascend in front of a scale
behind a glass, the scale indicating the number of pounds or other measure of the
force of the blow given upon the pad. The case of the machine carries an upright
bar in front at the top of which the pad for striking is attached. This bar is
carried in a guide and its lower extremity rests upon or is attached to a lever this
lever has for its fulcrum a bolt through about its centre and runs back so that its
opposite end is under the upright part at the back of the machine a strong spring
is attached to this lever either in tension under the part behind its fulcrum or in
compression in front of the fulcrum, and according to the force of the blow given
upon the pad so this lever is moved through a greater or less radius and speed.
Upon the back end of the upper part of the lever a short plate spring is attached
and upon this spring the coin or the like when inserted into the machine, falls. A
coin slot is provided at the side of the machine with guides so that the coin falls
upon the spring before mentioned. Exactly above the coin in this position the
upright slide is fixed. This slide has a glass front and just inside the glass metal
runners at each side are fixed. The back of this slide consists of the scale with
measurements indicated thercon graduated according to requirements.
Up the centre of this scale a metal runner is fixed; the whole scale is hinged on
one side and has a spring behind it attached to the back of the case to press the
scale towards the two front metal runners just iuside the glass. These metal
runners are levelled off at the bottom to guide the coin or the like between the
front two and back one. It will be seen that if the coin is in position upon the end
of the lever and a blow is struck upon the pad the coin will be forced upward
between these metal runners behind the glass and in front of the scale a height
according to the force of the blow given, which height can be regulated by the
strength of the spring which presses the scale carrying the back runner forward. The
coin is held in this position until the next coin is inserted. The coin slot is near the
bottom of the scale and upon the side of the machine to which the scale is hinged and
projecting at a right angle in front of the hinged side of the scale a piece of metal is
fixed the projecting end passing across the upper part of the inside of the coin slot,
when the next coin is pushed through the slot it comes in contact with this project-
ing piece and pusbes the scale back against its spring thus releasing the grip of the
runners upon the coin which accordingly falls. At the bottom of the slide a light
plate spring is fixed to a schute passing behind the lever end, this spring just

page_text: touches lightly against the glass and is pressed back by the coin in passing upward,
but when it falls down conducts it to the schute behind the lever down which it
passes into any suitable receptacle.
At the top of the upright slide another small schute is provided this schute
conducts the coin in front of the glass where it is held by a spring at the side until
removed by hand. Just above this schute inside the case a bell is affixed. The
purpose of this bell and schute is to return the coin to the operator if the blow is
sufficient to force the coin above the scale altogether. The coin on rising above
the front runners strikes against the bell and being free in front is pushed forward
over the top of the schute by the scale, when it drops outside the glass to where
the spring at the side of the schute holds it in sight until removed by hand.
Various modifications may be made and any suitable materials used always
preserving the essential features of my invention.
Dated this 26th day of October 1892.
:
H. T. TALLACK,
10, Gt. Turnstile, Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin or the like Operated Apparatus for Testing
the Force of a Blow.
I, ERNEST GEORGE MATTHEWSON, of 31, Palace Road, Upper Norwood, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, 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 apparatus for testing, indicating or registering the force
of a blow.
In apparatus of this kind as heretofore constructed the force of the blow has
been indicated by means of a permanent index or finger moving over a dial or scale.
According to my present invention I dispense with such index or pointer and
utilize a coin for the purpose so that no indication can be obtained without first
introducing a coin into the machine.
In carrying out my invention I arrange in contact with the block to be struck a
lever onto which the coins introduced into the machine drop in such a manner that
when the said. pad or block is struck the coin will be projected up or along a guide a
distance corresponding to the force of the blow.
My machine is similar in appearance to the mallet striking machines employed
at fairs, and other places of amusement and in which machines a blow from a large
mallet upon a block in front of the machine causes a weight to ascend an upright
rack to a height corresponding to the force of the blow delivered, but it is con-
siderably smaller and the block upon which the blow is given is suitably padded or
cushioned to protect the hand from injury.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
:―
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation of
apparatus constructed according to my invention for testing, indicating or registering
the force of a blow.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4, Figure 2, drawn to an enlarged
scale, and,
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5, Figure 4..
:
Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout the drawings.
is the padded or cushioned block which is fixed, upon the upper end of a rod b
sliding in suitable guides in the pillar c. d is the lever in connection with the said
padded block, the said lever being pivotted at e and at one end engaging with the
rod . At or near the other end of the said lever a spring is connected, the said

page_text: spring being also connected to the base plate and so arranged that it always teal.
to retain the block a in its upper position, a collar g on the rod
upward movement.
limiting the:
Instead of the tension spring a compression spring can be employed arranged.
beneath the portion of the lever in front of the fulcrum pin e.
Upon the upper part of the free end of the lever a short plate-spring is.
attached and upon this spring the coin or the like when inserted into the machine
falls, as shewn by the dotted lines i, Figure 3, a slot j being provided at the side
of the machine with guides k, k, for the reception of the coin. Exactly above the
coin when in this position is a guideway I formed between a graduated scale m and
a covering glass m' in the upright part of the machine.
The guideway is provided with metal runners o, o at each side and the back of
the guideway, which is formed by the graduated scale m, has at the centre a metal
runner o'. The scale m is hinged on one side at the top and bottom, the lower
hinge being shewn at m², Figure 4, and it has behind it a spring m³ attached to the
back of the case n and adapted to press the scale toward the two front metal
runners o, o the solid lines in Figure 5 indicating this position of the scale.
By this construction it will be seen that when a coin inserted in the apparatus is.
in position upon the spring on the end of the lever d, as indicated by the dotted
lines in Figure 3, and a blow is struck upon the pad a, the coin will be forced
upward between the metal runners o, o, and o¹ to a height corresponding to the
force of the blow given, the coin being held in position to indicate upon the scale
the force of the blow owing to the pressure of the runner ol against it. To enable
the coin to be dislodged the bottom of the scale is provided with a lug p projecting
at a right angle therefrom and across the upper part of the inside of the coin slot
so that when the next coin is pushed through the slot it comes in contact with this
projection and pushes the scale back against its spring, thus releasing the grip of
the runners 0, 0, 0', upon the coin held thereby and allowing it to fall.
P
In order that the coin when falling shall not return to its former position on
the lever h, I provide a light plate-spring, fixed to a chute passing behind
the free end of the said lever; or in place of a spring a pawl may be used..
This spring bears lightly against the glass m and is pressed back by the coin
when driven upward by the lever d but when the coin falls down, the spring guides.
it to the chute down which it passes into a box in the base of the machine.
1
At the top of the guideway a bell or gong s is placed, a space being left
between it and the glass m' and runners », o, the said space communicating with
a space at the front of the said glass. At one side of the said space a flat
spring is arranged.
This arrangement serves to return the coin to the operator if the blow is
sufficient to force the coin above the runners o, o as the coin on rising above the.
said runners strikes against and sounds the bell and being free in front is pushed
forward over the top of the runners and glass by the scale m whereby it drops into.
the space u outside the glass, the spring holding it in sight as indicated by the
dotted lines in Figure 1, until removed by hand or the spring may be dispensed
with and the coin be allowed to fall into a cup or receiver.
0
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 :-
1. Apparatus for testing, indicating or registering the force of a blow in which
the force of the blow is caused to propel a coin over a scale the coin remaining in
the position to which it is propelled until released by the insertion in the apparatus.
of another coin, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for testing, indicating or registering the force of a blow a
padded or cushioned block for receiving the blow, a lever connected therewith
for propelling a coin, a spring guideway to allow the passage of the coin propelled.
ud to hold at any point which it reaches, means whereby the coin previously.

page_text: introduced is released by the insertion of another coin and a chute for deflecting
the released coin, all substantially as described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described in the preceding claiming clauses, the
arrangement whereby on sufficient force being exerted, the coin is placed so that it
cau be recovered by the operator, substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus for testing, indicating
or registering the force of a blow, hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of August 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.