Improvements in or relating to Speed or Distance Indicators.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Speed or Distance Indicators.
A communication from CHARLES FERNAND BRIAULT, of 16, Rue du Pressoir,
Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
worm,
This invention relates to a new apparatus called "Velodometer" or "Compteur-
entraineur," designed to indicate simultaneously, by means of a single driving
shaft or spindle the number of revolutions of a machine (or the distance
travelled) and the speed of the machine at any particular moment. The device
is applicable to all kinds of vehicles such as velocipedes, carriages, wagons, etc.
Motion is communicated to the driving shaft of the apparatus by a
engaging with the worm wheel keyed thereon. The worm-shaft carries at its
outer end a pulley or wheel actuated by a belt chain cord or gearing. On the.
opposite side of the apparatus is a dial marked with two concentric circular scales
of divisions, whereof the outer one is to indicate the number of revolutions of the
machine, or the distance travelled. By means of a train of spur pinions and
wheels arranged as in any ordinary counter, the driving shaft communicates motion
to two index hands or pointers, whereof the one marks units, and the other tens or
hundreds; thus the former may be arranged to mark the decametres of distance
travelled and the latter the kilometres.
The
Let us now see in what manner the apparatus can be made to record the speed
of the machine at every moment. For this purpose the driving shaft carries a
toothed wheel, and a pinion, the former being fixed, the latter running loose.
fixed wheel communicates motion to a flyer through suitable gearing mounted
between two parallel cheeks or plates or in a cage free to rotate on the driving
shaft in common with a pinion hereinafter termed the cage pinion secured to one
of the cheeks. The combination of the cage, pinions and wheels attached thereto
constitutes an epicycloidal train, so-called. Its working is, as will be seen, as;
follows;-
+
While the flyer is rotated, the air offers a certain amount of resistance to the.
wings increasing as the speed increases. Beyond a given speed, that resistance is.
such that the cage, and with it the cage pinion begins to rotate on the driving
shaft. The cage pinion engages with a toothed sector controlled by a spring. It
is to be observed that the tension of this spring increases with the inclination of
the cage, an augmentation which is indispensable because, otherwise, the rotation
of the cage would continue; the cage and therefore the pointer could not preserve
their equilibrium, and consequently would fail to give the indication sought. In
this manner for each speed of the machine or vehicle there would be established,,
between the sector-displacement or the inclination of the cage and the counter-
pressure of the antagonistic spring a point of equilibrium, which may be marked
on the scale on the dial, over which an index or pointer herein termed the third
pointer is arranged to move actuated by the bent lever-arm which connects it with
the movable cage.
If then the dial is appropriately divided, the third pointer will
constantly indicate the speed of the machine or vehicle in motion at any given.
moment.

page_text: It may be remarked that as the cage has a certain mass if the dimensions and
speed of the flyer (which also acts as a governor) on the one hand and the initial
tension of the restraining spring are duly and suitably proportioned, the oscillations
of the epicycloidal system and therefore of the pointer attached to the cage will be
relatively slow, so that the indications may easily be read.
Finally we may note that the initial tension of the sector spring may be
regulated for each apparatus by a special device of any suitable kind.
Dated this 15th day of August 1894.
A communication from CHARLES FERNAND BRIAULT, of 16, Rue du Pressoir,
Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 a new apparatus called "Velodometer or "Compteur-
entraineur," designed to indicate simultaneously, by means of a single driving
shaft or spindle the number of revolutions of a machine (or the distance travelled)
and the speed of the machine at any particular moment. The device is applicable
to all kinds of vehicles such as velocipedes, carriages, wagons &c.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example, the arrangement
and construction of the improved combined counter and speed indicator.
Motion is communicated to the driving shaft a of the apparatus by a worm V
engaging with the worm-wheel S keyed thereon (Figures 1 and 4). The worm-
shaft carries at its outer end a pulley or wheel S (Fig. 4) actuated by a belt,
chain, cord or gearing. On the opposite side of the apparatus is a dial marked
with two concentric circular scales of divisions, whereof the outer one is to
indicate the number of revolutions of the machine, or the distance travelled.
By means of a train of spur pinions P1 P2 P3 P4 and wheels D1 D2 D3 D¹
(Fig. 1) arranged as in any ordinary counter, the driving shaft a communicates
motion to two index-hands or pointers A' A' whereof the one say e.g. A¹, marks
units and the other A' tens or hundreds; thus the former may be arranged to
mark the decametres of distance travelled and the latter the kilometres
(Figure 3).
Let us now see in what manner the apparatus can be made to record the
speed of the machine at every moment. For this purpose the driving shaft a
carries a toothed wheel d and a pinion p (Figs. 1 and 2) the former being
fixed, the latter running loose. The fixed wheel d' communicates motion to a
flyer through the train of pinions pl p² p³ and wheels d' d' having their shafts
or spindles mounted in two parallel cheeks or plates or in a cage J¹ J³ free to
rotate on the driving shaft a in common with a pinion hereinafter termed the cage
pinion p¹ secured to one of the cheeks J. The combination of the cage, pinions
and wheels attached thereto constitutes an epicycloidal train so-called.
working is as follows;-
Its
While the flyer is rotated the air offers a certain amount of resistance to the
wings increasing as the speed increases. Beyond a given speed, that resistance is
such that the cage, and with it the cage pinion pt begins to rotate on the driving

page_text: shaft a in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. The cage pinion p
engages with a toothed sector E controlled by a spring F. It is to be observed
that the tension of this spring increases with the inclination of the cage, an
augmentation which is indispensable because otherwise the rotation of the cage
would continue; the cage and therefore the pointer could not preserve their
equilibrium and consequently would fail to give the indication sought. In this
manner for each speed of the machine or vehicle there will be established, between
the sector-displacement or the inclination of the cage and the counter-pressure of
the antagonistic spring, a point of equilibrium which may be marked on the scale
on the dial, over which an index or pointer m is arranged to move actuated by
the bent lever-arm 9 which connects it with the movable cage (Fig. 1). If then
the dial is appropriately divided the pointer m will constantly indicate the. speed
of the machine or vehicle in motion at any given moment.
It may be remarked that as the cage has a certain mass, if the dimensions and
speed of the flyer (which also acts as a governor) and the initial tension of the
restraining spring are duly and suitably proportioned, the oscillations of the
epicycloidal system and therefore of the pointer attached to the cage will be
relatively slow, so that the indications may easily be read.
Finally it may be noted that the initial tension of the sector spring F may be
regulated for each apparatus by a special device of any suitable kind.
The particular arrangement of dial and pointers or indexes herein before set
forth is given by way of example and may be varied without departure from this
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The combination in a single apparatus such as described of a counter for the
number of revolutions or the distance run with a speed indicator showing at any
moment the speed of the machine or vehicle the two devices having the same
central driving shaft or spindle however otherwise the dial and pointers or indexes
may be arranged substantially as described.
2. In apparatus such as described the special arrangement of the speed-
indicating mechanism wherein the index or pointer is actuated by an epicycloidal
train turning round on the common central axis or shaft and itself set in motion by
the greater or less resistance opposed to the rotation of a flyer substantially as
described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete speed
and distance indicator or "velodometer" substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of May 1905
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.