AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING CORN, SEEDS, AND GRAIN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Norris, of Wood Green, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
MEASURING AND REGISTERING CORN, SEEDS, AND GRAIN."
Scaled the 16th December 1873, and dated the 18th June 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Norris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1873.
I, JAMES NORRIS, of Wood Green, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING CORN, SEEDS, AND GRAIN," to be
as follows:-
:-
This Invention consists of an apparatus for measuring grain in stables,
granaries, and similar places, whereby an accurate measure is obtained
and indicated, so that a store of grain can be kept secured from inter-
ference in an upper storeroom over a stable, and the supply required for
use be regulated and indicated by means of this my said apparatus.

page_text: The apparatus consists of an iron casing of about twelve inches in
height and six inches square on plan, connected at the top with the shoot
from the store loft. It contains two half cylinders working on a spindle;
at the ends of these cylinders are two studs acted upon by two levers,
in connection with a handle projecting from the side attached to the
same; one of these studs acts upon a cam, which again acts upon a
pall against a ratchet wheel that will indicate any quantity of grain that
may be extracted from the apparatus.
I have the indicators on one side of the case, so that the quantity can
be readily seen which may be taken from the stores above through the
apparatus. It is so constructed that the full amount of grain for the two
half cylinders, receiver, or measure, shall be taken in before the handlo
can be returned to receive another charge; by this means a full measure
must necessarily be received before more can be obtained.
I do not confine myself to any particular form of cylinder or measure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Norris in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NORRIS, of Wood Green, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in tho
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Norris, Her special licence
that I, the said James Norris, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Norris, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING CORN, SEEDS, AND GRAIN," upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Norris, my
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Norris, 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 :-
This Invention consists of an apparatus for measuring grain in stables,
granaries, and similar places, whereby an accurate measure is obtained
and indicated, so that a store of grain can be kept secured from inter-
ference in an upper storeroom over a stable, and the supply required for
.use be regulated and indicated by means of this my said apparatus.
The apparatus consists of an iron casing of about twelve inches in
height and six inches square on plan, connected at the top with the
shoot from the store loft. It contains two half cylinders working on a
spindle; at the ends of these cylinders are two studs acted upon by two
levers in connection with a handle projecting from the side attached to
the same; one of these studs acts upon a cam, which again acts upon a
pall against a ratchet wheel that will indicate any quantity of grain.
that may be extracted from the apparatus.
I have the indicators on one side of the case so that the quantity can¨¨
be readily seen which may be taken from the stores above through the
apparatus. It is so constructed that the full amount of grain for the
two half cylinders, receiver, or measure shall be taken in before the
handle can be returned to receive another charge; by this means a full
measure must necessarily be received before more can be obtained.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood
reference is made to the annexed Sheet of Drawings.

page_text: Fig. 3, a front elevation, as Fig. 1, but with cover of index removed
showing arrangement for registration; Fig. 4 shows front elevation, as
Fig. 1, but with entire front of case removed, as indicated by section
on A, B, Fig. 2, showing arrangement of levers for opening and closing
semi-cylinder; Fig. 5 shows front sectional elevation on line C, D,
in Fig. 2, showing the check arrangement to prevent part opening and
filling the chamber without registration; Fig. 6, front elevation on
line A, B, as Fig. 4, but shewing by black and red lines the respective
positions of the levers when the chamber is open to receive and when it
is open to deliver.
I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
Drawings..
This apparatus consists of two semi-cylinders A and B, Fig. 4, working
one within the other on the horizontal spindle C, which goes from back
to front. To these are connected the levers D, E, F, in such manner
that when the lever F is depressed to the full extent permitted by the
slot G, Fig. 2, the semi-cylinders A and B recede from each other above
and lap B within A below, forming thus a cylindrical chamber open at
top and closed at bottom, which corn or what not stored above may
descend into, through the hopper H, Fig. 4, and fill. This chamber will.
be for convenience made of dimensions suitable to the purpose
required, e.g., to contain enough for one feed for a horse or a definito
measure of capacity, such as a bushel, quarter, or otherwise. If now
the handle F be raised to the full extent permitted the reverse takes
place, the tops of the semi-cylinder lap one within the other, and the
bottoms recede, shutting off communication with the store above, not
altering the capacity of the chamber, but causing the contents to be
discharged into the shoot I. At each complete double stroke therefore
the chamber is filled and emptied, a feed issued, or a measure given
out.
The registering is effected in the following manner :-The stud of the
upper joint of the lever D is carried through the casing herein-after to.
be mentioned, and works in the slotted lever L, Fig. 3. This lever
works below on the fixed stud M, and is connected with the lever N by
the moveable joint P, reciprocating so that steadied and kept in place by
the stud R working in a smaller slot the lever N travels backward, and
forward at each stroke of the handle, and works any approved train of
registering wheels.

page_text: To ensure the complete opening and closing of the inlet and outlet
apertures and the consequent registration of each delivery, the semi-
cylinder A has formed on it externally a rack Q, Fig. 5, into which works
the ratchet S. On the same spindle as S and rigidly connected with it
is fixed at right angles the arm S¹. This is fixed in advance of S, as
shewn in the front sectional elevation Fig. 5, and in the same plane as
the catch T, so that when the apparatus is in the position shown by
Fig. 5, it will not be possible to depress the handle, the ratchet S locking
in the rack Q. The handle must be raised, and at the end of the up-
O stroke the projecting stud V lifts the ratchet S and throws it back into
the position shown by the dotted lines. There is now no difficulty in
making the down stroke which opens the chamber for a fresh supply.
But at the very commencement of the upstroke the registering apparatus
before described acts so that once the chamber is filled it cannot be
emptied without recording the same on the index.
The whole of the apparatus is enclosed in a casing, metal or wood, as
may be desired, with special covering box for index fitted with part
glass front showing the registering number effectually secured to prevent
tampering with the index.
In Fig. 1 are shown four lugs by which the apparatus may be fixed
to a wall, but there is nothing to prevent its standing independently, or
attached in any other desired manner.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, I
wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular
form of cylinder or measure, but what I claim and desire to be secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The making the measuring chamber in two equally moveable
sections, thereby ensuring greater ease in action, and not only obviating
the tendency of all arrangements hitherto adopted to choke, but having
on the contrary a tendency to clear itself should, through wear and tear,
any grain or other material measured get between the two surfaces, as
herein-before described.
2nd. The check arrangement, as herein-before explained, for pre-
venting non-registration of a delivery, and also for ensuring the
delivery of the entire contents of the chamber, since if opened at all
there is no choice but to open it to the full extent.

page_text: 3rd. The adaptation of the lever arrangement shown for the
general working of the apparatus, as herein-before described.
And 4th. The improved apparatus for measuring and registering
corn, seeds, and grain, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated on Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Norris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.