Year: 1885

page_text: I ROBERT WILLIAM PAGE, of 21 Cambridge Road, Hammersmith in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct an apparatus whereby the lifting
power of a person can be indicated on a dial but which can only be done when a
coin such as a penny is placed in a receptacle provided in the machine.
In order to carry out my invention I construct a platform on which the person
testing his lifting power stands; projecting upwards through the said platform is
a handle connected by means of suitable rods and levers with a weighted coun-
terpoise or spring balance which said counterpoise or spring balance is enclosed
and hidden from view in a suitable casing-the said counterpoise or spring balance
on the upward motion of the handle is moved from its normal position until it
counterbalances the force applied to the handle; adjacent to the said counterpoise
or spring balance and inside the casing is a box or suitable device for the reception
of the coin such box being connected by means of suitable mechanism to an index
outside the casing and so arranged that the weight of the coin will move the
said index.
.
Attached to the mechanism for moving the index is a stud or suitable device
which takes against a corresponding fitting attached to the mechanism actuating
the counterpoise or spring balance. On the handle being raised the counterpoise
will be moved from its normal position leaving the index mechanism stationary
but on placing a coin in the box the index mechanism will also move until
arrested by the stud which takes against the fitting on the counterpoise or spring
balance machanism and by this means the position the counterpoise or spring
balance has assumed will be indicated by the index on a dial outside the casing.
In order to prevent the counterpoise or spring balance resuming its normal
position directly the handle is released I provide a break or pawl and ratchet or
other suitable contrivance so arranged as to allow the counterpoise or spring
balance to move when force is applied to the handle but to secure the counterpoise

page_text: or spring balance from resuming its normal position when the handle is released―
this break or other contrivance is connected by suitable rods and levers to the
platform which is constructed to move slightly in a vertical direction the weight
of the platform being counterbalanced; the normal position of the platform will
be at its greatest elevation in which position by means of the connecting rods and
levers the break or other contrivance will be raised from contact with the coun-
terpoise or spring balance mechanism; on a person standing on the platform the
same will be depressed and cause the break or other contrivance to come in contact
with the counterpoise or spring balance mechanism.
When a person steps off the platform the handle being also released the break
or other contrivance will be released from contact and the counterpoise or spring
balance will resume its normal position; the index will be also carried back to its
normal position by means of the stud and corresponding fitting on the counter-
poise or spring balance mechanism and on doing so the box containing the coin
will take against a suitable device for opening the said box which will then
discharge the coin into a tile or receptacle provided for the same.
At this point the box will be empty and the index will then remain at zero
until another coin is placed in the box.

page_text: 1. :
Beating, Luting rower.
I ROBERT WILLIAM PAGE of 21 Cambridge Road Hammersmith in the county
of Middlesex Engineer 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 :-
7"
The object of my invention is to construct an apparatus, whereby, the lifting
power of a person or other method of exerting like muscular power can be indicated
on a dial but which can only be done when a coin such as a penny is placed in a
receptacle provided in the machine.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1 is a side elevation
partly in section, figure 2 a front elevation partly in section and figure 3 a sectional
plan illustrating à suitable arrangement of machine adapted for indicating, the
muscular power exerted in the act of lifting according to my invention, a spring
being employed for counterbalancing the lifting force; figure 4 is a rear elevation
of part of the apparatus the back of the casing being removed in order to shew the
indicating mechanism; figure 5 is a horizontal section on line A B of figure 4 and
figure 6 is a vertical section on the crooked line CD of figure 5; figure 7 is a
sectional side elevation and figure 8 a rear view with the back of the case removed
illustrating a machine constructed according to my invention in which a counter-
poise for counterbalancing the muscular force exerted is employed. Figures 1 to 3
and figure 7 are drawn to a scale of, about one eighth full size, and figures 4, 5, 6
and 8 about one fourth full size. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar
or corresponding parts.
I will first describe my invention by reference, to figures 1 to 6.
i
a, represents a platform on which the person testing his lifting power stands;
b, is a cylinder or tube fixed to the platform a., in which cylinder or tube works
a piston c, on a rod, d, the upper part e, of which is screw threaded as usual for
carrying the handles f, which by this means can be adjusted in the usual manner
to suit the height of the said person who grasps the handles in order to test his
lifting power; g, is a spring on the rod d, which spring serves to counterbalance
the force applied to the handles f; h, is a valve in the cylinder, or tube b, which
acts so as to provide a temporary cushion of air in order to prevent a too abrupt
return of the piston and rod when the bandles f, are released, the air escaping
gradually through a small hole h³, in the cylinder b; or instead of a valve a
perforated partition can be employed; a spindle or rod 2, extends downwards from
the piston c, and passes through a hole j, in the platform a; to the lower end of
the spindle or rod i, is attached a cord k, passing over pullies. l, l, under the,

page_text: platform and up through the pillar or standard m, into the casing n, containing the
indicating mechanism shewn in figures 4, 5 and 6; the cord k, there passes around
and is attached to a grooved wheel o, and has a weight p, suspended to its end, or
in place of a weight a spring may be employed; the grooved wheel o, is fixed upon
an arbor q, carrying at one end a finger or bar r; this bar is operated through the
grooved wheel o, and cord k, by the force or power applied by the person to the
handles f, and regulates the extent of movement of the index 8, over a dial t,
placed outside the casing n, of the apparatus and serving to indicate the said lifting
power; on the arbor u, (figures 5 and 6) of the index 8, is fixed a pinion v, which
gears with a quadrant w, on an arm a¹, pivotting at, x, and provided with a
counterweight y; the arm a¹, carries the receptacle or bucket z, for- the coin 6¹,
(figure 4) the weight of which coin is sufficient to overbalance the counterweight y;
the bucket z, has an open top and is normally situated immediately below a
shoot c¹, extending from a slit d', in the casing n, of the apparatus as shewn in
figures 4, 5 and 6; the bottom of the bucket 3, is provided with an opening e¹,
which is partly closed by a pivotted block f¹ carrying an arm or counterweight a².
The opening e¹, is just of sufficient length to allow the coin 6¹, to pass through
when the block f¹, is rotated clear thereof as hereinafter described; the shoot c¹, is
formed with an opening g', in its bottom of such a size that any coin smaller than
the size of the predetermined coin will pass through the said opening into the
apparatus without operating the parts; h¹, is a finger or stop for regulating the
movement of the index 8, by coming in contact with the bar r; the finger or
stop h¹, is fixed on the inner end of the arbor u, of the index s, and when the
pinion v, is rotated by a coin dropped into the bucket z, overbalancing the arm a¹,
and operating the quadrant w, the finger or stop h', will rotate until a stud i¹,
thereon comes against a projection ¹, on the bar r, when it will be stopped thereby
at the proper position to indicate by means of the index s, the force or power
applied to the handles f. When the said force ceases and the piston c; reassumes
its normal position the projection j', on the bar r, will as the bar rotates bear
against the stud on the finger or stop h¹, so as to raise the bucket z; k¹, is a
finger or catch working loosely within the pivot 11, of the block f¹, and resting
upon a bar or projection m', on the block in such a manner that when the bucket,
is lowered by the weight of the coin b', placed therein the finger or catch k¹, will
by coming in contact with a series of pins or catches n', on a curved bar o', fixed.
to the frame pl, of the mechanism be raised and pass by the pins n'; when however
the bucket z, is raised by the release of the handles f, the finger or catch k¹, will be
brought into contact with the under side of the pins n', and being thereby pressed
down will press down the bar or projection m³, and rotate the block f', out of the
opening e, into the position shewn in dotted lines in figure 4; the coin will then
be free to pass out of the bucket 2, into a drawer q', or other suitable receptacle;
, is a loose marking band or pointer which is carried along by the index 8, and
remains at the point to which it has been so moved until replaced. at zero by a
person using the machine or otherwise; by this means the muscular power exerted
by the person using the machine remains indicated upon the dial t, after the
index 8, has returned to zero which it does directly the handles fare released.
By this construction of machine if a person desire to test his lifting power a coin
or token of predetermined value or size must be passed through the slit d¹, and
will fall into the bucket z, where it will remain until the handles f, be lifted by
the said person, this being done in the manner usual when using an ordinary lifting
machine for testing strength; the spring g, will by this meaus be compressed to a
certain extent according to the force or power exerted and the piston c; will be
raised. to a corresponding degree; this extent of movement will be communicated
by the cord, and grooved wheel o, to the bar r; the bucket, by the weight of
the coin b¹, therein will at the same time descend and the finger or catch h¹, will
be rotated by the quadrant 'w, and pinion v, its extent of rotation being limited by
the bar, and the power exerted by the person using the machine will be thereby

page_text: indicated by the 'index 8, and loose marking hand or pointer, on the dial t.
Upon the person releasing the handles f, the piston will resume its normal position
and the bar r, as it is carried: back by the cord k, and grooved wheel o, will carry
with it the finger or catch h¹, and index 8, and the bucket z, will be thereby raised;
the bottom of the bucket will be fully opened by the finger or catch k¹, coming
against the pins n¹, as hereinbefore described and the coin 6, will be discharged
into the drawer q'. If a smaller coin or token than that predetermined should be
dropped through the slit d', it would simply pass through the opening g', in the
shoot c', into the drawer ql, without operating the mechanism and the slit d¹, is of
course of such a size as will not admit of the introduction of a larger coin than
that required."
1 t
In the arrangement of machine illustrated in figures 7 and 8, g, G, represent the
counterpoise which I sometimes employ in place of the spring g, shewn in figures 1
and 2 for counterbalancing the force applied to the handles f; the weighted arm g,
is connected with the handles f, by means of a lever k, having its fulcrum at a³,
and connected at one end to the lower part of the rod d, and at its other end to a
rod s¹, to which is attached a steel riband t¹, fixed to and wound upon a spindle u¹,
carrying the weighted arm g; the weight G is suspended by a cord v¹, which passes
round a pulley w¹, fixed on the spindle u. When the handles f, are lifted the
riband t, will partly rotate the spindle u¹, and pulley w³, and the weight G will be
raised and the weighted arm g, will partly rotate in the direction shewn by the
arrow until the weights g and G, counterbalance the force applied to the handles f;
x, is a toothed quadrant fixed on the spindle u', and serving to operate, when the
spindle is rotated, a pinion o, fixed on the arbor q, carrying the bar r; y, figure 7,
is a cylinder in which fits loosely a piston connected by a rod 2, to the pulley w³;
the said cylinder contains water or other suitable fluid which serves as a cushion
in order to lessen the shock on the weights g, and G, reassuming their normal
position when the force is removed from the handles f; the indicating mechanism
is the same as that hereinbefore described and shewn in figures 4 to 6 and the
apparatus will be therefore easily understood without further description.
It will be obvious that the loose marking hand hereinbefore described may be
dispensed with if desired and it will also be obvious that my improvements are
applicable to other descriptions of machines for indicating the muscular power of
persons than those described, such for example as to dynamometers for testing the
strength of the hand and others.
Sometimes it may be advantageous, as for example in the case of small coins
where the weight of the coin might not be sufficient to effectually actuate the
indicating mechanism, to so arrange the indicating mechanism that as the coin
falls from the shoot it will act as a key and lock the indicating mechanism to the
strength testing mechanism and on the release of the handles the coin will fall as
hereinbefore described.
I have described my invention constructed to be used with a coin or token but
it will be obvious that it can be constructed to be operated by any article of
a given weight or size such as a marble or otherwise.
In the preceding description I have described and illustrated the use of a dial
and a hand or finger but it will be obvious that other suitable means of indication
may be used such as a rotating dial disclosing the indicating numeral or sign
through an opening, or a rotating opening and a fixed dial. Or the indicating
numerals or signs may be similar to those of an ordinary engine counter.
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. The manufacture and use of a new kind of muscular power testing machine
in which, on a coin or the like being placed in the apparatus the power exerted by
a person using the machine will be indicated or disclosed.

page_text: 2. The combination with muscular power testing mechanism such as is herein
described of an arrangement whereby a coin is caused to operate an index or
indicator as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The improved muscular power testing machines or dynamometers hereinbefore
described and represented respectively in figures 1 to 6 and figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.