IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLUTION INDICATORS OR COUNTERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL of 37 Walbrook in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN REVOLUTION INDICATORS OR COUNTERS to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus whereby the revolutions of an engine,
shaft, or the strokes of any moving mechanism, may be indicated; either close to
the object moving, or at any distance therefrom. The indication is made by the
movement of a dial or hand, to a corresponding number; or by strokes upon a bell,
or other sounding device; or by both.
The shaft or other moving mechanism is provided with an insulated copper
conductor, arranged so that an electric current may be transmitted to it, and
broken, at a point of its revolution; or by a tappit motion or stroke; the current
being generated by a battery or other suitable means. The current is also used to
excite and de-magnetize an electro-magnet at the same time, and through the
intervention of a bar, a ratchet wheel and pawl, turn or move a dial or pointer, or
its equivalent device; so as to indicate the corresponding movement of revolution
or stroke.
The indication may be continuous, or only thrown into action occasionally, in
order to check or note the movement of the mechanism under observation. In the
latter case, a sand glass moving upon a pivot or axle, and having a period
determined upon, is suitably placed, and inverted. The act of inversion is arranged
to make the electric circuit, and the revolutions or strokes of the mechanism is then
transmitted to the indicating dial as described already. When the sand has run
out of the upper portion of the glass to the lower one, in the period assigned to it,
its equilibrium is disturbed by a weighted lever attached to the frame or pivot,
and this causes the glass to rotate or move upon its axis. By so doing it is made
to strike upon and alter the position of a moveable conductor to break the circuit;
or the connection may be otherwise made or broken; the object being to cause the
indicating motion of the bar, ratchet wheel, and moveable dial or pointer, to cease
their action; and the corresponding number of revolutions or strokes of the
mechanism, is then read off.
A suitable case or frame is formed to receive the apparatus, and to display those
parts required to be visible or adjustable. Provision may also be made to receive
the battery within the case, so that the apparatus may be compact and self
contained, excepting only the connecting wires and the insulated conductor upon
the moving mechanism.

page_text: In some cases, a clock may be used instead of the sand glass. This clock is made
with a stop minute hand, so that when this has made one revolution, the minute
hand stops, and breaks the circuit connection. The reading of the dial or hand is
then made, which indicates the number of revolutions of the shaft, or: of the strokes
of the moving mechanism.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolution Indicators or Counters.
I EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL, of 37 Walbrook, in the City of London, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLUTION
INDICATORS OR COUNTERS 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 an apparatus whereby the revolutions of an Engine,
Shaft, or the strokes of any moving mechanism may be indicated either close to
the object moving or at any distance therefrom.-The indication is made by the
movement of a dial, or hand, to a corresponding number, or by strokes upon a bell,
or other sounding device, or by both.
The shaft or other moving mechanism, is provided with an insulated copper
conductor, arranged so that an electric current may be transmitted to it and
broken at a point of its revolution or by a tappit motion, or stroke, the current
being generated by a battery or other suitable means The current is also used to
excite and de-magnetize an electro-magnet at the same time, and through the
intervention of a bar, a ratchet wheel, and pawl, turn, or move, a dial or pointer, or
its equivalent device, so as to indicate the corresponding movement of revolution
or stroke.
The indication may be continuous, or only thrown into action occasionally, in
order to check or note the movement of the mechanism under observation.
In the latter case, a Sand-glass, moving upon a pivot or axle, and having a
period determined upon, is suitably placed and inverted-The act of inversion is
arranged to make the electric circuit, and the revolutions or strokes of the
mechanism is then transmitted to the indicating dial as described already.--When
the Sand has run out of the upper portion of the Glass to the lower one, in the
period assigned to it, its equilibrium is disturbed by a weighted lever attached to
the frame, or pivot, and this causes the Glass to rotate or move upon its axis-By
so doing it is made to strike upon and alter the position of a movable conductor,

page_text: to break the circuit, or the connection may be otherwise made or broken, the object
being to cause the indicating motion of the bar, ratchet wheel, and movable dial or
pointer, to cease their action, and the corresponding number of revolutions or
strokes of the mechanism is then read off.
A suitable case or frame is formed to receive the apparatus and to display those
parts requiring to be visible or adjustable.-Provision may also be made to receive
the battery within the case, so that the apparatus may be compact and self-
contained, excepting only the connecting wires and the insulated conductor upon
the moving mechanism.
In some cases a clock may be used instead of the Sand-glass.-This clock is made
with a stop minute hand, so that when this has made one revolution, the minute
hand stops and breaks the circuit connection.-The reading of the dial or hand is
then made which indicates the number of revolutions of the Shaft or of the strokes
of the moving mechanism.
The apparatus may also be made with two dials or other indicating devices, the
record of the humber of revolutions or of the strokes of the moving mechanism
under notice being conveyed thereto in the manner described above, and may
thereby be made to indicate any increase or decrease of the speed of such moving
mechanism as may be wanted the one dial being made to tell the number of
revolutions or strokes faster and the other dial the number of revolutions or
strokes slower, these are connected by two pushes, to complete the electric circuit,
and by pressing these pushes the number of revolutions or strokes required faster
or slower, as desired, may be communicated to any given distance.
Fig. 1. shows the front elevation and position of moving pawl and stop pawl,
Fig. 2 shows the back elevation and arrangement of Magnets, Fig. 3. shows the
front of dial in case. Fig. 4. shows Minute Glass inside case and the means of
breaking the Electric circuit, Fig. 5. shows front of dial in case with minute
clock and starting button at top, Fig. 6. is a section showing how the connection
is made and broken, Fig. 7. shows the two dials for increasing or diminishing the
speed with internal mechanism the same as Fig. 1. and Fig. 2.
A. is a movable pawl, which works round tooth by tooth the wheel B, to which
the hand in front of dial is attached; when the pawl A. has brought the wheel B
round one tooth, the rod C. presses against the stop pawl D. and holds it, thus
preventing it moving further than the one tooth, which indicates one revolution or
stroke of the moving mechanism under notice.-Fig. 2 shows the way the motion
is got from the Rod E which is pulled by Magnet F, when the Electric current is
broken by the moving mechanism at a point of its revolution, or by the tappit
motion, the spring G. brings it back.
Fig. 4. shows the Minute Glass with the ball H. turned up, and is in action,
when the sand has fallen through into the bottom glass I, the ball H. tumbles over
to the bottom, and lifts the wire K. out of the mercury cup L, thus breaking the
connection with the wire M., similar to the section shown U. in figure 6.-Fig. 5.
shows the Minute clock N. placed on the top of the Counter and is adapted more
particularly for Marine work, the oscillation of a vessel not affecting the clock.-
By pressing down the knob O. the connection is formed, and the Minute hand V.
and Counter hand W. start instantly; a section of same is shown in Fig. 6. X. is
a hole in the face of the dial, when the Counter hand has made one hundred
marks, or one revolution, it brings a number into this hole showing that the
moving mechanism has passed one hundred revolutions or strokes-Fig. 6 shows a
wire lever P, which falls into a slot in the disc Q, which is on the centre hand of
the Minute clock, when you press the button O, it relieves the clock N, and makes
a connection from the end of wire R into the mercury S, the button O returns to
its former position by means of a spring, and leaves room for the lever P to drop
back into the slot Q on the expiration of the minute, which breaks the con-
nection. Fig. 7. shows the two dials which are worked by two metal pushes at
any given distance, every connection made shows one revolution faster or slower as
wished, the bell T also striking every tick of the dial hand.

page_text: 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. An apparatus for indicating the number of revolutions or strokes of a moving
mechanism per minute substantially as described.
2. The use of a Minute Glass for making and breaking the Electric circuit
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The use of a Minute Clock for making and breaking the Electric circuit
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The use of a dial, or hand, or other indicating device, in connection with a
Minute Glass, or Minute Clock, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. The use of a cup of Mercury for completing the Electric circuit, in connection
with a Minute Glass or Minute Clock, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
6. The means of making the connection and relieving the lever on the clock
substantially as described.
7. A ratchet wheel and double pawl, the stop pawl being held by the working
pawl, substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. A. case containing an arrangement of Magnets in connection with two dials,
for signalling to any distance, substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. The hole where a number comes forward if the hand of the counter goes more
than one revolution, substantially as and for the purpose described.
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