Improved Combined Measure and Cost Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Combined Measure and Cost Indicating Apparatus.
I, ALFRED SMITH, of 71 Cathedral Square, Christchurch, in the Provincial
District of Canterbury, in the Colony of New Zealand, Electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:.
This invention relates to the class of calculating machines used for indicating
the cost of goods sold by lineal measurement.
In certain machines for the purpose, with which I am acquainted, a roller is
employed which bears the cost markings, and is caused to revolve by a pawl or
pawls engaging in a ratchet wheel upon its axle, the pawls being actuated by
tappets placed at intervals along a measuring staff. This method has been found
unsatisfactory, as it may happen in practice that a tappet is not depressed
sufficiently far to cause the roller to revolve through the required space to bring
the correct column of cost markings into indicating position.
It my invention a roller is mounted horizontally in bearings beneath a counter.
and the essential feature is that it normally tends to revolve under influence of a
spring or other equivalent motor, the roller being alternately retained and released
by escapement gearing, whereby it is ensured that if it is released at all, it must
revolve through the desired space, and be retained in that position until again
operated.
The periphery of the roller is marked with longitudinal and circumferential
lines whereby divisions are formed, each of which bears the cost of an article of
a certain length and price.
The cost markings are so arranged that the figures form circumferential and
longitudinal columns, and the counter beneath which the roller is mounted has a
slot through which one longitudinal column is visible at a time.
Each circumferential column bears the cost of articles of different length at
one price, and each longitudinal column, the cost of articles of one length at
different prices.
The longitudinal columns are marked at one or both ends with the length to
which the cost figures therein refer, and a scale fixed above, and if desired also
below the slot through which a column is visible is divided to correspond with the
circumferential columns and bears figures to indicate the price to which each of
such columns is devoted.
The escanement gearing referred to may be operated by depressing any one
of a number of tappets or push buttons arranged at intervals along an ordinary
flat metal measuring staff fixed upon the counter.
The tappets are placed, and the mechanism proportioned so that a salesman
when measuring against the measuring staff in the ordinary way finds his hand in
juxtaposition to the tappet, which will, when depressed, actuate the escapement
wearing and permit the roller to revolve through a space necessary to bring the
longitudinal column of figures into view, giving the length of material he has
measured off and the cost thereof at different prices.

page_text: panying drawings, wherein-
Fig. 1. Is a side elevation.
Fig. 2. A plan, and
Fig. 3. An end elevation of a machine according thereto.
Fig. 4. Is a part plan showing the arrangement of tappets along the measur
ing staff. This view is drawn more in proportion than the preceding figures
which, for the sake of clearness have been reduced disproportionately.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The roller (a) preferably formed of sheet metal is journalled in bearings (b)
carried upon brackets (1) fixed beneath the counter (2) and normally tends to
revolve under the influence of a coil spring (e) upon its axle (c).
A ratchet wheel (e) is fixed upon a sleeve (e) journalled upon the axle () and
the arm (f) fixed to the sleeve carries a spring pawl (g; which gears, in one
direction, with a ratchet wheel (g) fixed upon the axle.
A loop or bridle (4) is mounted upon a vertical pivot (h), one arm of the loop
carrying a pawl pin (1) which gears in the ratchet wheel (e).
The other arm (s) of the loop has a boss (3) which slides upon the sleeve (c) and
a lever (k) journalled upon the boss (3), and kept in position thereon by a collar (h)
carries a pawl pin (1) engaging the ratchet wheel (c), when the loop is vibrated
upon its pivot in a manner to be described.
Tappets (m) (m²) (m²). and (m³) placed at the quarter, half, three-quarters and
one yard divisions of a measuring staff (), fixed upon the counter shown in Fig. 4,
have stems which are severally pivoted to bell crank levers (n) (n¹) (n²) and (³).
The respective bell crank levers have each a pin (0) (0) (0) (0³) operating one of
the four slide bars (p) (p¹) (p²) (p³) by, engaging in a slot formed therein.
Pins (7), in the bracket (g) form guides for the slide bars, each of which has a
pin or projection (r) which; when the bar is moved laterally by depression of its
tappet comes in contact with the end of the arm (s) of the loop (h) and causes the
loop to turn upon its pivot and the pawl pin () to come out of, as the pawl pin ()
upon the lever (k) passes into, engagement with the ratchet wheel (c).
The lever (k) being pivoted moves with the ratchet wheel (e) as the latter turns
under influence of the spring (c).
The vibration of the lever (k) and consequently the revolution of the ratchet
wheel (e) is limited by the end of the lever coming in contact with the end of any
one of the slide bars referred to, which has been operated, the end of the bar passing
through or alongside the arm (s) into the path of the end of the lever. The ends
of the respective slide bars are proportioned to permit the lever to vibrate, and
consequently the roller to revolve, through more or less space according to the
position the tappet operating the slide bar occupies upon the measuring staff.
A spring (w) causes the loop to return to its normal position when the tappet is
released, the pawl pin () passing back into engagement with, and retaining the
ratchet wheel, and the lever (k) being returned for a fresh operation by a spring (r).
a stop pin upon one end of the lever coming into contact with the loop (h) and
stopping it in its proper position.
The depression of the tappet (m) allows the roller to revolve through the space
of one longitudinal column of figures, and a similar operation of tappets (m²) (m²)
and (m) permits the roller to revolve through two, three, and four columns
respectively.
A seale (1) fixed upon the counter in line with the slot therein and divided to
correspond with the circumferential columns upon the roller bears figures which
refer to such columns and indicate the price per yard to which they are respectively
devoted.
One longitudinal column upon the roller is left blank to serve as a starting point
and the roller is returned after each measuring operation, by a cord (u) coiled around
a sheave (1) fixed to the drum axle (d). The ratchet wheel (7) and pawl (g¹)
permitting the drum to revolve back independently of the wheel (e). A pin (r)

page_text: in the end of the roller engages with the stud (v) upon a fixed bracket (3) and
stops the roller when revolved back at starting point, and also just before it com-
pletes a forward revolution.
Each of the slide bars has a spring (p) which returns it, and the bell crank lever
operating it, to their normal positions.
As an illustration of the operation of the machine, and supposing the roller to
be arranged to give the cost at quarter-yard intervals, when a salesman is required
to measure off one yard and a quarter of material, he will first measure one yard in
the ordinary way, and as his hand, in pulling out the material, reaches the end of
the measuring staff it will come over the tappet (m³) which he will depress, and the
roller will revolve through the space of four longitudinal columns. He will then
measure the remaining quarter-yard and depress the tappet (m) when the roller
will revolve through the space of one column, and expose to view through the
slot in the counter, the longitudinal column of figures giving the cost of one yard
and a quarter at different prices, by a glance at the scale (t) he will find the division
bearing the price per yard of the material dealt with, and upon the roller im-
mediately below it, the cost of a yard and a quarter at that price. The circum-
ferential column at the end of the roller will also give the length of material
measured off.
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. In a machine for indicating the cost of goods sold by lineal measurement
a spring driven roller having cost markings in longitudinal and circumferential
columns upon its periphery, such roller being controlled by ratchet and escapement
gearing operated by tappets placed at intervals upon a measuring staff whereby one
or other of the longitudinal columns of figures is brought into position in relation
to a fixed indicating scale substantially as specified herein and illustrated.
2. A roller having cost markings in longitudinal and circumferential columns
upon its periphery: an indicating scale fixed above it denoting the prices to which
the circumferential columns are devoted; a spring for revolving the roller, and a
ratchet wheel upon the roller axle, controlled by an escapement, whereby one or
other of the longitudinal columns is brought into indicating position. Slide bars
for operating and differentiating the action of the escapement and tappets fixed
upon bell crank levers for operating the slide bars substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and illustrated.
3. The spring driven roller (a) the ratchet escapement wheel (e) journalled upon the
roller axle and revolving with it in one direction, the pivoted loop (h) and the
spring () the pawl pin (7) normally engaging the wheel (c) the lever () upon
the boss (3) having a pawl pin (7) engaging wheel (c) when the loop is vibrated,
the spring (r) operating upon lever (k) and the stop pin (y) the whole substantially
as herein described and illustrated.
4. The spring driven roller (a), the ratchet wheel (e) fixed upon a sleeve journalled
upon the roller axle. An arm (f) upon the sleeve having a pawl (g) engaging
with a ratchet wheel (g) fixed upon the axle, the sheave (¹) and the cord (1) coiled
around it for returning the roller to starting point substantially as specified and
Ilustrated.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.