Measuring and Checking Apparatus for Corn and other Small- grained Goods,
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Measuring and Checking Apparatus for Corn and other Small-
grained Goods,
I, CONRAD HOHMANN, Merchant, holder of the Firm Hohmann-Pfeiffer, Cloth-Trade,
of 31, Alter-Markt, at Cologne, in the Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of
Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for, measuring corn
and small-grained goods, which are already known in various nakes.
In the case of these apparatus, when the measuring device and the checking device
connected therewith (mostly in the form of a clock work) was working well, it never-
theless could happen that the apparatus later on gave erroneous returns and indicated
either more or less of the goods as having passed through than was really the case.
This disadvantage was owing to the fact that the vessel in which the goods were.
measured and which in order to be filled and emptied alternately moved in one
position into another and back again, was not necessarily really brought back
accurately into the two final positions, and thus very easily in the one case received
less and in the other gave out less than it really would have done in case the final
positions had been accurately reached.
My new apparatus which in the accompanying drawing is shown in two different
makes, is distinguished from all other apparatus hitherto known and serving for the
same purpose, by its having a special safety-device, making it impossible to move the
measuring vessel back into the former position, unless it has first of all been brought
into the final position of the previous motion.
In the drawing Figs. 1 to 4 show the apparatus in a circular ground plan, Fig. 6 in
a rectangular ground plan, while Figs. 5 and 7 to 10 give details.
The apparatus consists essentially of a receiver closed all round, having in its upper
side the receiving tube a and in its lower side the delivery tube e.
These tubes are placed in a distance from each other corresponding to the breadth
of the actual measuring vessel moving from the receiving to the delivery tube. In
the apparatus with a circular section the measuring vessel revolves about an axis i
from one position into the other, while in the rectangular apparatus it slides in a
straight line from one position into the other.
The measuring vessel is formed of two slides c and d which can be moved towards
In the apparatus with
each other, in order that its capacity may be adjusted at will.
circular section these slides likewise revolve about the axis i, while in the apparatus
These two slides are specially
with rectangular section they slide in a straight line.
shown in Figs. 6 and 7 (also Fig. 8) in order that their form and construction may
be the better understood.
The two slides together form a receiver which is open at the top and at the bottom
and whose upper opening coming under the mouth of the receiving tube a, as well as
the lower opening which is to be brought above the delivery e, is smaller or larger
according to the position of the two slides to each other viz. to the extent of the
entire sectional opening of the receiving tube or of the discharging tube.
This receiver at first stands under the receiving tube a, is filled here with corn,
:

page_text: then moved through the cut off chamber w and finally brought over the discharging
tube, where it discharges its contents, and is again brought back to its original
position under the receiving tube a.
The motion of this apparatus from a to e, is as is the custom, transferred to a
counter.
A form of counter suitable for the present apparatus is shown in Fig. 3. The
counter is placed under the bottom of the whole apparatus. The lever n turns with
its one end about the axis i; with its other free end n 1 which is bent upwards in an
angle (Fig. 4) it moves through a slit in the bottom of the apparatus (Fig. 3)
whose length corresponds to the greatest turning of the two slides. When the latter
are pushed under the receiving tube a, an arm 1 attached on the outside to the
slide c, presses the lever n as far back as the straight sides c 1 and d 1 (Fig. 2) which
can be slid towards each, are distant from each other.
When the measuring-vessel is moved in the opposite direction i.e. towards the
delivery end, the lever n (Fig. 3) is pushed forward by the spring y in the same
direction, until the lever end n 1 reaches the end r 1 of the slit r, a pawl n 2 attached
This motion
to the lever n, turning the toothed wheels a corresponding distance.
of the toothed wheels is then transferred in the usual manner by a toothed wheel ƒ to
other toothed wheels and to an indicator.
The following arrangement serves to adjust the slides c and d as regards each other
and to keep them in position :
A handle is attached to the slide d on the lower side of which there is a spring
lever 1, whose correspondingly placed end engages corresponding holes or depressions
on the surface of a rail h. This rail is attached on the arm h 1 to the slide c and on
the whole measuring vessel moving, it moves along the margin g of the apparatus,
while the arm 1 moves through a corresponding slit m in the outer wall of the case
of the apparatus.
The safety device is also attached to the handle k, forcing the man who attends the
apparatus to bring the measuring vessel each time in the position in which it has just
moved, into the final position, before it is again moved backwards. This apparatus
is constructed as follows:
A double pawl 2 is loosely attached to the top of the rod of the handle k, and in
such a manner that the pawl can take the extreme positions 3 and 4 drawn with
dotted lines in Fig. 5, to the right or to the left. This pawl slides over a corresponding
ack o i.e. over two pieces of rack at the two ends of the distance traversed by the
measuring vessel in the one or the other direction. The teeth of these pieces are
opposed to each other in such a manner that in the position 4 the pawl can move to
the right but not to the left, and vice versa, in the position 3 to the left, but not
to the right.
Not until the pawl which is in the position 4 is pushed so far to the right that its
end which projects into the air comes to the shoulder o 1 at the end of the rack, is the
pawl reversed into the position 3, and can now be moved again to the left, but not to
the right, until the motion to the left has likewise been carried out so far that the
end of the pawl which in the position & 3 projects free into the air, arrives at the left
shoulder o of the rack thereby again being turned over into the opposite
direction.
One is thus forced each time to carry the measuring vessel to the end of its
motion on the way it has once begun, since the pawl 2 prevents its going backwards.
In the same manner it is also impossible to move the measuring-vessel, if any corn or
other stuff still remains in it, which could only happen, if the lower opening of the
measuring-vessel between the two slides c and d were not brought quite over the
opening in the bottom at the delivery e, and in the same manner it is impossible to
move the measuring vessel back when it has only been brought partially under the
receiving tube and has thus not been filled sufficiently.
し
The flap visible in Fig. 1, and provided with a counter weight 2. serves to shut
off the receiving tube a, when there is no longer enough corn in it, as the latter

page_text: would otherwise by its weight keep the flap in the position 1 shown by dotted lines,
in which the passage downwards to the measuring vessel is open.
If the flap rises upwards from the position 1 shown by dotted lines, the lower
end of the rod 3 connected with the counter weight 12 engages the teeth of the
rack o, and the position of the rod 13 is such that it engages the rack before the
pawl 2, while the measuring vessel is moving in the one or the other direction, arrives
at the shoulder o or o 2.
Since the pawl during this operation is either in the position 3 (Fig. 5,) and the
rod of the handle bearing the pawl, strikes against the rod of the pawl 3, any
motion of the measuring vessel is prevented until, owing to the receiving tube
being refilled with corn or other stuff, the flap is again pressed down into the
position 1, thereby causing the rod 13 to be again drawn upwards. Thus, as long
as the receiving tube is not filled, the apparatus cannot indicate the amount of
goods that have been measured.
.
The kind of apparatus with a rectangular section shown in Fig. 6 necessitates,
besides the change already mentioned above, that the measuring vessel should slide
in a straight line through the apparatus, and that in the same manner the
slides c and d as shown in Fig. 9, should move in a straight line to each other,
no further alteration, except that the lever n, by which the straight motion by
means of pawl n 2, is to be changed into the rotary motion of the counter, is made
in two parts, thus being variable in its length, as shown in Fig. 10, and as is
necessary having regard to the now straight form of the slit and its rigid condition
with regard to the pivot of n.
Dated this 17th day of turut 1000
Measuring and Checking Apparatus for Corn and other Small-
grained Goods.
I, CONRAD HOHMANN, Merchant, holder of the Firm Hohmann-Pfeiffer, Cloth-
Trade, of 31, Alter Markt, of Cologne, in the Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of
Prussia, 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:-
The present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for measuring corn
and small grained goods, which are already known in various makes.
In the case of these apparatus, when the measuring device and the checking
device connected therewith (inostly in the form of a clock work) was working well, it
nevertheless could happen that the apparatus later on gave erroneous returns and
indicated either more or less of the goods as having passed through than was really the
case.
This disadvantage was owing to the fact that the vessel in which the goods were
measured and which in order to be filled and emptied alternately moved from one
position into another and back again, was not necessarily really brought back
accurately into the two final positions, and thus very easily in the one case received
less and in the other gave out less than it really would have done in case the final
positions had been accurately reached.
My new apparatus illustrated in the drawing filed with the Provisional Specification
in two different forms is distinguished from all other apparatus hitherto known and
serving for the same purpose by its having a special safety-device, making it

page_text: impossible to move the measuring vessel back into the former position unless it have
first of all been brought into the final position of the previous motion.
In the drawing
Figs. 1 to 4 show the apparatus in a circular ground plan,
Fig. 6 in a rectangular ground plan, while
Figs. 5 and 7 to 10 give details.
The apparatus consists essentially of a receiver closed all round, having in its upper
side the receiving tube a and in its lower side the delivery tube e. These tubes are
placed at a distance from each other corresponding to the breadth of the actual
measuring vessel moving from the receiving to the delivery tube. In the apparatus
with a circular section the measuring vessel revolves about an axis i from one position
into the other, while in the rectangular apparatus it slides in a straight line from one
position into the other.
The measuring vessel is formed of two slides c and d which can be moved towards
each other, in order that its capacity may be adjusted at will.
In the apparatus with circular section these slides likewise revolve about the
axis while in the apparatus with rectangular section they slide in a straight line.
These two slides are specially shown in Figs. 7 and 8 in order that their form and
construction may be better understood.
The two slides together form a receiver which is open at the top and at the bottom
and whose upper opening coming under the mouth of the receiving tube a as well as
the lower opening which is to be brought above the delivery e, is smaller or larger
according to the position of the two slides to each other viz. to the extent of the
entire sectional opening of the receiving tube or of the discharging tube.
:
This receiver at first stands under the receiving tube a, is filled there with corn
then moved through the cut off chamber w and finally brought over the discharging
tube, where it discharges its contents and is again brought back to its original
position under the receiving tube a.
The motion of this apparatus from a to e, is as is the custom, transferred to a
counter.
A form of counter suitable for the present apparatus is shown in Fig. 3.
The counter is placed under the bottom of the whole apparatus. The lever n
turns with its one end about the axis ; with its other free end which is
bent upwards in an angle (Fig. 4) it moves through a slit in the bottom of
of the apparatus (Fig. 3) whose length corresponds to the greatest turning of the
two slides.
When the latter are pushed under the receiving tube a, an arm 1 attached
on the outside to the slide c, presses the lever n as far back as the straight
sides and d 1 (Fig. 2) which can be slid towards each, are distant from each
other.
When the measuring vessel is moved in the opposite direction, that is towards the
delivery end, the lever n (Fig. 3) is pushed forward by the spring y in the same
direction, until the lever end n 1 reaches the end I of the slit r, a pawl 22 2 attached
to the lever n, turning the toothed wheel s a corresponding distance.
This motion of the toothed wheel s is transferred in the usual manner by a toothed
wheelf to other toothed wheels and to an indicator.
The following arrangement serves to adjust the slides c and d as regards each other
and to keep them in position.
A handle is attached to the slide d on the lower side of which there is a spring
lever 1, whose correspondingly placed end engages corresponding holes or depressions
on the surface of a rail h.
This rail is attached by the arm 1 to the slide and on the whole measuring
vessel moving, it moves along the margin g of the apparatus, while the arm 1 moves
through a corresponding slit in the outer wall of the case of the apparatus.
The safety device is also attached to the handle k, forcing the man who attends the
apparatus to bring the measuring vessel each time in the position in which it has
just moved into the final position, before it is again moved backwards.

page_text: the measuring vessel, the pawl 2 having in the midline an upright arm with a weight
at its point which bolds the pawl 2 either in the position 3 or in the position / 4,
marked in Fig. 5, so that, if the handle k is moved rightward the pawl being in the
position 4 catches with its vertical arm with the teeth of the rack o in such a manner
that it is impossible to move backward [leftward] the handle k until the horizontal
arm of the pawl strikes against the bolt o 1 at the right end of the rack thereby
turning the pawl in the opposite position 3 so that now the leftward motion of the
handle is permitted, but the opposite motion is made impossible by the pawl
catching now with its vertical [formerly horizontal] arm with the teeth of the rack,
until its horizontal [formerly vertical] arin strikes against the bolt'o 2 at the left end
of the rack, and so on.

page_text: apparatus
A double pawl 2 is loosely attached to the top of the rod of the handle k, and in
such a manner that the pawl can take the extreme positions 3 and 4 drawn in
dotted lines in Fig. 5, to the right or to the left. This pawl slides over a corresponding
rack o in such a manner that in the position 4 the pawl moves to the right but not
to the left, and vice versa, in the position / 3 to the left, but not to the right. Not
until the pawl which is in the position 4 is pushed so far to the right that its end
which projects into the air comes to the shoulder ol at the end of the rack, is the
pawl reversed into the position 3, and can now be moved again to the left, but not
to the right until the motion to the left has likewise been carried out so far that the
end of the pawl which in the position 3 projects free into the air arrives at the left
shoulder o 2 of the rack thereby again being turned over into the opposite direction.
One is thus forced each time to carry the measuring vessel to the end of its motion
on the way it has once begun, since the pawl 2 prevents its going backwards.
In the same manner it is also impossible to move the measuring vessel, if any
corn or other stuff still remains in it, which could only happen, if the lower opening
of the measuring vessel between the two slides c and d were not brought quite over
the opening in the bottom at the delivery e, and in the same manner it is impossible
to move the measuring vessel back when it has only been brought partially under
the receiving tube a and has thus not been filled sufficiently.
The flaps visible in Fig. 1 and provided with a counter weight 12 serves to shut
off the receiving tube a, when there is no longer enough corn in it, as the latter
would otherwise by it weight keep the flap in the position 71 shown by dotted lines,
in which the passage downwards to the measuring vessel is open.
If the flap rises upwards from the position 11 shown by dotted lines, the lower end
of the rod 3 connected with the counter weight 12 engages the teeth of the rack o,
and the position of the rod 3 is such that it engages the rack before the pawl k 2,
while the measuring vessel is moving in the one, or the other direction, arrives at
the shoulder 1 or o 2.
Since the pawl during this operation is either in the position 3 (Fig. 5) and the
rod of the handle bearing the pawl, strikes against the rod of the pawl 13, any
motion of the measuring vessel is prevented until owing to the receiving tube being
refilled with corn or other stuff the flap is again pressed down into the position / 1
thereby causing the rod 3 to be again drawn upwards. Thus, as long as the
receiving tube is not filled, the apparatus cannot indicate the amount of goods that
have been measured.
In the kind of apparatus with a rectangular section shown in Fig. 6, besides the
change already mentioned above, that the measuring vessel should slide in a straight
line through the apparatus, and also the slides c and d should move in a straight line
to each other, (as shown in Fig. 9,) no further alteration is needed except that the
lever n, by which the straight motion by means of pawl n 2, is to be changed into the
rotary motion of the counter, is made of two parts, thus being variable in its length,
as shown in Fig. 10, and as is necessary having regard to the now straight form of
the slit and its rigid condition with regard to the pivot of n.
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.) Measuring and checking apparatus for corn and other small grained goods, in
which the measuring vessel moves horizontally to and fro, and is formed of two
slides c and d which can also be moved horizontally to and from each other in order
that the capacity of the measuring vessel can be altered.
2.) In connection with the apparatus claimed under 1) the contrivance for assuring
the exact and true measuring by preventing the motion of the measuring vessel in
the one or the other direction from not being carried out completely to the end,
consisting in the arrangement of a double acting pawl 2 fixed oscillatingly on the rod
of the handle which serves for carrying out the horizontal reciprocating motion of