GB786414A - Physiological reaction time meter - Google Patents

Abstract

786,414. Measuring physiological reaction time. YLINEN, K. J. Aug. 23, 1956 [Aug. 26, 1955], No. 25763/56. Class 81 (2). [Also in Group XVIII] A physiological reaction time meter comprises a channel for a falling body, a support for the body at the upper end of the channel, manuallyoperable means for withdrawing the support, means for delaying the withdrawal of the support after the manually-operable means has been actuated, means for giving a signal when the support is withdrawn and the body starts falling and a braking member extending along the channel for operation by the user on reception of the signal in order to stop the fall of the body, the distance fallen giving a measure of the reaction time of the user. A coin 5 is inserted at the top of the channel 4 and is supported by a pin 18 carried on one end of a spring 19 which is fixed at the other end to a frame. On pressing a push-button 29 the pin 18 is withdrawn, a second pin 22 carried by an arm 23 is inserted in the channel 4 to support the coin 5 and the push-button 29 is retained in depressed position by engagement of a suction cup 30 on the push button 29 with a plate 32. Air slowly enters the suction cup 30 through the clearance between a screw 34 and the plate 32 to destroy the suction seal so that the push-button 29 is returned to its initial position by a spring 25. The arm 23 then moves so that pin 22 is withdrawn from the channel 4 and a hammer 37 carried by the arm 23 strikes a bell 38 or operates a visible signal (not shown) to indicate the start of the fall of the coin 5. A lever 12 pivoted about a fixed point 10 and secured at one end to a movable bar 3 forming one wall of the channel 4 is held against a spring 14 by a pin 39 so that the movable bar 3 permits the coin 5 to fall. On receiving the signal the operator presses a push-button 41 which releases the lever 12 from the pin 39 so that the lever 12 is actuated by the spring 14 to move the bar 3 inwardly of the channel 4 and stop the fall of the coin 5. The movable bar 3 may alternatively be operated electromagnetically. A scale 44 calibrated in hundredths of a second is marked on a glass plate arranged over the channel 4. If the coin 5 is stopped in the channel 4 adjacent an electric contact plate 45, it closes a circuit which includes the movable bar 3 and operates prize delivering mechanism. If the coin 5 is stopped adjacent a tube 51, the coin is returned to the operator.