US2124731A

US2124731A - Machine for testing golf balls and the like

Info

Publication number: US2124731A
Application number: US68996A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilbert W Cranford; George I Butler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-03-16
Filing date: 1936-03-16
Publication date: 1938-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 1955-07-26

Description

July 26, 1938. w. w. CRANFORD HAL ,11 24,731

MACHINE FOR TESTING GOLF BALLS AND THE LIKE Filed Maich 16, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 GEORGEIBUTLER y 1938. w. w. CRANFORD El AL. 2,124,731

MACHINE FOR TESTING GOLF BALLS AND THE LIKE Filed March 16, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l'zmvazz@w WILBE RT GRANFORD GEORGE [.15 H. ER

y 1938. w. w. cRANFoRD Er AL 2,124,731

MACHINE FOR TESTING GOLF BALLS AND THE LIKE Filed March 16, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 146 5 .1 17 67 W 24 156 36 l l 74 F'E 57 Q A157 3 i 94 0 i 1 J a Q 9 86 46 121 126 iOa \K I 128 WILBERTWGRAMFaRD GEZ R ZZZBfiR I a MWWBM w July 26, 1938. w. w. CRANFORD Er AL 2,124,731

MACHINE FORTESTING GOLF BALLS AND THE LIKE Filed March 16, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 59 as j Dzve/z l oi'xs. WILBERTW GRAwFoRo GEORGE LBUTLER Patented July 26, 1938 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR TESTING GOLF BALLS AND THE LIKE Wilbert W. Cranforcl and George 1. Butler, La Grange, 111.

Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 68,996

18 Claims.

Our invention consists of a machine for testing the resilience and elastic response of golf balls under conditions the same as those obtained in using such balls in play, as a result of which the relative playing value of such balls, for example, in driving, may be accurately determined in advance. Our invention includes an impact member having an impact surface for striking a ball or article being tested; means for moving said member from a potential position to said impact position and for repeatedly developing the same momentum at said impact position, for successive testing operations; a reaction member associated with a ball or article in testing position, and movable by reaction of a tested ball or article from impact of said impact member; loading means for opposing reactive movement of said reaction member; registering devices for indicating the reactive movement of said reaction member; operating mechanism for said registering devices, which is inactive during reactive movement of said reaction member, and which is operative during return movement of said reaction member to its position of rest; retracting mechanism for moving the impact member back from its impact position, after impact with a ball or article being tested, whereby upon impact with a ball or article being tested, the impact member may follow through with the same effect as in golf strokes properly applied, and be at once retracted to permit the reaction member to fully return to its position of rest adjacent to the next ball or article to be tested, when in its impact position; setting mechanism for moving the impact member to a potential position for movement when released, to its impact position, and also for moving the retracting mechanism to its set position out of the path of impact movement of the impact member; and retarding devices for the operating mechanism of the registering devices, insuring accurate operation of the registering devices and cushioned movement to its position of rest, of the reaction member. The impact member and the reaction member, as embodied in our machine described herein as illustrative of our invention, are in the form of gravity-actuated oscillatory arms, and while the operation of the machine is described in connec tion with testing golf balls, it will be understood that our invention is applicable to the testing of the resilience and elastic response of any articles susceptible of being compressed by impact and of quickly reacting to their original conformations.

Our invention will be best understood by reference tothe accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 shows our machine in front elevation, with the dial thereof broken away to more clearly show parts of the construction,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with the dial shown in horizontal, sectional view,

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view to an enlarged scale, of the structure shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 33, I

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation to an enlarged scale, of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view to an enlarged scale, of the structure shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 5-5,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal, sectional view to an enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 6-6,

Fig. 7 shows in a view similar to Fig. 2 and to an enlarged scale, the devices employed to release the mechanism for restoring the registering devices to their zero or initial position,

Fig. 8 shows in a view similar to Fig. 3, and to a much enlarged scale, parts of the pawls and ratchet wheel constituting part of the mechanism for operating the registering devices.

Fig. 9 is a vertical, sectional view to an enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 9-9,

Fig. 10 is a horizontal, sectional View to a further enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 4, taken along the line liilii, and

Fig. 11 is a vertical, sectional view to a further enlarged scale, of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line H-l I.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, our testing machine consists of a base Ii), which preferably is of massive material, for example, iron or steel, supporting a vertical post ll carrying the operating mechanism, and at its front portion, supporting a horizontal bar l2 carrying the registering mechanism of the machine.

The post ll supports a plate [3 which in turn supports upper and lower bearing housings M and 15 respectively supporting the impact arm [6 and the reaction arm IT for oscillatory movement. The housing I5 is not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as it is concealed by other parts of the machine.

In Fig. 1, the reaction arm I1 is shown in its position of rest, said arm having secured to its lower end portion, a cage [8 for holding a ball I9,

or other article to be tested, in impact position, the upper end portion of said arm having secured thereto a weight 29 counterbalancing the lower portion of said arm and the parts carried thereby, about its pivotal support. The impact arm I6 carries at its outer end, a weight 2| having an impact surface 2 la for engaging the ball at nearly the end of its downward swing. The impact arm I6 is shown in Fig. 1, in its impact position, beyond which it moves to the left during an impact swing, until a spring 22 carried by said arm engages a tripping screw 23 carried by a retracting lever 24 which then is in vertical or set position, to release said lever and permit it to function as below described. In this manner, the impact surface 2Ia, after striking the ball I9, continues its movement through the impact position shown in Fig. 1, aifording a reaction surface for the compressed face of the ball, in substantially the same manner that the face of a playing club affords such a surface during the follow through of a stroke in actual play. The reaction of the ball is thus communicated to the cage I8 and to the reaction arm II, and the amount of the reactive movement of the arm I! is a measure or indication of the amount of the reaction of the ball to the impact, and affords an indication of the liveliness of the ball. This quality of the ball depends upon two factors, first, its elasticity, that is, how perfectly it will return to its original or normal shape after being compressed by impact, and second, its quickness of elastic response, that is, how quickly it will return to its normal shape. For obviously, in play, the flight of the ball depends not only on its elasticity, but also on whether its reactive response elastically, is accomplished while still in contact with the impact surface of the playing club. By providing impact relations in our machine which are of the same kind as exist in actual play, we are able to accurately measure and grade the playing value of the golf balls tested. Again, it is known, that differences in mass of the balls, affect their re sponse in actual play. As a result of the impact relations referred to in our machine, such mass differences produce corresponding reaction differenees, which are factors in integrating the factors involved in reaction of the balls to impact, and the reactive movement of said reaction arm, is a correct indication of such integration.

In Fig. 1, the reaction arm is shown in its position of rest or its initial position, before it has reacted to the left from the impact communicated to the ball I9 by the impact arm I6. In so reacting and swinging to the left, the reaction arm I! carries the cage I8 with it, and the ball I9 which is then free, rolls on to and down a discharge runway 25 to a trough 26 out of the path of the reaction arm I1, for removal at the convenience of the operator. As below described, the reaction arm I1, excepting for a predetermined load upon it, which is preferably constant to afford accurate and relative indications of the playing value of balls successively tested, is free from retarding forces and does no other work, to

the end that the amount of its reactive swing will be an accurate indication of the playing value of a tested ball, and to measure the amount of said reactive swing and indicate said playing value, we provide registering devices operated as below described by return movement of the reaction arm to its position of rest. It is thus necessary that the reaction arm return positively to its position of rest to effect accurate operation of the registering devices, and it is also important that said return movement be dampened to avoid injury to the parts that might result from a free swing of the reaction arm to its position of rest, and abruptly stopping said return swing by unyielding surfaces required for accuracy, to establish a fixed position for said position of rest, as well as to avoid any and all rebound of the reaction arm from its position of rest, since said rebound would give a false reading to the registering devices.

The follow through movement of the weight 2i, causes the weight to move a little to the left (viewing Fig. 1) of the position occupied by the ball I9, before the tripping screw 23 is operated by the spring 22, in. which position the impact arm I6 would prevent the reaction arm I1 from returning to its position of rest, by engaging the cage IS. The retracting lever 24, as will be shown, is pivotally supported at its lower end on the base I9, and as shown in Fig. 1, has extending to the right from its upper portion, a retracting arm 21 carrying at its right hand end, a cam arm 28 provided at its upper end with a cam 29 for engagement by an inclined plate 30 carried by the impact arm I6, when the latter is moved in the manner below described, to its set or potential position. Such engagement of the cam 29 by the plate 39, raises the retracting arm 21 and moves the retracting lever 24 to vertical position, in which position it is held until released, as will be described, by operation of the tripping screw 23, to permit the follow through movement of the impact arm I6. The operation of the tripping screw 23 at the end of said follow through movement, releases the retracting lever 24, and the weight of the

arms

21 and 28 moves the retracting lever 24 to the right to the position shown in Fig. 1, during which movement a stud 3I carried by said lever, engages the impact arm IB and retracts it from its follow through position to substantially the position shown in Fig. 1. Since this retracting movement of the impact arm I6 occurs immediately at the end of the follow through movement of said impact arm, it occurs during the reactive swing of the reaction arm I1, thereby removing all obstruction to the positive return of the reaction arm I! to its position of rest.

To dampen the return movement of the reaction arm I! to its position of rest, a dash pot 32 is supported on the base ID, with its piston connected with a bar 33 movable laterally on said base below the weight 2| and in the plane of movement of the reaction arm I1, which bar in its left hand position, extends into the path of return movement of the reaction arm I! to its position of rest, and in its right hand position permits the reaction arm to solidly engage the left hand side surface of the base I0, thus establishing a definite and unchangeable terminal position for return movement of the reaction arm I 1, which is the position of rest for said reaction arm. The bar 33 has secured to it adjacent the cage I 8, an angle bar 34, the upwardly extending leg of which is in the path of a pin 35 extending downwardly from the weight 2|, said angle bar and said pin being so related laterally of the base ID, that during the follow through movement of the arm I 6, and after the reaction arm I! has begun its reactive swing from the impact on the ball I9, the pin 35 engages said angle bar and thereby moves the bar 33 to the left in readiness to cushion the return movement of the reaction arm I'I. It will be noted that the retractive movement of the impact arm I6 above described, moves the pin 35 to the right from engagement with the angle bar 34, freeing the bar 33 for cushioning or dampening movement controlled by the dash pot 32.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the impact arm 16 is mounted on the front end of a shaft 39 mounted for oscillatory movement in the housing I4, and the rear end of said shaft has secured thereto a setting arm 31 in the path of a roller 38 pivotally mounted on the upper end of a setting member 39. As below described, the setting member 39 is connected by operating devices with a setting shaft 4i] extending through and in front of the base 19, and having secured to its front end, a setting lever 4|, so that when the lever 41 is depressed, the arm 3'! is moved angularly to move the impact arm l6 away from its impact position, until a pin Ilia, carried by the arm 16, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, engages a notch 42a. in a latch bar 42, holding the impact arm in its raised or potential position, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, until said latch bar is moved from engagement with the pin 16a, to release the impact arm and permit it to swing downwards by gravity to acquire the desired momentum to be communicated by impact to a ball being tested. A stop plate 43 extends rearwardly from the plate l3, to limit return movement of the bar 39 when the setting lever 41 moves to its upper position after a setting operation.

As shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of. the latch bar 42 is connected by a spring 44 with a bar 45 supported by the plate [3 and forming a guide for the latch bar, which spring tends to hold the latch bar in position to engage the pin 16a. The upper end of the latch bar 42 is engaged by the upper end of a bell-crank lever 46 pivotally sup ported at 41 by the bar 45 so that downward movement of the tripping rod 48 engaging the other end of the bell-crank lever, moves the latch bar 42 against the action of the spring 44, from its position of engagement with the pin 16a.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the rod 48 is connected with the outer end of a lever 49 pivotally supported at 59, the other end of said lever 49, as shown in Fig. 9, resting on the rear end of, a second lever 5| pivotally supported on the end of the base H3 at 52 and projecting in front of the base to carry a knob 53 conveniently accessible to the operator of the machine. A stop 54 is provided to limit upward movement of the knob 53. As a result, when the impact arm I6 is in its set position, depressing the knob 53 moves the rod 48 downwardly, and this in turn moves the latch bar 42 from engagement with the pin 16a, and the impact arm 16 is free to begin its impact movement.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine is provided with a supply runway 55 for delivering balls to be tested, to the impact position indicated in Fig. 1, the outer or forward end of said runway being conveniently accessible to the operator of the machine, and supported by an arm 53 extending from a column 51.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bar 12 has mounted on itsends, columns 5'! and 58, to support a bar 59 in horizontal position and slightly below the axis of, oscillation of the reaction arm [1, said bar 59 having mounted thereon an angle bar 60 to support as shown in Fig. 2, a bearing block 6| for supporting a pointer 62, and to also support an annular dial 63 cooperating with said pointer and coaxial with the support thereof. The block BI is provided with aflange Gla at its front end,

secured to the angle bar 60, and supporting a spring 64 connected with said pointer to return the latter to its zero position against a resilient stop 65 carried by said angle bar, when said pointer is released after a registering movement. The pointer 62 is carried by a tubular shaft 66 having its bearing support in the block iii, the axis. of said tubular shaft being in line, or substantially' so, with the axis of oscillation of the reaction arm ll, operating devices below described being provided between said reaction arm and said tubular shaft, to turn said tubular shaft and said pointer to an operated position by return movement of said reaction arm after its reaction swing, to its position of rest, said operating devices also serving to hold said pointer in its operatedposition, until the operating train of said operating devices is opened.

As shown in Fig. 1, a brake bar 61 is provided, to retard return movement of the reaction arm I? to its position of rest, and this, together with the action of the dash pot 32, prevents rebound of the reaction arm ll at the end of its said return movement.

As shown in Fig. 2, a releasing bar 68 is provided to open the operating train of the pointer 62 as below described, by each operation of the setting shaft 49, to move the impact arm 16 to its potential position, as follows: said bar 68 is mounted for reciprocating movement in supporting blocks 69 and Hi carried by the angle bar 69, and in the position shown does not affect the said operating train, opening of said train being effected by movement of said bar 68 to the left. The bar 68 is normally held in its right hand position by a spring H acting on a second bar 12 parallel with the bar 68 and reciprocable therewith through the

blocks

69 and 19. A crank 13 is provided for moving the

bars

68 and 12 to the left against the action of the spring 1!, which crank is formed on the upper end of a releasing rod 14 shown in Fig. 1 and mounted for oscillatory movement in the

bars

12 and 59. The lower end portion of the rod 14 has secured thereto a crank '55 through the outer end of which a rod '56 extends, the right hand end of said rod as indicated in Fig. 1, having connection with the shaft 49, so that for each setting movement of said shaft, the rod 16 is moved to the right and.

operates the crank through a spring 1'! disposed between the left hand end of the rod 16 and said crank, thereby moving the releasing bar 88 to the left and opening the operating train of the pointer 62. The spring 'I'l permits the releasing movement of the bar 68 to be less than would otherwise be the case, and to be completed before the end of the setting movement of the shaft 49, which is an advantage in adjusting the releasing mechanism controlling the continuity of said operating train.

In Figs. 1 and 2 we also illustrate recording mechanism for making a record of. each reactive movement of the arm I! as follows: A plate 18 is supported in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of oscillation of the reaction arm I1, and adjacent the path of movement of the lower portion of said arm, by inverted Ushaped bars l9, 19 secured to said plate and to the dial E3. The lower portion of the plate 18 supports a horizontal shelf 89 extending rearwardly from said plate, to support a roll 8| of paper tape which is held in place for rotary movement, by a ver tical arbor 82 secured to said shelf and extending upwardly through said roll. The tape is drawn from the roll 81 as indicated at Bla, and across the front surface of the plate 18, the end of the tape being shown at 8Ib. The lower end portion of the reaction arm I! is provided with a pencil or equivalent stylus 83, which is adjusted so that its marking point is substantially in the plane of the front surface of the plate I8. As a result, when a ball is tested, the reactive swing of the arm I'I moves the pencil 83 over the surface of the tape Bla in front of the plate 18, making a mark on said tape showing the height of said swing. The tape 8| is moved by the operator, across the plate I8 after each testing operation, sufficiently to present a fresh surface of the tape to the pencil 83 for the next testing operation, and the record or records thus made may by calculation or calibration, express in any desired system of units, the playing value of the ball or balls tested, and afford a permanent record of the testing of the same.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine is preferably provided with a sub-base I0a, which may be of any suitable material, for example, wood or metal, to afford a substantial supporting surface.

In'Fig. 3 the relation to each other of the impact arm I6, the reaction arm I! and the retracting lever 24 and the parts carried thereby, is more clearly shown. In this figure the impact arm I6, the impact weight 2|, the plate 30, and the locking pin I So are shown in full lines in their positions at the instant of impact upon the ball I9 being tested, and the same parts are shown respectively in dotted lines for the set or potential position of the arm I6, at I62), 2Ib, 30a and I60; the reaction arm H, the cage I8, and the counterweight 20 are shown in full lines for the initial or rest position of the arm I1, and the same parts are shown respectively in dotted lines for a reacted position of the arm IT, at Ila, I 8a, and 20a; the retracting lever 24, retracting arm 21, cam arm 28 and cam 29 are shown in full lines for the position assumed by the arm 24 after its release to retract the impact arm I6 after a follow through movement, back to substantially its impact position, and said retracting lever and parts carried thereby are shown respectively in dotted lines for the set position of the lever 24, at 24a, 21a, 28a and 29a.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lever 24 is pivotally supported at its lower end at 84, on a stud 85 projecting upwardly from the base I 0. The screw 23 is carried by a bell-crank lever 86 pivotally connected with the lever 24 at 81, said bell-crank lever being pivotally connected with the lower end of a releasing rod 88 extending upwardly adjacent the lever 24 through a guide bracket 89 carried thereby and terminating at its upper end just below the upper end of the lever 24 as shown in Fig. 11. As shown in the latter figure, the upper end of the rod 88 is loosely contained in a slot 241) in the edge of the upper end portion of the lever 24, and the upper end of said lever is mounted for lateral movement in a slot 90a in a bar 90 supporting a light-tension fiat spring 9| above said slot 90a, so that for the set position of the lever 24 shown in dotted lines at 24a, a pin 92 carried by and extending above the upper end of the lever 24, engages the left hand end of said spring 9|, holding the lever'in its set position until the spring BI is raised to disengage it from the pin 92. When the screw 23 is engaged by the spring 22 at the end of the follow through movement of the impact arm I6, the rod 88 is raised by operation of the bell-crank lever 86, thereby raising the spring 9| and effecting disengagement of said spring from the pin 92, and permitting the weight of the retracting arm 21 and of the cam arm 28, to move the lever 24 to its position retracting the impact arm I6 to substantially its impact position. Retracting movement of the arm 21 is limited by engagement with a stop block 93 carried by a vertical bar 94 adjacent the arm 21 and constituting a part of the frame of the machine. As shown in Fig. 3, the bar 90 is supported on the lower ends of

vertical bars

95, 95 extending downwardly from the plate I3.

As shown in Fig. 3, the reaction arm I! has extending therefrom above its axis of oscillation, an arm 96 to which three pawls 91, 91a and 91b are pivotally connected at 98, which pawls engage a ratchet wheel 99 secured to a combined drum I00 and internal gear I M mounted on a rotary shaft I02 substantially coaxially with the axis of oscillation of the reaction arm IT. The shaft I02 rotates in the tubular shaft 66 carrying the pointer 62 at its front end, the rear end of said tubular shaft having secured to it within the internal gear IOI, a pinion I03 connected by an idler gear I04 rotatable on a fixed stud I05, with the internal gear IOI.

As shown in Fig. 3, the brake bar 61 is pivotally supported at I00 on a block I01 carried by the angle bar 60, and from the block I01 an arm I08 extends to support a tensioning rod I09 extending at its lower end around the bar 61 and extending at its upper end to receive an adjusting nut IIO to change as desired, the pressure of the spring III between the arm I08 and the nut H0 and around the rod I09, to exert a desired upward pressure on the brake bar 61. Said brake bar extends under the drum I00, and has secured to it a brake block 6111 of suitable material, for example, leather, pressed upwardly against the drum by the upward pressure exerted on the brake bar 61 by the spring I I I.

As shown in Fig. 3, the pencil 83 is held on the reaction arm IT by a clamping plate II2, by suitable screws as indicated, to afford convenient adjustment of said pencil.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plate "I8 is provided with horizontal guide bars H3 at the upper and lower edges of the record tape 8Ia, to prevent vertical displacement of said tape from its recording position. The plate 18 also carries flat spring clips.:I'I4 near the discharge end 8Ib of the tape, and a flat spring II5 to hold the tape 8Ia in fiat condition on the plate 18, to be marked by the pencil 83. The plate 18 also supports a thin fiat spring IIB under the tape BIa and in the path of movement of the pencil 83, to hold the tape 8Ia slightly away from the plate I8 at the recording position of the tape, and to afford a resilient surface for engagement by the point of the pencil 83, to avoid undue marking friction, and to avoid the necessity for exact adjustment of the pencil.

As shown in Fig. 3, the dash pct 32 is provided through its outer end, with an adjusting screw II'I having a tapered longitudinal side groove I I'Ia, to provide a desired degree of retardation of movement of the bar 33 to the right, when acted upon by the reaction arm I! in returning to its position of rest in engagement with the base I0." A lock-nut H8 is mounted on the screw II! to hold it in any adjusted position.

As shown in Fig. 4, the setting shaft 40 is provided at its rear end, with a crank 40a carrying a ball bearing II9 in a slot I20 in a plate I2I secured to the lower end portion of a bar I22 secured at its upper portion to the right hand edge of a plate I23, to the left hand edge of which plate, the lower portion of the bar 39 is secured. The plate I23 is supported for oscillatory movement on a pivot I24, which, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, is supported on the rear end of a stud I25 secured to and extending rearwardly from the post I I. The crank 40a. is substantially vertical for the position of rest of the setting lever 4i (Figs. 2 and 6), for which position, and with the impact arm I5 in its retracted position, the setting arm 37 is in substantially the position and in the relation to the roller 38, shown in Fig. 4. As a result, and due to the shape indicated of the outer end portion of the arm 3i, equal increments of setting movement of the lever 4i, produce progressively smaller amounts of angular movement of the impact arm- I5, thereby compensating for the increasing moment required to raise the weight 2!. Thus a substantially uniform pressure is required downwardly on the lever 4! during a setting operation, the angular movement of the impact arm I6 being relatively rapid during the first part of a setting movement, and then decreasing in rapidity as the required lifting moment increases. As shown in Fig. 4, the rear end portion of the shaft 40 is supported by a bearing plate I26 secured to the post II, and as shown in Fig. 10, a spring I2? is mounted on the shaft 40 between the plate I26 and the base II], one end of which spring is secured to said shaft at I2Ia, the other end of said spring engaging the plate I26, to move the setting mechanism to its position of rest when the lever M is released, which movement is limited by the stop plate 43, in a position permitting free movement of the arm 3! relatively to the roller 38, during impact movement of the impact arm I5.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the shaft 40 has secured thereto back of the plate I26, a collar I28 which together with the enlarged front end portion of said shaft, prevents longitudinal movement of the shaft in its bearings.

As shown in Fig. 4, the base I0 supports a bar I29 extending to the left from said base, to which bar the lower end of the bar 04 is secured. The

bar I29 also carries a pivotal support I30 for the lower end of the latch bar 42, and has extending downwardly from its outer end portion, a stud I3I supporting the pivot 50 of the tripping lever 49.

As shown in Fig. 5, the housing I4 supports at its ends, ball-bearings I32 which in turn support the shaft for free oscillatory movement. The housing I5 similarly supports ball-bearings I33 for the shaft 434, to the front end of which the reaction arm I! is secured by means of a hub I35. The rear end of the shaft I34 has secured thereto a drum I36 having a circumferential groove I35a in which a thin, flexible metal tape ISI is disposed, one end of said tape being secured to said drum, and the other end of said tape, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, extending down and being secured to a hollow weight I38, so that said weight will be raised by reactive movement of the reaction arm II. The tape I3I is adjusted so that for the position of rest of the reaction arm ii, the weight I38 will be suspended by the tape, out of contact with other parts of the machine. The shell of the weight I38 is preferably light enough so that its requisite total weight is determined by the number of metal balls I380 contained in it, an aperture I385 being formed through the upper portion of the shell to facilitate inserting and removing the balls as desired. The total amount of weight on the tape I31 is preferably of an amount determined by the amount of momentum developed by impact movement of the impact arm I6, and the reactive ability of the balls, or other articles tested, to the end that the maximum reactive movement of the reaction arm II will effect operation of the registering pointer 62, well within its limit of movement and within the registering range of the dial 52.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the housings I4 and I5 are supported in horizontal, parallel relation, one above the other, by a plate I39 secured to said housings and also to a block I40, which block is secured to the upper end of the post II.

In Fig. 5, the support of the tubular shaft 66 by the bearing block Iii is shown, said shaft being freely rotary in said block, and the shaft I02 supporting the brake drum I00, being supported by and freely rotary in the tubular shaft 66. The shaft I02 has secured to its front end, a collar IIIZa. to prevent longitudinal movement of said shaft in the tubular shaft 55, and the block BI is mounted on the bar 59, with the axis of the shaft I02 substantially in alinement with the axis of the shaft I34. The block Iii is provided with a rear flange ISIb supporting the bearing stud I05 for the idler gear I04, as indicated, and the manner of supporting the screw 3! by means of a stud I4I extending from and carried by the retracting lever 24, is also shown. The pawls 9?, 91a and 071) are broken away in Fig. 5 to more clearly show the parts cooperating therewith.

In Fig. 7 the releasing mechanism for the pointer I52, is shown in plan view to an enlarged scale. The rods 68 and I2 are secured together by clamping blocks I42 and I43, the crank I3 by its operation above described, engaging the block I42 and moving said rods to the left in the supporting blocks 69 and I0, against the action of the spring II. The block I43 by engaging the supporting block 69, limits movement of the rods 68 and I2 to the right by the spring II when the crank I3 is turned to the right to release said rods from operating pressure. A stop block I44 secured to the angle bar 60 in the path of the block I43, limits releasing movement of said rods by the operation of the crank I3. The right hand end portion of the rod 58 is bent laterally at 08a to extend under the pawls 91, 9Ia and 91b, and at its right hand end as shown in Fig. 8, said rod is provided with an upwardly bent end 6812 in notches therefor in the pawls, so that releasing movement of the rod 68 as described, will move said pawls to the left and from engagement with the ratchet wheel 99. The pawls are shown in Fig. 8 in the position they occupy when the reaction arm II is in its position of rest, for which position, with the rod I58 in its right hand position, the

end portions

68a and 68b of said rod are not in engagement with but are closely adjacent to the edges of said pawls.

As. shown in Fig. '7, the rods 08 and I2 have secured to them adjacent the supporting block I0, an angle plate I45, to the upwardly extending flange of which, a bell-crank lever I is pivotally secured at I41, said lever I46 having adjusting screws I48 and I49 engaging the plate I45. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper end of the lever I46 engages a notch in the upper end of a lever I50 pivotally mounted at I5I on a stud E52 supported by and extending rearwardly from the angle bar 60. The lever I50 is supported vertically in the plane of the brake bar GI, and as shown in Fig. 4, said lever is continued below its pivotal support ISI and formed at its-lower end into a cam IIla engaging the upper surface of said brake bar.

As a result, when the

rods

68 and 12 are moved during a releasing operation, the lever I50 is rocked on its pivotal support I5I and its lower cam end I50a depresses the brake bar 61. When the reaction arm I1 is returned to its position of rest by the action of the weight I38, the pawls 91, 91a and 91b drive the ratchet wheel 99 against the frictional resistance of the brake block 61a pressing against the drum I60, which in turn through the gearing described, moves the pointer 82 to register on the dial 63, the amount of the displacement of the reaction arm l1. The adjustment of the brake spring I II is such as to insure such deliberate return of the reaction arm I1 to its position of rest, that there is no possibility of overthrow of the registering devices, and in cooperation with the action of the dash pot 32, no rebound from the base I9 when its rest position is reached, thus insuring accurate operation of the registering devices, yet insuring positive return to said rest position because of the dominance of the weight I38. The resulting position assumed by the pointer 62 is maintained by the pawls 91, 91a and 91b and by the engagement of the brake block 61a with the drum I00, until the next movement of the impact arm I6 to its set or potential position by depression of the lever 4|, which, as above described, moves said pawls from engagement with the ratchet wheel 99, thus freeing said ratchet wheel and the gearing connecting the same with the pointer 62, for operation by the spring 64 to move the pointer 62 back to its zero position. However, in view of the pressure of the brake block 61a being adjusted to oppose a considerable portion of the efiect of the weight I38, and in view of it being desirable that the spring 64 shall be no stronger than required to positively overcome the friction of the driving gearing connected with said pointer, the spring 64 is not able to overcome the brake friction adapted to partially oppose the action of the weight I 38. To take care of this condition, at the same time that the pawls 91, 91a and 912) are disengaged from the ratchet wheel 99, the cam I 50a on the lever I50 depresses the brake bar 61 sufiiciently so that the decreased pressure of the brake block 61a on the drum I90, permits the spring 64 to move the pointer 62 back to its Zero position. against the spring stop 65, and slowly enough so that it will come to rest against said spring stop, and so be in a position to accurately register the next operation of the reaction arm I1. The adjusting screws I48 and I49 afiord a means for accurately adjusting the lever I50 through the bell-crank lever I46, to secure the requisite decrease of pressure of the block 61a against the drum I08 to secure the results described.

As shown in Fig; 8, each of the pawls 91, 91a and 9117 has a single tooth, as shown at 91c, 91d and 91e respectively, and said pawls are alike, excepting that said teeth are displaced from each other angularly of the ratchet wheel 99, so the spacing from one tooth to the next will equal one third of the distance from any tooth on the ratchet wheel to the next one of its teeth. In this way, the accuracy of engagement of the pawls with the ratchet wheel is the same as though the ratchet wheel had three times as many teeth and a single pawl were used. This avoids the use and disadvantages of minute teeth on the ratchet wheel and gives the same accuracy of result. The pawls 91, 91a and 91b are sufficiently thin so that their combined thickness is substantially less than ,the face of. the ratchet wheel 99, insuring the proper engagement at all times of any one of the pawl teeth with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, as occasion may require.

The dial 63 may be graduated in any desired manner, so that it will either by calculation or calibration, indicate the reactive response of the article tested in any desired units.

The cycle of operation of our machine is as follows. Beginning with the reaction arm I1 in its initial position, the pointer 62 in its last actuated position, and the impact arm I6 in its retracted position, which positions result from the last testing operation, the setting lever 4| is first depressed which releases the pointer 62 for return to its initial position and at the same time disengages the pawls 91, 91a, 91b from the ratchet wheel 99, further setting movement moving the impact arm IE to its raised position engaging the latch bar 42, at the same time moving the retractor lever 24 to its set position; a ball I9 to be tested is then placed on the descending runway 55 and rolls to impact position in the ball cage I8 on the arm I1; the tripping lever 5| is then depressed which releases the impact arm I6, the weight 2| carried thereby strikes the ball and the follow through of the weight permitted by the set position of the retractor 24, backs up the ball so that its resilience imparts a corresponding blow or operating force to the reaction arm I1, moving it upward and raising the weight I38 until the force of the impact is spent, at the same time moving the pawls 91, 91a, 91b freely over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 99; during the follow through of the impact arm !5, said arm moves the bar 33 into the return path of the arm I1, thereby moving the piston in the dashpot 32 to its operative position, and at the same time the arm I6 releases the retractor lever 24 which in turn moves the arm I6 and the weight 2| back from impact position and out of the path of return movement of the arm I1; during said follow through movement and the beginning of upward movement of the arm I1, the ball I9 is delivered to the upper end of the discharge runway 25, down which it rolls out of the path of return movement of the arm I1, while the latter is moving upward; when the arm I1 reaches its uppermost position, the weight I38 moves said arm towards its initial position, checked somewhat by the brake bar 61 and brake block 61a, which return movement of the arm I 1, by engagement of the pawls 91, 91a, 9112 with the ratchet wheel 99, moves the pointer 62 over the dial to its indicating position, the movement of the pointer being proportional to the return movement of the arm I1, which latter of course equals the impact movement of said arm, as a result of which the pointer movement affords an accurate indication of the amount of the blow or impact imparted by the ball to the impact arm I1, which in turn is an indication of the degree of resilience of the ball tested; during the final part of the return movement of the arm I1, it engages the bar 33, so that the return movement of said arm just before it reaches its initial position, moves the piston in the dash pct 32, checking the movement of said arm and insuring that it come to rest in its initial position without rebound, to avoid corresponding inaccuracy in the indication afforded by the pointer 62; when the arm I1 reaches its initial position, the machine is in readiness for its next cycle of operation.

Our testing machine above described, thus affords a means for accurately indicating and recording the reactive response of articles tested, either relatively to each other if no particular system of units is employed, or relatively to a standard test article, if the same be used as a basis of comparison, or in any desired system of units, depending upon the calibration or construction of the dial and recording mechanism.

While we have shown our invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that we do not limit ourselves to those particular constructions, as we may employ equivalents thereof known to the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, and operating mechanism between said reaction arm and said registering devices, said operating mechanism being inactive for reactive movement of said reaction arm and operated by return movement of said reaction arm to its impact receiving position.

2. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, setting mechanism for moving said impact arm to a potential position, and restoring mechanism for said registering devices and activated by said setting mechanism.

3. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, operating mechanism between said reaction arm and said registering devices, said operating mechanism being inactive for reactive movement of said reaction arm and operated by return movement of said reaction arm to its impact receiving position, setting mechanism for moving said impact arm to a potential position, and restoring mechanism for said registering devices and activated by said setting mechanism.

4. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, operating mechanism between said reaction arm and said registering devices, said operating mechanism being inactive for reactive movement of said reaction arm and operated by return movement of said reaction arm to its impact receiving position, and retarding devices associated with said operating mechanism and retarding said return movement of said reaction arm.

5. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, and retracting mechanism associated with said impact arm and released thereby at the end of the impact movement thereof, operation of said retracting mechanism moving said impact arm back from its impact position.

6. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, retracting mechanism associated with said impact arm and released thereby at the end of the impact movement thereof, operation of said retracting mechanism moving said impact arm back from its impact position, and setting mechanism for moving said impact arm to a potential position and for moving said retracting mechanism to its set position out of the path of impact movement of said impact arm.

'7. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction arm and tending to hold the latter in its impact receiving position.

8. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of the ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction arm and tending to hold the latter in its impact receiving position,

the opposing force of said loading means being uniform throughout the reactive movement of said reaction arm.

9. In a machine for testing golf balls and the like, the combination of an oscillatory impact arm carrying an impact surface, an oscillatory reaction arm, a ball cage carried by said reaction arm in the path of said impact surface, said ball cage exposing a surface of a ball being tested to the impact of said impact surface, means for producing substantially uniform impacts of said impact surface upon balls successively tested, registering devices showing the amount of reaction of said reaction arm to the impact upon a tested ball, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction arm and tending to hold the latter in its impact receiving position, said loading means comprising a drum operated by said reaction arm, and a weight suspended from said drum.

10. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest.

11. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, and registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member.

12. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member, and operating mechanism between said reaction member and said registering devices, said operating mechanism being inactive for reactive movement of said reaction member and operated by movement of said reaction member to its position of rest.

13. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member, setting mechanism for moving said impact member to its set position, and restoring mechanism for said registering devices and activated by said setting mechanism.

14. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member, operating mechanism between said reaction member and said registering devices, said operating mechanism being inactive for reactive movement of said reaction member and operated by movement of said reaction member to its position of rest, and retarding devices associated with said operating mechanism and retarding movement of said reaction member to its position of rest.

15. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member, and retracting mechanism associated with said impact member and released thereby at the end of the impact movement thereof, operation of said retracting mechanism moving said impact member away from its impact position.

16. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, registering devices showing the amount of reactive movement of said reaction member, retracting mechanism associated with said impact member and released thereby at the end of the impact movement thereof, operation of said retracting mechanism moving said impact member away from its impact position, setting mechanism for moving said impact member to its set position and for moving said retracting mechanism to its set position, and restoring mechanism for said registering devices and activated by said setting mechanism.

1'7. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, the opposing force of said loading means being uniform throughout the reactive movement of said reaction member.

18. In a machine for testing elastic articles, the combination of an impact member movable from a set position to an impact position and having an impact surface, means for developing uniform momentum of said impact member at its impact position for successive testing operations, means for holding an article to be tested with its surface at said impact position, a reaction member having a position of rest adjacent said article with said article between said reaction member and said impact position, said reaction member being movable from said position of rest to an impact-operated position, and loading means opposing reactive movement of said reaction member and tending to hold the latter in its position of rest, said loading means comprising a drum operated by said reaction member, and a weight suspended from said drum.

WILBERT W. CRANFORD. GEORGE I. BUTLER.