US226635A - Grain-tally - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

WILLIAM THORNTON, OF TRENT, IOWA.

GRAIN-TALLY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,635, dated April 20, 1880.

Application filed January il, 1880.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM THORNTON, of Trent, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented-a Grain Meter and Register, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to save time and labor and insure accuracy in measuring grain and registering the quantity as it passes 4from a separator, elevator-wagon, or wherever it is moved by gravitation from one place to another through a tubular conveyer.

It consists in a box-measure adapted to be connected with a conveyer having cut-offs operated by levers, a cam-groove, and a crank, and a register consisting of three dial-faced disks that are actuated by means of ratchets, pawls, and cams, and the same crank and motion of the operator that moves the measuring cut-offs, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure I of my drawings is a vertical sectional view ot' my combined meter and register. Fig. 2 is a side view, showing the registering mechanism. Fig. 3 is a front view, in which the facing and hinged door are removed to show the mechanism that operates the cutofts and registering-dials. Fig. et is a side face view, showing the relative positions of the several registering-disks. Together they clearly illustrate the construction, application, and operation of my complete invention.

a a represent a box of rectangular form, made of wood or other suitable material, in any suitable way, so as to produce a tight, strong half-bushel box-form measure. bis the mouth of the measuring-box. It is adapted in shape to connect with. a grain-conveyer, c, to which my complete apparatus is to be attached by means of setscrews or any other suitable fastening device. d is the lower end and throat of the measuring-box. f is an auxiliary box formed on the side ofthe box-measure c a. g is a cani wheel or cylinder mounted in the box f. h is a cam-groove in the periphery of the wheel.

7c represents a bent lever pivoted to the side of the auxiliary box f. It is attached at its lower end to a cut-oft, No. 1.' 7c is a corresponding bent lever, that is pivoted at the oppositel side of the box f, and is connected with a cut-off, No, 2. These cut-cfs slide horizontally in bearings formed in or attached to the measuringbox a. l l are cams that projectinward from the center of each bent lever 7c and k to engage the cam-groove h in the wheel g. l is a cam projecting outward from the lever 7c to operate a revolving disk, o, that has a tively brought into juxtaposition, to denotev units, teils, and hundreds, as the wheel g is revolved, by means ct the crank s to measure and register grain.

t represents a movable section in the rear side ofthe rectangular box a.. It is adapted to be set in and out, so that the capacity of the measuring-box a can be enlarged or diminished, as required, to measure different kinds ot' grain correctly.

a represents a window in the side otthe mouth b of the measuring-box a. a is a 1inger extending' from the disk 0 to engage a ratchet-wheel that is formed on the rear side of the revolving dial r. This ratchet has also a nger that engages a ratchet and pinion, c, mating with a pinion, c", that is adapted to operate the dial y.

` b" and c are spring-pawls that engage the ratchets and prevent a reverse or backward movement of `the revolving registering-dials o, r, and y.

In the practical operation of my invention, when attached to a spout or tubular conveyer, the dials can be adjusted by means of the crank s, or by reaching the hand in through the door to take hold of the dials and ratchets, so that the ciphers of all the revolving dials will be contiguous to each other and in a horizontal line. The cut-offs Nos. l and 2 can be opened and closed by means of the same crank. Vhen the combined meter and register is properly adjust-ed the grain can readily vfall into the measure and till it. When full the operator can, by turning the crank s once around, cause the wheel gto revolve, and, by means of its cam-groove h and the cams l Z upon the levers It' lo, close the cut-off No. 2 and open the cut-oft' No. 1. A half-bushel of IOO grain is thus allowed to pass from the conveyer into a sack or other receptacle. The same motion of the operator, simultaneously With the measuring of the grain, causes the disk or dial o to make one-twentieth part of a revolution. 'lhis is occasioned by the cam l upon the lever lc operating the lever on, carrying a pawl, n, at its upper end, that engages one of the twenty ratchet-teeth on the edge of the disk. Vhen a second half-bushel of grain has been measured and passed, and a second revolution made by the crank s, and a second one-twentieth part of a revolution made by the dial o, the numeral 1 will be broughtinto line With the ciphers of the disks r and y, and will indicate that one bushel. has been measured. When the tenth bushel is thus registered the` finger co" of the dial 0 will rotate the dial fr one-tenth ot' a revolution, and thus the gure l of the dial r and the cipher of the dial 0 will be brought together toindicate that ten 10) bushels have been measured and passed. Every successive half-bushel and bushel will be thus accurately measured and registered by the operator turning the crank` around once each time the half-bushel measure is full until ninety-nine bushels have passed. When the one-hundredth bushel is passed a tin ger on the rear side of the dial and ratchet r, that en gages theratchet and pinionv o, mating with the pinion fu, moves the dial g/ one-tenth part of a revolution, and brings its ligure l in line with the ciphers of the dials o and r, as required, yto denote that one hundred (100) b'ushels have been measured and passed.

Units, tens, and hundreds of bushels of grain are thus automatically and accurately measured and registered by mechanism, and much laborthereby saved, and the mistakes incident to various Ways of counting, marking, and tallying are avoided.

To lock the cylinder g, and thereby hold all the parts inoperative, I press the hook z into a perforation formed in the cylinder or Wheel g.

I claiinl. In a grain-meter, the measuring-box a b c, having cut-offs Nos. l and 2 at the top and bottom, the auxiliary box f, the Wheel g, having a crank-handle, s, and a cam-groove, 7L, and the pivoted bent levers 7c and 7c, each khaving a stud or cam, l, arranged and combined substantially as shown and described, for the purposes specified.`

2. The combined ratchet-Wheel and dial: 0, mounted inthe box j', the lever 7c, having a cam, l, and the pivoted lever m, carrying a pawl, a, at its upper end,y arranged and cornbined substantially asl and for the purposes shown and described.

3. The combined grain meter and register composed of the fol-lowing elements, to wit: the measuring-box a b 0the cu't-ols-v Nos. I and 2, the auxiliary boxf, the grooved cam-- Wheel g, having a crank-handle, s, the pivoted levers k, a stud. or cam, 1f, the pivoted lever k", having studs or cams l and l on its opposite' sides, the pivoted lever m, carrying a p'awl, a, and the combined ratchet-wheels and dials o, mand y, substantially as shown and described', to operate in the manner set forth.

WILLIAM THORNTON.

Witnesses:

FRANK W. HEERs, A. G. KINGSBURY.

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