US279316A - Plumb-bob - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Mode'l.)

G. G. AVERY.

PLUMB BOB.

Patented June 12,1883.

N. PETERS. wiowumn n mr. Washington, 0. c,

my invention.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. AVERY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PLUMB-BOB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,316, dated June 12, 1 883,

' Application filed March 31, 1883. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. AVERY, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plumb-Bobs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mechanisms for the drawing into and winding up within the interior thereof of the line or cord used in connection with plumb-bobs, but which improve ments may in whole or in part be employed in connection with other implements or contrivances for other purposes.

I have shown my invention in connection with a plumb-bob, and a description of it in this connection will suffice to sufficiently and properly explain the several features of my improvements, some or-all of which, as I have said, may be adapted for use in connection with other contrivances or machines.

The precise nature of my invention will be particularly pointed out and specified in the claims of this application; and to enable those skilled in the art to which my improvements relate to make and use my invention, 1 will now to proceed to more fully describe the latter, referring by letters of reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view or elevation of a metallic plumb-bob embracing Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section at the line 00 x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is horizontal section at the line y y of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a similarsection at the line .2 z of Fig. 3.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

B is the solid body portion of a metallic plumb-bob of about the usual form, and provided with a fixed axial and cylindrical bar or portion, A, which, by preference, constitutes at its lower end the point of the bob, and which, as shown, extends vertically upward some distance above the top of the solid portion B, and has its upper end threaded for the accommodation of the thumb-nut d, which,

I when screwed home, serves to hold in place the hemispherically-shaped portion or shell H of the bob, said hemispherical portion H being adapted, as shown, to fit at its base in a slight rabbet, f, formed at the upper peripheral edge of the solid portion B, and also being perfo rated at its apex or upper central portion for the passage through it of the upper threaded end of the said cylindrical bar A. The upper part of the solid portion B is dished out or formed with a 'cylindrically-shaped recess or receptacle, H*, for the accommodation of a flat coiled spring, 111., and immediately over said spring-containing recess or receptacle H is located the hollow drum or spring-spool I, in the interior of which is located another flat coiled which is wound the line or cord h of the plumbbob. The said springdrum is mounted at its central opening or eye upon a sleeve-like device, O, which sleeve-like, device is arranged to turn freely on a portion of the cylindrical bar A, while the spring n is adapted, when wound up,to effect the rotation of the said spring-drum and said sleeve-like device, and the spring m is adapted to rotate said sleevelike device only, all in a manner and for a purpose to be presently explained.

E is a thread guide or perforated line-' guider, which is balanced by the device F, and through which the cord wound on the grooved periphery of the spring'drum I passes toward and partially around the grooved periphery of a small metallic guide-v 'heel or sheave, C, which, together witha merely counterbalancarm-like portion of a sort of straddle-frame, J, which is securely clamped about and firmly heldi'n a fixed position on the axial bar or rod A, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The grooved wheel D has a portion of its periphery cut away, so as to be entirely clear of the cord, where it passes around the wheel, C and is held in place within the groove of the periphery of the said wheel 0, the central bar or cylindrical stem, A, being slotted out or cut through longitudinally, as shown, so as to permit the peripheries of the sheaves G and D to come nearly but not quite together at a point coincident with the axial line of the said stem or portion A.

spring, a, and on the grooved-out periphery of r ing-wheel, D, is mounted on the depending The said stem, it will be seen, is also bored out longitudinally and centrally from its upper end downward to near its middle portion for the accommodation of the spiral spring F* and the longitudinally-slotted bar or arbor 13*, which are arranged within the bore of said stem A in the following manner-that is, with the spring f arranged in the lower portion of the stem A, and with the device B resting on the top of said spring F and occupying. the rest of the bore of the device A.

The device 13* is slotted out longitudinally in the vicinity of the adjacent portions of thetwo wheels orsheaves O and D, and is so constructed that an upper portion of its lower slotted end so forced up by the spiral spring F comes in contact'with the cord lying in a portion of the grooved periphery of the wheel 0, and acts as a brake 011 said cord and said wheel to prevent the latter from turning and the former from being drawn out of the bar, while the upper portion of the device B is formed with a comparatively large central bore during the greater part of its length, and with a smaller central bore in its upper teat-like end, 12*, through which latter bore the cord or line It barely passes or draws freely longitudinally of the axis of said device 13*. The cord or line it is provided with a ring or any other suitable device to prevent its outer end from being drawn into the interior of the bar, and for convenience in pulling out the cord or line and supending the bob for use.

The sleeve-like device 0, before referred to, is arranged to turn freely on the central longitudinal device, A, and is held longitudinally in place between a shoulder on said de vice A, against which the lower end of the sleeve bears, and a securingcollar, I), which surrounds said device at a point where it will come into contact with the upper end of said sleeve, all as plainly shown at Fig. 3. The spring it connects the interior of the cylindrical portion of the drum or spool l with the sleeve-like device 0, while the spring m connects said sleeve-like device 0 with the peripheral portion of the disk-like or cylindrical re- 'cess H, formed in the upper end of the slotted portion B of the bob, and thus by the uncoiling or expanding actions of the said two springs is the spool I rotated about its axis of motion in a given direction and to an extent equal to the uncoiling capacities of the two springs m and n, the sleeve-like device 0 being rotated on the central stud or arbor, A, half as many times as the said spool or drum I turns on its axis.

It will be seen that when the parts are all. put together properly, as shown. at Fig. 3, and the line or cord h fully wound up within the bob, the latter may be suspended by the ring without causing the string to be withdrawn to any extent, through the central bore of the teat-like portion 1) of the device B", (through which said cord passes downwardly into the bob,) because the brake device, at the point 8, will be held upwardly with suflicient force by the action of the partial]y-eompressed spiral spring Etc prevent any movement of the cord relatively to the bob mechanism. \Vhen, however, it is desired to draw out the cord, in order to use the bob, the teat-like device d' is pressed upon at the same time that the cord h is pulled upwardly, (by taking hold of the ring,) the downward movement of the device 13* against the pressure of the spring F operating to take off the brake or release the locking action at the point 8 and permit the pulling out and unwinding of the cord h by the exercise of a pulling force suflicient to overcome the counteracting tendency of the springs n and m, which are, of course, wound up just in proportion as the cord h is unwound from the grooved periphery of its spool or drumlike device I.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be readily understood that as the cord h is wound onto or unwound from the periphery of the spool or drum I it is guided with the least possible friction, (and so as to avoid any danger of entangleinent or displacement, first, by the cordguide E; second, by the grooved periphery of the sheave C and the cut-out guide-like portion of the periphery of the device l), (which, unlike the sheave C, remains in a fixed position on its central sheave or arbor and, third, by the axial cord-bore or central hole in the teat-like device (1 of the device B. Of course whenever the cord h shall have been drawn out to any desired extent less than the fullest extent to which it is possible to pull the cord the bob may be clamped to the string and held with any given amount of cord pulled out by simply releasing "the teat-like device d from the downward pressure which had necessarily to be applied to it for the purpose of releasing the brake-like device from the cord and sheave at the point x, and thus the bob may be used at pleasure with a greater or less length of cord or line.

It will be seen t-hatby the employment of the two coiled springs m and n, one arranged within the drum 1, as explained, and the other below the said drum, and so as to connect the periphery of the recess 1:! with the lower part of the sleeve-like device 0, the winding-up mechanism has its capacity doubled as compared with one containing only one spring,.

such as or, arranged within the cord drum or spool-that is to say, by the use of the two springs, as shown, one operating to turn the spring-drum and its sleeve-like device 0, and the other operating to further turn (to about an equal. extent) the sleeve-like device 0, to which said drum is fastened, double the amount of cord can be wound upon the spring-drum by the action of the winding mechanism, and it will be understood, of course, that this multiplication of winding-up springs may be increased by the addition (under 'a suitable arrangement) of additional springs.

In order to get at the interior of the hollow portion of the bob, it is only necessary, of course, to unscrew the thumb-nut d by means of its knurled periphery, and then lift off the hemispherical dome-like portion H, when the internal mechanism of the bob will be fully exposed for adjustment or repair, as occasion may require.

It will be seen that with proper modifications in the details of construction that feature of my invention which consists in the use of a series of springs operating conjointly and successively to eifect the rotation of the drum or spool may be applied with advantage to tape-measurewinding-up mechanisms and to other analogous contrivances, and, furthermore, that with suitable changes this feature or part of my invention may be adapted to and employed with more or less advantage in other and less analogous contrivances Wherever it may be desired to use a multiplication of guide-springs for the purpose of multiplying the number of revolutions of a drum or other device which it may be desired to have actuated by spring motive power.

I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting my claims of invention, so far as this feature thereof may be concerned, to the particular mode of carrying out the same, herein shown and described, nor to the application of a series of coiled springs acting on a single spool or drum to a plumb-bob and other analogous oontrivances; but, V

. Having so fully explained the nature of my invention and the construction and operation of a contrivance showing the same as to enable those skilled in the art to carry out in different forms and for different purposes either one or all ofthe features of my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the inclosing-case of a plumb-bob, awinding-up drum or spool and a series of actuating-springs arranged within and adjacent to said drum and operatingto rotate said drum to an extent commensurate with the aggregate winding capacities of the series of springs, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with the inclosing-case of a plumb-bob or other analogous contrivance, a spring-windingnip drum, a cord-guide, or other suitable means for guiding the core from the periphery of the drum to the axial or central orifice of the case of the bob or other analogous contrivance, and a clamping or brake-like device arranged axially of the bob or other contrivance, and operating, as described, to clamp or hold the cord, substantially as described.

3. In combinatioir with the body portion of a plumb-bob, an axially-arranged device, A, centrally bored out and containing within its bore a spiral spring, F, and a device, 13*, which forms both a cord-guide and a brake, and

suitable means for winding up the cord or line of the bob, substantially in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 19th day of March, 1883.

GEORGE C. AVERY.

In presence ofv GEO, PORTEOUS,

W. G. GATES.

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