US750870A - Device for measuring hesghts of individuals - Google Patents

Description

PATEN'IED FEB. 2, 1904.

J. MAI'ILAND. DEVICE FOR MEASURING HEIGHTS 0P INDIVIDUALS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1903.

' H0 MODEL.

UNrrE STATES Patented February 2, 199%.

PATENT @rrica.

DEVICE FOR MEASURiNG HEIGHTS 0F EMDEVEDUALSH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,870, dated February 2, 1904.

I Application filed June 25, 1903. Serial No. 162,993, (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, J 01113 MAITLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county ofEsseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Measuring Heights of Individuals,

of which the following description, in=eonnec-- tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

' This invention has for its object to provide a novel device by which individuals may readily and accurately measure their height.

It comprises a suitable slotted standard having a vertical adjustable coin-controlled measuring-arm extending outwardly through said slot and means to indicate at various positions of said arm the distance which said arm is above the surface on which the individual stands while being measured. The arm is counter-weighted and stands normally at the upper end of the slot or at its maximum distance above the surface on which 'the individual being measured stands, and the measuring is done by drawing thearm downwardly, until it strikes the head of the person whose height is to be obtained.

The measuring-arm is normally locked in its elevated position and can only be released by the insertion of a coin in the coin-slot.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. .2 is a vertical section on the line 1/ y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection on the line a a, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail of theindieating mechanism.

3 designates a suitable standard which is.

hollow and which has at one side the slot 4, through which projects the measuring-arm 5. Said arm is illustrated as being supported by a runner or shoe 6, which runs up and down connection 9, which runs over the directionpulley 10 at the upper end of the casing and thence under a pulley 11, from which issupported a counterweight 12. The end 13 of the fiexibleconnection is secured to any suitable fixed point.

The counterWeight'lQ is sufficiently 7 -avy to maintain the arm 5 at the upper end of the slot and to return said arm to this position after it has been lowered into contact with the head of the person being measured. The arm is normally locked in its elevated position by means of a spring-latch lever 14, sit- .uated on the interior of the casing and shown as pivotall y mounted upon the lugs 15. Said latch-lever is normally held in operative position by some suitable means, as the spring16, but is constructed to be swung into inoperative position, so as to release the arm 5, by the insertion of a coin or other toll.

17 designates a coin-chute, into which the coin is inserted through an opening 18.

' 19 designates a suitable plunger normally held out of the way of the coin being inserted through the opening 18 by means of a spring 20. After the coin has'been dropped through the opening 18, so as to rest withinthe chute 17, the plunger 19 is pushed forwardly by means of its head 21 and the coin forced through the chute. The chute is so-placed that as the coin reaches the inner end thereof it engages the lower end of the latch-lever l4 and is forced by the plunger against the lever, and swings the latter sufiicicntly to release the arm 5. The latch-lever therefore is released by means of the plunger through the interposition of the coin. \Vhcn the latch has thus been released, the person standing onthe platform 8 may d raw the arm 5 downwardly by means of a chain 23 or other pull device until the arm rests against the top of his head. The height at which the arm then stands above the platform 8 indicates the height of the person.

If the coin were free to move horizontally in the chute, it would follow that as soon as the person released the plunger 20 after having pushed'it inwardly the spring 16 would tend to swing the latch into engagement with the lever, and in so doing would crowd the ,coin back into the chute again' This would means for retaining the coin in its forward position, or that which it is in when the lever 14: is moved out of engagement with the arm 5.

The means herein illustratedcomprises a suitable friction-spring device 25, under which the coin passes as it reaches the end of the chute and which bears against the com with sufficient friction to prevent it from backward movement. Y

After the coin has been dropped into the opening 18 therefor the plunger may be pushed forward to swing the latch into its inoperative position, and then said plunger may be released and the spring 25 will prevent the backward movement of the coin, and thus hold the latch in such inoperative position. As the arm 5 is drawn downwardly it engages the swell or cam portion 28 upon the upper end of the laiLClT-IQVBIS 14 and throws said lever still farther back into the dottedline position, Fig. 2. Such movement of the latch-lever withdraws the supportfor the coin and allows it to drop from the chute to the lower portion of the standard 3, where it rolls down the incline 27 into the compartment 29.

. It will thus be seen that I have provided a coin-controlled apparatus in which there is absolute control of the coin.

The indicating mechanism that I preferably employ to register the distance which the arm 5 is above the platform 8 at its various 'posi- I tions comprises a rack 30, secured to the inside of the casing, which meshes with gear 81, car- .ried by a plate 32. This plate 32 is situated on the inside of the casing and is rigidwith a second plate 52, attached to the arm 5 and situated on the outside of the casing. Said plates have an arbor journaled therein, to the rnd of which is attached a pointer 34.

The face of the plate 52 is graduated and a in such a waythat at any adjusted position the arm 5 of the pointer will indicate the distance which said arm stands above the surface 8.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the constructional details of the device without departing in any way from the invention as expressed in the appended claims. 7

Havmg descrlbed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In adevice of the class described, a standard, a vertically-movable measuring-arm supported thereby, .a lock to hold said arm inoperative, acoin-chute, means to positively move said coin in said chute and thus release the lock, and means to retain the coin in the chute and in position to hold the lock released until after the measuring-arm begins its movement.

2. In a device of the class described, a standard, a vertically-movable measuring-arm supported thereby, a lock to hold said arm inoperative, a coin-chute, means to positively move said coin in said chute and thus release the lock, means to retain the coin in the chute and in position to' hold the lock' released until after the measuring-arm has begun its downward movement, and means whereby the downward movement'of the measuring-arm operates to release the coin.

3. In a device of the class described, a hollow slotted standard, a vertically-movable arm projecting outwardly from said slot, a latch normally holding said arm elevated, a coin-chute, a plunger, for forcing the coin in the chute against the latch to throw the latter into inoperative position, and means whereby the coin is released from the chute by the downward movement of the arm.

4. In a device of the class described, a hollow slotted standard, a vertical measuringarm projecting outwardly from said slot, at pivoted latch normally holding said arm elevated, a coin-chute, means for forcing the coin in the chute against the latch thereby to throw the latter out of engagement with the arm, said latch having a swell which is adapted to be engaged by the arm as the latter begins its downward movement, whereby the latchis removed entirely from the path of the coin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub-

Images