[Fig. 18] is an enlarged detail of the ball-discharging means shown in the lower portion of [Fig. 16];
[Fig. 19] is an enlarged detail of the loading device shown in the opposite part of the lower portion of [Fig. 16]; and
[Fig. 20] is a plan view on lines 20—20 of [Fig. 13].
Referring to the construction illustrated in [Fig. 1] to 11, inclusive, B represents the outer frame of the apparatus.
Mounted within the outer frame B is an inner frame comprising the uprights C, C¹, which are rigidly secured by cross-bars D¹, D².
The outer frame B, as well as the inner frame uprights C, C¹ are preferably formed of wood or other material capable of a low degree of expansion.
Within the upper and lower ends of the inner frame are anti-friction knife-bars E, E¹, the upper one of which, E, has each end within a vertically disposed slot E² in the uprights C, C¹, within which said knife-bar may be moved vertically, as hereinafter described.
Each end of the lower knife-bar E¹ lies immovable within a recess in a plate E³ mounted on each of the uprights C, C¹.
These knife-bars, which are preferably formed of hardened steel, have oppositely disposed relatively sharp edges E5, which act as bearings for a series of horizontally disposed anti-friction levers, F, F¹, which I will term balance-levers, since they are intended to balance evenly and freely on the thin edges of the knife-bars with little friction somewhat in the nature of a scale-balance. These levers are pivotally connected to a series of metallic expansion strips G, G¹, G², G³, etc., the construction and arrangement and manner of connecting up the same being more clearly shown in [Fig. 3].
It will be observed that the arrangement of the levers F and expansion strips G, G¹, etc., is such as to form, in effect, a spiral, the short strip G being connected to one end of one of the balance-levers F, and the strip G being connected at its lower end to the opposite end of said lever, the upper end of said strip G¹ being connected to one end of the first one of the levers F¹. To the opposite end of said lever F¹ the upper end of strip G² is connected, the lower end of said strip being connected to the left-hand end of the second one of the levers F, and so on to the final short strip Gx. The levers F, F¹ must be formed of a metal capable of withstanding great strain without bending, and for this purpose I prefer to use the metal known as macadamite.