The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-06-07
Prom tho Morning Courier a New Ynrk Enquire
WEIGH LOCK SCALES.

We have perusod with much interest Iio-
port Of the COMMITTEES on Science and the
Arts, constituted by the FrAsklin Institute Of
the State Of RennDlYaniA. upon a. Neigh
Lock Scale erected by Mersrs, Y, * Il. Fair
banks Il Co... 81 Johnsbury, w, GA the Tide
Water Canal about twelve miles south Of
Columbia, The Committee give long aud
minute description Of the apparatus,and con
-rludr ~ fUiiuWE;
"The advantages obtained by the arrange
ment thus described, are,
Firsf The accommodation 81 the bearing
parts 10 the relative strains brought upon
them, by means of the Comps I>eyers,so
that There Is no liability to irregular strain
upon the buat.
Second, Increased rapidity and facility in
weighing, by the substitution Of the Weigh
Ing Beam aud Patent Poisc IN place Of the
fixed scale AGa heavy weights, which have
constantly 10 be added and removed, with
great labor on the part Of the weighcr.
LAlsart. Fsiss Accuracy -deisFminaa
ton thus rapidly obtained.
Tho CouneliteS saw that whom boat
weighing 50 tons was in the Cradle, the
weight ola bucket Of water placed on II was
plainly and'At once Indicated; and that the
weight Of a person standing on the boat could
DO ascortainod with accuracy. They also
satisfied themselves, by actual experiment,
that when boat was twice weighed, in dill
errnt positions on the Cradle the two weights
agreed precisely
Fourth, Durability in the apparatus. and
great facility in removing any OF the bearings
which may have become injured.
Nv conclusion, thu Committee we're salts
fed, by their Owl observation aud the tcsti-
monN Of those who lad the apparatus IN daily
and continual use, Of the greatly increased
clicioEcy Of the Weigh Lock Scales OF the
Mcssrs. Fairbanks x Co, and they believe
the greater part Of the arrangement TO bc
new,
They therefore report II To be- worthy OF
appreciation, and recommend its general adop.
ton. By order OF the Committee.
WILLIAM HAMILTON. icfuary"
The very high reputation ofthc gentlemen
composing tho Committee, and the well
known character or the Franklin Institute
for correct AcientiG'i- investigation aud con-
clu'ion, entities this report to very great re-
'pcct II any thing further were required
to satisfy US ofthc very great perfection Of
the Weigh Lock Scales Of the Messrs. Fair.
hanks, il is found in the fact that the Canal
Commissioners Of the State Of New York gave
a'sccond contract 10 these gentlemen for a
Weigh Lock Scale at West Troy, the present
season, after having used during the season
Of 1850, one built by them in the enlarged
lock at Albany.
These Mammoth Scales are for the Canal
enlargement and their required capacity is
100 tons.
We learn that in addition TO the Weigh
Lock Scale at West Troy, the Mcssrs. Fair
banks have contracted for building four 9th
ers The present scason--one IN Pennsylvania,
and three in Ohio.
While upon the subject Of scales, we may
notice another modification built by these
manufacturers for the New Orleans Branch
Aiiat--a dormant platform Scale set in the
floor for weighing bullion, by running car
upon it. .rl......
Its capacity is $4,000 troy ounces, and the
terms of the coriraht were that il should not
vary from the standard weight in greater
ratio than one ounce in 10000.
The certificate of the coiner recites among
the tests the following:-
Having placed upon the platform one
thousand ounces, (Troy,) standard weights,
and nineteen thousand ounces (Tr6y,) the
weight ascertained. by the Trcasurer's bal
ancc, found deviation from the aggregate
weight 100000 ounces, )of twenty hundredths
of an ounce.
l made the experiment Of placing upon
the platform one thousand ounces, standard
weights, and found the Scales 10 indicate
that weight as nearly as it was possible for
me to iadser-
then placed one hundred ounces. stan
dard weights, upon the balance, in addition
to the one thousand ounces, and found the
Scale TO indicate accurately,--and SO on M
to two thousand ounces, by augmenting the
weights one hundred ounces each time.
therefore consider that the contract, on
your part, has been complied with.
Very respectfully,
A. nEVAL, Conner L. S. u. Mint
MEssRs. +. a L. FAIRBANKS, & Co"
We regard the Messrs. Fairbanks as hav-
ing reached the ne plus ultra in the matter
of Scales.
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