New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-20
SCIENCE.

Of
nfOrmaton The automatic weighing machine was intro.
James d. Napier the celebrated engineer of York road
Lambeth however, must be awarded OF the cgodt
Of perfoctng the mechanical arrangement OF the appara-
tus The Bank of England had previously adopted an
automatic system for the detection aud rejection Of light
doubt led to the Introduction of a similar plan
Mint The Bank machines took no cognizance OF toe
he0ry coins their objection only extended To those which
were TOO lgt 1t will be readily understood that the
Mint anhoes allowed coins TO- escape wi When Were
upon the expenditure IT, the contrary they permit
yea igt pieces 20 90 into the hands Of tho public ING
more compexity than required by the Bank auto
matte machines Dhe mechanical problem involved In the
Mint requirements solved by Mr. Napier and his
machine found to perform its delicate and
are seventeen of these silent but nabe pledges Of tho
the Weighing Room OF the MINT. The automatic bal.
aces appear almost to be endowed with the faculty OF
thought They 10 deliberate, IT were, upon ths
character Of each piece OF money shDmtted TO the ar
baOn and to aeqult or condemn according to the ev.
dence adduoed. Each machine IS placed upon low
bench table OF cast iron ana az rs glance tey mgne
be mistaken for many skeleton clocks covered Oy glass
cases TO protect their works from dust and humidity.
and brightly turned wrought iron sattg supported ~
len 9th of the apartment The shafng Is placed mme-
datey over the machines, ana me gut Dahus passing
around pueys descend to corresponding pueys on me
driving spndes The lower series Of puleys are nInedt
aely outside the machine cases, through holes IN which
each machine to tighten the gut band, so as to
give motion TO the coinfeeding slides &e within tho
cases Tiny friction clutches adustabeby the pressure
of the thumb and finger allow OF the engagemefI OF ls
engagement OF each machine at moments notice IN
remote corner of the weghingro is placed the motive
power This consists Of an atmospheric engine, which
closely resembles externally higpressure steam en-
cine II has its cylinder piston sde-valve governor,
and hywheel Beneath the cylinder, and forming the
bcdpIate unon which it rests is vacuum chamber of
considerable area This ia exhausted by airpump.
and the extent of rarofactOn within the chamber Is con-
gauge When tins atmospheric motor of the automatic
machines is required to be placed in action stopeock Is
ar-pump. A stream Of air from the room then
rushes through tho son OF he engine The rosrS
motion follows If steam were the agent employed to
effect it, The advantage of this arrangement Is that
uniform rate OF speed obtained Tor lhe overhead sha
ing, by the intervention OF strap ana pulley and 80 lot
rate weighing would be an lmpossDnty IL mas Deeh re-
marked that those who think twice before speaking
once, speak twice the better for it, and 1t is certainly
exact to remark that the weighing balance which
allowed due time for acting Will yled far more futhH
pes necessary observed in correct automatic weigh
ing regularity Of notion and another
and il is but ii must be allowed fair play aud free-
dom In time to insure that inaliDy As the mlnd OF
Judge in court OF Justice must bis decisions are to be
just be alike unswayed by passion and by prejudice 50
must arbiters Of Mint coins be free from dis.
truthful. Having thus. fully circumstances VIII
permit explained the various appliances for giving mo.
to the patches of coins which have been transferred 70
the judicial department in which they arc placed we
mied and apparently fitted for the business OF active
life are about to undergo tbe maj test on ther nsnoss
tlrst weighed m the quantities named by means Of
large hand-balanee, OF when Is ony necessary :" s1y
weighing in bulk is that u may furnish check upon the
work people who TO feed the automators ana other
wise wait upon them when in action Having noted mi
nutey the actual weight OF the whole importation Oh
coins they forthwith distributed among the sefactng
machines. Each Of the atteris surmounted by spout
placed angle, and supported by strut rms spout
or slide Is the receptacle coins, and In 1t they are
placed in roueaux where they until the machine is
started. Then small plate OF steel below tle Dse OF
the spout advances and recedes at speed OF % times
either way per minute. In its advancing movement IL
presses forward single coin until the latter rests upon
tiny sealepan forming part OF me steer rod WHICH
decatey poised aud adjusted as to move the beam OF
to be moved by IT, as t may De 700 hespy or 700 ss:
rod, which, terminating in loop or cage at the base
oi the mehpe susthhs g'ass cOlteIOlse nJSnt y.
the legal minimum weight OF sovereign; Below tne
cage but not attached to it, is miniature surrup ia
when rests Peee Oh Rabe fo OF be psess
weight Of the legal difference or remedy allowed as
during the three seconds which each piece Of
coin permitted 10 rest upon the scae us rate or Tor
one iota 1t naturally depresses the other end Of the
beam upon which it has been placed, and as conse-
and remedy wire This Is fatal The slide presses Tor
ward another candidate, and this latter pushes the con-
demned coin off its seat, and takes its place. The cut
prit falls through fat brass tube and is conducted Ito
the too heavy" recess below the machine, there 70
await its punshment-a return 10 the cruciDle Inc
lowest office Of the conducting tube made 10 VOrae
three spaces Of stats below ana these lead 70 ths
/ "light," "medium," and heavy" compartments Az
tho instant the two heavy coin were dismissed INTO the
chanca finger, itself governed by the movement OF Tue
beam, the inDermOst or too heavy sOt Inc sue
ceeding coin may illustration be supposed TO err on
the other of the standard In this case tho glass cou
teFpOise desconds the defaueri deteced&nd summary
elected into the condemned cell for " light Weights
When an Intermediate medium coin Is placed on me
pan the beam maintains its equilibrium during tue Nhoo
OF the three mOmentOus seconds, aud the com de-
scends into the accepted chamber In TINS way tnese
antomaton Judges try aud acQuit condemn all coins
submitted TO their Judgment. They pursue the even
tenor OF their way from til night and collectively
arc capable of deciding upon the characters and award
ing the dcstnies of 100000 soyeregus per day Ih ys
TEN OF automatic weighing economical IN he Dgness
decree for although each machine has cost more tlan
$1,000 they have to common expression Wen u1asr
stood DdfI FOR themsel and over AGAIN. FROM
the careful manner in which all the anecedent oporH
tons are performed The Mint not more than nVe per
cent of tie coins weighed the Mint balances are re-
ectcd by them AT the close OF each day the whoie OF
The coins in the weiglnngroom are again weighed ~
,ug,s III Oertllngs balance-thOse which are good
peng sent forward FOR circulation and the rejected SOnB
IN the melting Dot.