The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-17
welonINo COINS.


WEIGHING COINS.
How the Yellow Beasties Are scrutinfssd
IN the Bank OF England.
In another room of this department.
tie weighing oeice-are seer the
machines for detecting light coin.
These machines are marvels of in
genious mechanism. Three or four
hundred sovereigns are laid in long
brass scoop or semi-tube, of such a
diameter as to admit them comfortably,
and self-regulating to such an incline
that the CONS gradually slide down by
their own we ght on to one plate of little
balance placed at its lower extrem ty.
Across the face of this plate two little
bolts make alternate thrusts. one TO
the right. one to the left, but at slightly
different levels. If the coin be OF full
weight, the balance is held in equpoise.
and the right-hand bolt. making its
thrust. pushes it off the plate and
down an adjacent tube into tffe re-
cep.acle for full-weight con. Ii, on
| the other hand, the CON is ever
so little light" the balance naturally
rises with it. The right-hand bolt
makes its thrust as before. but this
tine passes harmlessly beneath the
coin. Then comes the thrust of the
left-hand bolt. which. as we have sa d g.,
is fixed at fractionally higher level.
and pushes the coin down tube on
the opposite side. through which it
falls into the light-coIn receptacle.
The coins thus condemned are after
ward dropped into another machine.
which defaces them by cut half way
across their d ameter. at the rate of
200 g minute. The weighing machines,
| of which there are sixteen, are actuated
by a small atmospheric engine in one
corner of the room, the only manual
assistance required being to keep them
supplied ". tn coins. 1t is said that co.
900 severe gns and half-sovere gns can
be weighed here in a single day. The
weighing-machine in question IS the in
vention of Mr.. Cotton, a former Cover
nor of the Bank, and among sc entfic
men is regarded as one of the most
striking achievements of practical me-
| chanics.
In the bullion department we find
another weighing machine of differ
ent character, but in its way equally
remarkable. 1t is the first of its kind,
having been designed specially for
the bank by Mr. James Murdoch Ma
pier. by whom it has been patented.
1t is used for the purpose of weigh
! i1~ bull on. which is purchased in
III 5 Department. Gold Is brought in
in bars CT about eight inches long.
three w de, and one inch tn ok. A bar
of gold of these dimen lions will weigh
about 200 ounces. and is worth. if
pure. about fsO0. Each lar when
brought in is accompanied by memo
randum of its wei ht. The question
of quality is determined by the pro-
cess of assaying; the weight is cheSkei
By means of the weighing machine we
have referred to- This takes the form
of an extremely MASSIVE pa of scales.
working on beam of immense strength
and solIdlty, and is based. so as to be
absolutely rigid. on solid bed of con-
crete. The whole stands about six feet
high by three wide, and is inclOsed in
an air-tight plate glass case. sash
in which is raised when it is desired to
use the machine. The two sides of the
scale are each kept permanently load
ed. the one with a single weight of $50
ounces. the other with a number of
we ghts of various sizes TO the same
amount. When it is desired to test the
weight OF bar of gald, weights to the
| amount stated in the corresponding
memorandum, less half an ounce. are
removed from the latter scale. and the
bar of gold substituted in their place.
| Up to this point the beam of the scale
is kept perfe thy hor yontal. being
/ maintained in that position BY me-
chanical braSe; nut now a stud is
pressed. and by means OF delicate ma
.hiners. actuated bv water-powcr. the
beam is released. If the wei ght of the
| bar has been correctly stated in the
memorandum. the scale which holds it
,houli be exactly half an ounce in ex-
cess. This or any less excess of wei ght
over the $50 ounces in the opposite
Gale is instantly registered by the
mach ne, pointer travelling round
a dial until it indicates the
proper amount. The func-
! ton of the machine. however. is limited
20 we Ching half an ounce only. II the
discrepancy between the two scales as
| loaded is greater than this. or if. on the
other hand. the bar of gold is more
! than half an ounce less than the amount
stated in the memorandum. al electric
bell rings by way of warning. the point
! er travels r CHIT round the dial. and re-
| turns to zero. So delicate is the adj
| iustmcnt that the We ght of half PEN
t nv postage stamp-somewhat less than
half grain-w II set the hand N mo-
| ton and be recorded on the d nj.
The stock of gold in the bullion vault
var eS from one to three million pounds
sterling. The bars are laid side by side
on small flat trucks or b,rrowS carry
ing 100 bars each. In a glass Is.je IN
this vault is seen portion of the war
indemn ty paid by King Coffee of
Ashantee. consisting of gold ornaments,
little short of standard tincness.-