The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-29
STANDARD WEIGHTS
By FRED HAMILTON

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 24.-Ir
you get shot weight on meat or straw
berries at the corner grocery, it is not
because Uncle Sam is unable TO pro-
duce accurate weights and scales. At
the United States Bureau of Standards
governments scientists can weigh
name written on a sheet OF paper.
They can even add period after the
signature and weigh that. And the
same precision may be applied to
weighing On a larger scale. If It
were necessary the apparatus could be
provided to weigh a 25,000-ton battle
ship so accurately that the absence OF
even a on£ rivet could be de-
tected.
Back in 1890 the two national stand
ards. two little kilogram weights each
containing s$3, 900 worth of platinum
and iridium were brought to this
country under seal and opened by
President Harrison. They had been
made by order of the international
Weights apd Measures conference at
Paris. Each country represented re-
ceived two kilogram weights, and the
two original weights from which they
we're made were deposited at Paris IN
vault guarded by three separate
locks. The presence of all three OF
the officials who keep the three keys
to the vault is required whenever
these two most valuable weight stand
ards in the world are consulted.
! Since the Bureau of Standards was
established our two national standards
| have remained there, locked in vault.
! No one touches them with his fingers.
! One has been used few times in the
past 80 years, but it is always handled
with channels covered pliers.
The other had never been taken
from the vault until a test was made
| the other day because the scientists
! wanted to find out whether the stand
, ard that had been used was affected
| by handling. They also wished TO
! cmpare the secondary standards which
/ are more generally used about the lab
| oratories with the national standards.
The test showed that the national
| standards have not changed appreci-
! ably during their 80 years existence
| Other weights also showed changes so
slight as tn be unimportant The larg-
! est change in a kilogram weight noted
| by the delicate apparatus of the gov
! eminent laboratory was one-uilllonth
! This weight had been use for more
than 80 years.
This was serious work because the
weight standards of the country are OF
| tremendous importance. They are the
best weights made, and they are the
basis of the weighing that goes on in
markets, stockyapds, shipbuilding
plants and factories. They are rarely
used becadse the government does not
wish to 6udanger their accuracy by
! handling them. They are only to be
taken out, at long intervals, as they
were the other day, to make sure that
the country is operating on a sound
| weight basis.
Precaution Observed
The Ayman generally thinks he il
weighing carefully when he holds hi:
breath and steadies his hands as he
slides the weights on the bar. THAI
may be careful enough work for ordin
airy purposes. But the Bureau o.
Standards sets the record for extreme
caution N weighing tests. Watch
makers, diamond merchants, pharma
cists and research workers who use
fine and acurate balances send theil
weights To the Bureau to have then
/ proved BY Government standards.
The balances in the Government la
boratory are in glass cases. Tht
weights ere placed on the scale pan:
with holders. Some balances are 81
equipped that little round piece o
the glass case works on lever anc
pushes the scale pan outside the case
The scientist can then place thu
weights on the scale pan without open
ing one whole side of the case anC
letting in'dust
For careful work the weighing ex
pert sometimes stands eight or tel
| feet away from the glass enclosed bal