The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Dlreca@r,
washington, ID. @.
STANDARD WEIGHTS.


get short 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
government scientists can weigh a
name written on a sheet of paper.
They can even add a period after the
signature and weigh that And the
same precision may be applied to
| weighing on a larger scale. If 1t
were necessary the apparatus could be
provided to weigh a 25,0O0-ton battle
ship so accurately that the absence
| of even a one-pound rivet could be de-
/ tected. Back in 1890 the two national
standards, two little kllogram welgnts
Teach containing $4,000 worth OF platl-
mum and iridium were brought to this
| country under seal and opened oy
President Harrison. They hSd been
made by order of the 1nternatloha a.
| Weights and Measures conference at
| Paris. Each country represented re-
| ceived two kilogram weights, and the
| two original weights from which they
| were made were deposited at Paris IN
| a 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 standards IN the
/ world are consulted.
| Since the Bureau of Standards was
/ established our two national standards
have remained there, locked in vault
I No one touches them with his fingers
! One has been used few times in the
| past 80 years, but it is always handled
with chamois 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 standard that
had been used was affected by hand
ling. They also wished to compare
the secondary standards which are
4 more generally used about the laDora-
| tories with the national standards.
The test showed that the national
standards have not changed appre-
ciabIy during their thirty years eXis-
/ tence. Other weights also showed
changes so slight as to be unimpor-
tant- The largest change in a kilo-
gram weight noted by the delicate ap-
paratuS of the government laboratory
was one en-millionth. This weight
/ had been used for more than thirty
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. stockyards. shipbuilding
plants and factories. They are rarely
used because the government does not
wish to endanger 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 sound
weight basis.
Precaution Observed.
The layman generally thinks that he
is weighing carefully when he holds
his breath and steadies his hands as
he slides the weights on the bar. That
may be careful enough work for ordi-
nary purposes. But the bureau of
standards sets the record for extreme |
% in frrhf rapr HI
makers. diamond merchants. pharma-
cists and research workers who use
fine and accurate balances send their
weights to the bureau to have them
proved by government standards.
The balances in the government lab |
oratOry are in glass cases. TIL. weights
are placed on the scale pans with
holders. Some balances are so
equipped that a little round piece of
the glass case works on a lever and
pushes the scale pan outside the case. !
The scientist can then place the |
weights on the scale pan without |
opening one whole side of the case |
and letting in dust.
For careful work the Weighing ex-
pert sometimes stands eight or ten !
feet away from the glass enclosed bal |
may not affect the reading. He /
reads the figures by use Of telescope |
and mirror.
In the basement of the building is |
the even temperature room where SIlIl |
greater precautions are taken to /
achieve exactness. The room is built !
with an extra double wall of hollow /
tile, SO that when it is kept closed the |
temperature remains constant to
within one-tenth of a degree in many !
hours. The most important balance /
in the building is here. 1t is protected |
from vibration by having its mount on /
a separate foundation from the floor. |
For special research problems a (
vacuum can be created in it's metal /
case.
Improved Standards in States.
The official gold plated weights of |
all of the states are referred to the 4
government standards when necessary. |
New sets of standards for Wyoming /
and Massachusetts are being tested in 1
the bureau laboratories at present. /
They will then be sent to each state |
capitol, and entrusted to the sealer of |
weights and measures or the cores /
ponding state official.
A few years ago, when the govern
ment began to promote more accurate /
weighing in markets and stores. in |
the effort to eliminate fraudulent /
weights and measures, most of the /
states hardly knew that they had Of
fetal standard weights.
In one state the set of official \
weights was located in a junk shop. /
In another 1t is said that they were /
melted into bullets during the Civil /
war. In several other states they
were forgotten. Nov every state |
realizes the Importance of accurate |
weighing based on reliable standards, !
altho some states have gone farther I
than others in making and enforcing
laws.
Nothing like the minute exactness /
of the bureau of standards work is |
expected in every day weighing. The |
bureau experts can weigh to one-mil- 4
lionth of milligram, a distinction SO .
fine that we cannot grasp any idea of /
it. But the bureau scientists also be-
lieve that common sense should be ap-
nllad 1-sichlrls- nrohlar,as ..Ly,ar, e. 1