IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hamilton, of Great Tower Street, in the
City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING."
Sealed the 14th March 1856, and dated the 2nd January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hamilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
January 1856.
I, GEORGE HAMILTON, of Great Tower Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING" to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of mechanical parts
in constructing weighing apparatus. For this purpose, a wheel or disc is
mounted on an axis at the centre; a scale pan is attached to part of the
circumference, and in some arrangements the position of attaching the scale
pan may be variable. To another part of the disc or wheel a weight is
attached, which constantly gravitates towards a position below the axis of
motion of the wheel or disc. And in order to indicate the quantity of weight
placed in the scale pan, a hollow ring or circular tube is used, containing
a fluid, which, gravitating constantly to the lower portion of the ring or
circular tube, points out on a dial the quantity of weight which has been
placed in the scale. Different weights may be used to the same instrument, or
one weight may be made adjustable to and from the centre of motion of the
dise or wheel, by which the capability of a weighing apparatus may be varied,
or the apparatus may be made for weighing articles within a fixed range.

page_text: Another improvement consists of suspending the disc or wheel or beam (or
other form of instrument used for having the scale or scale pan suspended to)
on two centres or points, in such manner, that the friction may be small and
that the range of rotation may be greater than when knife-edge bearings are
used. In order to adjust the base or lower part of the apparatus a fluid level
is used, and in order that the pointer or indicating mark may at all times
stand at zero when nothing is in the scale, the weight is placed on one side
of the vertical line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hamilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAMILTON, of Great Tower Street, in the City of Loudon, Gentleman, send
grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Hamilton, Her special licence that I, the said
George Hamilton, my exccutors; administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Hamilton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times. thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make,, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING," upon the. condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Hamilton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Hamilton, do bereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: up to the points e', e', between which points the disc is graduated from zero at
the level of the fluid on the side to which the scale pan is attached to the
highest point of the scale; f is a button at the back of the disc from which
the scale pan g is suspended, and a counterpoise is placed on the other side
of the centre to keep the fluid at the zero point of the scale; h is a button at
the bottom of the disc, to which a weight, arranged to accord with the gradua-
tions of the scale, is to be attached.
Figure 4 is a front view, and Figure 5 a side view, of another form of
weighing apparatus arranged according to my Invention. i is a lever and
pointer, mounted on centres, in the same way as the disc in Figure 1; or in
place thereof, the ends of the axis may be pointed, and suitable conical holes
may be made in the ends of the screws to receive the said pointed ends of the
axis; is a standard, mounted on a base, to which screw adjusting legs 1, 1,
are attached, and on the base a fluid level m is fixed to set the apparatus; n is
a button attached to the back of the lever i, from which the scale pan is sus-
pended, and a counterpoise is attached to the lever on the other side of the
centre, to keep the pointer vertical, and compensate for the weight of the scale
pan; o is a graduated arc, carried by the standard k; the graduations on the
arc are from the zero point in the centre to the extremities both ways; p is a
button, from which a weight, in accordance with the graduations of the arc, is
suspended. The instrument is so arranged that the scale pan and its counter-
poise may be removed from one side of the centre to the other, and the scale
is graduated in a different manner on the two sides of the graduated arc.
the same time also, the weight on the button p is changed to accord with the
difference in the graduations; but the instrument may be arranged so that the
scale pan is always attached on the same side of the centre, and in instruments
so constructed the double arc of graduation will not be necessary.
At
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hamilton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal; this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
GEORGE HAMILTON. (L.s.)