Improvements in Weighing Apparatus, specially applicable to Weigh-bridges.
Year: 1894

page_text: · Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weighing Apparatus, specially applicable to
Weigh-bridges.
I, JAMES GREENHOUGH, of 11 Fontenoy Street, Liverpool in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to weighing apparatus and is specially applicable to weigh-
bridges, and the objects of the invention are, to simplify the construction of such
apparatus, and to so arrange the levers etc., that they may be laterally placed
relatively to the platform, whereby the repair of the apparatus is greatly
facilitated inasmuch as easy access may be had to the working parts without
necessarily removing the platform; this is of special importance in the case of
weigh-bridges located at the entrance to works, or on a line of rail entering works,
where the removal of the platform or the rails, as the case may be, disorganises
the traffic.
Weigh-bridges have been constructed prior to my invention with the working
parts accessible without removing the platform, but such apparatus has been found
costly and complicated..
I will describe my invention with reference to a weigh-bridge adapted to weigh
railway trucks or trolleys running on a line of rails, a part of which runs over
the weigh-bridge, although my invention is equally applicable to other forms of
weighing apparatus.
The frame work consists preferably of four girders bolted together in the form
of a rectangle supported in the usual way on a masonry foundation; the two
girders parallel to the line of rails I will term the side girders and the other two
the end girders.
I provide four main levers which are fulcrummed on knife edges carried by and
parallel to the end girders; the main levers lie at the four corners of the frame
work and are close to, and parallel with, the side girders and extend from the end
girders nearly to the centre of the frame work..
The platform, or the line of rails, as the case may be, is carried between the
four main levers and is suspended by four links slung from knife edges on the
main levers near their fulcra; there is one link for each main lever and the links
are usually attached to the transverse beams which carry the platform or the line
of rails.
At the centre of the frame work close to and carried from the side girders, or
from independent brackets, I provide two bell-crank levers; the knife edges
forming the fulcra of these bell-crank levers are parallel to the side girders and
they therefore move in a plane perpendicular to that in which the main levers
The two arms of the bell-cranks are respectively horizontal and vertical
and the horizontal arms point in the same direction.
move.
The two adjacent ends of each opposite pair of main levers are connected by
suitable knife edges and links to the horizontal arms of the bell-crank levers
one pair to each lever-arm, and it will be seen, from the construction described,
that the load on the platform or rails, transmitted through the links and the main
levers, tends to turn each of the bell-cranks in the same direction.
The horizontal arm of one of the bell cranks is prolonged and is connected to

page_text: the steel-yard in the usual way and its vertical arm is connected to the vertical arm
of the other bell-crank, so that the turning effect of the latter is transmitted
by a tension rod to the former and the aggregate effect so transmitted to the
steel-yard; the latter and mode of indicating the weight may be of the ordinary
construction.
It will be noted that in the arrangement described all the important working
parts are disposed at sides of the platform and may be readily repaired or
adjusted without removing the latter, and further, that the main levers are of
simple configuration and that ordinary rolled beams may be used for supporting
the platform or line of rails, thus greatly reducing the weight and simplifying the
adjustment.
Dated this 16th day of August 1894.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Weighing Apparatus, specially applicable to
Weigh-bridges.
1, JAMES GREENHOUGH, of 11 Fontenoy Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to weighing apparatus and is specially applicable to
weigh-bridges, and the objects of the invention are, to simplify the construction
of such apparatus, and to so arrange the levers, etc., that they may be laterally
placed relatively to the platform, whereby the repair of the apparatus is greatly
facilitated inasmuch as easy access may be had to the working parts without
necessarily removing the platform; this is of special importance in the case of
weigh-bridges located at the entrance to works, or on a line of rail entering
works, where the removal of the platform or the rails, as the case may be,
disorganises the traffic.
Weigh-bridges have been constructed prior to my invention with the working
parts accessible without removing the platform, but such apparatus has been found
costly and complicated.
I will describe my invention with reference to a weigh-bridge adapted to weigh
railway trucks or trolleys running on a line of rails, a part of which runs over
the weigh-bridge, although my invention is equally applicable to other forms of
weighing apparatus.
:
I have illustrated my invention by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. I
is an elevation, the framework and some portions of the mechanism being in
section on the line A. A. of Fig. II to more clearly indicate the mode of articula-
tion of the levers; Fig. 11 a plan with the platform and side cover plates
removed; Fig. III an end elevation in section on the line B. B. of Fig. I; and
Fig. IV an end elevation in section on the line C. C. of Fig. II with the brackets
through which the plane of section passes shown in outside view.
Throughout the drawings, similar parts are indicated by the same reference
figures, and in the case of sections, the direction in which they are viewed is
indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of
section.
The frame work consists preferably of four girders bolted together in the form
of a rectangle supported in the usual way on a masonry foundation; the two

page_text: girders 1 parallel to the line of rails I will term the side girders and the others
the end girders 2.
I provide four main levers 3 which are fulcrummed on knife edges 6 carried by
and parallel to the end girders 2; the main levers lie at the four corners of the
frame work and are close to, and parallel with, the side girders and extend from
the end girders nearly to the centre of the frame work.
The platform 4 and, in the case illustrated, the line of rails 5 are carried by four
links 7 slung from knife edges 8 on the main levers 3 near their fulcra; there is
one link 7 for each main lever 8 and the links are usually attached by the shoulder
straps 11 to the transverse beams 9 which carry the platform and the line of rails
by means of longitudinal beams 10.
At the centre of the frame work close to and carried from the side girders 1, or
from independent brackets 12, I provide two bell-crank levers 13; the knife edges 14
forming the fulcra of these bell-crank levers are parallel to the side girders and
they therefore move in a plane perpendicular to that in which the main levers
move. The two arms of the bell-cranks 13¹ and 13" are respectively horizontal
and vertical and the horizontal arms 13' point in the same direction.
The two adjacent ends of each opposite pair of main levers 3 are connected by
suitable knife edges and links 15 to the horizontal arms 131 of the bell-crank
levers one pair to each lever arm, and it will be seen, from the construction
described, that the load on the platform or rails, transmitted through the links and
the main levers, tends to turn each of the bell cranks in the same direction.
The horizontal arm 131 of one of the bell-cranks is prolonged and is connected
to the steel-yard 16 in the usual way, and its vertical arm 1311 is connected by a.
rod 17 and suitable knife-edges 18 to the vertical arm of the other bell-crank, so
that the turning effect of the latter is transmitted by the tension rod 17 to the
former and the aggregate effect so transmitted to the steel-yard; the latter and
mode of indicating the weight may be of the ordinary construction.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-The weight on the platform or
rails is transmitted by the beams and links to the main levers and from the free
ends of the latter to the horizontal arms of the bell cranks, and as these
two are coupled together their aggregate effect is transmitted by the prolonged
horizontal arm of one of them to the steel-yard. The reduction factor may, of
course, be varied to suit special requirements by altering the mechanical advantage
of the levers.
It will be noticed that the platform is suspended-a condition absolutely
necessary for accurate weighing, and that in the arrangement described all the
important working parts are disposed at sides of the platform and may be readily
repaired or adjusted without removing the latter.
The facility for repair may be further increased by sub-dividing the side cover
plate 19. Constructional advantages also result from the fact that the main
levers are of simple configuration and that ordinary rolled beams may be used for
supporting the platform or line of rails, which greatly reduces the weight and
simplifies the adjustment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in weighing apparatus of the kind herein described, which
consists in suspending the platforın from four straight main levers arranged
laterally relatively thereto, and connecting the adjacent free ends of each pair of
the main levers to the horizontal arms of two bell crank levers, the two vertical
arms of the bell cranks being so connected together and one of the levers so
connected to the steel-yard that their aggregate turning effect is transmitted to
the steel-yard; substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In combination; the laterally arranged straight main levers, the platform
suspended therefrom, the coupled bell cranks, the steel-yard and the links and

page_text: knife edges articulating the several parts together; substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. The improved weigh-bridge, substantially as described and illustrated in the
drawings.
Dated this 16th day of May 1895.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.