Improvements in Counter and other Weighing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Counter and other Weighing Machines.
I JAMES ANDREW KEAR, of No. 5 Beaumont Street, Stapleton Road, Bristol,
Scale Maker and General Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to improvements in counter and other weighing machines,
by the adoption of which, their construction will be considerably simplified and
cheapened, and their operation rendered more reliable and sensitive.
These improvements consist in (1) making all the wearing parts of cast instead
of forged metal, preferably malleable iron and steel bearings are dovetailed into
these cast parts where necessary, to engage with the knife edges of the pins, and
instead of the stop which is usually fastened by screws to the bearing to keep it in
position on or under the pin, a taper slide is inserted in a groove in front of the pin,
forming a friction piece, which may be readily removed when required; (2) placing
the stops and the bearings of the machine all on the same level, whereby any
inequalities in friction and leverage are avoided; (3) making the legs, which connect
the scale plates to the strap or hook under the frame, adjustable by set-screws, so
that the strap may be accurately and readily fixed at the proper distance from the
top; (4) forming the fork, which controls the centre of the strap, of two tapering
square rods driven into the cross stay piece of the frame, these engage against the
knife edges of the strap and regulate its motion; (5) making the stand or bed of
the machine of an elliptical or nearly elliptical shape, the top and sides cast in one
piece forming an elliptic conoidal casing, enclosing the inner and lower mechanism,
and protecting the same from dust and injury; lugs are left on the top of this
casing, between which the central bearing of the machine is placed ready for fixing
with screws; and (6) fixing a depressed handle on the top of the machine between
the scale plates, attached by clips to the central cross piece, by which the machine
can be easily removed from place to place.
The combination of these various improvements in the construction of weighing
machines will enable them to be made more cheaply and the scale plates so
accurately adjusted that an almost imperceptible addition to either side will turn
the beam.
Dated this 30th day of December 1802
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Counter and other Weighing Machines.
1, JAMES ANDREW KEAR, of No5, Beaumont Street, Stapleton Road, Bristol,
Scale Maker and General Machinist 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in counter and other weighing instruments,
and has for its object to provide and arrange the several appliances hereinafter
described, whereby the wearing and balancing parts may be more readily adjusted,
and the general accuracy of the instruments be rendered more sensitive and reliable;
D37

page_text: also to form receptacles for the balancing metal required in adjusting, which are so
concealed by the setting of the screws or fastenings that it will be difficult for
persons other than weighing instrument makers to tamper with the adjustment.
My invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an instrument complete (except the goods platform),
with part of the stand cut away to show the lower part of the mechanism;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stand, which forms a casing to protect the
lower bearings from dust and dirt, a central support is placed on the stand between
lugs cast thereon for the purpose; an elliptical hollow boss at each end serves as a
stop for the end frames which carry the bearings and also as passages for the legs
which connect the plates and bearings to the strap beneath, a bent handle is fastened
by clips to the central support, to remove the instrument from place to place; this
handle is shown detached in Fig. 2^;
Figs. 3 and 4 are elevation and plan of the beam or body, with the knife edged
pins inserted which engage with the central and end bearings; on one end of Fig. 4
is a plan of the end frame with the plate removed, showing recesses for the reception
of the balancing metal;
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the end frame, the recesses therein being indicated by
broken lines, the ends of the frame which engage on the pins, and the leg which
connects the plate to the strap are also shown;
Fig. 6 is a plan of the cross piece to be attached to the stand with fork to control
the strap or connecting rod, this strap being connected to the leg by plate or lug
attachment as shown.
The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is an elliptical casing or cover forming a stand for supporting the working
parts of the instrument; B B are elliptical hollow bosses formed on the stand, in
which are openings for the legs and appendages to pass through to the strap; C is
a central bearing plate fixed to the top of the stand between the lugs; at the ends
of the central support blocks of steel are inserted, and recesses are cut therein to
form bearings c; D is a plate of metal laid on the top of the central support, which
when held down by the clips d forms a handle for removing the instrument from
place to place; E is the weight plate, and F the cross on which the goods platform
is placed G G are adjusting boxes and frames to support the plate and cross, E
and F; the recesses in the boxes are made to receive the necessary metal, and the
plate and cross are fastened thereto by screws or other fastenings from the bottom
of the boxes, which are driven upwards to engage in the plates; the screws are
placed in such a position that they cannot be removed without taking the
instrument to pieces, so that the probability of the adjustment being fraudulently
tampered with, is reduced to a minimum; H is the beam with knife edged pins I
inserted therein for working in conjunction with the central bearings c and the
bearings J in the ends of the frames or boxes G; these bearings are also made in
blocks of steel inserted in the frame for that purpose; K are dovetailed or other
slides or friction pieces placed in grooves or slots in front of the points of the pins
to keep the adjacent working parts in position; these are made movable for
purposes of hardening and adjustment; L are legs connecting the frames, weight
plates, and bearings with the strap or connecting rod, the legs are adjusted at their
proper length by being constructed to fit tightly when driven into position through
holes or slots formed in the frames to receive them and fixed when adjusted by
means of screws or pegs ; M is the strap, which by an interlinking contrivance,
as shown, regulates and controls the action of the weight and goods plates; N is a
cross-bar and fork extending from oue side of the interior of the stand to the other,
and fastened thereto by screws or other means, steel bars nn are cast on or attached
to the cross-bar, and these form a fork to control the action of the strap.
Weighing instruments made according to the foregoing description may be made
of any suitable material; for purposes of economy I prefer to use malleable iron for
many of the parts, especially for the body (Figs. 3 and 4), in which the working

page_text: parts, such as bearings, bearing-plates, and pins are made of steel and inserted where
necessary; the bosses B being made elliptical, the holes therein are nearly occupied
when the legs L pass through them, so that very little dirt and dust can reach the
mechanism of the fork, strap, and legs within the stand which regulates the
accuracy of the instrument. The plate and cross are attached to the adjusting
boxes by a more secure and almost invisible attachment, rendering it practically
impossible for the instrument to be tampered with for purposes of fraud.
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. In the construction of weighing instruments, the insertion of a plate or friction
piece in a groove or slot in front of the points of the pins to keep the adjacent
parts in position, which can be easily removed for purposes of hardening and
adjustment, substantially as herein described and set forth.
2. Placing a movable handle on the top of weighing instruments and attaching
the same by means of a cap or casing, which at the same time protects and covers
the central bearings, substantially as described and shown.
3. Making the legs of the end frames adjustable by means of holes or slots in the
frames and screws or other fastenings to fix them when adjusted and connecting
them to the strap and fork for the purposes of adjustment, substantially in the
manner shown in the drawings.
4. In the construction of weighing instruments, placing recesses or boxes to hold
the balancing metal in such a position and attaching them to the scale plates by
concealed or covered fastenings as will serve for the prevention of fraudulent
tampering with the adjustment, substantially as described and set forth.
5. In the construction of weighing instruments, a combination of the various
improvements herein described and set forth, for the purposes of greater convenience
of manufacture and more reliability in their operation.
Dated this 30th day of September 1892
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.