Improvements in Balances or Weighing Apparatus for Weighing Coal and other Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 27th Feb.. 1892
Improvements in Balances or Weighing Apparatus for Weighing
Coal and other Materials.
I, JOHN GOFFE CLARKE, of Brackley, in the County of Northampton.
Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in balances or weighing apparatus
for weighing e al and other materials."
The Weights and Measures Act 1889 gives power to Local Authorities to make
Bye-Laws regunting the sale of coal in quantities not exceeding 2 cwt. and
requiring a weighing instrument of a form approved by the Local Authority to
be carried with any vehicle in which coal is carried for sale or delivery to a
purchaser.
The only machines in use by which coal can be weighed by means of standard
weights are those known as dead weight machines, steelyards, spring balances and
compound lever machines with loose counterpoises. Although convenient for
carrying about are not suitable for this purpose.
The objection to dead weight machines is their non-portability, the weight of
the machine and sufficient weights to weigh 2 cwt. exceeds 3 cwt.
Weighing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention has a beam
like an ordinary scale beam but instead of both arms being of the same length one
of these is several times longer than the other.
By preference I make the long arm eight times as long as the short one so that
a counterpoise weighing :-
Lightness of the apparatus-great accuracy and durability and low price.
ADVANTAGE OVER STEELYARDS.
The counterpoise suspended to a knife edged centre cannot be made to vary as is
the case with weights movable along an arm.
The counterpoise being a standard weight can be examined and stamped in the
same manner as an ordinary weight.
The apparatus when in use is suspended from an eye provided for the purpo-e
upon the cart or waggon.
The apparatus will adjust its level if the van or cart should happen to stand un
uneven ground.

page_text: Many other kinds of weighing machines must be set level to weigh accurately.
Dated this 17th day of April 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
ADVANTAGE OVER STEELYARDS.
The counterpoise suspended to a knife edged centre cannot be made to vary as
is the case with weights movable along an arm. The counterpoise being a
standard weight can be examined and stamped in the same manner as an ordinary
weight.
43

page_text: The apparatus when in use is suspended from a hook or an eye provided for the
purpose upon the cart or waggon. The apparatus will adjust its level if the van
or cart should happen to stand on uneven ground. Many other kinds of weighing
machines must be set level to weigh accurately.
The annexed drawing Figure 1 shows a balance or weighing apparatus in
accordance with my invention as mounted for use.
Figure 2 is a front elevation to a larger scale.
a is the bean and a² a² a³ are three knife edges fixed into it and accurately
adjusted with the precautions well known to balance makers. The knife edges a
rest in a pair of steel rings or other steel bushes or bearings 6 inserted into the
sides of the frame of which a side view is shewn at Figure 3. The knife edges a¹
support a pair of steel rings or other steel bushes or bearings inserted into the
sides of the frame of which a side view is shewn at Figure 4.
r
The knife edges a support a pair of steel rings or other steel bushes or
bearings inserted into the sides of the frame d of which a side view is shewn
at Figure 5. The pan or other load carrier is suspended from the frame and
the counterpoise is suspended from the frame d as is seen in Figures 1 and 2.
The distance a' a' is eight times the distance a' a' and the load is the same
multiple of the counterpoise. The counterpoise is a standard weight and capable
of verification. It is not essential that the ratio of counterpoise to load should be
1 to 8 but this I believe to be most convenient for weighing the weights above
mentioned viz. cwt. 1 cwt. and 2 cwt. I sometimes adopt a ratio of 1 to 14
so that
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. A balance with a scale beam having three fixed knife shaped centres as an
ordinary scale beam but with arms the one a multiple of the other such that a
standard weight (say fourteen pounds) suspended at one end of the beam counter-
poises another standard weight (say one hundredweight) a multiple of the first in
the
pan at the other end of the beam and in like manner seven pounds counterpoises
half a hundredweight and so on.
2. Weighing apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
1000
JOHN GOFFE CLARKE.