Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Weighing Tea and other Substances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1900-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Weighing Tea and other
Substances.
We, GEORGE HALLAM DRIVER, of Hythe Road, Willesden Junction, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Instrument Maker, and JAMES PROCTOR AYD
CLARK, of 54, Bloomsbury Street, in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention of improvements in machines for weighing tea and other
materials (hereinafter included in the term tea) has for object to simplify the
construction and improve the working and efficiency of such machines, and it
has reference inter alia for this purpose to an improved construction of compound
weighing beam adapted to control feeding mechanism in such a way as to
reduce, or gradually reduce, the supply of tea to a scale pan or its equivalent
receptacle (hereinafter called the scale pan) as the quantity thereof approaches
the correct amount to be weighed at each operation of the machine, and finally
to cut off the supply of tea when a predetermined amount thereof has entered the
scale pan, and also to control means for then releasing the scale pan and allowing
the same to revolve or partly revolve or otherwise act to discharge its contents
into a suitable receptacle and bring the same or another scale pan into position
for another weighing operation.
is
A compound weighing beam for this purpose, according to this invention,
comprises two horizontal or approximately horizontal levers one of which (herein-
after called for distinction the first lever) is fulcrummed to the front arm of the
other lever (hereinafter called for distinction the second lever) which
fulcrummed near its forward end in bearings carried by standards fixed to a
suitable base piece, the rear arms of the two levers extending one over the other
or arranged adjacent to one another. The front arm of the first lever has ful-
crumed thereto a support that is caused to move in a practically vertical direc-
tion when the said arm tilts, and carries the scale pan or pans (hereinafter
referred to as scale pans), and means for holding the same in position. The
rear arm of the said lever is connected to the rear arm of the second lever by
an adjustable spring by suitably regulating which the first lever can be caused
to commence to tilt when any desired proportion of the whole amount of tea to
be weighed at each weighing operation has entered the scale pan, and, through
suitable means, control the tea feeding mechanism in such a way as to reduce the
supply thereof to the scale pan in use. The rear arm of the second lever is
provided with a weight to counter-balance the weight of the first lever and parts
connected thereto and with an additional weight the amount of which is depen-
dent upon the quantity of tea to be weighed at each operation, the said rear arm
being adapted to control the tea feeding mechanism in such a way as to finally
cut off the supply of tea to the scale pan when the correct amount has entered
the same and caused the said arm to tilt upward. The two weights above
referred to may be replaced by a single weight equivalent to them. The scale

page_text: pans are so mounted, that when released, they tend to partly rotate about their
carrier, and in conjunction with the means for holding them in place so that
each of them in turn shall be held in a position to receive tea from a hopper
or other receptacle above, there is provided releasing mechanism that is prefer-
ably carried by the base of the machine, so as to be independent of the compound
weighing beam, and is controlled by the rear arm of the second lever in such a
way that upon the rising of this arm it will cause the scale pans to be released
and allow them to partly rotate so as to cause the uppermost one to turn and
discharge its contents and bring the next one in position for use.
A compound weighing beam of the kind referred to can be constructed in
various forms and be adapted to control the tea feeding mechanism and scale
pan releasing mechanism in various ways. Conveniently the feeding mechanism
and releasing mechanism may be operated by electric devices the circuits of
which are controlled by contact-making devices the movable parts of which are
carried by the rear arms of the first and second levers.
According to one construction the first lever is fulcrummed within the bifur-
cated forward end of the second lever by a spindle that is fixed transversely in
the first lever and lateral extensions thereof and is journalled at its ends in two
bushes that are carried by the bifurcated end portions of the second lever and
each of which is slotted at the bottom, the two levers being so formed, as seen
in side view, that the rear arm of the first lever is arranged horizontally or
approximately horizontally above the rear arm of the second lever. Lateral
movement of the first lever in relation to the second lever is prevented by
suitable end plates. The second lever is supported near its bifurcated front end
by a pair of knife edges that may be formed on a spindle fixed transversely
through the lever, the said knife edges being carried by bearings located in
the upper ends of two standards fixed to a suitable base piece, the bearings,
which may be formed of vee-shaped agate or hardened steel blocks, being prefer-
ably arranged within recesses formed in the standards and closed by end plates.
The rear arm of the second lever is so weighted that together with the rear arm
of the first lever it will counterbalance the forward ends of the two levers with
their attached parts. To the end of the rear arm of the second lever is fixed an
ell-shaped bracket and also a rearwardly extending screw carrying one or more
weights that can be moved endways on the screw to facilitate the adjustment of
the weight of material to be weighed. The said rear end of the second lever
is also provided with a removable weight the mass of which is dependent upon
the quantity of material that is to be weighed at each weighing operation of
the machine. One arm of the ell-shaped bracket is arranged to extend in a
forward direction over the said lever arm and carries two vertically adjustable
contact screws that are insulated from the bracket and from each other; the said
ell-shaped bracket also sometimes carries a vertically adjustable stop. To the
underside of the rear arm of the second lever is fixed an insulated plate that
carries a vertically adjustable set screw adapted to normally rest upon a pillar
fixed to the base piece and support the weighted arm of the lever in a horizontal
or approximately horizontal position. The said insulated plate also carries a
vertically adjustable contact screw arranged below an insulated spring contact
carried by a second pillar fixed to but insulated from the base piece.
The rear arm of the first lever is normally held down against the rear arm
of the second lever by a spring one end of which may be connected to the lower
end of a rod fixed to the rear arm of the second lever, the other end of the
spring being connected to a vertically adjustable screw carried by the rear arm
of the first lever. Upward turning movement of this lever arm, relatively to
the rear arm of the second lever, is limited by the adjustable stop carried by the
rear arm of the latter lever, upward turning movement of which is limited
by the lower contact screw carried thereby causing the spring contact above it
to abut against an arm fixed to the second pillar. The rear arm of the first
lever carries two contact springs which, upon the said arm rising, come succes-

page_text: sively into contact with the two insulated upper contact screws carried by the
second lever and successively complete the circuits of electro-magnetic devices
that successively close slides or shutters for cutting off the main and intermediate
supply of material to be weighed to the scale pan in use, the lower contact screw
serving, when brought into connection with the spring contact above it by the
rising of the rear arm of the second lever, to complete the circuit or circuits of
two electro magnetic devices one of which operates the slide or shutter that
finally cuts off the supply of material to the scale pan, and the other operates
the releasing mechanism to permit the scale pan to move and discharge its
contents as hereinafter described. Both of these electro-magnets are held excited
after the lower contact of the second lever has fallen away from the spring on
the contact post (by reason of the tea leaving the pan) until such time as a scale
pan is in position ready to receive the tea for the next succeeding weighing
operation. This may be effected by means of a shunt circuit which is com-
pleted by a contact preferably arranged to be closed by the shutter mechanism
coming into operation to finally cut off the supply of material to the scale
This shunt circuit is broken at another point by means
contact breaker operated by the motion of the scale pans as hereinafter described.
From the forward end of the first lever hangs a carrier for supporting the
scale pans. This carrier according to one construction, comprises a plate sus-
pended by knife edge bearings, or a knife edge bearing, from the forward end
of the first lever, the said plate being prevented from swinging by a radius
rod or link that is jointed to its lower end and to a pin located in the same vertical
plane as the knife edge bearings of the second lever.
pan.
of a
The scale pans, of which there may conveniently be two, are, according to
one construction, each made in the form of a shallow pan carried by a rod that is
fixed to one side of a boss or collar secured to a horizontal spindle extending
through the carrier and a ball or other bearing carried thereby, the arrangement
being such that the two rods are arranged with their axes in parallel planes at
opposite sides of the spindle, one rod normally extending upward and the other
downward, and the upper rod and scale pan having a tendency to fall to one
side when material is placed in such scale pan. The two rods with scale
pans are normally held in a vertical position by a catch or pawl that is pivoted
to the carrier and normally engages one or other of two arms (hereinafter called
for distinction rotary arms) fixed to the spindle, or the boss or collar thereon,
the said catch or pawl being adapted to be moved out of the path of the rotary
arm bearing against it, by a lever arm or tappet that is suitably connected, as
by a longitudinal rod, to the armature of a releasing electro-magnet fixed on
the base piece or other suitable support independent of the two levers and the
circuit of which is completed by the lower contact screw of the rear end of the
second lever which rises when the. necessary weight of tea is present in the scale
pan. The arrangement is such that normally the lever arm or tappet is held
by a spring or equivalent device away from the catch or pawl against which it
acts, when the electro-magnet is excited, in such a way as to release the rotary
arm bearing against it and allow the upper scale pan to turn over and discharge
its contents and bring the second scale pan into position for use, whereupon the
catch or pawl is released, and allowed to automatically move back, aided by a
spring, into its original position to form a stop for the second rotary arm and
hold the second scale pan in position.
In order that the lever arm or tappet shall move into a position to release
the catch or pawl and enable the same to engage the second rotary arm when the
second scale pan assumes its uppermost position, as described, there is inserted
in the circuit of the said electro-magnet, a circuit making and breaking device
which, upon movement of the charged scale pan, is caused to open the circuit of
the releasing electro-magnet and free the armature thereof. In one arrangement
for this purpose the contact making and breaking device comprises two insulated
spring contacts that are normally pressed together by the rear end of a lever the

page_text: front end of which is arranged in the path of a second catch or pawl also pivoted
to the carrier suspended from the front end of the first lever and is arranged to
be moved sideways by each of the rotary arms in turn, so as to thereby momen-
tarily operate the contact lever in a direction to break the said
shunt circuit and immediately afterwards release the said contact lever
and allow the same
to
assume its normal position in which it
closes the circuit-making and breaking device and SO permits the
circuit or circuits of the electro-magnets controlling the final feed and releasing
mechanism to be again closed by the rising of the rear arm of the second lever.
This second catch or pawl may be arranged opposite to the first mentioned catch
or pawl and be adapted to engage each revolving arm in turn and so prevent it
turning backward, the action of the second catch or pawl in one direction being
accelerated by a spring.
The construction and arrangement of the weighing receptacles and the means
for releasing and arresting them can be variously modified. For example
instead of using two or more scale pans there may be used a single scale pan
or a hopper arranged to tilt when a suitable catch is released and so discharge its
contents and then recover its normal position by a counterbalance weight or
spring. Or there may be used a hopper or receptacle having a movable bottom
or side arranged to be opened by means of suitable releasing gear. In each case
the releasing gear is put in action by the same or equivalent means to those
herein before described. The devices used for breaking the shunt circuit and
for releasing the catch or pawl may be variously modified as may be found con-
venient
Any known or suitable means such as pairs of slides or shutters actuated by
electro-magnetic apparatus may be used for controlling the supply of tea from a
hopper to the scale pan or each scale pan.
When only two pairs of slides or shutters are to be used for controlling the
supply of tea, the first lever of the compound beam herein before described is
provided with a single spring contact adapted to abut against a single upper
contact carried by the second lever. When more than three pairs of shutters
are to be used, the number of contacts on the first and second levers is increased.
In some cases instead of loading the first lever wholly by a spring connected
to the second lever it may be primarily loaded by a removable weight. In this
case the spring between the two levers need only be tightened up to the small
extent necessary to finally adjust the load on the second lever. In some cases the
spring may be omitted.
The compound beam instead of operating the feed controlling shutters or
equivalent devices through electric means, as herein before described, may be
adapted to operate them through mechanical means. In one arrangement for
this purpose, suitable for weighing seed & like material, the lower end of the
feed hopper or shoot is made of convex shape and is adapted to be partly closed
by a corresponding curved main shutter formed with a small opening through
which the small final supply of material can pass and which is closed by a second
correspondingly curved non-perforated shutter. Each of the shutters is mounted
to turn about an axis corresponding to the centre of the arc shaped bottom of
the hopper or shoot and is provided with an upwardly extending arm that is
loaded with a weight or spring adapted to turn the shutter into either its open
or close position and hold it in that position when the arm is moved to one or
other side of a vertical line passing through the centre of motion of the shutter.
To each shutter is connected a rod provided with two tappets. Between the
two tappets of the rod connected to the main shutter extends a vertical arm
connected to the first lever of the compound beam near its fulcrum. A similar
arm connected to the second lever of the beam extends between the two tappets
on the rod connected to the second shutter. The arrangement is such that the
rising in succession of the rear arms of the two levers will cause the closing in
succession of the two shutters which will be re-opened when the levers resume

page_text: their normal positions immediately after the discharge of the weighed tea, the
load on each shutter acting to facilitate the closing and opening of the shutter
when the shutter arm has passed its mid positions in either direction.. The
closing of the second shutter is arranged to release, through a rod or other
connecting device, a trigger or pawl that allows the scale pan or pans to tilt or
rotate in order to discharge the weighed material, after which the pan or another
pan is brought into position for use.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Weighing Tea and other
Substances.
We, GEORGE HALLAM DRIVER, of Hythe Road, Willesden Junction, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Instrument Maker, and JAMES PROCTOR KYD
CLARK, formerly of 54, Bloomsbury Street, in the County of London, but now of
Corbiere," Elm Road, Sudbury, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
--
This invention of improvements in machines for weighing tea and other
materials (hereinafter, excepting as to one example of machine, included in the
ferm tea) has for object to simplify the construction and improve the working
and efficiency of such machines, and it has reference inter alia for this purpose
to an improved construction of compound weighing beam adapted to control
feeding mechanism in such a way as to reduce, or gradually reduce, the supply
of tea to a scale pan or its equivalent receptacle (hereinafter called the scale
pan) as the quantity thereof approaches the correct amount to be weighed at
each operation of the machine, and finally to cut off the supply of tea when a
predetermined amount thereof has entered the scale pan, and also to control
means for then releasing the scale pan and allowing the same to revolve or
partly revolve or otherwise act to discharge its contents into a suitable receptacle
and bring the same or another scale pan into position for another weighing
operation.
A compound weighing beam for this purpose, according to this invention,
comprises two horizontal or approximately horizontal levers one of which (here-
inafter called for distinction the first lever) is fulcrummed to the front arm
of the other lever (hereinafter called for distinction the second lever) which is
fulcrummed near its forward end in bearings carried by standards fixed to a suit-
able base piece, the rear arms of the two levers extending one over the other or
arranged adjacent to one another. The front arm of the first lever has ful-
crummed thereto a support that is caused to move in a practically vertical direc-
tion when the said arm tilts, and carries the scale pan or pans (hereinafter
referred to as scale pans), and means for holding the same in position. The rear
arm of the said lever is connected to the rear arm of the second lever by an
adjustable spring by suitably regulating which the first lever can be caused to
commence to tilt when any desired proportion of the whole amount of tea to be
weighed at each weighing operation has entered the scale pan, and, through

page_text: suitable means, control the tea feeding mechanism in such a way as to reduce
the supply thereof to the scale pan that is for the time being in use.
The rear
arm of the second lever is provided with a weight to counter-balance the weight
of the first lever and parts connected thereto and with an additional weight the
amount of which is dependent upon the quantity of tea to be weighed at each
operation, the said rear arm being adapted to control the tea feeding mechanism
in such a way as to finally cut off the supply of tea to the scale pan when the
correct amount has entered the same and caused the said arm to tilt upward.. The
two weights above referred to may be replaced by a single weight equivalent
to them. The scale pans are so mounted that they tend to partly rotate about
their carrier, and in conjunction with the means for holding them in place
so that each of them in turn shall be held in a position to receive tea from
a hopper or other receptacle above, there is provided releasing mechanism that
is preferably carried by the base of the machine, so as to be independent of
the compound weighing beam, and is controlled by the rear arm of the second
lever in such a way that upon the rising of this arm it will cause the scale
pans to be released and allow them to partly rotate so as to cause the uppermost
one to turn and discharge its contents and bring the next one into position
for use.
A compound weighing beam of the kind referred to can be constructed in
various forms and be adapted to control the tea feeding mechanism and scale
pan releasing mechanism in various ways. Conveniently the feeding mechanism
and releasing mechanism may be operated by electric devices the circuits of
which are controlled by contact-making devices the movable parts of which are
carried by the rear arms of the first and second levers.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and show respectively.
in side elevation, plan and front view, one construction of machine according
to this invention, suitable for weighing tea. Fig. 4 shows, in diagrammatic
form, the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, with feed regulating shutters and
operating means, the electrical circuits being indicated by thin dotted lines.
a is the first lever fulcrummed within the bifurcated forward end of the second.
lever by a spindle e that is fixed transversely in the first lever a and the
lateral extensions d thereof and is journalled at its ends in two bushes e that
are carried by the bifurcated end portions f of the second lever b and each of
which preferably has a slot or groove g at the bottom, the two levers a and b
being so formed, as seen in side view (Fig. 1), that the rear arm of the first.
lever a is arranged horizontally, or approximately horizontally, above the rear
arm of the second lever b. Lateral movement of the first lever ab
in relation to the second lever bis prevented by suitable end plates h
which are fixed to the bifurcated end portions f of the second lever b
and cover the ends of the bushes e and so · prevent lateral move-
ment of the spindle c. The second lever b is supported near its bifurcated front.
end by a pair of knife edges that may conveniently be formed on a spindle k
fixed transversely through the said lever, the said knife edges being carried by
bearings located in the upper end of two standards m fixed to a suitable base
piece n. The bearings, which may be formed of agate or hardened steel blocks
having vee-shaped grooves therein, are preferably arranged within recesses p
formed in the standards m and closed by end plates which are fixed to the
standards m and also serve to prevent lateral movement of the spindle k and
lever b relatively to the said standards. The rear arm of the second lever b
is so weighted that together with the rear arm of the first lever a it will at least
counterbalance the forward ends of the two levers with their attached parts. To
the end of the rear arm of the second lever b is fixed by screws s an, ell-shaped
bracket which, with its attached parts, aids in counter-balancing the forward.
ends of the two levers. The vertical arm r of this bracket is usually made of
such mass that it will also serve as the weight for weighing the smallest quantity
of tea which the machine is designed to weigh. To facilitate adjustment of the

page_text: beam to ensure accurate weighing of tea, the bracket is provided with a screw u
carrying one or more endways adjustable weights w. For weighing larger quan-
tities of tea, the rear arm of the lever b is provided with a second and removable
weight the mass of which corresponds to the additional weight of tea to be
weighed at each weighing operation. This second weight may be adapted, as
shown, to hook onto the bracket rt and fit over the screw 11. The arm t
of the bracket r t is arranged to extend in a forward direction over the rear arm
of the lever and carries two vertically adjustable contact screws 1 and 2 that
are insulated, by a block 3 of insulating material, from the bracket and from
each other; the said bracket also carries a vertically adjustable stop consisting
of a set screw 4. To the underside of the rear arm of the second lever b is fixed
an insulated plate 5 that carries a vertically adjustable set screw 6 adapted to
normally rest upon a pillar 7 fixed to the base piece n and support the weighted
arm of the lever in a horizontal or approximately horizontal position. The
plate 5 also carries a vertically adjustable contact screw 8 arranged below an in-
sulated spring contact 9 carried by a second pillar 10 fixed to the base piece n
which is made of insulating material.
The rear arm of the first lever is normally held down against the rear arm
öf the second lever b by a spring 13 one end of which may be connected to the
lower end of a rod 14 fixed to the rear arm of the second lever, the other end of
the spring being connected to a vertically adjustable screw 15 carried by the
rear arm of the first lever a. Upward turning movement of this lever arm,
relatively to the rear arm of the second lever b, is limited by the adjustable
stop 4, and upward turning movement of the rear arm of the second lever b
is limited by the lower contact screw 8 carried thereby causing the spring con-
tact 9 above it to abut against an arm or cock piece 16 fixed to the pillar 10.
The rear arm of the first lever a carries two contact springs 17 and 18 which,
upon the said arm rising, come successively into contact with the two insulated
upper contact screws 1 and 2 and successively complete the circuits of electro-
magnetic devices 20 and 21 (Fig. 4) that successively close shutters 22 and 23
respectively for cutting off the main and intermediate supply of material to
be weighed to the scale pan in use. The lower contact screw 8 serves, when
brought into connection with the spring contact 9 above it, by the rising of
the rear arm of the second lever b, to complete the circuit or circuits of two
electro-magnetic devices 24, 25 (Fig. 4) one of which, viz. 24, operates the
shutters 26 that finally cut off the supply of material to the scale pan, and the
other, 25, operates the releasing mechanism to permit the scale pan to move and
discharge its contents as hereinafter described. The slides or shutters 22, 23
and 26 and the electro-magnetic devices 20, 21 and 24 for operating them, may
be of any known or suitable kind. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the
shutters of each pair are plates pivoted at one end and connected to a pair
of rods 20, 21 or 24ª that are connected to one end of a lever 20b, 21b or 24
the other end of which is connected to the armature 20°, 21°, or 24° of the
corresponding electro-magnetic device 20, 21 or 24, so that the respective pairs
of shutters will be closed electrically by the corresponding electro-magnetic
device, when the same is energised, and opened by gravity when the circuits
of the respective electro-magnetic devices are opened.
The contacts 8, 17 and 18 are connected, it may be, through the compound
beam ab or through insulated wires carried thereby, to one pole of an electric
generator z. The other pole of the generator is connected to the contacts 1, 2
and 9 through a common conductor 27 and parallel conductors 27ª, 27 and 27°
which respectively include the windings of the electro-magnetic devices 20, 21
and 24, so that these devices will be successively excited when the movable con-
tacts 17, 18 and 8 are successively brought into contact with the fixed contacts 1.
2 and 9 respectively. The winding of the electro-magnetic device 25 is connected
at one end to the contact 9 through a conductor 27 and a part of the con-
ductor 27, and at the other end by a conductor 27d to that pole of the electric

page_text: generator z to which the conductor 27 is connected, so that such device 25 will
also be excited when contact 8 is brought against the contact 9.
Each of the electro-magnetic devices 24 and 25 is held excited after the
contact 8 has fallen away from the contact 9 (by reason of the tea leaving the
pan) until such time as a scale pan is again in position ready to receive the tea
for the next succeeding weighing operation.
This may be effected by arranging each of the electro-magnetic devices 24
and 25 to be brought into a shunt circuit independent of the circuits through
the contacts 8 and 9, when the rear end of the lever brises and completes the
circuits of such devices. For this purpose, the conductor 27° may be arranged
to be connected to the same pole of the electric generator z as the contact 8
through a conductor 27° and a circuit maker comprising fixed and movable
contacts 28 and 29 the latter of which is arranged to be forced into connection
with the former by a movable part 30 of the electro-magnetic device 24 when
the latter comes into operation to finally cut off the supply of tea to the scale
pan. As will be seen, when this takes place the circuit of the device 24 will
be completed through parts of the conductors 27 and 27° and the conductor 27°,
whilst the circuit of the device 25 will be completed through the conductors 27
& 27*, part of the conductor 27 and the conductor 27°. While a fresh scale pan
is coming into position for use, both of these circuits are opened at a point 32
(Fig. 4) by a circuit breaker as hereinafter more fully described.
From the forward end of the first lever a hangs a carrier for supporting the
scale pans 33. This carrier in the example shown comprises a plate 34 sus-
pended by knife edges formed on a bar 36 fixed transversely through exten-
sions 37 of the forward end of the first lever a. The said knife edges work
against agate blocks 38 arranged within recesses 39 that are formed in rear-
wardly extending lugs 40 of the carrier plate 34 and are closed by end plates 41
fixed by screws to the lugs and serving to prevent lateral movement of the
carrier relatively to the first lever a. The carrier plate 34 is prevented from
swinging by a radius rod or link 42 that is jointed to the lower end of the plate
and to a pin 43 held in a lug 44 and located in the same vertical plane as the
knife edge bearings k of the second lever b.
The scale pans 33, of which in the example under notice there are two, are,
according to this construction, each made in the form of a shallow pan carried
by a rod 45 that is fixed to one side of a boss or collar 46 secured to a horizontal
spindle 47. This spindle extends through the carrier and through a bearing
preferably arranged within a tube 48 fixed to a boss 49 on the carrier plate 34,
the spindle being prevented from moving outward by a washer 50 secured thereon
by a nut 51 bearing against the inner end of the tube 48. The two rods 45
are arranged with their axes in parallel planes at opposite sides of the spindle 47
(see Fig. 3), one rod normally extending upward and the other downward and the
upper rod and scale pan having a tendency to fall to one side when material
is placed in such scale pan. The two rods 45 with scale pans 33 are normally
held in a vertical position by a catch 52 (hereinafter called a stop) that is
pivoted at 53 to the carrier and normally engages one or other of two arms 54
(hereinafter called for distinction rotary arms) fixed to the spindle 47, or
it may be to the boss or collar 46 thereon. The stop 52 is adapted to be moved
out of the path of the rotary arm 54 bearing against it, by a lever arm or
tappet 55 that is arranged to move in the path of a pin 56 projecting from the
stop 52, and is suitably connected, as by a longitudinal rod 57, to the armature 58
of the releasing electro-maguet 25 which is fixed on the base piece n or other
suitable support independent of the two levers a, b and the circuit of which is
completed by the lower contact screw 8 of the rear end of the second lever b
which rises when the necessary weight of tea is present in the scale pan, as
herein before described with reference to Fig. 4. The arrangement is such that
normally the lever arm or tappet 55 is held by a spring 59 or equivalent device
away from the stop 52 against which it acts through the medium of the pin 56,

page_text: when the electro-magnet 25 is excited, in such a way as, to release the rotary
arm 54 bearing against it and allow the upper scale pan 33 to turn over and dis-
charge its contents and bring the second scale pan into position for use, where-
upon, by means hereinafter described, the stop 52 released and allowed to auto-
matically move back, aided by a spring 60, into its original position to form
an abutment for the second rotary arm 54 and hold the second scale pan in
position. 61 is a pin against which the stop 52 bears when in its operative
position.
In order that the lever arm or tappet 55 shall move into a position to release
the stop 52 and enable the same to engage the second rotary arm 54 when the
second scale pan 33 assumes its uppermost position, as described, there is inserted
in the circuits of the said releasing electro-magnetic device 25, and of the electro-
magnetic device 24, a circuit breaking device which, upon movement of the
charged scale pan, is caused to open the circuits of the said electro-magnetic
device 25 and free the armature 58 thereof, and, at the same time, free the arma-
ture 24 of the electro-magnetic device 24, thereby breaking the connection
between the contacts 28 and 29. In the arrangement shown for this purpose
in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the circuit breaking device comprises two insulated spring
contacts 61 that are normally pressed together by an insulated projection 62 on
the rear end of a lever 63 pivoted at 64 to a bracket 65 fixed to an extension 66
of one of the standards m, the front end of the said lever being arranged in the
path of a second catch 67 (hereinafter called a lever arm) pivoted at 68 to the
carrier 34. The lever arm 67 is arranged to be moved sideways by each of the
rotary arms 54 in turn, so as to thereby momentarily operate the contact lever 63,
against the action of a spring 63, in a direction to relieve the spring contacts 61
of pressure and enable them to spring apart and break the circuits of the electro-
magnetic devices 24 and 25. The said lever arm 67 immediately after the
passage of the rotary arm 54, releases the contact lever 63 and allows the same to
assume its normal position in which it presses the spring contacts 61 together
and so permits the circuits of the electro-magnetic devices 24 and 25 to be again
closed by the rising of the rear aim of the second lever b at the next weighing
operation. The lever arm 67 may, as shown, be arranged opposite to the stop 52
and be adapted to engage each revolving arm 54 in turn and so prevent it
turning backward, the action of the lever arm 67 in an inward direction being
accelerated by a spring 69 and this movement being limited by a pin 70.
a removable cover or casing that is preferably made of celluloid and serves to
protect the rear parts of the compound beam with the circuit controlling devices
carried thereby, as well as the electro-magnetic device 25.
7.1 is
The construction, arrangement and number of the weighing receptacles 33,
and the means for releasing and arresting them can be variously modified.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show respectively in side elevation, plan and front view,
parts being broken away in the two latter views for the sake of clearness, another
form of weighing machine according to this invention, in which a single scale
pan 33 is used.
In this case the front end of the first lever a, which is bifurcated, supports on
knife edge bearings 36, a U-shaped scale pan carrier 34 between the vertical
arms of which a single scale pan 33, made in the form of a cylinder, is normally
supported in an approximately vertical position. The scale pan 33 is fixed at
the bottom to a cross piece 73 which is formed with rearwardly extending lugs 74
provided with pivot screws 75 the points of which work in recesses in the heads of
hardened steel screws 76 fixed to the lower part of the carrier 34, the screws 76
serving not only as bearings for the pivots 75, but also as means for fixing the
lower member of the U-shaped carrier to the vertical arms thereof. 76* is a
counter-balance weight carried by the cross-piece 73, its purpose being to assist
the tilting of the scale pan on its pivots 75 when each weighing operation is
completed and the stop 52 is released, and to swing back the scale pan into its
operative position immediately its contents are discharged. The stop 52, which

page_text: normally holds the scale pan 33 in a vertical position, is pivoted at 53 to an exten-
sion 77 of the carrier 34 and engages an arm 54 fixed to the cross piece 73.
The said stop is adapted to be moved out of the path of the arm 54 bearing
against it, by a pin 55 fixed to a longitudinally movable rod 57ª connected to
the armature 58 of the releasing electro-magnet 25.
In this example, the circuit breaking device comprises two springs 68* and 69*
which are normally held together by the cam like part 30 of a rod 78 bearing
against a projection 69b attached to the contact spring 69ª.
The rod 78 is arranged to slide in a tube 79 fixed to one of the standards m
of the machine. The arrangement is such that when the rear end of the beam
rises, it completes the circuit of the electro-magnetic devices 24 and 25 as before,
so that the shutters 26 are closed and the stop 52 withdrawn by the rod 57*
from the rotary arm 54, whereupon the scale pan swings downward and dis-
charges its contents. Upon the scale pan afterwards swinging upward, the
rod 78 with cam like part 30 is, for the purpose of breaking the circuits of the
said electro-magnetic devices, moved backward, against the action of a spring 80,
by a pin 81 that is fixed to an arm 82 on the cross piece 73 and moves idly
past a pivoted hanging pawl 83 on the front end of the rod 78 when the
scale pan swings downward, but acts against such pawl and forces the rod 78
backward when the empty scale pan swings upward, so as to move the cam 30 from
the projection 69b and permit the springs 69 69° to spring apart and open the
said circuits. As the scale pan completes its upward motion, the pin 81 slides
off the hanging pawl 83 and allows the spring 80 to draw back the rod 78 with
cam like part 30 which, by again pressing the springs 68° 69ª together, again
remakes the circuits of the electro-magnetic devices 24 and 25 for the purpose
herein before explained. The circuit maker may be arranged & operated as in
Figs. 1 to A.
When only two pairs of slides or shutters, say 22 and 26, are to be used for
controlling the supply of tea to the scale pan, the first lever a of the compound
beam is provided with a single spring contact 17 adapted to abut against
a single upper contact 1 carried by the second lever b. When more than three
pairs of shutters are to be used, the number of contacts on the first and second
levers is correspondingly increased.
In some cases instead of loading the first lever a wholly by a spring, such
as 13, connected to the second lever b, it may be primarily loaded by a removable
weight 85, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this case the spring 13 between
the two levers need only be tightened up to the small extent necessary to finally
adjust the load on the second lever b.
The compound beam instead of operating the feed controlling shutters or
equivalent devices through electric means, as hereinbefore described, may be
adapted to operate them through mechanical means.
Fig. 8 shows, partly diagrammatically, one arrangement of machine for this
purpose suitable for weighing grain, seed and like material. The lower end of
the feed hopper or shoot 86 is, in this arrangement, made of convex shape
and is adapted to be partly closed by a corresponding curved main shutter 87
formed with a small opening at 88 through which the small final
supply of material can pass and which is adapted to be closed by a
second correspondingly curved non-perforated shutter 89. Each of the shutters 87
and 89 is mounted to turn about the axis of a pin 90, corresponding to the centre
of the arc-shaped bottom of the hopper or shoot 86, and is provided with an
upwardly extending arm 91 that is loaded with a weight 92, or spring, adapted
to turn the corresponding shutter into either its open or closed position and hold
it in that position when the arm carrying it is moved to one or other side of a
vertical line passing through the centre of motion of the shutter. To each
shutter is jointed one end of a rod 93 the other end of which is connected by
a radius link 94 to an extension 95 of one of the standards m of the weighing
beam, each rod being provided with two tappets 96. Between the two tappets 96

page_text: of the rod 93 connected to the main shutter 87, extends a vertical arm 97 con-
A similar
nected to the first lever a of the compound beam near its fulcrum c.
arm 98, connected to the second lever b of the beam, extends between the two
tappets 96 on the rod 93 connected to the second shutter 89. The arrangement
is such that the rising in succession of the rear arms of the two levers a and b
will cause the closing in succession of the two shutters 87 and 89 which will be
re-opened when the levers resume their normal positions immediately after the
discharge of the weighed material, the load 92 on the arm 91 of each shutter
acting to facilitate the closing and opening of the shutter when the said shutter
arm has passed its mid-position in either direction.
The scale pan 33 in this example consists of a receptacle having an inclined
bottom provided with a door 99. It is suspended from knife edge bearings 36
on the bifurcated front end of the first lever a and is kept in an approximately
vertical position by a radius link 42 that is jointed to the lower portion of the
receptacle 33 and to a pin 43 carried by a lug 44 on the base piece n.
The closing of the second shutter 89 is arranged to release the door 99 so as
to allow of the weighed seed or the like automatically opening the door and so
becoming discharged. For this purpose an arm 100 connected to the shutter 89
is arranged, on the closing of this shutter, to come into contact with the upper
end of a spring pressed rod 101 whose lower end is thereby forced upon one
arm of a trigger or pawl consisting of a bell crank lever 52 pivoted at 53 to
a lug on the receptacle 33 and the other arm of which is normally held by a
spring 52 over an arm 102 fixed to the hinged door 99. The pressure of the
rod 101 on the one arm of the lever 52 causes the other arm to move clear of the
arm 102, whereupon the weight of the material in the receptacle 33 causes the
door 99 to turn on its hinge pin 103 and allows the discharge to take place.
102 is a spring blade fixed at one end to the base n and having its other end
arranged in the vertical path of a pin 102b projecting laterally from an exten-
sion 102° of the arm 102, the arrangement being such that on the scale pan 33
descending, the pin 102b will slip past the spring blade 102a, and upon the scale
pan rising, under the action of the weight r, the said spring blade will, by tem-
porary contact with the pin 102b, move the door 99 into its closed position in
which it will then be held by the vertical arm of the bell crank lever 52.
spring blade may be provided at its upper side with a rigid plate 102ª, so
that it will be less flexible in an upward direction than in a downward direction.
In lieu of the scale pan door releasing mechanism above described, one arm
of the bell crank lever 52 may, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, be extended
in a rearward direction so that upon the descent of the scale pan, this rear-
wardly extending arm will come in contact with an adjustable fixed stop, such
as a screw 104, whereupon the vertical arm of the lever 52 will be caused to
move out of contact with the arm 102 of the door 103 and allow the said door
to open as before. 105 is a weight fixed to the arm 98 of the second lever so that
upon the tilting of such lever by reason of the desired weight of material having
entered the scale pan, this weight will, as soon as the centre of oscillation is
passed, ensure the beam falling over sufficiently far to cause the one arm of
the lever 52 to come in contact with the stop 104.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. In a weighing machine, the improved compound weighing beam comprising
the two horizontal or approximately horizontal levers a and b, one of which viz., a,
carrying one or more scale pans, is fulcrummed to the front arm of the other
lever (b) which is fulcrummed near its forward end in fixed bearings, the
two rear arms of the two levers, which control by their rising movements the
supply of material to be weighed to the scale pan and finally cut off the supply
of material and effect the discharge of the weighed material, being connected

page_text: by a spring and arranged to extend one over or adjacent to the other, substantially
as described and shown for the purposes specified.
2. A weighing machine having a compound beam of the kind specified in the
preceding claim, wherein the front arm of the first lover (a) of the said compound
beam has suspended therefrom a support for a rotary scale pan carrier provided
with one or more rotary arms which, or each of which in turn, is normally pre-
vented from turning by a stop that is pivoted to the said support and is with-
drawn from the rotary arm, for releasing the scale pan with weighed material,
by releasing mechanism that is independent of the compound beam and is brought
into action by the tilting of the second lever (b) of the said compound beani
when the correct weight of material has entered the scale pan, substantially as
described.
3. In a weighing machine, the combination with a compound weighing beam
of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2, and two electro-magnetic devices
adapted on the rising of the rear arm of the second lever b of the said beam
to respectively cut off the final supply of material to the scale pan and to
release the charged scale pan, of means comprising a circuit maker arranged to
be operated when the final supply of material to a scale pan is cut off, a circuit
breaker arranged to be temporarily operated as a scale pan moves into position
for use, and electrical connections, the arrangement being such that after the
circuits of the two electro-magnetic devices have been completed by the rising
of the rear arm of the compound beam, the circuits of the said electro-magnetic
devices will be completed through a separate circuit or circuits by the said circuit
maker so that, they will be maintained in an energised condition until a scale
pan is again in position for use, whereupon the said separate circuit
circuits will be opened, substantially as described.
or
4. The improved weighing machine constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4
inclusive of the drawings annexed.
5. The improved weighing machine constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 5, 6
and 7 of the drawings annexed.
6. The improved weighing machine constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in Fig. 8 of the
drawings annexed.
Tatadh 20th J...
1000