AN IMPROVED SELF-FEEDING, DIS- CHARGING, AND REGISTERING BEAM BALANCE FOR WEIGHING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugene O'Brien, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-FEEDING, DIS-
CHARGING, AND REGISTERING BEAM BALANCE FOR WEIGHING GRAIN AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 22nd March 1870, and dated the 27th September 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Eugene O'Brien at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 27th September 1869, pursuant to, the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BET IT.
KNOWN, that I, EUGENE O'BRIEN, of Liverpool, in. the County of.
Lancaster, having invented "AN IMPROVED SELF-FEEDING, DISCHARGING, AND
REGISTERING BEAM "BALANCE FOR WEIGHING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," do
hereby declare the following to be a full and complete description of
this my said Invention, and the best means I am. acquainted with
for carrying the same into practical effect, reference being had to the

page_text: to say) :-
This my said Invention has for its object a simple and improved self-
regulating, feeding, discharging, and registering beam balance for
weighing grain and other substances, and consists of balance beam
with arms of equal length, to one end of which is suspended the usual
scale for carrying the ordinary weights, or a rod on which the weights
are suspended (as will be herein-after described), and on the other a box
scale divided into two equal parts by a vertical diaphragm, and the
bottoms of each compartment I form hopper-shaped, having by preference
three inclined-sides and one vertical side, which latter is formed by
the side of the diaphragm which divides the box scale into two chambers.
The lower end of the scale box is fitted with a double vibrating bottom
(in one piece) jointed to or having its axis in line with the lower edge of
the diaphragm, the upper surface of which is divided into two inclined
planes diverging from the centre at such an angle that when one side is
brought to an horizontal position it closes the bottom on that side, and
the outer edge of the other end of the tilt bottom is deflected, so as to be
clear of the curved side of the hopper on the opposite side to allow the
giain or other substances being weighed to escape (as will be herein-
after explained). The side of the tilt bottom which is in an horizontal
position is locked when so placed by a vertical latch piece formed with
an horizontal arm or rest, which is curved downwards at the outer end,
and which works through a slot in the side of the hopper on the bottom
of the box scale, and is jointed at its lower end to a fixed bearing, and at
its upper end works through a slot in the lower limb of a lever of the
first order, having its fulcrum at a point a short distance above the top
of the latch piece. The lever is loaded so that the upper end naturally
falls outwards and the lower end is forced inwards, carrying with it the
head of the latch piece, but on the tilt bottom travelling up that inner
side the latch piece is forced out until the edge of the bottom passes the
head of the latch, where it is kept by a pawl (having a bearing outside
the latch piece), the end of which passes through the side over the
tilting bottom, and so remains until the return of the said bottom which
takes the pawl up, disengaging the latch piece, when by the action of
the weighted lever it immediately returns, and prevents the tilting of
that part of the bottom until the latch piece is withdrawn. The head-of
the lever is formed with a short stud or lip piece to receive a flap or

page_text: broad pawl jointed to the side of the scale box, and is capable of working
from an horizontal position upwards. The object of this pawl or jointed
flat piece is to receive the end of the lever to prevent the upper end of
the same being thrown inwards, and allowing the bottom to unlock or
release the latch piece which supports the bottom on that side until the
materials to be weighed overcome the preponderance of the weights in
the opposite scale, when as the scale descends the flap piece or pawl
coming into contact with a small fixed standard is released; the lever
being then free to pass under the flap piece allows the upper end of the
latch piece to be forced outwards, where it is kept by the pawl, then the
contents escape and fall down, and are discharged into any suitable
receptacle, the head of the latch piece being formed with a slight
incline inwards, so that the weight of material in that compartment
overcoming the pressure of the weighted lever forces out the upper end
of the latch.. The opposite side of the tilt bottom having now assumed
an horizontal position is locked in place by a vertical latch piece and
weighted lever, and so forth, similar to the opposite side. The tilting
bottom is made available by means of a crank or its mechanical
equivalent to throw over a pendulas or oscillating hopper fitted on the
top of the scale box and jointed thereto, so that the lower end or throat
thereof is capable of being thrown from side to side sufficiently to cause
it to discharge first into one chamber and then into the other. The rod
and lever or their mechanical equivalent actuating the same regulate the
motion of the pendulas or tilting supply hopper (which is mounted on
the scale box) in unition with the tilting bottom, so that the discharge
from the tilting hopper is always delivered into the compartment closed
at the bottom, and which is being fed whilst the opposite chamber is
being discharged. The tilting hopper is supplied from a stationary
delivery spout immediately above. The supply spout is fitted with a
supply regulator and cut off resembling an ordinary flue damper, and
which is actuated by a small lever beam which works on a fixed joint on
the exterior of the supply spout, one end of which is jointed to the
regulating slide, and the other to a second lever beam immediately
above, and which has its fulcrum in a position above the first lever,
being supported on a bridge or its mechanical eqivalent to allow the
lower limb of the first-named lever freedom of action. The lower-limb
of the second or after lever is curved downwards, and works within an
open guide on the end of the balance beam, so that where the balance
beam is deflected or brought to an horizontal position the supply slide

page_text: is pushed in by the action of the beam through the levers. On that end
of the beam descending a little lower on its descent to discharge the
supply is partially cut off, and the curved end of the lever is clear until
sufficient grain or other material weighed is discharged to allow the
balance beam to return to its normal position, when the guide piece on
the end of the balance lever coming into contact with the under side
of the curved end of the lever elevates it, and thereby causes the
regulating slide to be withdrawn, so as to allow a free passage for the
grain or other material through the spout.
In some cases I prefer to substitute for the supply, regulating, and cut
off described one, two, or more stop valves or bonnet pieces, which when,
say, three are used are divided so as to cover the mouth or discharge
end of the supply spout, and are brought into action in succession as the
scale beam approaches its equilibrium; the weights on the reverse end
of the beam being divided and taken up as the box scale descends. One
side of the supply spout is fitted with a metre or counting apparatus,
which is actuated by an horizontal arm jointed to the interior of the
metre case, and fitted with a pawl taking into the ratchet or first motion
wheel of the metre. The horizontal arm projects sufficiently beyond the
metre case to rest upon the end of the balance beam, or a lateral stud or
rod projecting therefrom. The projecting arm has a sufficient upward
play to be acted upon by the balance beam, when it arrives at a 'short
distance from its highest point of elevation, when coming into contact
therewith the projecting arm is elevated sufficiently to throw the ratchet
wheel forward one tooth, and on the descent of the beam the projecting
arm falling down withdraws the pawl from that tooth, and allows it to
fall into the next, and so on, as will be well understood by those
acquainted with the art. In most instances it is preferred to use a twin
balance beam, i.e., two beams placed parallel to and sufficiently apart
from each other, having a common centre, being connected together by
rigid transverse rods or other mechanical equivalent.
To insure certainty and easy action in disengaging the broad locking
pawls from the heads of vertical weighted levers on the descent of the
box scale for discharging, it is preferred to fit the front edges of the
horizontal pawls with antifriction rollers.
When this improved balance is used for the weighing of flour or other
like substances which do not readily clear themselves from the scale by
gravity, it is proposed to arrange the interior of the two chambers into

page_text: which the box scale is divided in such a way that on the tilt bottom
falling down the material being weighed will find no resting place,
which may be done by forming the scale box of perforated metal or
other suitable material, and lining the same with bunting, silk, bolting
cloth, or other suitable textile fabric, by which arrangement the air will
be freely admitted to act on the flour or other material.
For the purpose of economising height when my Invention is required
to be applied to the weighing of grain and other substances as it is
received in sacks, barrels, or other open ended packages, I arrange the
machine in such a manner that the self-acting spout and tilt are placed
above the scale, on which the sacks, barrels, or other receptacle used to
receive the materials are placed, as herein-after explained.
And that the nature of this my said Invention may be the more
readily seen and understood by those acquainted with the art, I have
hereunto annexed Drawings of so much of my Invention as will illus-
trate the practical application of the same, like letters and figures
marked on the Drawings being used to denote like parts.
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of one modification of my improved
self-feeding, discharging, and registering beam balance adapted for the
weighing of grain and other substances in bulk; and Figure 2 is a side
elevation, and Figure 3 is a back elevation, and Figure 4 is a vertical
transverse section of the same taken through the line a and b on the
plan (Figure 1).
Figure 5 is a detached elevation of one of the pair of self-acting latch
arrangements for locking and unlocking the tilting bottom alternately
on an enlarged scale.
On Figure 6 is an elevation of the working parts of another modification
of my Invention designed for the purpose of receiving the grain or other
substances being weighed to be received into sacks, bags, barrels, boxes,
or other open ended packages arranged with a view to be adapted for
rooms of limited elevation.
Figure 7 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the latch modified for
the overhead motion, as seen in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a front elevation of one of the scales on which the packages
receiving the substances to be weighed are placed, and shown with an
adjustable funnel fitted thereto.

page_text: Figure 9 is a plan of the deflecting lever frames K, K', to which the
scales are suspended.
Figure 10 is a plan of the open tilt frame G, oscillating hopper, and
d, d', saddle bars (Figure 6).
.
A, frame; B, transverse bar, which carries O, a twin scale beam,
which are connected rigidly together by d,.transverse bars, and d¹, saddle
bars, on which is mounted E, oscillating hopper, to the axle of which is
keyed F, a crank arm, to which is jointed f, a connecting rod, jointed at
its lower end in first arrangement to G, oscillating bottom, and to g
(Figures 6 and 10), a tilt frame; H (Figures 1, 2, and 4) the box scale;
h (Figures 6 and 8), sack or package scales; I (Figures 2, 4, and 5), the
latch apparatus, which consists of i, a lever having its fulcrum at i, and
fitted with j, a sliding weight with a set screw for holding the same in
position; k, the latch piece, working on a fixed axle at k³, and at the
head through a slot in the arm on the lower end of the lever i; l, a
bracket fixed on the side of the box scale, to the head of which is jointed
, a pawl to keep out the latch piece k when the side of the oscillating
bottom to which it is applied is deflected; and m, a pawl jointed to the
side of the box scale, so that it may work upwards, and is used for
keeping out the upper end of the lever i holding the latch piece K
inwards when the side of the tilt bottom to which it is fixed place it in
an horizontal position; J (Figures 6 and 7) is a frame suspended on the
knife edges of the balance beam carrying the latch gear, oscillation, and
g, an oscillating frame, to which is jointed K and K', deflecting levers,
to the outer ends of which are jointed f³, links connecting the oscillating
(g) frame therewith, and to which are suspended M, the scales connected
to the deflecting levers (K) by D, suspending rods; N, funnels, the
lower ends of which is introduced into the bags or sacks to be filled,
and are provided with hooks on the sides to suspend the bags or sacks
by. The funnels slide on the suspending rods D. n, ratchets formed
on the inner sides of the suspension rods for receiving n', lover pawls,
jointed to the sides of the adjustable funnels at n³, supporting the funnel
at the desired height, the lever pawls being bent so that their outer or
handle ends overlap each other in front of the funnel, and so that the
pawl ends may be lifted out of the ratchets by one hand of the attendant
for detaching the filled sack and regulating the height of the funnel;
O (Figure 6), oblique sided saddle piece, which carries the oscillating
frame P, diaphragm dividing the box scale into two compartments, and

page_text: to the lower edge of which the tilting bottom (G) is jointed; Q, the
major weight or box to receive weights suspended from the twin scale
beam; q, a small weight, through which works r, a pendant attached
to the under side of weight or weight box Q, and which takes up the
minor weight q on the last part of the descent of the scale; S, buffered
rests for receiving the recoil and back draught of the weight or weight
box Q; T, dial of the register index; U, rod communicating motion from
the balance beam to the index.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise detail, relative dimensions or proportions
of the several parts, as it will be readily seen that the same may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention; but what I
claim as new and my Invention is,―
First. The double-chambered box scale (H) in combination with the
balance beam (0) constructed to operate substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly. The double vibrating tilt bottom G and the peculiar
construction and arrangement of self-acting latch and releasing gear
herein-before described, set forth, and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 2.
Thirdly. The tilt hopper (E) mounted and operated substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before described, set forth, and
illustrated.
Fourthly. The peculiar arrangement of the several self-acting parts
used for regulating and cutting of the material to be weighed, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and set forth.
Fifthly. The tilt frame (9) in combination with the lever frames (K)
and scale suspending rods (D) arranged and operated substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein-bore described, set forth, and
illustrated by Figures 6 and 9.
Sixthly. The overhead self-acting locking and releasing gear herein-
before described and set forth and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.
Seventhly. The adjustable bag funnel (N), as herein-before described
and set forth

page_text: Eighthly. Constructing the scale for weighing flour and other sub-
stances with perforated or partially open sides, and lining the same with
bunting, silk, bolting cloth, or other open textile fabric, substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Ninthly. The general arrangement and combination of the several
parts of the apparatus herein-before described and set forth for the
weighing of grain and other substances in bulk.
And, lastly. The peculiar arrangement and general construction of the
apparatus as designed for the weighing of grain and other substances
in sacks and other open ended packages, as herein-before described and
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugene O'Brien, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-seventh day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.
EUGENE O'BRIEN. (L.S.).
Witness,
THOMAS KIRKPATRICK,
Clerk to William Walker, C.E.,
of 44, Castle Street,!-
Liverpool.