IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING WEIGHT
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Ward, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and
Howl, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Engineers, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND
INDICATING WEIGHT,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th August 1881.
THOMAS HENRY WARD, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and Howe, of Tipton, in
the County of Stafford, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING WEIGHT."
My Invention relates to "Improvements in the Machinery or Apparatus for
Ascertaining and Indicating Weight," in respect of which certain former Lettors
Patent were granted to me, dated the 4th October 1877, No. 3700.
In carrying out my present Invention, in lieu of having the loaded frame, that
is to say, the shackle body and bottom hook secured together with heavy hook
joints at the bearing, as described in the Specification to my said former Letters
Patent, I reduce the weights and cost and secure a very much simpler and safer
frame by employing two side links, secured together by means of a crosshead
carrying its knife-edge top and bottom threaded through the top and bottom
shackles or hooks.
In lieu also of having a box fixed to the body in order to secure all the working
parts inside and then combining a lid with the same, as described in my said
former Specification, I dispense with the box altogether, by securing all working
parts to one of the side links and merely provide a lid, thus reducing the weight,
work, and cost of manufacture. All the working parts may be enclosed between
the two side frames, thereby admitting of the use of two dials (one at the front and
the other back); in this case the working parts, including the tumbler, may be
duplicated, so as to produce two independent measuring apparatus, each of which
will form a check upon the other. In order to adjust the angularity of the rocker
I key this rocker first to a small lever, securing and adjusting the angle of the
same to a larger lever by a sot screw.

page_text: Instead also of employing a heavy dish dial which would require turning, as in
the arrangement described in my said former Specification, I cast the rim separate and
secure it to the body of the machine, after having let in from behind a light sheet
or plate as a back, with or without a separate graduated plate between, thus
securing a light yet strong and cheap dial, having all the advantages of a dish to
protect the needle, and also to protect the dial from being bent, and avoiding the
necessity of turning and polishing the dial all over.
In order to keep the position of the links central with the machine and yet
avoid having any rubbing surface on the knife edges, I let a small pin into each of
the female knife edges. This pin projects beyond the plane of the bearing, and a
corresponding recess is cut in the male knife edge, so that the projecting pin secures
the other knife edge from shifting sideways, but has no rubbing surface on the
knife edges since it is bevelled away from the bearings, this being a cheap and
efficient arrangement. In place of having a right and left hand screw and
corresponding nuts let into the rack and lever in order to secure the rack to the
lever, as in my said former arrangenent, I have merely a plate or thin sheet of
metal with bearings cut into it, so that without screws, pins, nuts, or any other
device, it is a perfect connection, having the extra advantage of a knife edge bearing,
all back lash being taken out of the joint by counterweighting or counterspringing;
the rack itself thus reduces the cost very considerably. In order to ensure that
the rack and pinion shall never on the one hand have any back lash, and on the
other hand shall.never. bear too hard on account of the difficulty of having fulcrum
and pinion, shafts, to dead measurement due to a, radius of the rack, I bore the hole
for the pinion an exact fit, sideways to the shaft, but slightly oval top and bottom,
so that the pinion shall be on the top of the rack free, and lift, or drop by. gravity
with any irregularity of the rack.
Instead of securing the lever shaped bearing and fulcrum body into the body of
the apparatus, as in my said former arrangement, I fix it between two side levers,
whereby economy in construction is effected.
I further propose to invert the machine, as described, that is to say, place the
tumbler or rocker in the bottom link instead of in the top, and pin the bottom
sheave of an ordinary crane chain, or of a pulley block, "Weston's block, for
example," in between the two side frames, thereby combining a lifting gear with
a weighing machine.
I also propose to combine the improvements herein before described with weighing
machines or apparatus of other construction than that herein before referred to.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Henry Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
February 1882.
THOMAS HENRY WARD, of the Firm of Howl, Ward, and Howl, of Tipton, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING WEIGHT."
My Invention relates to improvements in the machinery or apparatus for
ascertaining and indicating weight, in respect of which former Letters Patent
were granted to me, dated the Fourth October, One thousand eight hundred-and
Beventy seven, No. 3700.
In carrying out my present Invention, in lieu of having the loaded frame, that
is to say, the shackle body and bottom hook secured together with heavy hook
joints at the bearing, as described in the Specification to my said former Letters
Patent, I reduce the weights and costs and secure a very much simpler and safer
frame by employing two side links or plates, secured together by means of a cross-
head carrying its knife-edges top and bottom threaded through the top and bottom
shackles or hooks.
In lieu also of having a box fixed to the body in order to secure all the working
parts inside and then combining a lid with the same, as described in my said
former Specification, I dispense with the box altogether, by securing all working
parts to one of the side links or plates and merely provide a lid, thus reducing the
weight, work, and cost of manufacture. According to a modification the working
parts may be enclosed between the two side links or plates, thereby admitting of the
use of two dials (one at the front and the other at the back), in this case the working
parts, including the tumbler or rocker, may be duplicated, so as to produce two
independent measuring apparatus, each of which will form a check upon the other.
In order to adjust the angularity or degree of deviation from the vertical line of
the rocker, I key this rocker first to a small lever, securing and adjusting the angle
of the same to the larger or main lever by a set screw.
Instead also of employing a heavy disc dial which would require turning, as in
the arrangement described in my said former Specification, I cast the rim separate
and secure to the body of the machine after having let in from behind a light sheet
or plate as a back, with or without a separate graduated plate between, thus
securing a light yet strong and cheap dial, having all the advantages of a dish to
protect the needle, and also to protect the dial from being bent, and also avoiding
the necessity of turning and polishing the dial all over..
In order to keep the positions of the shackles or hooks central with the machine
and yet avoid having any rubbing surface on the knife edges, I let a small pin into
one knife edge of each pair of knife edges. This pin projects beyond the plane of
the bearing and a corresponding recess is cut in the corresponding knife edge of
the pair, so that the projecting pin secures the knife edges from shifting sideways,
but has no rubbing surface on the said knife edges, since it is bevilled away from
the bearings, this being a cheap and efficient arrangement. In place of having a
right and left hand screw and corresponding nuts let into the quadrantal rack and
the main lever in order to secure them together as in my said former arrangement,
I use a plate or thin sheet of metal with bearings (cut into it, so that without
screws, pins, nuts, or any other device, it is a perfect connection having the extra
advantage of a knife edge bearing, all back lash being taken out of the joint by
counterweighting or counterspringing the quadrantal rack itself, thus reducing the
cost and rendering the machine more certain in action. In order to ensure that

page_text: the quadrantal rack and pinion shall never on the one hand have any back-lash,
and on the other hand shall never bear too hardly on each other, which is liable to
be the case on account of the difficulty of. having the fulcrum of the rack and the
pinion shaft to dead measurement, I bore the hole for the pinion an exact fit
sideways to the pinion shaft, but slightly oval or elongated top and bottom, so
that the pinion shall lie free on the top of the rack and lift or drop by gravity
with any irregularity thereof. Instead of securing the lever shape body which
carries the bearings for the pinion shaft and quadrantal rack fulcrum pin as in
my said former arrangement, I fix it between the two side links or plates, whereby
economy in construction is effected.
I further propose to invert the machine as described, that is to say, place the
tumbler or rocker in the bottom link instead of in the top, and pin the bottom
sheave of an ordinary crane chain or of a pulley block (Weston's block for example)
.in between the two side frames, thereby combining a lifting gear with a weighing
machine,
I also propose to combine the improvements hereinbefore described with
weighing machines or apparatus of other constructions than that hereinbefore
referred to.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation and
Figure 2 in transverse section an apparatus with which are combined improvements
.according to my present Invention; Figure 3 is a section on the line 1-2,
Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a section on the line 3-4, Figure 2; parts of the dial
being broken away in the said Figures 3 and 4; Figures 5 to 9 are details thereof,
and Figures 10 to 15 are modifications and adaptations, as hereinafter described.
Referring to Figures 1 to 9, two side links or plates Care secured together by
means of the crossheads or distance pieces C and C³, the ends of which project
through the said plates and receive screw nuts c to secure them in position.
These distance pieces C and Cs are respectively threaded through the top and
bottom shackle loops or hooks A and B.
The lower distance piece C³ carries a strip c³ with a knife edge, and the shackle B
carries a similar strip b with a corresponding female knife edge formed therein, the
said knife edges engaging together as seen clearly in Figure 3. Between the
upper cross head or distance piece C and the bottom part of the shackle A is
situated the rocker D, which is placed at a slight inclination to the vertical line to
be acted upon, essentially as described in my said former Specification. The upper
and lower knife edges of the said rocker D engage respectively with female knife
edges formed in strips a and c³, carried respectively by the shackle A and cross-
head C. To maintain the central position of the parts and at the same time avoid
rubbing surfaces, a pine is let into each female knife edge, and its end projecting
from the said edge is bevilled, and enters a recess or cross cut slot in the
corresponding male knife edge, as is shewn clearly in the enlarged longitudinal
section and end view of two engaging knife edges in Figures 5 and 6. The pin
may be in the male and the recess in the female knife edge if preferred. One end
of the rocker D extends through one of the side plates C. This end carries one
end of the lever arm F by which the movement of the rocker D is communicated
to the indicator. The adjustment of the rocker D to its proper normal angularity
is effected by means of the small lever F' fixed at one end upon the part d of the
projecting end of the rocker D, the said lever F2 carrying at its other end a
screw f screwed into the lever F to connect the said levers F and F together.
By this screw the relative position of the levers F and F, and consequently
the angularity of the rocker D can be adjusted, and when the adjustment
is effected the screw f' is tightened up to secure the lever F to the end of
the rocker D. The movement of the lever F is resisted by a spring G, as

page_text: described in my
said former Specification, and is provided with an adjustable stop
screw o to limit the movement of the lever F in either direction by coming against
stops o' formed on a piece O attached to or cast on the plate C, this piece O also
affording an anchorage for the spring G.
The lever F is connected to the tail of a lever I turning on a pin h, and carrying
at its other end a toothed quadrantal rack or segment i gearing with a pinion k on
a shaft l, to which the index finger L of the indicating dial is affixed, these parts
being analogous to those described in the Specification of my aforesaid former
Patent.
The connection of the lever F to the lever I is however effected by the plate P
with a slot in it, in which the said levers engage, they being formed with recessed
parts which bear against knife edges p, p, (of the width of the bearing parts of the
levers) at the opposite ends of the said slot in the plate.
Figure 7 is a plan of this plate with the levers in section, this Figure being
drawn to an enlarged scale. A spring 9 is attached at one end to the projection **
from the lever I, and at its other end to the screw f, or any other suitable part of
the machine, which spring prevents back lash of the rack . The shaft 7 and the
centre pin h are both carried in the same fulcrum body K, which is situated
between and fixed into the side plates C, as shewn clearly in Figure 2. The holes or
bearings for the shaft 1 may be bored through the said body or through bearing
pieces let into the upper part of the said body, the holes or bearing for the
pinion end of the said shaft being made an exact fit sideways for the said shaft, but
slightly oblong with the longer axis in a vertical direction, as shewn in Figure 8,
which is a section of a part of the piece K taken on the line 1-2, Figure 2. This
lengthening of the bearing vertically allows the pinion end of the shaft / to rise or
fall sufficiently to compensate for any irregularity of adjustment or working
between the rack and pinion k.
It will be seen that all the working parts which operate the indicating apparatus
are so secured to or connected with one of the side plates or links C, and that
therefore the box for these parts described in my aforesaid former Specification is
rendered unnecessary, the said parts being in this present machine protected by a
lid or cover R formed with wing pieces or flanges by which it is secured to the
said side plate or link. Figure 9 is a transverse section on the line 7-8, Figure 1,
shewing the turned over parts 7 (seen also in Figure 4) of the said lid R, which
parts are fitted along and engage with the sides of the plate C, as shewn to form
a complete protecting cover for the working parts enclosed thereby.
The dial is constructed as follows:-A cast rim S of a ring form is fastened to
the plate C opposite that which carries the operating mechanism, it having wing
pieces or flanges 8 at top and bottom for this purpose, and a projecting front part
to protect the finger of the dial. It has also a flanged inner part 8³, so that a light
sheet metal disk t can be let into the rim from behind, and secured by screws 85 or
otherwise to the said flanged inner part 8³, as shewn. The disk t may itself bear
the graduations; or an annular plate or ring-like piece t2 may intervene between
the flanged part 8³ and the said disk t to carry the said graduations, so as to avoid
the necessity for polishing the said disk or backing t. In this case the annular
plate may be of brass, and the disk t of sheet iron.
In the apparatus herein before described, the arrangement of the side plates C
and cross heads C, C, threaded through the shackles or hooks A, B, give the
advantage of knife edges of long and continuous bearing.
Figures 10 and 11 are views at right angles to each other of the hereinbefore
described apparatus combined with the bottom sheave U of a crane chain, or of a
pulley block (for instance, the sheave of a Weston's pulley block), whereby the
combined advantages of lifting gear and weighing machines are obtained. The
weighing apparatus is inverted, that is to say, the tumbler or rocker D is between
the bottom crosshead and link, instead of between the upper ones, as before, and in
place of the other cross head and link the plates C are continued, and the bottom
sheave U is connected thereto by the pin v forming the axis of the said sheave.

page_text: Figure 12 is an elevation, and Figures 13 and 14 are sections taken at right
angles to each other, the former on the line 7-8, of Figure 14, shewing certain of
my improvements as applied to a weighing machine of another construction from
that herein before referred to, and also shewing the mechanism for conveying motion
to the dial finger as arranged between the plates C. The knife edges w, x, are
arranged relatively to each other essentially as is the case in what are known as
Thomson weighing machines, as described in the Specification of Thomsons
Patent, No. 728, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy
six, and therefore to this arrangement I lay no claim. The said knife edges are
carried by the lever F, the corresponding engaging knife- edges being in the side
plates C and top shackle A respectively, the knife edge of the bottom shackle B
engaging with the corresponding knife edge on the cross head or distance piece 0³.
The lever F acts through mechanism essentially similar to that described with
regard to Figures 1 to 4 upon the indicating finger of the dial, which dial, as here
shewn, is of the same construction as described with regard to the said Figures.
I have marked in Figures 12, 13, and 14, the parts which correspond to like parts
in Figures 1 to 4 with the same letters of reference, so that they will thereby be
-readily understood and therefore call for no further description. The mechanism
may be covered by lids at each side extending from the one plate C to the
other.
Figure 15 represents a machine constructed upon the principle of that known
as a Thomson steel yard weighing machine, and described in the aforesaid
Specification of Patent, 7287, but in this arrangement the parts of the machine are
inverted, still arranging of course the fulcrum between the load and the counter-
weight, and the side links or frame A are formed with continuations a for
receiving a pin y constituting the axis of the lower sheave Z of a lifting crane or
block, whereby the advantages of a lifting apparatus and a steel yard weighing
apparatus are combined.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not in all cases limit myself to the
precise details hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
as the same may in some cases it will be evident be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention; for example, the mechanism may be brought in
between the side plates, or two dials may be used at front and back either with a
single or with two rockers acting independently upon independent mechanism for
each dial; nor do I limit myself in all cases to the application of my improvements
to machines of precisely the construction shewn, as it will be evident that some of
them may with advantage bo applied to machines of other analogous constructions,
to which the same are or may be applicable, but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. In machinery or apparatus for ascertaining weights and acting upon the
principle of the parallelogram of forces and lever combined, a body or frame
consisting of side links or plates secured together by cross heads or distance
pieces carrying knife or bearing edges for the hooks or shackles engaging
therewith, essentially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. In machinery or apparatus for ascertaining weights and acting upon
the principle of the parallelogram of forces and lever combined, the means for
carrying and protecting the working parts, or those parts which operate upon the
indicator, the said means consisting of the combination of the side plate C and the
cover or lid R, constructed substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The combination with the rocker (D) and actuating lever (F) of weighing
connnuntur of on odiusting lever (FD) for the purpose of adjusting the angularity of

page_text: the rocker, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fourth. The construction of the combined dial frame and dial for weighing
apparatus, illustrated and described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth. The means for preventing lateral movement of the engaging knife edges
of weighing apparatus, the one upon the other, as hereinbefore described with
reference to the pins 6.
Sixth. In weighing machines, connecting the levers F and I by a recessed and
knife edge bearing plate P, as described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, in combination with a counter spring or weight for preventing back
lash.
Seventh. In weighing machines, the use in combination with the pinion and
quadrantal rack, by which the indications are transmitted to the dial of a bearing
for the shaft which carries the said pinion, the said bearing being lengthened
towards and from the said rack to allow of the movement of the said shaft in
these directions, as and for the purpose described.
Eighth. In a suspension weighing machine of the kind illustrated in Figures I
to 4 of the accompanying Drawings, the employment of the fulcrum body K
carrying the axes of the quadrantal rack lever and of the dial pointer, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Ninth. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for
ascertaining weights, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Tenth. The combination of a suspension weighing machine with the lower
sheave of a crane or pulley block, consisting in inverting parts of the said
suspension weighing machine and combining it with the said sheave, substantially
as described and illustrated in Figures 10, 11, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawings, for the purpose of obtaining in a small compass the combined advantages
of a lifting and weighing machine.
Eleventh. The combination of parts constituting the weighing machine,
substantially as described with regard to Figures 12, 13, and 14 of the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, the combination with suspension weighing
machines acting upon the principle of the lever of the automatic indicating
mechanism, substantially as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Ward, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.