Improvements in Steelyards and Cattle Weighing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steelyards and Cattle Weighing Machines.
We, WILLIAM BEILBY AVERY and W. & T. AVERY, LIMITED, of Mill Lane,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Weighing Machine Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manner in which we construct and arrange steelyard
weighing machines, whereby we are enabled to indicate the amount or weight of
the animal or article being weighed, upon a dial or dials in full public view and
Another
capable of being read in a distinct manner by any interested person.
part of our invention relates to the manner in which we print or record upon a
ticket the weight upon the steelyard at any indication.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct a steelyard weighing machine
with the platform and levers arranged in the usual ordinary manner but we employ
a central pillar or post up which the main rod passes from the transfer compound
levers, to carry a circular case or box within or upon which we place one or more
dials. Through the centre of this circular box or casing we place a spindle and
upon this spindle we sometimes mount one dial having figures thereon for indicating
up to any desired amount upon the circumference of the circle in which the figures
are placed. Upon the spindle we mount or secure a toothed wheel and we arrange
a rack with similar teeth upon it, immediately beneath the toothed wheel; which
rack we employ as the sliding poise for determining the weight of the animal or
article upon the machine. The rack we cause to move backwards and forwards by
hand and we make the outer end of the rack somewhat heavy to form the heavy
poise when very heavy weights are to be indicated or when two poises are to be
employed for recording the adjustment more minutely upon a second dial or
indicator.
When arranging two dials upon our improved machine the one to indicate say
stones while the other indicates pounds or any other suitable division of the
indicator that may be required, we then mount one dial upon a boss or sleeve
which runs upon the spindle carrying the other dial so that one record can be made
quite independently of the other. We place a toothed wheel upon the sleeve of
the second dial and we arrange a second sliding rack to act as the light poise
weight. Thus when the heavy poise rack is drawn out along the arm of the
steelyard until the weight is nearly balanced the dial is set in motion, and records
the amount of load upon the platform of the machine which produces the degree
of equilibrium; and upon the second or light poise rack being drawn out until a
perfect equilibrium or satisfactory balance is obtained, the second dial records
automatically the exact load producing that effect.
The outer case or front of the dial box we construct with a suitable opening or
hole in order that the figures brought opposite to it by the dials may be distinctly
read.
And in order that the front dial may not prevent the index of the back dial
being clearly read and distinguished, we construct the portion of the front dial
which is immediately in front of the second dial figures with a number of openings
or gratings for permitting the figures passing behind to be seen through them.
Instead of forming one dial with holes for permitting the figures of the other
dial to be seen through, we sometimes construct them with their faces in line with
each other so that the figures are distinctly seen and without break or interruption
between them. We mount each dial or plate upon supporting arms or centres such
that one centre is recessed or led back to permit of the other working in front of

page_text: it.
That is to say, we cause the outer dial to be in the form of a ring, and the
inner one to be either a ring or a disc, the external diameter of which is less than
the internal diameter of the outer ring, so that it may freely work within it.
We protect the racks by a suitably formed casing arranged upon the central
post opposite to the side of the vibrating arm or lever, of the steelyard, and we
employ any ordinary bracket for protecting the vibrating arm and for supporting
the end carrier.
Instead of employing rotating dials to register the amount necessary to produce
equilibrium we sometimes employ rotating arrows or pointers working in front of
a fixed dial or dials the arrows being of varying lengths necessary to indicate upon
different scales or divisions as may be required for any purpose.
We cause the
indications to be made by the arrows, by means of the travelling racks and
pinions in the manner before described when actuating the dials.
I sometimes actuate my indicators or dials by means of a chain, band, cord or
other similar device, which I wind round a barrel or barrels carried upon the dials
or indicators, and then lead off over suitable pulleys or guide rollers to the moving
poise or poises to which I secure the end or ends of such coiled appliance or
appliances. Thus when the poise is withdrawn along the arm of the steelyard it
uncoils from the barrel or drum causing it to rotate and indicate the weight upon
the machine. Within the barrel or drum I place a coiled spring or I arrange a
system of weights against which the poise pulls, in order to keep the tension upon
the chain, cord or band when uncoiled.
When employing our improved machine to indicate upon dials and also to
record the weights upon tickets, we mount in front of the dials or discs a case
having an opening within it for permitting any figure or figures to be clearly seen
when brought opposite to it; and we sometimes place a glass plate in front of this
opening or sighting position. Beneath the sighting opening we arrange a pair of
inking rollers carried in suitable spring bearings or pads against which we cause
projecting figures or letters upon the dials to press, so as to receive some of the ink
or composition therefrom. These projecting figures we mount, attach to, or form
upon the dials, and cause them to correspond with the figures immediately
above, viz. those which are visible through the opening of the case, so that each
dial has a duplicate marking upon it one for displaying in large characters
publicly, and the other for printing or impressing upon a ticket. Between the
inking rollers we place a slide or channel for receiving a ticket to pass in front of
the projecting figures upon the dial, and we cause the ticket to pass away and
project out of the guiding channel until meeting a stop, or bar, the projecting
portion being of sufficient length to receive impressions from the whole of the
figures in line upon the dials when pressed forward by a hand lever provided for
this purpose. This hand lever we mount upon a stud or bracket arranged upon or
within the front casing of the dials, and we attach to it a plate or thrust piece for
carrying forward the projecting end of the ticket to receive the impressions from
the figures upon the dials immediately facing it. The impressing or printing
figures upon the dials we preferably mount in the reverse manner to the ordinary
displaying or indicating figures, so that when the ticket is withdrawn and turned
face foremost from the machine the reading is obtained in a natural and usual
manner. In order to prevent the dials from being bent or damaged by the pressure
of the ticket against it, we connect the ticket pressing lever to a back supporting
lever, which we mount behind the dial faces in such a manner that the end of the
supporting lever is moved forward by a link from the pressing lever until it bears
against the back of the dials in an equal manner to the pressure of the ticket upon
the front of them at the same position. We place a spring behind the supporting
or pressing lever to ensure that they shall not be in contact with the dials during
their motion.
Instead of employing inking rollers for printing purposes we sometimes place an
inking pad upon the pressing lever and cause this pad to be brought into contact
with the figures before the ticket is inserted in the guide. And we sometimes

page_text: dispense with inking rollers or pads entirely and employ only the impression
produced by the letters or figures themselves as the record for the ticket.
We do not limit the application of our improved sliding rack, or coiled band or
chain indicator constructed in the several manners hereinbefore set forth, to any
particular form of steelyard or special cattle weighing machine; or to machines
requiring recording tickets to be printed or impressed; but we adopt the same
system of indicator or dial movement as hereinbefore described when constructing
a weighing machine for any usual or ordinary purpose.
Dated this 17th day of June 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steelyards and Cattle Weighing Machines.
We, WILLIAM BELBY AVERY, and W. AND T. AVERY LIMITED, both of
Mill Lane, in the City of Birmingham, Weighing Machine Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
Our invention relates principally to improvements connected with steelyards and
cattle weighing machines constructed in the manner illustrated and set forth in the
Specification of the Patent No. 18765 of 1890 granted to William Beilby Avery.
The object of our present invention being to print or record upon a ticket the
weight upon the steelyard at any indication.
We arrange our steelyard or cattle weighing machine constructed in the manner
set forth in the Specification of the Patent hereinbefore referred to, but we apply
our present improvements thereto for printing or recording the weight upon tickets
in addition to displaying the same upon a dial or dials, in the manner illustrated
in the two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings.
On Sheet 1 Figure is a front elevation showing the dial central pillar frame
and steelyard arm or vibrating lever and Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
On Sheet 2 Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the dials with a portion of the
dial box or casing removed to show the arrangement of the figures upon the dials.
Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation showing the ticket printing arrangement,
and
Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the same.
We mount discs or dials A, A' within a dial box or casing B in which we
provide an opening a for permitting any figure or figures to be clearly seen when
brought opposite to it, and we sometimes place a glass plate in front of this opening
or sighting position.
Beneath the sighting opening we arrange a casing or box like frame d having
within a pair of inking rollers C, C' carried in suitable spring bearings D, D'; or
we sometimes arrange pads of rubber or any suitable material instead of the rollers.
We cause projecting figures or letters E, E³ upon the dials to press against or come
into contact with the rollers C, C¹ so as to receive some of the ink or colouring
printing composition therefrom. These projecting figures E, E' we mount, attach
to, or form upon the dials A, A' and cause them to correspond with the figures
immediately above, viz.-those which are visible through the opening a of the case,
so that each dial has a duplicate marking upon it, one for displaying in large
characters publicly and the other for recording by printing or impressing upon a
ticket F which we introduce into the casing of the machine.
Between the inking rollers we place a slide or channel G for receiving a ticket F
which is to pass in front of the projecting recording figures, upon the dial, and we
cause the ticket to pass away and to project out of and beyond the end of the

page_text: guiding channel or grooved frame G, until meeting a stop or bar H; the projecting
portion being of sufficient length to receive the impressions from the whole of the
figures E, E' in line upon the dials, when the projecting portion is pressed forward
by a hand lever K which we provide for this purpose. This hand lever we mount
upon a stud or bracket L arranged upon or within the frame casing of the dials,
and we attach to it a plate or thrust piece H, H' for carrying forward the projecting
end of the ticket F to receive the impressions from the figures E, E' upon the
dials A, A¹ immediately facing it. The impressing or printing figures upon the
dials we preferably mount in the reverse manner to the ordinary displaying or
indicating figures, so that when the ticket is withdrawn and turned face foremost.
from the machine the reading is obtained in a natural and usual manner.
In order to prevent the dials from being bent or damaged by the pressure of the
ticket against it we connect the ticket pressing lever K to a back supporting
lever M which we mount behind the dial faces upon a pin bracket O, in such a
manner that the end M of the supporting lever is moved forward by a link N from
the pressing lever K until it bears against the back of the dials in an equal but
opposite manner to the pressure of the ticket upon the front of them at the same
position. We place a spring P behind the supporting or pressing levers to ensure
that they shall not be in contact with the dials during their motion.
Instead of employing inking rollers for printing purposes we sometimes place an
inking pad upon the pressing lever and cause this pad to be brought into contact
with the figures before the ticket is inserted in the guide. And we sometimes
dispense with inking rollers or pads entirely and employ only the impression
produced by the letters or figures themselves as the record for the ticket.
We prefer to cover the inner cores of the rollers C, C' with several thicknesses
of cloth or other suitable material, and we saturate the covering with aniline ink or
other composition suitable for being transferred from the rollers to the projecting
figures. We make the figures of india rubber, metal or other suitable material or
we cast them in one with the dials: lustead of saturating the rollers we sometimes
arrange one or more tubes or feeders each having the bottom end closed with a
brush or other fibrous plug, for distributing the ink or composition on to the
rollers.
We do not limit the application of our improved ticket inking or impressing
mechanism and arrangements as hereinbefore described to any particular form of
steelyard or cattle weighing machine, but we adopt the same system of recording
the weight by impressing or printing as herein before described when applying our
improvements to a weighing machine suitably constructed for any usual or ordinary
purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of a steelyard or weighing machine having
figures attached to or provided upon the dials for marking or impressing a ticket
with the weight of the article or animal being weighed upon the steelyard or
machine, substantially in the manner herein before described and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a steelyard or weighing machine with circular dials, the application and
arrangement of a ticket holder, frame, slide or channel in front of the dials, together
with a ticket pressing lever for carrying forward the projecting end of the ticket to
meet the figures upon the dials, substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a steelyard or weighing machine with circular dials, the application and
arrangement of a dial supporting back lever or block controlled by the movement
of a front ticket pressing lever, for the purposes herein set forth, constructed
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 4. The application and arrangement of inking or colouring rollers or pads for
coating or covering the projecting faces of the figures upon the dials for printing
or marking tickets substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. The construction of steelyards, cattle weighing and other weighing machines,
in which tickets are printed or impressed with projecting figures arranged upon the
dials, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 17th day of March 1892
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.