IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING OR MEASURING CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Baxter, of Brixton Hill, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING OR MEASURING CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 20th September 1872, and dated the 23rd March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Baxter
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd March 1872.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BAXTER, of Brixton Hill, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING OR MEASURING CORN
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or
apparatus for weighing or measuring corn and other substances, and
relates to improvements upon Letters Patent granted to me, dated
December 24, 1869, No. 3733, by which improvements the weighing or

page_text: measuring is effected without being influenced by friction of any of the
parts. For this purpose I dispense with the fixed stop described in the
Specification of my aforesaid Patent to act upon the wheel fixed on the
axis of the weighing or measuring drum, and in lieu thereof I employ
a lever mounted on an axis carried by the framing and formed with
two arms in a similar manner to an escapement. This lever works in
the teeth or projections of the said wheel, so as to allow only one tooth
or projection to pass each time it moves to and fro. When the beam is
depressed by material in the drum one limb of the escapement or catch
comes in contact with a stop fixed to the frame of the machine, or is
operated by the action of a sliding piece herein-after described for the
If
purpose of moving it to and fro and permitting a tooth to pass.
desired a similar wheel and escapement may be applied at each end of
the drum.
To the ends of the beam in which the drum revolves are attached
uprights carrying two light trays suspended from them in such a way
that they close by their own weight and then form a receptacle capable
of containing a quantity of corn or other material dropped therein.
Above them and fixed to the frame of the machine is a shoot or hopper
as before, so shaped as to lead the corn or other substance into the said
trays. On one end of the drum are fixed cam pieces of the same number
as there are compartments, and upon the upright rod is a sliding piece,
so placed that the said cam pieces when they are carried round by the
revolution of the drum lift it up, and by suitable means cause the trays
to open at their lower extremities.
When in a state of readiness to receive the corn or other substance to
be weighed, one of the cam pieces above mentioned holds up the sliding
piece which keeps open the trays, but when sufficient material has fallen
from the hopper and through the open trays. into the compartment
beneath to balance the weight or weights suspended or carried at the
other end of the beam the drum descends, and a sliding bolt carried by
the sliding piece coming in contact with a fixed point on the frame of
the machine it is struck off the cam piece and the trays instantly close,
thus cutting off any further supply to the compartment, but forming a
receptacle to contain that which continues to fall. The corn continuing
to fall into the receptacle formed by the trays causes by its weight a
further depression, and the limb of the escapement strikes against the
stop or stops and releases the drum, which swings round and discharges

page_text: its contents; or the said escapement or catch may be acted upon by the
weight of the sliding piece above mentioned. Such action reopens the
trays at the proper moment and lets into the next compartment the corn
therein, at the same time forming a passage for the corn from the
hopper, the operation is then repeated.
The registration on the dial fixed to the frame may be effected by a
lever from the beam, or by any other suitable means. The quantity
passed and registered at each descent of the drum is regulated by the
weight or weights hung from the beam, or a spring or springs may be
used for this purpose, in which case I suspend the drum with its frame,
toothed wheel escapement, and tray or trays, by means of such spring,
and I regulate the mode of closing the trays and releasing the drum in
the following manner:-The tray or trays are forced open by the back
action of the spring striking a lever connected therewith against a fixed
point, and the tray or trays are retained thus by the weighting of the
said lever or by a spring. But in the descent of the drum as it becomes
filled this lever comes in contact with a stop capable of regulation
according to the quantity to be weighed at each tip, the tray or trays
are short, and become a receptacle as before described, the weight of
corn falling therein causing the drum to fall further and the limb of the
escapement to come in contact with a second fixed stop connected with
the first-mentioned and also capable of regulation. The drum is released,
turns round, and discharges its load, and the spring brings it back to
its normal position or nearly so; this latter operation reopens the trays
and at the same time works by suitable means the counter or index for
registering the quantity weighed.
.
Where measure and not weight only is required, it is only necessary
to weigh a known bulk first and place the weight or weights at such a
point on the beam as will balance this quantity, or where a spring is
used place the stops at such places as will close the trays and discharge
the drum when this bulk depresses the drum to the required places.
The back action of the weight or weights or springs may be utilized
to move a stirrer or agitator in the hopper when such material is being
weighed that requires agitation to make it run.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Baxter in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY BAXTER, of Brixton Hill, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
L'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Baxter, Her special
licence that I, the said William Henry Baxter, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Baxter,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING OR MEASURING
CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Henry Baxter, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Baxter, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or
apparatus for weighing or measuring corn and other substances, and
relates to improvements upon Letters Patent granted to me, dated
December 24th, 1869, No. 3733, by which improvements the weighing or
measuring is effected without being influenced by friction of any of the

page_text: parts. For this purpose I dispense with the fixed stop described in the
Specification of my aforesaid Patent to act upon the wheel fixed on
the axis of the weighing or measuring drum, and in lieu thereof I employ
a lever mounted on an axis carried by the framing and formed with two
arms in a similar manner to an escapement. This lever works in the
teeth or projections of the said wheel, so as to allow only one tooth or
projection to pass each time it moves to and fro. When the beam is
depressed by material in the drum, one limb of the escapement or catch
comes in contact with a stop fixed to the frame of the machine, or is
operated by the action of a sliding piece herein-after described for the
purpose of moving it to and fro, and permitting a tooth to pass. If
desired a similar wheel and escapement may be applied at each end of
the drum.
To the ends of the beam in which the drum revolves are attached
uprights carrying two light trays suspended from them in such a way
that they close by their own weight and then form a receptacle capable
of containing a quantity of corn or other material dropped therein.
Above them and fixed to the frame of the machine is a shoot or hopper
as before, so shaped as to lead the corn or other substance into the said
trays. On one end of the drum are fixed cam pieces of the same number
as there are compartments, and upon the upright rod is a sliding piece
so placed that the said cam pieces, when they are carried round by the
revolution of the drum lift it up, and by suitable means cause the trays
to open at their lower extremities.
When in a state of readiness to receive the corn or other substance to
be weighed, one of the cam pieces above mentioned holds up the sliding
piece which keeps open the trays, but when sufficient material has fallen
from the hopper and through the open trays into the compartment
beneath to balance the weight or weights suspended or carried at the
other end of the beam the drum descends, and a sliding bolt carried by
the sliding piece coming in contact with a fixed point on the frame of
the machine it is struck off the cam piece and the trays instantly close,
thus cutting off any further supply to the compartment, but forming a
receptacle to contain that which continues to fall. The corn continuing
to fall into the receptacle formed by the trays, causes by its weight a
further depression and the limb of the escapement strikes against the
stop or stops and releases the drum, which swings round and discharges
its contents, or the said escapement or catch may be acted upon by the

page_text: weight of the sliding piece above mentioned. Such action reopens the
trays at the proper moment and lets into the next compartment the corn
therein, at the same time forming a passage for the corn from the hopper,
the operation is then repeated. The registration on the dial fixed to the
frame may be effected by a lever from the beam or by any other suitable
means. The quantity passed and registered at each descent of the drum
is regulated by the weight or weights hung from the beam.
Where measure and not weight only is required, it is only necessary
to weigh a known bulk first and place the weight or weights at such a
point on the beam as will balance this quantity.
The back action of the weight or weights may be utilised to move a
stirrer or agitators in the hopper when such material is being weighed
that requires agitation to make it " run."
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Figures 1 and 2 represent a side view of machinery or apparatus for
weighing or measuring corn and other substances, having my present
improvements applied thereto. In these Figures the parts are shown in
two different positions.
a is the weighing or measuring drum, which is divided into com-
partments a¹, as is well understood. This drum is mounted in suitable
bearings carried by a beam lever or frame b, which is mounted on knife
edges 6', resting in suitable bearings carried by the main frame c. The
beam lever or frame 6 is provided with a weight 62 to counterbalance the
weight of the measuring drum a and other parts, whilst a sliding weight b³
is employed to regulate the weight to be delivered at each action of the
apparatus. d is a wheel fixed on the axis of the weighing or measuring
drum a, and having as many teeth d¹ formed thereon as there are com-
partments in the drum. This wheel d, instead of acting in combination
with a fixed stop, as described in my aforesaid Specification, acts in
combination with a two-armed lever e, which is mounted on an axis of
motion e¹, and acts in a similar manner to an escapement. This lever e
works in the teeth or projections d' of the wheel d, so as to allow only

page_text: one tooth or projection d¹ to pass each time the drum a oscillates and
delivers the contents of one of its compartments. When' the beam 6 is
depressed by material in the drum a, the upper limb of the escapement
lever e comes in contact with a stop c¹ fixed to the frame c, whereby the
escapement lever e allows one tooth d¹ of the wheel d to pass, but acts
to prevent more than one tooth passing at a time. To the ends of the
beam 6 are attached uprights 6*, which at their upper ends carry two
light trays f suspended from them on axes f¹, so that they may close by
their own weight and then form a receptacle capable of containing a
quantity of corn' or other material dropped therein. Above these trays f
is mounted on the main frame a shoot or hopper gas before to lead
the corn or other substance into the trays f.
1
On one end of the drum a are fixed cam pieces a² of the same number.
as there are compartments in the drum, and upon one of the upright
rods * is a sliding piece h, so placed that the cam pieces a³, when they
are carried round by the revolution of the drum act upon a stud /',
carried by a sliding bolt h² working in the sliding piece h to raise such
sliding piece, and by means of the wedge h³ formed at the upper part of
the sliding piece h, act upon the studs f* to cause the trays fto open at
their lower ends, and thereby allow the corn or other material to flow
into one of the compartments of the drum a.
When the parts are in the position shown at Figure 1 in readiness to
receive the corn or other substance to be weighed, one of the cam
pieces a² holds up the sliding piece h which keeps open the trays f, but
when sufficient material has fallen from the hopper g and through the
open trays into the compartment beneath to balance the weight or
weights suspended or carried at the other end of the beam b, the drum
descends, as shown at Figure 2, and the sliding bolt 2 coming in contact
with a fixed stop 6* carried by the frame of the machine, the stud h¹ is
struck off the cam piece a³, thereby causing the sliding piece h to fall,
when the trays f will immediately close and cut off any further supply
to the compartment, but will form a receptacle to contain that which
continues to fall from the shoot or hopper g. The corn or other material
continuing to fall into the receptacle formed by the trays, causes by its
weight a further depression, and the upper limb of the escapement lever e
strikes against the stop c¹ and releases the drum, which swings round
and discharges its contents, or if desired the escapement lever e may by
suitable connections be acted upon by the weight of the sliding piece h.

page_text: In the rotation of the drum a, the sliding piece h is raised and caused
to reopen the trays fat the proper moment to discharge their contents
into the next compartment, and at the same time to form a passage for
the corn or other material from the hopper g into the compartment of
the drum a for the time in use, and the operation is repeated as before.
On the rising of the drum a the sliding bolt h³ comes in contact with
another fixed stop 65, which pushes such sliding bolt h² into position to
support the sliding piece h, and thereby keep the trays fopen as long
as required.
1
The registration of the quantity of material weighed or measured by
the apparatus may be effected as before by means of a lever from the
beam 6 acting upon a train of gearing giving motion to hands or
pointers arranged upon a suitable face or dial, but I have not shown
this arrangement, as it is well understood, and forms no part of my
present Invention.
Where measure and not weight only is required, it is only necessary
to weigh a known bulk first, and place the weight or weights at such a
point on the beam as will balance this quantity.
The back action of the weight or weights' may be utilized to move a
stirrer or agitators in the hopper, as will be well understood when such
material is being weighed that requires agitation to make it run.
i is a spring buffer, which I prefer to employ in combination with
projections as to check the momentum of the drum a, and prevent injury
to the various parts of the apparatus in the revolution of the drum to
discharge the contents of one of its compartments.
I would here remark that since filing my Provisional Specification I
have found that the mode therein described of employing a spring or
springs instead of a weight to weigh the material passed through the
apparatus does not possess such an amount of utility as to render it
advisable to retain it in my Specification and make a claim thereto, and
for this reason I desire to disclaim, and do hereby disclaim such
arrangement.
And I would further remark that I do not confine myself to the
means herein described of operating the trays f, and if desired one only
of such trays may be movcable the other being fixed.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I do claim is,―
Firstly. The employment of an escapement lever e carried by the scale.
beam 6 acting in combination with a wheel d in manner and for the
purpose substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly. I claim the employment of trays fcapable of being opened
and closed at the required times, and being supported by the scale beam b
in combination with the drum a in manner and for the purpose sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Baxter, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
WILLIAM H. BAXTER. (L.S.)