IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES " to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a portable weighing machine for weighing railway
trucks.
The improved machine serves to weigh railway trucks by determining the weight
resting upon each pair of wheels separately and is fastened to the continuous rails
of the track between two sleepers.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide an iron casing or box for
containing the whole mechanism, which box is suspended by claws from the
continuous rails of the track without any further support. The upper plate of
the bridge is arranged to slide upon inclined planes for the purpose of enabling the
Baid plate to be brought to bear against wheel flanges of different depths, in order
that the said flanges may stand firmly upon the upper plate before the weighing
machine is thrown into gear. The sliding movement of the said upper plate is
effected by means of a hand-lever secured to a shaft having forked or bifurcated
arms keyed upon it.
The openings between the forked arms are made somewhat larger than the pins
which they embrace on the underside of the upper plate in order that, after the
upper plate has been moved the hand-lever can be placed in such a position by
means of a notched segment, that the bridge of the machine is not touched by the
forked arms.
A support is arranged directly over the front knife-edge of the main lever of
the machine, so that the rod connecting the said main lever to the upper beam, and
in which rod the disengaging device (which may be of any suitable construction)
is inserted, is situated in the interior of the said support.
On the support is arranged a signalling device which indicates when the bridge
is in its lowest position, and in a condition for traffic to pass on the track rails
without the bridge being touched or injury done to it.

page_text: The signalling device is arranged in the following manner that is to say the
signal rod is pivotted at the foot of the support, and higher up is held by a collar
bearing. At a suitable height an arm is fixed to the said rod which is connected
by a weight by means of a chain passing over a roller: Somewhat lower down, on
the said rod is a pawl which, by reason of the said weight, always bears against
the hand-lever. When the hand lever is quite drawn back and consequently
the upper plate of the bridge assumes its lowest position, the signal shows
"Line clear." When the hand lever is moved in order to push the upper plate
of the bridge upward against the flanges of the wheels the signal-rod makes a
quarter of a revolution and then stands at "Stop," as it must follow the action of
the weight in consequence of the liberation of the pawl. When, after the weighing
is effected, the hand lever is pulled back to the outer position, the said pawl is
also moved and the signal rod is consequently turned back, the signal thus showing
again "Line clear."

page_text: connected by means of a chain passing over the roller x with a weight V. Some-
what lower down on the rod R¹ is a tappets which by reason of the weight V
always bears against the hand lever H. When the hand lever H is drawn back so
that the plate E assumes its lowest position, the signal shows "Line clear." When
the hand lever H is moved in order to push the plate E of the bridge upward
against the flanges of the wheels the signal-rod R¹ is moved through a quarter of
a revolution, and then stands upon "Stop," as it must follow the action of the
weight V in consequence of the liberation of the tappet. When, after the weighing
is effected, the hand lever H is pulled back to the outer position, the tappet is
also moved and the signal rod R is consequently turned back, the signal thus
shewing again "Line clear."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
First. A weighing machine suspended from the rails of a railway track, and
provided with a support for the graduated beam, in the interior of which support
is situated the rod connecting the main lever with the graduated beam; and with
a disconnecting device arranged in connection with this rod, the said support and
also the disconnecting device being of any suitable construction.
Second. The combination with the support for the graduated beam, of the band
lever arranged in connection with a segment fixed on said support, and operating
the signalling device substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this fith day of Fahruary 1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.