Improvements in Portable Letter Balances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Letter Balances.
We, LIONEL HARVEY PEARCE, of Coalbournbrook, Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Artist, and CONGREVE JACKSON, of Scotland House, Stourbridge, in the
County of Worcester, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to portable balances for weighing letters and other small
articles and consists in combining such apparatus with a pon or pencil holder or with
a penknife.
In applying our invention to the construction of a combined penholder and letter-
balance, we employ a tubular holder closed at one end and open at the opposite end
for the reception of a pen or pencil. Enclosed within the holder is a longitudinally-
sliding rod, one end of which projects through the closed end of the holder, whilst
the opposite end is formed or fitted with a collar or nut. Between the collar or nut
upon the inner end of the sliding rod and the closed end of the holder is arranged
a spiral spring. The sliding rod is by preference flattened and works through a
slot in the closed end of the holder, the rotation of the rod during the application
or removal of the nut being thus prevented. The projecting extremity of the
sliding rod is formed as or fitted with a spring-clip or hook adapted for gripping
or engaging the edge of the letter, packet or other article to be weighed. The sides
of the hollow holder may be extended as two cheeks so as to partially enclose the
spring-clip or hook and afford protection thereto. The portion of the tubular holder
surrounding the nut or collar upon the inner end of the sliding rod is slotted
longitudinally and graduated in such a manner as to indicate by the position of
the nut (which may be seen through the slot) in relation to the graduated scale the
weight of the article attached to the clip at the opposite or outer extremity of the
sliding rod. With apparatus specially intended for use as a letter-balance, the amount
of the postage corresponding with the weight of the article may also be indicated upon
the scale.
It will be obvious that a spring in tension may be substituted for one in compression,
the sliding rod being attached to one end of such spring, whilst its opposite end is
fixed and the degree of extension to which the spring is subjected indicated instead of
the amount of its compression.
ليوم
1000
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Letter Balances.
We, LIONEL HARVEY PEARCE, of Coalbournbrook, Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Artist, and CONGREVE JACKSON, of Scotland House, Stourbridge, in the
County of Worcester, Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to portable balances for weighing letters and other small
articles, and consists in combining such apparatus with a pen- or pencil-holder or
with a penknife.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents in front elevation a combined
portable balance and pen-holder constructed in accordance with our invention; a letter

page_text: being shown as attached for the purpose of being weighed. Fig. 2 is a vertical
section; the internal mechanism being expos 'd. Fig. 3 is a view for explaining the
way in which the various component parts are put together; Fig. 3ª being a plan of
a detail hereinafter more particularly referred to. Fig. 4 is a view shewing a modified
forin of construction. In the arrangement represented in Figs. 5 and 6, the balance-
spring, instead of being in compression, is in tension whilst the letter or article is
being weighed..
The combined pen-holder and letter-balance comprises a tubular holder a closed
at one end by a flat ring band open at the opposite end for the reception of a pen c
or a pencil. The ring is supported by a transverse rivet ..Enclosed within the
holder is a longitudinally-sliding rod d, furnished with a hook-clip d'; one end of
which projects through the closed end of the holder. The inner end of the rod is
fitted with a collar d or a nut. Between the collar or the nut and the flat ring b is
arranged a spiral 'spring e. When a nut is employed, the sliding rod is by preference
flattened and works through a slot in the closed end of the holder, as represented
in Fig. 4; the rotation of the rod during the application or removal of the nut
being thus prevented. The downwardly-projecting extremity of the sliding rod dis
formed as a spring-clip or- hook or fitted with a hook-clip , so that it may be
adapted for gripping or holding the edge of the letter, packet or other article to be
weighed. The sides of the hollow holder may be extended as two cheeks a¹ and a²,
so as to partially enclose the spring-clip or hook or hook-clip d'and afford protection
thereto. In Fig. 4, the cheeks a¹ and a project from a separate piece of tubular
metal a*, which is slipped over the closed end of the holder a and secured in place
by crimping, as represented, or in any other suitable way. The spring-clip d✶ shown
in that Figure is specially adapted for holding letters. It is drawn diagrammatically
at right angles to its true position. In the portion of the tubular holder surrounding
the nut or collar d² is formed a longitudinal slot a³ the sides of which are marked with
a graduated scale in such a manner as to indicate by the position of the the projection d³
or a mark on the collar or nut (which projects from or may be seen through the
slot) in relation to the graduated scale the weight of the article attached to the clip
or hook. With apparatus specially intended for use as a letter-balance, the amount
of the postage corresponding with the weight of the article may also be indicated upon
the scale, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 5.
The way in which the parts are put together is shewn in Fig. 3. The centre of
the rod d is bent into a curved form so that the rod d with the collar d threaded
thereon may be pushed down the upper portion of the holder a; it being necessary
to place the parts in the positions represented for this to be accomplished: Immediately
the projection d³ reaches the slot a³, the collar d² is permitted to pass from the position
represented in Fig. 3 to that represented in Fig. 2; the rod d thereupon slipping
through the collar until the head d* arrives in contact with the collar d².
rivet 6' is then inserted between the ring b and the turned-in end of the hook-
clip d¹.
The
It will be obvious that a spring in tension, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6, may
be substituted for one in compression. The sliding rod d is attached to one end e¹
of such spring e*; its opposite end e² being fixed by a rivet f. Under such circum-
stances, the degree of extension to which the spring is subjected is indicated instead
of, as in the former arrangement, the degree of compression. The projection d³ in
Fig. 6 is shewn as screwed into a tube d' attached to the rod d. The movement of
the latter within the holder a is guided by 'the tube d in one direction and by the
hook in the other direction. The hook, instead of being attached to the rod as in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is formed in one piece therewith. Ink is kept from falling into the
working parts by a wad g pushed down the holder a against the end e² of the
spring e*.
1"
.2
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we claim
1. The improved portable letter balance, consisting of a'lotter-balance in combination

page_text: with a pen- or pencil-holder or with a pen-knife, constructed and operating sub-
stantially as herein described.
2. The improved portable letter-balance constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and mounted in a pencil-holder or a pen-
holder a having a slot a³ and graduated scale for indicating the degree to which the
balance-spring is compressed or extended, and two cheeks a and a' for protecting the
device employed for holding the letter or article to be weighed.
3. The improved portable letter-balance constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 4, and comprising a pencil or a pen e, a holder a formed with
a slot a marked with a graduated scale, a book-clip d', a collar d², a rod d for
uniting the collar and clip, and a spring e between the collar and the end of the
holder.
4. The improved portable letter-balance constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 5 and 6, and comprising a pencil or a pen c, a holder a formed
with a slot a marked with a graduated scale, a hook-clip do and a tension-spring e*,
to the free end e' of which the hook-clip de is connected.
1: 24th day of December 1880
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.