Improvements in or relating to Weighing Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1898-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Weighing Apparatus.
1, ORANGE OSCAR OZIAS, of Canby Building, Dayton, Ohio, United States of
America, Gentleman, 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 improvements in scales for ascertaining the weight of
objects and indicating the same either in units of weight or in units of money:
value, or in both units of weight and units of money value, the improvements
being especially, though not exclusively, designed for use in connection with
scales in which a spring or equivalent is provided for carrying the support or
goods receiver, and with an indicator for indicating the extent of elongation of
the spring or movement of the goods receiver, and through the medium of suitable
graduations showing the weight of the goods on the receiver in the desired units
of weight or value, and one of the main objects of the invention is to provide a
means whereby the danger of disarrangement or excessive wear because of shocks
imparted to the delicate mechanism by suddenly placing goods on or taking them
off of the receiver, is overcome. A further object of the invention is to provide a
means for enabling total values of goods placed on the receiver to be determined
readily when the weight or value of the goods exceeds the capacity indicated by
a rotary indicator controlled by the movement of the goods receiver in making
one revolution.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 11 is a front elevation of a scale of the spring balance type embodying
the present improvements.
Figure 2 is a corresponding elevation on a smaller scale looking at the reverse
side.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the governing mechanism
or cylinders for controlling the movement of the goods receiver.
Figure 4 is a corresponding section showing a single central governing
cylinder.
Figure 5 is a modification of one of the governing cylinders to be hereinafter
specifically referred to.
Figures 6 and 7 are elevations of opposite sides of a modified form of scale of
a somewhat simplified construction and employing a single dial.
Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
The style of scale adopted for illustrating the principles of the present inven-
tion is an ordinary spring balance seale having certain detail improvements and
adaptations to be presently described and embodying in its construction a
casing A, which as shown is substantially cylindrical or round with flat faces
although this is not important and the casing may be of any approved or desired
contour. At the top, the casing is provided with a suspension device B and
within the casing a spring or springs C support at their lower ends a draft bar I),
carrying a hook to which goods for weighing may be attached, or from which a
017

page_text: pan or other goods receiver E may be suspended. Journalled in the casing or in
any appropriate part of the framing of the scale is a transverse shaft F, adapted
to carry an indicating disk or hand, or both, to be presently described, and
mounted upon this shaft F is a pinion 1 with which a rack bar F2 meshes, said
rack bar being pivotally connected at its lower end to the draft bar ]) and
maintained in mesh with the pinion either by a spring which presses it against
the pinion or by a fixed stop carried by the frame work or casing and between
which and the pinion the rack bar works. The stop F3 should have a curved
surface to prevent binding in case the draft bar should swing transversely to a
slight extent when goods are placed on the receiver.
The upper ends of the springs are preferably connected with an adjustable
cross-piece C, made adjustable by means of a bolt and thumb nut C², whereby
the scale may be sealed or set properly.
The means for indicating the movement of the draft bar when goods are placed
on the receiver and consequently the weight or unit value of the goods may consist
of a hand on the transverse shaft, or a dial or dials carried by said shaft or a dial
and a hand carried by said shaft, or in fact, the draft bar itself might be properly
graduated to accomplish the same end. If reference he had to Figure 2, it will
be seen that there is illustrated a scale having on one side a hand or pointer G
carried by the shaft and adapted to register with a series of weight graduations
marked on the dial carried by the casing and lettered g, said graduations as
shown running from one to ten, with minor or subordinate indications and in-
dicating pounds and ounces with a capacity of ten pounds. Within the case and
on the opposite end of the shaft a dial H is mounted and carries upon its face a
series of graduations or table of computations designed to indicate values at
different rates per unit of weight as will be presently explained, and in addition,
if desired, this dial H may also have marginal graduations indicating simply
units of weight making it possible to read weight from either side of the scale
and value from one side. Obviously, dials may be mounted on both ends of the
shaft, or, on the other hand, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the shaft may carry
a single dial and both sides of this dial be exposed through suitable openings as
at H2, H3, for indicating either weight or money value, or both weight and money
value.
In the practical operation and use of scales of which that so far described is a
type, it has been found that the parts are liable to be distorted, the operation
rendered inaccurate and the parts even ruptured by the shocks due to suddenly
placing a heavy weight on the receiver or removing a heavy weight therefrom,
and allowing the springs to contract without opposition, and in the present inven-
tion, this difficulty is overcome by a governing mechanism, which, while it will
check any sudden or violent movement of the draft har in either direction, never-
theless will not interpose any friction or resistance to the ultimate correct
positioning of the parts in securing a correct balance when goods are placed on
the receiver, or in returning accurately to the zero point when goods are removed
therefrom, and furthermore, said governing mechanism is so arranged as to pre-
vent any distortion of the true line of draft as defined by the position of the
supporting springs, the pinion and transverse shaft, and the draft har, a result
which is highly desirable and so far as at present appears, necessary in securing
accurate results.
Referring now to Figure 3, it will be seen that on each side of the line of draft
or a vertical line extending through the draft bar, the transverse shaft, and
between the springs, there are arranged two cylinders K, preferably mounted
rigidly in the casing or frame work of the scale and working loosely in these
cylinders are pistons L, each connected by a jointed connecting rod M with the
laterally extending arms m of the draft bar. The jointed connection between
the upper ends of the connecting rods and pistons is preferably made at a point
at or above the center of the piston in order to reduce lateral friction or binding

page_text: of the piston in the cylinder. In the preferred construction, the piston in each
cylinder in addition to being made loose enough to work freely in the cylinder
and permit the air to escape or move past the same when the piston is moved
slowly, is also made with a series of annular chambers 7, in which the air passing
the piston when moved rapidly will congest and offer additional resistance ip
the movement of the piston, but which when the piston is moving slowly will
not increase the resistance to its movement.
The result of this arrangement, it will be seen is that when goods are placed
on the receiver or the receiver is released suddenly and the draft bar tends in
make a sudden movement in either direction which would be checked with a
shock by reaching the limit of its movement, its speed is controlled absolutely
by the pistons working in the cylinders causing the air to condense or rarify as
the case may be in the upper ends of the cylinders, but because of the looseness
between the cylinders and pistons before mentioned as the speed of the draft bar
decreases the resistance is reduced in proportion and the draft bar will ultimately
come to rest at exactly the point it would have reached had no such governing
mechanism been interposed.
The arrangement of the cylinders on opposite sides of the line of draft insures
a balance of the resistance and prevents any lateral distortion of the line of draft
which would cause friction between any of the movable, or between any of the
movable and stationary parts of the scales.
Obviously, however, it is not essential in order to secure this alignment of the
draft line and resistance that the cylinders should be located on opposite sides of
the line of draft inasmuch as other arrangements for accomplishing the same end
may be resorted to and in Figure 4 will be found an adaptation of the invention
wherein but a single cylinder and piston is employed. In this instance the
cylinder K is supported centrally in the casing or framing of the scale and the
transverse shaft is arranged immediately below the axial line of the open end of
the cylinder. The rack bar co-operating with the pinion on the shaft works up
in the lower end of the cylinder itself and the connecting rod M, which is
pivotally connected with the draft bar, is deflected between its ends in order to
pass around the transverse shaft and pinion, its upper end, however, returning
again into the line of draft and being connected centrally with the piston in the
manner before described, and on these lines it will also be noted that a single
spring might be employed, arranged in alignment with the line of draft and
between two cylinders or even a single cylinder.
Although it is desirable in order to eliminate friction that the piston should
fit loosely in the cylinder, yet a practical scale may be made in which the piston
fits accurately and the piston or the lining of the cylinder is formed of an anti-
friction material and the cylinder in such instance may be provided with a vent
or orifice in the upper end contracted to a proper degree.
Such a construction is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, the piston L in
this instance having a graphite cylinder L screwed or otherwise secured upon
its exterior or wearing surface and with this construction the piston may be a
close fitting piston and the congestion or rarification of the air in the upper end of
the cylinder relieved through a small vent or opening in the upper end of the
cylinder, and if desired this vent or opening may be valved to give relief more or
less freely in one direction or the other, as might be desirable where the draft
bar is required to move more rapidly in one direction than in the other.
On the casing adjacent to the opening through which the dial H is exposed a
series of figures is provided which indicates unit values of goods, say three to
forty cents per pound, said figures being placed so that the finger or pointer
opposite each one will register with graduations and computations P on the
dial itself, and these latter graduations and computations constitute a table of
total values and are adapted to register with the pointers opposite the price
figures O, as the dial rotates and upon the depression of the draft bar and cou-

page_text: sequent rotation of the dial, it will be at once seen that the value of the goods
may be read from the dial at a point opposite the desired rate per pound.
In order to increase the capacity of the scale the dial is usually made so as to
be capable of making one, two or three revolutions, thus in the particular scale
illustrated, in making one revolution a weight of ten pounds is indicated, two
revolutions twenty pounds, and three revolutions thirty pounds, and in order that
the correct value may be indicated where the dial is given more than one rotation
or more than two rotations, there is provided on the casing, parallel with the
table of rate prices 0, tables of computations 01, 02, indicating the cost of articles
when the dial has made one and two revolutions respectively, thus, for instance,
assuming that the rate is five cents per pound, there is arranged on the casing to
the right of the five cent indication, first the figure 50, indicating a cost of
ten pounds at five cents per pound, then the figure 100 ($1), indicating the
cost of twenty pounds at five cents per pound. The figures in the two
columns 01, 02, are arranged similarly with respect to each of the other
rate indications and with this table immediately adjacent the rate indica-
tions O, and knowing that the dial has made more than one or more than two
revolutions, it is a simple matter to add to the amount indicated by the dial, H,
the amount in the proper column, for instance, with the example given, if the
dial has rotated one and one half times, the figure 25 will appear on the dial H
opposite the five cent pointer and adding this to the 50 indicated in the first
column, 0, will show at once that the goods are worth 75 cents, and so if the
dial has made two revolutions and a half the 25 cents shown on the dial would
be added to the one dollar shown in the second column, 02, of computations on the
casing giving the total value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A speed governing mechanism combined with the draft bar of a scale, the
parts being arranged with the line of resistance coincident with or evenly dis-
tributed around the line of draft, whereby the action of the governor does not
tend to move the line of draft laterally.
2. A pneumatic check consisting of a cylinder and piston when used in con-
nection with a scale having a draft bar and with the effective line of resistance
coincident with the line of draft; substantially as set forth.
3. In a scale the combination with a spring balanced draft bar and rotary
indicator controlled thereby, of a pneumatic checking mechanism with its
effective line of resistance coincident with the line of draft to prevent lateral
deflection of the line of draft.
4. The combination with a scale having a draft bar and balance spring or
springs, of an inverted pneumatic cylinder and a piston connected with the draft
bar and working in said cylinder.
5. The combination with a scale having a draft bar, balance spring or springs
therefor and a rotary indicator controlled by the draft bar, of an inverted
pneumatic cylinder and a piston connected with the draft bar and working in
said cylinder.
6. A scale embodying a draft bar, a balancing and indicating mechanism
having combined therewith pneumatic checks uniformly disposed about and
parallel with the line of draft.
7. A scale embodying a draft bar, springs and indicating mechanism having
combined therewith two pneumatic checks, one located on the diametrically
opposite side of the line of draft from the other.
& The combination with a scale embodying a pendulous draft bar, of a
pneumatic cylinder, a piston working therein and jointed connections between
the piston and the draft bar for controlling the speed of the movements of the
latter.

page_text: 9. A scale embodying a draft bar and balancing means, combined with a
pneumatic check embodying a cylinder and a piston fitting loosely therein.
10. A scale embodying a draft bar and balancing means combined with
pneumatic checking means embodying a cylinder and a piston fitting loosely
therein and formed with one or more annular chambers or spaces.
11. A scale embodying a spring supported draft bar, combined with a trans-
verse shaft rotated by the movement of said draft bar, an indicating disk on one
end of said shaft and a pointer on the opposite end of said draft; substantially
as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
12. A scale embodying a spring supported draft bar, combined with a trans-
verse shaft rotated by the movement of said draft bar and two indicating disks
mounted one on each end of said shaft.
a
13. A scale embodying a spring supported draft bar, combined with
pneumatic check embodying a cylinder and piston with the wearing surface made
of anti-friction material.
14. A scale embodying a spring supported draft bar combined with a
pneumatic check embodying a cylinder having a vent and a piston working in
said cylinder and connected with the draft bar.
15. scale having a casing, draft bar and supporting springs for the draft bar,
combined with a disk rotated by the movement of the draft bar and having gradua-
tions on both faces and adapted to be exposed through openings in opposite sides
of the casing.
15. In a spring balance price indicating scale, the combination with the goods
support and rotary dial having computations of value thereon at different rates
per unit, of a fixed casing forming a co-operating indicator and having rate
indications thereon and tables of value indications arranged on the casing in
parallel columns with said rate indications and indicating the highest values on
the dial and multiples thereof; substantially as described.
Signed at London this 7th day of July 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.