A NEW OR IMPPOVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS, AND FOR INDICATING SUCH WEIGHT
Year: 1879

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Browne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th April 1879. A communication
from abroad by Alexandre Tavan, Civil Engineer, and Jean Charrier, both of
Paris, France.
ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 5,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
" A NEW OR
IMPPOVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS,
AND FOR INDICATING SUCH WEIGHT." [A communication from abroad by Alexandre
Tavan, Civil Engineer, and Jean Charrier, both of Paris, France.]
This Invention, which acts upon the principle of a balance, has for its object the
exact regulation, weighing, and sampling of alcohol and other liquids in distilleries
and establishments of dealers and consumers for decanting, so as to prevent fraud
and illicit practices; it operates mechanically, and admits of the most exact reckoning
and waiching

page_text: lating on knife edges 6, are so calculated as to show an equilibrium at 5
kilogrammes.
The receptacles F are furnished with handles A, which serve to suspend them by
knife edges a at the extremity of the levers B, and also allow of the free play of
these receptacles in their rising and falling motion, and of a perfectly perpendicular
position.
By the perfect insolation of the weighing receptacles very accurate weights are
obtained.
Figure 1 shews the. apparatus in action.
If alcohol or other liquid is conveyed by the tube D into the rocking vessel E it
instantly loses its equilibrium, inclines towards the right hand; the liquid having
reached the level of the tube E' in the rocking vessel E, runs off by the tube E" into
the receptacle F, wherein it rises to a height according to its density. Precisely at
this instant the lever B¹ having left that marked B (or supplementary lever)
arrives at a certain point, occasions the recoil in the contrary direction of the rocking
vessel E, and the valve G being opened by means of the rod g the liquid runs off
at the bottom of the weighing receptacle.
Simultaneously with each weighing a sample is taken.
This sample is taken by means of the little balance placed beneath the rocking
vessel E.
Upon the vessel E is mounted a tube J¹, the branch whereof is deflected, and
the end open at J¹¹ for the passage of air; this tube carries a small button fitted
above the bucket K through which passes the alcohol or other liquid intended to
serve as sample.
The bucket K terminates by a conical piece, wherein works a valve. This last
is furnished with a rod, which, when the balance loses its equilibrium, opens the
valve by resting with its own weight on the bottom of another stationary bucket
K¹; the alcohol or other liquid then runs off in this latter, passes through the tube K¹,
and falls into the sampling reservoir O. P is the support of the balance fixed
against the outside rim of the receptacle H.
Q, a pressure bar loose on its axis, furnished with a counter weight Q, instantly
to destroy the equilibrium when the required weight of alcohol makes the balance
swing.
The weight Q is calculated according to the weight of the sample to be taken.
q is the support of the fixed bucket K', but this latter may be variously mounted
so as to dispense with the valve, arranging a check of suitable form, which should
tilt the bucket K, so that its contents would run off into the bucket below, as before
mentioned. When the alcohol or other liquid contained in the bucket K has run
off the balance remains in the inclined position until the weighing vessel F placed
beneath it goes up in its turn, and by means of the rod I, which is supported by
the arm of the pressure bar, brings it back to its original position.
It is not necessary to apply two samplers for the two weighings; one is
sufficient, and even one receptacle for receiving the samples, but for a large quantity
two receivers O are employed, which can be put in communication with a tube, and
in which the liquid will be at the same level.
To avoid the evaporation of the alcohol the receptacles O will be furnished with
a lid. The stopcocks R allow the drawing off of the liquid contained in the recep-
tacles O to check and certify the alcohol.

page_text: This arrangement of tube is intended to prevent the liquid from falling directly
on the bottom of the weighing receptacle, and avoid all irregularity in the
weighing,
Figure 9 is a detailed view of the knife edge mounted on the handle of one of
the weighing receptacles, and at the end of the lever B.
Figures 10 and 11 are two interior views of the lock, which should be fixed to
the door of the chest U enclosing the apparatus.
It is impossible to insist too strongly upon this encasement; it is one of the most
important points involved in the successful employment of this indicator.
With a lock on this plan the clerk can always control the distiller, and discover
whether the apparatus has been opened in his absence.
The manager too can find out if the clerk has faithfully performed his duty.
With this object is arranged three small dials. That marked z³ corresponds with
a wheel 2 placed inside the lock; this wheel contains ten teeth, each corresponding
with the divisions of the dial. The dial likewise corresponds with a wheel ³,
with ten teeth; and, lastly, the dial 25 corresponds with a wheel of fifteen teeth 26.
This lock has three keys, one for opening the bolt; the two others of different forms
are square or triangular. They are used to open the little doors u and u¹; the key
of the drop scutcheon to the left u is in the hands of the overlooker, whereas that
which opens the right hand door is in the hands of the manager, who can test on
his dials the number of times the overlooker has opened the register.
In the act of closing the bolt the spring o slides lightly upon one of the teeth of
the wheel z, and that marked o¹ slides in the same way on the wheel 2*.
But-if-the-lock-is-opened the two-springs_turn_forward; the two wheels
and
move one notch, and consequently the number of openings is registered by the
hands of the dials.
The two dials and are under the control of the manager, which enables him
to satisfy himself that the number of times of opening corresponds with the
number of reports that the overlooker ought to make to him on the state of the
register.
The springs o' and o³ act as pawles to prevent the wheels from turning back-
wards.
The two little doors u and u¹ should be sealed with wax, one by the overlooker
after his visit, the other by the principal manager of the establishment.
At Sheets 3 and 4,―
Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus; Figure 2, plan partly in section.
Figure 3, vertical section through the line A, B, C, D, E, F, of Figure 1.
Figure 4, sectional view of the rocking vessel, whose office is to distribute the
alcohol in the pans of the scale beam by means of vertical valved tubes.
In all these Figures the same letters indicate the same parts of the machine:
A is a cast iron plate on which the apparatus is mounted.
B is a reservoir wherein the pans of the scale beam work; its bottom slopes
towards the running off hole.
b, running off pipe for the weighed alcohol or other liquid.
B1, B2, reservoirs for the storage of the samples of the alcohol or other liquid by
degrees as the several weighings take place; the bottoms of these are also
sloping.
The liquid is introduced by the funnel b', and the emptying takes place by the
tap ba
These two reservoirs are put in communication by the horizontal tube 63.
C, a cast iron arch bolted to the plate A, supporting all the mechanism of the
apparatus.
D, scale beam mounted on knife edges c, whose arc of motion is regulated by the
rods c, c¹.
D1, D2, pans of the scales with sloping bottoms mounted one knife edged supports
on the beam D.
These two pans are furnished with valves d³, d³, the stems of which are length-

page_text: ened at the lower end, and abut on the bottom of the reservoir B so as to open them
at each weighing, and close by their own weight.
E, E¹, slides or counter weights, the bar whereof being tapped with a screw thread
rests by knife edges on the supports F, F, and in the eye of the supports G, G³,
also furnished with knife edges g, g.
The supports. F, F¹, are moveable on their knife edges ƒ ƒ¹, and describe an arc
of a circle when the beck of the beam presses the back of the rod of the slider E.
When the beam has taken its inclination the beck of the slider is thrust under-
neath that of the beam by the mere weight of the support F, which is arrested by
the stop f, f
The action of these limbs is the same at both ends of the beam.
H, oscillating box mounted on a pivot h.
It is inclined to left and right by the head of the beam D, which terminates in
a rounded end working in the fork i.
The liquid is conducted to it by the pipe j¹, and is furnished with leaden counter
weights k, k, which facilitate its motion.
The tubes 1, 1, conduct the liquid as it arrives into the vertical tubes L, L, and
thence into the pans of the scales.
These fixed tubes are fitted into the restraining supports M.
These latter are furnished with valves m, m³, opened by the oscillating box acting
by its own weight upon the levers n, n', which cause the said valves to act by
means of the rods n³, n³.
The valve m is opened, and the liquid can run into m³; the action of these valves
is precisely the same.
O shews a tube mounted on the oscillating box H for taking samples; it is square
ended, and its upright end o is open for free passage of air. It has a small hole at
the root of the gudgeon o', which serves to conduct the liquid to the scale pan for
weighing the samples.
PI, scales furnished with a weight p and a spouted scale pan p¹, whereinto the
tube O discharges the alcohol serving as sample. When the pan has received the
appointed weight of sample the balance inclines to the right; the pan p¹ carries a
tail piece q, which strikes against the rod q', which tips it over, and the liquid is
received in the funnel b¹.
The balance rests in this position until the arm D inclines to the left, which by
means of the rod r, r¹, fixed near its end, and partaking of its motion, replaces the
little scale beam in its horizontal position, and so on at every weighing.
The other end of the beam is stopped by a horizontal rod 8, which allows it to
take its appointed inclination, and the beam itself always stays horizontally by the
adjustment of a screw t, which stops the weight p.
V, dial calculator of the kilogrammes of alcohol or other liquid which have
passed through the apparatus; this calculator is well known, which renders its
description unnecessary.
It is set in action by means of the rod v mounted on the beam D and the peg
racks v¹, v, which act on a racket and toothed wheel.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and object of this Invention, I
would remark in conclusion that what I claim is, constructing apparatus for
weighing alcohol and other liquids, and indicating such weight, substantially as
described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
ALEX. BROWNE. (L.s.)