AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND REGISTERING THE WORK OF CERTAIN KINDS OF LEVER BALANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
AND REGISTERING THE WORK OF CERTAIN KINDS OF LEVER BALANCES."-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 7th December 1858, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC ANTOINE
FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND REGISTERING THE WORK OF CERTAIN KINDS OF LEVER
BALANCES," communicated to me from a foreigner residing abroad, and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn.
declaration that it is a communication:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François. Mennons, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and.
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accom--
panying Drawing, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention communicated to me consists in a registering apparatus to be
used in combination with the ordinary steelyards or plate and lever balances,.

page_text: known on the continent as "bascules à romaine," the work of which is by
the aid of this arrangement ascertained and printed in figures corresponding
to the weight of the charge.
The accompanying Drawing represents the apparatus in vertical and hori-
zontal sections. G is a cylinder surrounded by a spiral band or screw, in the
intervals of which are channels to the depth of about th of an inch. On the
upper surface of the spiral is engraved in relief one or several series of
numbers corresponding with the divisions of the balance lever.
The cylinder
is put in motion by the winch H acting by its pinion on the toothed wheel S;
on the opposite extremity of this cylinder is another toothed wheel working in
the rack F; to this rack is joined a Z rod F¹, one of the bends of which passes
between the branches of a forked piece placed above the moveable spoke E of
the running weight of the balance lever; the horizontal movement of this
weight is thus effected with with the parallel movement of the rack, and con-
sequently with the circular motion of the cylinder; but the vertical movement
by the balance lever in its upward and downward oscillations is completely
independent of that of the rack, the Z rod F" being then freed from its hold
between the two fork branches. The distance between two divisions of the
balance lever is equivalent to the space which separates two teeth of the rack,
or to at least a régular fraction of the latter,, or, for instance. A box J
moves by rollers on the rails L, L, whose two lines are parallel to the axis of
the cylinder. The face towards the cylinder is mounted with metal blades
P, P, hollowed in proportion to the dimensions of the latter, and passing into
the gorge forming the screw thread by which it is surrounded. The box
secured to the rails by a metal rod passing through an aperture formed for its
reception, is thus forced to perform a rectilinear parallel motion to the axis of
the cylinder, when the latter revolves; on the face of the box is an aperture
opposite which the numbers of one of the series of figures on the spiral present
themselves alternately when the apparatus performs the combined movements
above described. At one of the extremities of the cylinder is mounted a
wolf's-teeth wheel Y, Fig. 4, fitted with a spring Z, of which the front view is
given in the same Figure. This wheel has an equal number of teeth to that
of the wheel working with the rack, if the distance between the teeth of the
latter is equivalent to that between the divisions of the balance lever, double
if this space is, double, triple if triple, and so on. In all cases the number of
teeth of the wheel Y is equal to that of the numbers of a series comprised in
one complete, revolution of the cylinder, so that in the rotatory movement of
the latter for each tooth of the wheel Y freed by the spring, the running
weight of the balance is brought over a new division of the lever, and a

page_text: number corresponding to the position of this weight presents itself opposite
the aperture in the face of the box J. The hollow cylinder M, which during
the circular movement of the cylinder G revolves against the latter, is pierced
with apertures covered with a slip of cloth. The interior forms a reservoir
for a supply of printing ink, which is prevented by the cloth from escaping
while keeping it constantly saturated. The figures engraved in relief on the
cylinder G are thus always charged with ink. In the box J are placed two
bobbins R, R', Fig. 3; a band of paper rolled on the bobbin R passes over
the two rollers X, X, between the piston T and the bottom of the box, and
from that is rolled on the bobbin R'; a force applied at K presses this piston
against the bottom in front of a small opening formed in it. The paper is
thus placed in contact by this opening with the surface of the cylinder, and
is pressed on an inked figure or a group of figures forming a number which is
thus printed on it. It is needless to add that these Figures are reversed, as
in printing type. On the cessation of the movement above noted the piston is
withdrawn by the spiral spring, seen in Figure 2. The piece Z', which gives
way during the forward motion, takes up in retiring one of the projections of
the wheel V, which cogs with another placed at the extremity and in the axis
of the bobbin R¹; this bobbin then performs a fraction of a revolution, draws
the paper which rolls round it to a corresponding amount, and unrolls. a
similar quantity from the bobbin R. The printed number is thus wound up,
and the product following inscribed below it. The piece shewn in V is one
of the many arrangements which may be employed to obtain the same result.
The ink cylinder M may be suppressed in doubling the printing band with a
corresponding strip of carbonic or transferring paper, which unrolls with it
when the weight of the balance has reached the point equivalent to that of
the charge; on the scale the small bar D is raised as usual so as to support the
main lever. The rod O then transmits its rotatory movement to the cam N,
which takes up the hinge H' placed at the extremity of the piston; at this
stage the result is printed off. In continuing its movement the cam frees
this hinge, and the piston at once falls back. With an ordinary plate and
lever balance of a nominal force of 100 lbs. for instance, a much higher charge
may be weighed by adding a counterpoise to the extremity of the lever; the
running weight is then withdrawn to the first division corresponding to 101,
the second division is thus equivalent to 102, and so on. In order to print
off these extra weights a second series from 101 to 200, etc. is engraved at the
side of the first series, ranging from 1 to 100. The box J moves to right and
left on a slide piece supported by the blades P, P, which are necessarily
prevented from participating in the movement by their position in the grooves

page_text: of the screw thread. A set of stops, of which the spacing is calculated on that
which separates the series of numbers, allows the box to be so arranged as to
bring the piston opposite the first series when the balance is at work without
extra weight and opposite the second thread, &c., when the supplementary
weights are added. The bobbins and rollers contained in the box J are less in
length than the depth of the latter, and are mounted between two parallel
plates, by which they are united so as to permit of their being removed
together from the box when the paper has .to. be changed; to effect this, the
rod which maintains the. box against the rails is withdrawn, and one of the
sides is entirely removed, as seen in Figure 3. At the bottom opposite the
moveable side are fixed three small rods, which enter in the hollow axles of
the rollers X, X, and the bobbin R by the apertures pierced in the supporting
plate. A. square rod is also mounted in this position, forming the axis of the
bobbin R¹, and to the wheel which transmits to it the movement by means of
the wheel shewn in V. At the other extremity accross the moveable part of
the box is mounted a rod with several stop notches adhering to the bobbin
work. This rod permits the latter to approach more or less the bottom of the
box, and the stop maintains it in the given position. By the aid of this
arrangement the position of the paper between the piston and the figures may
be varied, and several series of columns may be printed off according to the
different kinds of charges to be weighed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying it into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details above laid down, as these may admit of variation
according to the form and position of the balance employed. I do not, on
the other hand, lay claim to. any special part or parts of the machinery taken
separately; but what I claim is, the general arrangement and application of
the different pieces of mechanism above enumerated and represented in the
Drawing to the construction of a statmographic or weight-registering apparatus,
to be used in combination with the ordinary steelyards or plate and lever
balances, generally known on the continent as "bascules à romaine."
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth, day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
M. F. MEN NONS. (L.S.)
MENNŪNS.