IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES FOR WEIGHING LETTERS AND OTHER LIGHT ARTICLES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES FOR WEIGHING LETTERS AND OTHER LIGHT
ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by Emile Thomas Vanden-
bergh, Watch Maker, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 7th March 1865, and dated the 18th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
November 1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES FOR WEIGHING LETTERS AND OTHER LIGHT
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved instrument or apparatus for weighing
letters, which consists of a small rod or stick, as a penholder, for example, used
for writing the letter to be weighed, having suitable graduations formed
thereon. This improved letter balance may be solid or hollow, and be made
of wood, metal, india-rubber, or other suitable material.
In Fig. 1 of the annexed. Drawing, A, P, represents a small stick or
penholder, from which the pen has been removed; B is a small ring fixed in
any suitable manner to the end of the stick, in which ring is received the

page_text: hook C suspended in this manner from ring B. The hook C may be of any
suitable form for easily and readily clipping or holding a letter E, F, G, H,
which is held between its two arms and so suspended.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent different forms of spring hooks, the two latter
of which open by pressure, and so have a constant tendency to grip the
letter L introduced therein; K, L, M, N, Fig. 1, represents a thin plate of
any suitable material, having a sharp edge K, L, on which the letter balance
rests; this plate is held in the right hand, while the balance is held in the left
at point A with the letter suspended thereto. Then by sliding the balance
along the edge of the plate a point in its length is readily found, at which the
weight of the penholder or other stick (on the one side of the plate serving
as a support) balances that of the other end with the letter attached, at which
time the holder remains in a horizontal position, being balanced on the
edge K, L, of the plate. The balance is furnished with graduations a, b, c, f,
while the point R, at which it is balanced on the knife edge, indicates the
weight of the letter suspended from hook C. These graduations consist of
nicks or marks, the position of which is determined beforehand by successively
suspending a series of weights on hook C, corresponding to those to be
marked on the balance, the positions of which are ascertained with the knife
edge by the holder being balanced horizontally thereon. In most. instances
one or two marks only will be required.
This improved balance may generally serve as a penholder, and so enable a
letter to be written and weighed with the same instrument, but care should
be taken to remove the pen before using it for weighing the letter, otherwise
it would give incorrect indications. To prevent this I usually place the
hook C at the opposite end to the pen, which being the end to be seized by
the left hand would be inconvenient to handle, except the pen be removed.
The support before mentioned as necessary for balancing the holder, may
consist of a paper knife or thin card, such as a carte de visite, an envelope,
or simply the edge of a piece of paper folded together.
The Invention thus consists, 1st, in graduating a penholder, in order to
render it suitable for weighing light articles, for which purpose any sharp
edge will serve found ready at hand.
2ndly, in the application of a small hook to penholders or other similar
articles of any suitable form or material in order to form a balance. In those
penholders carrying a metal link for holding the pen, I sometimes simply employ
the stem of the penholder suitably weighted, while the link may be slipped on
when required; it may also be so arranged as to serve as the point of support,
or for counterbalancing the holder. In some cases a second hook may be

page_text: applied at the other end of the balance for suspending either a weight of
given amount or other article of known weight. This counterbalance weight
may be either fixed or movable, and made so as to slip on the holder, or on':
a stem fitting on the exterior or interior of same.
Any other method may also be adopted for transforming the penholder into
a letter balance on which the Invention is based. Among these I will now
proceed to describe several.
In Fig. 2, the hook C instead of being suspended on a fixed point D is
carried by a movable socket B sliding freely on holder A, P; the point of
suspension is always the same, and the position of the movable socket, when
the holder is in equilibrium, indicates the weight of the article E suspended
from hook C.
In Fig. 3, also the points of support and suspension always remain the
same, while the sliding socket B, mounted on the left of the point of support,
serves as a counterbalance, and indicates when in equilibrium the weight of
the letter L. By means of the arrangement, Fig. 4, I vary the position both
of the points of support and suspension, by applying them to a socket B sliding
. on A, P. The position of said socket at the moment of équilibrium gives the
weight of letter L. Instead of having a simple knife edge for a point of
support I may use a ring in all cases, fixed either on the upper or lower
surface of the penholder or socket, while in some cases the holder may be
received within" said ring; springs have also. been used for weighing letters.
which become deflected by the weight of the article..
And I also claim their application to penholders, for the purposes
described.
This improved letter balance may be used with a paper knife, pencil, or
stick of any kind,, ruler,. or other article forming a lever and used for other
purposes, but, as before mentioned, a small stick of suitable form and dimen-
sions is especially applicable for the purpose of weighing not only letters
but all other small articles of which it is wished promptly to ascertain the
weight.
'

page_text: thereon when in equilibrium; L, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, letter suspended from
hook C; K, L, M, N, Fig. 1, is a piece of card, on the thin edge of which
the balance is supported; K represents the same in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, .use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES
FOR WEIGHING LETTERS AND OTHER LIGHT ARTICLES," a communication to me
from abroad by Emile Thomas Vandenbergh, Watch Maker, of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Clark, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to an improved instrument or apparatus for weighing
letters, which consists of a small rod or stem (as a penholder, for example,)

page_text: used for writing the letter to be weighed, having suitable graduations formed
thereon. This improved letter balance may be solid or hollow, and be made
of wood, metal, india-rubber, or other suitable material.
In Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawing A, P, represents a small stick or pen-
holder, from which the pen has been removed; B is a small ring fixed in any
suitable manner to the end of the stick, in which ring is received the hook C
suspended in this manner from ring B. The hook C may be of any suitable
form for easily and readily clipping or holding a letter E, F, G, H, which is
held between its two arms, and so suspended.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent different forms of spring hooks, the two latter
of which open by pressure, and so have a constant tendency to grip the letter
L introduced therein. K, L, M, N, Fig. 1, represents a thin plate of any
suitable material, having a sharp edge K, L, on which the letter balance
rests; this plate is held in the right hand, while the balance is held by the
left at point A, with the letter suspended therefrom. Then by sliding the
balance along the edge of the plate, a point in its length is readily found, at
which the weight of the penholder or other stick on the one side of the plate
serving as a support balances that of the other end with the letter attached,
at which time the holder remains in a horizontal position, being balanced on
the edge K, L, of the plate. The balance is furnished with graduations a, b, c,f,
while the point R at which it is balanced on the knife edge indicates the
weight of the letter suspended from hook C. These graduations consist of
nicks or marks, the position of which is determined beforehand by succes-
sively suspending a series of weights on hook C, corresponding to those to be
marked on the balance, the positions of which are ascertained with the knife
edge, by the holder being balanced horizontally thereon. In most instances
one or two marks only will be required. This improved balance may generally
serve as a penholder, and so enable a letter to be written and weighed with
the same instrument, but care should be taken to remove the pen before using
it for weighing the letter, otherwise it would give incorrect indications. To
prevent this I usually place the hook C at the opposite end to the pen, which
being the end to be seized by the left hand would be inconvenient to handle
except the pen were removed.
The support before mentioned as necessary for balancing the holder may
consist of a paper-knife or thin card, such as a carte de visite, an envelope, or
simply the edge of a piece of paper folded together.
The Invention thus consists, first, in graduating a penholder in order to
render it suitable for weighing light articles, for which purpose any sharp edge
will serve found ready at hand; secondly, in the application of a small hook

page_text: to penholders or other similar articles of any suitable form or material, in
order to form a balance. In those penholders carrying a metal link for
holding the pen I sometimes simply employ the stem of the penholder suitably
weighted while the link may be slipped on when required; it may also be so
arranged as to serve as the point of support, or for counterbalancing the
holder. In some cases a second hook may be applied at the other end of the
balance for suspending either a weight of given amount or other article of
known weight. This counterbalance weight may be either fixed or movable,
and made so as to slip on the holder or on a stem fitting on the exterior or
interior of same.
Any other method may also be adopted for transforming the penholder into
a letter balance; on which the Invention is based; among these I will now
describe several.
:
..In Fig. 2 the hook C instead of being suspended on a fixed point. D is
carried by a movable socket B sliding freely on holder A, P; the point of
suspensión K is always the same, and the position of the movable socket when
the holder is in equilibrium indicates the weight, of the article L suspended.
from hook C. In Fig. 3 also the points of support and suspension always:
remain the same, while a sliding socket B mounted on the left of the point of
support serves as a counterbalance, and indicates when in equilibrium the
weight of letter L. By means of the arrangement Fig. 4 I vary the position
both of the points of support and suspension. by applying them to a socket B
sliding on A, P. The position of said socket at the moment of equilibrium gives
the weight of letter L. Instead of having a simple knife edge for a point of
support, I may use a ring in all cases, fixed either on the upper or lower
surface of the penholder or socket, while in some cases the holder may be
received within; said ring springs have also been used for weighing letters,
which become deflected by the weight of the article, and I also claim their
application to penholders for the purposes desired. This improved letter
balance may be used with a paper knife, pencil, or stick of any kind, ruler, or
other article forming a lever, and used for other purposes, but, as before
mentioned, a small stick of suitable form and dimensions is especially
applicable for the purpose of weighing not only letters but all other small
articles of which it is wished promptly to ascertain the weight.

page_text: manner; c, hook, on which is suspended the article to be weighed, and of the
various forms shown in the Drawing; R, point of support of the balance, which
is placed on a knife edge, the balance assuming a horizontal position thereon
when in equilibrium. L, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, letter suspended from hook C.
K, L, M, N, Fig. 1, is a piece of card on the thin edge of which the balance
is supported; K, represents the same in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved balance
herein described applicable for weighing letters and other light articles, and
capable of being adapted for use on the edge of a paper-knife, or on a pencil,
penholder, rule, or other similar article serving as a fulcrum, although, as
before mentioned, a small stem of suitable dimensions may be specially
adapted for the purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)