IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS HENRY WARD of the firm of Lee Howl Ward & Howl of Tipton in
the County of Stafford Engineers do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
My present Invention bas reference to weighing machines constructed upon the
principle described in the Provisional Specification accompanying my application
for Letters Patent N° 5678 dated the 8th day of December 1883 whereby provision
is made for preventing injury to the machines on the occurrence of sudden shocks
and my said present Invention has for its object to provide cheap reliable durable
and simple arrangements constructed upon the said principle.
According to my present Invention I employ spring plates as described in the
said prior Provisional Specification and I construct the mechanism by which the
movement due to the deflection of the said plates by the tensional strain of the load
is conveyed to the needle or pointer of the dial as follows:-
.
The said mechanism consists according to one modification of an axle carrying
the needle and provided with a pinion by which motion of rotation is given to the
needle by means of a segmental or curved rack, capable of oscillating upon a shaft
or pivot. To this rack is secured a projection or pin which may be provided with
an eccentric by which it may be adjusted and afterwards fixed in its adjusted
position to give the necessary exactitude of leverage and consequent range of
motion to the rack relatively to the deflection of the spring plates. These parts
are secured to one of the plates and to the opposite plate is secured a slotted loop
or hook or its equivalent (such as a flexible cord or chain for example) taking over
this pin so that the said slotted loop or its equivalent acts upon the pin to retain
the needle in its normal or zero position when the machine is not in action.
When however the plates are deflected on the weight being brought to bear upon
them the loop or its equivalent is moved away from the pin on the rack and a.
spring or springs or weight or weights exerts its or their force upon the shaft to
rotate it and give the needle a motion of rotation. in a degree in accordance with
the deflection of the plates and consequently in accordance with the weight that is
to say until the pin on the rack comes again into contact with the loop or its
equivalent. The said loop or its equivalent is preferably connected to the one
plate by means of a spring strip or yielding piece the said loop or its equivalent
being affixed to the said spring strip or yielding piece so that the said loop or its
Pane 71

page_text: equivalent can turn or vibrate. The plate carrying the loop or its equivalent is
preferably provided with an adjustable bearing piece or stud which bears upon
the spring strip or yielding piece carrying the loop or its equivalent for the purpose
of regulating the tension of the said strip or yielding piece and the position of the
needle or pointer on the dial and for fixing definitely the point or points of contact
when pressing forward the loop or its equivalent in weighing.
By the herein before described arrangement a cheap reliable and light weighing
macliine is obtained which is not likely to be injured by sudden shocks or strains
inasmuch as the slot in the loop or its equivalent allows of any sudden deflection
of the plates due to sudden shocks in one direction taking place without undue
strain being brought upon the rack and pinion whilst the spring strip or yielding
piece to which the loop or its equivalent is attached provides a cushion against the
effects of the reaction of such sudden shocks. This spring strip or yielding piece
may be replaced by a spring or springs in any other position which will give the
required yielding effect against the rebounding action due to sudden shocks.
According to a modification I may attach the rack and pinion to one plate as
before and provide the rack with a spring or springs which presses or press against
the said rack or a projection thereon the pinion being rotated as in the previously
described arrangement. A chain or cord is connected at one end to this spring
and at the other end to the opposite plate. When sudden shocks occur the chain
or cord sags and the rebound will be taken up by the aforesaid spring being
brought away from the rack or the projection on which it bears and injury to the
rack and pinion will thus be obviated.
Or according to another arrangement wherein the pinion is carried by one plate
and a straight rack by the other plate the rack is carried by a bar or pin passing
longitudinally thereinto or therethrough and attached to a spring strip or yielding
piece which forms the means of attachment of the rack to the plate. The rack is
capable of a short longitudinal movement on the pin or rod but this can only take
place by the compression of a spring between the rack and the spring strip or
yielding piece. A nut or the like on the rod or bar at the other end holds the
rack in position. By this mode of attachment of the rack the springs take up
movements respectively due to sudden shocks and recoils therefrom.
According to another arrangement the rack and pinion are dispensed with and
the pointer or needle shaft is provided with a weight or spring or equivalent means
whereby it is caused to turn when the plates are deflected so that the said shaft is
relieved from the pull of a chain or cord which is attached at one end to the said
shaft and at the other end to the plate opposite that which supports the shaft.
This chain also takes up any movements due to such shocks.
A
1
A1001

page_text: I THOMAS HENRY WARD of the firm of Lee Howl, Ward and Howl of Tipton
in the County of Stafford Engineers do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement :-
My present Invention has reference to weighing machines constructed upon the
principle described in the Specification of Letters Patent N° 5678 granted to me
as of the eighth day of December One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
whereby provision is made for preventing injury to the machines on the occurence
of sudden shocks and my said present Invention has for its object to provide cheap
reliable durable and simple arrangements constructed upon the said principle.
I will describe the apparatus constructed according to my present Invention with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a front view, a back view, and a side view,
of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my said Invention and Figures 4
and 5 are sectional views at right angles to each other of the operating parts
drawn to a larger scale.
'
According to my present Invention I employ spring plates A A² as described
in the said prior Specification and I construct the mechanism by which the
movement due to the deflection of the said plates by the tensional strain of the
load is conveyed to the needle or pointer of the dial as follows.
The said mechanism consists according to one modification of an axle b carrying
the needle of the dial a and provided with a pinion 63 by which motion of
rotation is given to the needle by means of a segmental or curved rack C capable
of oscillating upon a shaft or pivots c² as in the said prior arrangement. To this
rack C however a projection or pin is secured which may be eccentrically
mounted so that it may be adjusted and fixed in its adjusted position to give the
necessary exactitude of leverage and consequent range of motion to the rack
relatively to the deflection of the spring plates. As shewn in the Drawing the
ping is mounted in a piece g² to which the rack C is secured, the said piece g²
being formed with the axle which is mounted between the pivots c² but the said
pin may be secured to the rack without the intervention of the piece g² if desired.
These parts are secured to the plate A by the bracket B, and to the opposite
plate A² is secured a slotted loop (or hook or its equivalent such as a flexible
cord or chain for example) taking over this pin g so that the said slotted loop
(or its equivalent) acts upon the pin to retain the needle in its normal or zero
position when the machine is not in action. When however the plates A A² are
deflected on the weight being brought to bear upon them the loop (or its
equivalent) is moved away from the pin g and a spring or springs or weight or
weights exerts its or their force upon the shaft to rotate it and give the needle
a motion of rotation in a degree in accordance with the deflection of the plates
and consequently in accordance with the weight that is to say until the pin g
comes again into contact with the loop (or its equivalent). The Drawing
illustrates a weight m connected by a cord m² to the axle b as the means employed
for giving rotation. to the axle b. The loop (or its equivalent) is preferably
connected to the one plate by means of a spring strip or yielding piece n, the said
loop (or its equivalent) being affixed to the said, spring strip or yielding piece n
so that the said loop(or its equivalent) can turn or vibrate. A suitable
attachment is shown in Figure 44 The plate A2 carrying the loop (or its

page_text: equivalent) is preferably provided with an adjustable bearing piece or stud p
which bears upon the spring strip or yielding piece carrying the loop or its
equivalent for the purpose of regulating the tension of the said strip or yielding
piece and the position of the needle or pointer on the dial. The portion of the
ping upon which the loop 7 bears may as before stated be made eccentric to the
screwed part by which it is secured so that the position of the said pin can be
altered for the purpose of adjusting the leverage of the rack to suit the stroke of
the spring plates A A².
By the herein before described arrangement a cheap reliable and light weighing
machine is obtained which is not likely to be injured by sudden shocks or strains
inasmuch as the slot in the loop or the equivalent of the said slot allows of any
sudden deflection of the plates due to sudden shocks in one direction taking place
without undue strain being brought upon the rack and pinion whilst the spring
strip or yielding piece n to which the loop or its equivalent is attached provides a
safeguard against the injurious effects of the reaction of such sudden shocks. This
spring strip or yielding piece may be replaced by a spring or springs or their
equivalents in any other position which will give the required yielding effect
against the rebounding action due to sudden shocks. Figure 6 illustrates an
arrangement wherein a chain 12 (or cord) is substituted for the loop . The other
parts are like those hereinbefore described.
According to a modification which is illustrated by Figure 7 I may attach the
rack and pinion to the plate A as before and provide the rack with a spring q (or
springs) which presses (or press) against the said rack or a projection thereon as
at q2 the pinion being rotated as in the previously described arrangement. A chain
or cord is connected at one end to the spring q and at the other end to the
opposite plate A². When sudden shocks occur the chain or cord ? sags and the
rebound will be taken up by the aforesaid spring being brought away from
the rack or the projection' q2 on which it bears and injury to the rack and pinion
will thus be obviated.
Or according to another arrangement shewn in Figure 8 wherein the pinion is
carried by one plate and a straight rack by the other plate the rack is carried by
a bar or pink passing longitudinally thereinto or therethrough after the manner
described with regard to Figure 9 of the Specification of my hereinbefore mentioned
prior Patent but the said bar or pin k is attached to a spring strip or yielding
piece which forms the means of attachment of the rack to the plate A². The
rack is capable of a short longitudinal movement on the pin or rod k but this can
only take place by the compression of the spring j between the rack and the spring
strip or yielding piece n. The nuts 3 or the like on the rod or bar k at the other
end hold the rack in position. By this mode of attachment of the rack the springs
take up movements respectively due to sudden shocks and recoils therefrom.
According to another arrangement illustrated in sections at right angles to each
other in Figures 9 and 10 the rack C and pinion 62 are dispensed with and the
pointer or needle shaft b is provided with a weight H (or spring or equivalent
means) whereby it is caused to turn when the plates are deflected, so that the said
shaft bis relieved from the pull of a chain or cord which is attached at one end
to the said shaft and at the other end to the plate A² opposite that which supports
the shaft b. This chain or cord i also takes up any movements due to sudden
shocks jerks or strains. The operating parts in the several arrangements may
be protected by a casing or covering which may be arranged as shewn in
Figs. 1 to 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
First. In weighing machines the combination of spring plates and a rack and
a pinion on the axis operating the pointer of the dial these parts being carried by
one of the said plates the axis of the pinion and pointer having a weight or spring

page_text: or equivalent which will turn the axis of the pinion when the plates are deflected,
the other of the said plates having a loop or its equivalent attached to the said
plate either directly or by a spring strip or its equivalent, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by Figures 1 to 6 both inclusive of the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the weighing
machine hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 1 to 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the weighing
machine herein before described and illustrated by Figure 7 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the weighing
machine hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the weighing
machine herein before described and illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the
accompanying Drawings.