Improvements in Pencil Cases and other Devices for the Purpose of Weighing Letters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pencil Cases and other Devices for the Purpose of
Weighing Letters.
I GEORGE CHAPPELL of 5 Great Stanhope Street, Mayfair, London,
Gentleman's Servant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to pencil or pen or pen and pencil cases made to draw out
telescopically and consists in supplying the inner tube with marks or divisions to
represent weights and corresponding postage for letters of small and not
extraordinary weight, the fulcrum being indicated and formed by a raised ring
of any section on the outer or main tube. The one or other of the tubes, usually
the inner or draw out tube is supplied with an indentation or space furnished with
a clip or otherwise for holding the letter.
The improved letter weigher is intended to be used by laying it on the table or
other convenient resting place with the fulcrum at or near the edge thereof, the
draw tube is pulled out to the division marked 1d. or with an equivalent device,
the letter is clipped by the holding arrangement at or near the end of the tube, and
if the letter does not tilt up the tube the letter will be properly stamped at 1d. or
14d., 2d., as the case may be.
The inner tube may be made to show the weights or the outer; in either case
the fulcrum may be made on the outer case or on the inner at a suitable place.
When used, the pen holder or pencil holder is removed, since for the operation
of the device, the inner and outer tubes are to be always of proportionate weight
one to the other.
The principle observed is that either the letter holder is movable to and from
the fulcrum until its moment is balanced by the moment of the free extension
beyond the fulcrum, or the latter is adapted to be lengthened or shortened until its
moment balances the moment of the letter, when the correct weight or equivalent
postage for that letter may be read off.
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pencil Cases and other Devices for the Purpose of
Weighing Letters.
1, GEORGE CHAPPELL of 5 Great Stanhope Street Mayfair, Gentleman's
Servant 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 :-
The object of this invention is to adapt a pencil case or pen case or pen and
pencil case such as is usually carried in the pocket or on a watch chain or
otherwise about the person, or a similar device so carried, that it may be suitable
for weighing letters or for ascertaining the correct postage payable in respect of
any such letter provided the latter is not of extraordinary weight.
For this purpose I provide the pencil case or equivalent device with a clip
adapted to receive and hold the corner or edge of a letter and so arrange a fulcrum
on the pencil case or equivalent device that either the letter clip is moveable to
D

page_text: and from the fulcrum or the latter to and from the letter clip or the free extension
beyond the fulcrum may be extended and contracted until the letter is found to be
balanced by the said free extension whereupon the weight of the letter or the
correct postage therefor may be read off by the position of the fulcrum or
otherwise on the pencil case.
As in most cases pencil cases are made of two or more telescopically sliding
parts I may adapt the sliding of the inner within the outer tube to regulate the
overbalancing power or moment of the free extension beyoud the fulcrum or I may
also adapt such sliding movement for lengthening the extension between the letter
holder and the fulcrum and so increasing the moment of the letter weighed. I may
also provide for the movement of the fulcrum by utilizing the ring or equivalent
which is usually provided on such a pencil case or equivalent device as a fulcrum
and causing same to be movable in the direction of the length of the pencil case.
The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a side view of the pencil case with letter clip supported on a table.
Fig. 2 is a view thereof partly in section with letter clip closed.
Fig. 3 shows the clip extended and
Fig. 4 is a view of a pencil case with moveable fulcrum ring.
A is the outer tube and B the inner tube of the pencil case. C is the fulcrum
ring to which the usual pendent ring D is fastened. E is the letter clip. The
latter is preferably a spring bent into the form shown to hold the edge of the
letter F between its two arms and it is pivoted or suspended on the pin e in a
tube G within the end of the tube A. The tube G is secured in the tube A by
the pin H which engages in an L shaped slot H¹ in the tube G. In the tube A is
a slit and in the tube G is a corresponding slit J. When the tube G is
turned in the tube A. so that the slots I and J coincide the clip E is free to fall
down as shown in Fig. 1. By turning the tube G in the tube A. after the clip E
has been allowed to fall back into the interior of the tube, the slots I and J are
brought out of coincidence and the clip is retained within the tube. In this
position the pin H locks into the transverse slot of the L shaped slot H' and
retains the tube G from being drawn out of the tube A. When however the
slots I and J coincide, the pin H will stand at the angle of the slot H' and the
tube G may be drawn out as shown in Fig. 3.
To use this pencil case for weighing a letter, the tube G is turned so that the
clip E falls out. The pencil case is then suspended by the ring, or preferably laid
upon the table so that the ring C rests thereon, the latter is inserted in the clip E
so that it hangs over the edge of the table and the inner tube B previously pulled
out, is now pushed in until the letter lifts the pencil case from the table by rocking
it on its fulcrum ring C. The weight of the letter may then be read off at the
meeting line of the outer tube A on the scale provided on the inner tube B. I
prefer to place the fulcrum so that when the pencil case is closed a letter weighing
more than one oz. will overbalance the free extension beyond the fulcrum. To
weigh or ascertain a oz., the tube G is pulled out to the division so marked.
The scale of marking will of course depend upon the relative weights of the
various parts of the pencil case.
The pencil case shown in Fig. 4 is the same as that before described with
reference to the holding of the letter but in place of a scale on the inner tube the
fulcrum ring is made movable and a scale provided along the slot M which guides
the pin on the ring C engaging therein. The same effect is here produced by shifting
the fulcrum.
Where the pencil case is intended to be suspended by its ring while weighing it
is preferable to connect the ring C to the ring D by a yoke N having two inwardly
turned lugs engaging with the ring C at opposite ends of a diameter thereof, or
having two holes for passage of two pins fixed on the ring C in a similar
diametrical position. The fulcrum thus coincides with the centre of gravity of
the pencil case and its sensitiveness to small variations of weight is increased.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination with a pocket or similar device such as a pen or pencil case
having telescopically movable parts or tubes or a movable fulcrum substantially as
described, of a clip or holder adapted to receive and hold a letter and a scale of
divisions whereby the weight or correct postage for the said letter may be read
after suitable adjustment of the device either by the position of the fulcrum or by
relative position of the telescopically movable parts substantially as set forth.
Dated this 16th day of Anonst 1893.
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street. Strand, London, Agent for Applicant.