IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO THE WEIGHING OF COINS AND COIN BLANKS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Murdoch Napier, of York Road, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEIGHING MACHINES APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO THE WEIGHING OF COINS AND
COIN BLANKS."
Sealed the 16th July 1872, and dated the 7th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Murdoch Napier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th February 1872.
.
I, JAMES MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, in the County
5 of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO THE WEIGHING
OF COINS AND COIN BLANKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in weighing machines,
and has reference to machines for weighing and classifying or separating
according to their weights coins and coin blanks. For shortness in my
description I will name coins only, but I wish it to be understood that

page_text: my improvements are applicable to the treatment of both coins and coin
blanks.
Now according to my improvements I lengthen the front end of the
feeding slide which places the coins for weighing, and form it in such
manner that it will serve to displace the coins after they have been
weighed. This slide pushes the coins on to a rest, which descends as
soon as the coin is fairly placed upon it, and deposits the coin upon the
weighing place. The descent of the coin allows the slide to retire, and
the front part of the slide (which extends forwards beyond the part
which acts to push the coin on to the rest) in retiring passes clear over
the coin while it is being weighed. When the coin has been weighed
the rest rises and lifts the coin from off the weighing place, and the coin
is then pushed off the rest by the slide as it comes forward again with
the next coin. Or in case there may be no next coin in the hopper the
last coin will still be pushed off the rest by the slide.
When the above arrangement for the vertical placing of the coin upon
the weighing place is used in machines in which the classification is
effected through the agency of electricity, I dispense with grippers and
employ the levelling apparatus for holding and steadying the beam and
pendants while the coin is changed, and for releasing the beam for
weighing, for which latter purpose I impart to such apparatus a rapid
releasing action. In place of the usual levelling bar or frame working
in vertical guides at top and bottom I prefer to employ a vibrating
levelling frame working upon an horizontal axis, and arranged to operate
at its ends either directly or through connections upon the weighing
pendants.
In certain of my machines in which electricity is employed to
determine the classification, especially in those machines which divide
the coins into two classes, in which the electrical contact is made only at
one end of the beam, I. introduce a safety check or other suitable
instrument to prevent the false displacement of the directing instrument
for classification in case the beam should be caused to make a contact
by a too rapid action of the levelling apparatus while the operation of
levelling the beam is being performed. This safety check locks the
lever of the directing instrument for determining the classification of
the coins, so that although disengaged from the armature lever by that
lever being acted upon by the magnet the directing instrument is
retained in its position. The same end may also be accomplished by

page_text: locking the armature lever, so that the magnet although charged cannot
actuate it to release the directing instrument, or if preferred a temporary
break in the electrical connections may be caused by instruments placed
in connection with the spindle of the machine so that the magnet will
not become charged although the beam should make a contact. The
introduction of such safety check or other apparatus just referred to
permits of greater speed of working being attained.
In order to adapt a coin weighing and classifying machine readily and
without change of parts to operate upon different kinds of coins within
certain convenient limits of size, as for instance upon sovereigns and
half sovereigns, I provide means by which the opening through which
the coins pass out from the hopper may be enlarged or contracted at
pleasure to suit the thickness of the coins to be weighed and classified.
To facilitate also the changing of the amount of counterpoise weight to
suit the coins to be weighed, as for example in the case of sovereigns
and half sovereigns, I construct and arrange the counterpoise so that
that part which represents the weight of the half sovereign is constant,
while the quantity required to make up the weight of the sovereign can
be removed or placed and made effective at pleasure by mechanical
instruments actuated by the weigher; thus when half sovereigns are to
be weighed a portion of the counterpoise representing the difference in
weight between the two kinds of coins is removed, and when sovereigns
are to be weighed it is replaced so as to become effective and make
along with the half sovereign counterpoise the full counterpoise for the
sovereign. I also connect the mechanism used for altering the size of
the exit passage from the hopper with that used for altering the counter-
poise, so that both operations can be performed by one action of the
weigher, and I provide an indicator or tell-tale arranged so as to be
actuated by the same movement which points out what kind of coin the
machine is set for operating upon.
1
In those of my machines in which the feeding slide acts across the.
beam I arrange my rising and falling rest (to which I have referred for.
depositing the coin on to the weighing place and for raising it off after
the weighing) so that it is guided near the beam on the side towards the
hopper in a vertical slide while it projects over the beam towards the:
opposite side where the coins are pushed off. I provide a stop catch, by'
means of which the machines when stopped can easily be left in that,
position as concerns the working parts in which the levelling apparatus

page_text: holds the pendants and beam steady. This stop catch operates when
the machine is turned backwards.
In such machines as are arranged for bankers' counters where
numerous separate small quantities of coin have to be weighed and
classified I use loose vessels to catch the coins as they come from the
machine, and I arrange the exit passages so that the coins are discharged
out of openings in the enclosing case of the machine near the top, and
fall into the receiving vessels as they rest upon the table on which the
machine is placed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Murdoch Napier in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two,
in the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Murdoch Napier,
Her special license that I, the said James Murdoch Napier, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Murdoch
Napier, my executors, ádministrators, 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 WEIGHING, MACHINES APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO THE WEIGHING
or COINS AND COIN BLANKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Murdoch Napier, my executors or administrators, by an

page_text: 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 James Murdoch Napier, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in weighing machines,
and has reference to machines for weighing and classifying or separating
according to their weights coins and coin blanks. For shortness in my
description I will name coins only, but I wish it to be understood that
my improvements are applicable to the treatment of both coins and coin
blanks.
Now according to my improvements I lengthen the front end of the
feeding slide which places the coins for weighing, and form it in such
manner that it will serve to displace the coins after they have been
weighed. This slide pushes the coins on to a rest, which descends as soon
as the coin is fairly placed upon it, and deposits the coin upon the
weighing place. The descent of the coin allows the slide to retire, and
the front part of the slide (which extends forwards beyond the part
which acts to push the coin on to the rest) in retiring passes clear over
the coin while it is being weighed. When the coin has been weighed
the rest rises and lifts the coin from off the weighing place, and the coin
is then pushed off the rest by the slide as it comes forward again with
the next coin, or in case there may be no next coin in the hopper the
last coin will still be pushed off the rest by the slide.
When the above arrangement for the vertical placing of the coin
upon the weighing place is used in machines in which the classification
is effected through the agency of electricity, I dispense with grippers
and employ the levelling apparatus for holding and steadying the beam
and pendants while the coin is changed, and for releasing the beam for
weighing, for which latter purpose I prefer to impart to such apparatus
a rapid releasing action. In place of the usual levelling. bar or frame
working in vertical guides at top and bottom I prefer to employ a

page_text: vibrating levelling frame working upon an horizontal axis, and arranged
to operate at its ends either directly or through connections upon the
weighing pendants.
In certain of my machines in which electricity is employed to
determine the classification, especially in those machines which divide
the coins into two classes in which the electrical contact is made only at
one end of the beam, I introduce a safety check or other suitable
instrument to prevent the false displacement of the directing instrument
for classification in case the beam should be caused to make a contact
by a too rapid action of the levelling apparatus while the operation of
levelling the beam is being performed. This safety check locks the lever
of the directing instrument for determining the classification of the
coins, so that although disengaged from the armature lever by that lever
being acted upon by the magnet the directing instrument is retained in
its position. The same end may also be accomplished by locking the
armature lever, so that the magnet although charged cannot actuate it
to release the directing instrument, or if preferred a temporary break in
the electrical connections may be caused by instruments placed in con-
nection with the spindle of the machine so that the magnet will not
become charged although the beam should make a contact. The intro-
duction of such safety check or other apparatus just referred to permits
of greater speed of working being attained.
In order to adapt a coin weighing and classifying machine readily and
without change of parts to operate upon different kinds of coins within
certain convenient limits of size, as for instance upon sovereigns and
half sovereigns, I provide means by which the opening through which
the coins pass out from the hopper may be enlarged or contracted at
pleasure to suit the thickness of the coins to be weighed and classified.
To facilitate also the changing of the amount of counterpoise weight to
suit the coins to be weighed, as for example in the case of sovereigns
and half sovereigns, I construct and arrange the counterpoise so that
that part which represents the weight of the half sovereign is constant,
while the quantity required to make up the weight of the sovereign can
be removed or placed and made effective at pleasure by mechanical
instruments actuated by the weigher; thus when half sovereigns are to
be weighed a portion of the counterpoise representing the difference in
weight between the two kinds of coins is removed, and when sovereigns
are to be weighed it is replaced so as to become effective and make along

page_text: with the half sovereign counterpoise the full counterpoise for the
sovereign. I also connect the mechanism used for altering the size of
the exit passage from the hopper with that used for altering the counter-
poise so that both operations can be performed by one action of the
weigher, and I provide an indicator or tell-tale arranged so as to be
actuated by the same movement which points out what kind of coin the
machine is set for operating upon.
In those of my machines in which the feeding slide acts across the
beam I arrange my rising and falling rest (to which I have referred for
depositing the coin on to the weighing place, and for raising it off after
the weighing) so that it is guided near the beam on the side towards the
hopper in a vertical slide while it projects over the beam towards the
opposite side where the coins are pushed off. I provide a stop catch, by
means of which the machines when stopped can easily be left in that
position as concerns the working parts in which the levelling apparatus
holds the pendants and beam steady. This stop catch operates when
the machine is turned backwards.
In such machines as are arranged for bankers' counters where
numerous separate small quantities of coin have to be weighed and
classified I use loose vessels to catch the coins as they come from the
machine, and I arrange the exit passages so that the coins are discharged
out of openings in the enclosing case of the machine near the top, and
fall into the receiving vessels as they rest upon the table upon which the
machine is placed.
When the machines are driven by hand I provide a friction con-
nection between the handle and the main spindle of the machine to
prevent accident to the working parts by forcing.
In order that the description of my Drawings may be the more clearly
understood, reference may be made to the Specification and Drawings of

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 illustrate in detail my improvements in connection
with the feeding of the coin on to a platform, the placing it on to the
weighing place, the raising it off after weighing, and the final pushing
it towards the directing instrument.
Figures 7 and 8 shew modes for indicating what coin the machine is
set for weighing; while Figures 9, 10, and 11 shew details of the
counterpoise, and of the manner in which it is altered according to the
kind of coin to be weighed.
Figure 12 gives a view in plan of the levelling frame, shewn dotted in
its place in Figure 2.
A and A¹ are the top and bottom plates; A³, supporting columns of
the machine. The weighing beam a is supported at b; pendants a¹, a³,
rest on knife edges at the ends of the beam. The weighing place a³ is
on top of load pendant a¹. At top of pendant a³ is counterpoise a', which
is formed in two parts, upper and lower; the upper part is furnished
with two projecting pins by which it can be raised by the fork a³, the
arms of which are formed to receive the pins. When the fork a' is down
the upper part of the counterpoise rests on the lower part, and both act
on the beam; and when the fork a³ is raised it removes the upper part
of the counterpoise, and holds it free of the beam so that only the lower
part acts on the beam. Thus the weight of the counterpoise is changed
by raising or lowering the fork a³. For instance, suppose the com-
plete counterpoise to represent the weight of a sovereign, and the lower
part to represent the weight of a half sovereign, the upper part will then
be equal to the difference in weight between the two coins, so that when
lowered the counterpoise will be equal to the weight of a sovereign, and
when raised it will be equal to a half sovereign. The fork a³ is fixed to
a rod which is guided in the guide a³, shewn in section in Figure 9, and
fixed to top plate A. A pin in the rod working in a slot in the guide a
keeps the fork in position. The top of the rod is formed so as to be
acted upon by the inclined plane a' on slide a³. When slide as is pushed
forward by the operator acting against the pusher stud a³ the inclined
plane a raises the fork a³, and the upper portion of the counterpoise
leaving the lower part or half sovereign counterpoise, and the index
pointer, Figure 2, which is in connection with the slide as will then point
to "sovs." on the indicating plate, shewing that the machine is set to
weigh half sovereigns. At the same time that the inclined plane a

page_text: operates to change the counterpoise the inclined plane a", formed as a
slot in the slide a³, operates against a pin fixed at the end of the long
slide a", so that the slide a" is moved to the right hand, being guided
and kept in line by the screws a¹² which are fast in the plate A, and the
heads are large and at such distance from the plate A that the slide a¹¹
can act freely, the holes in the slide a¹¹ being slotted. The movement of
the slide a to the right causes that end of it which is towards the load
pendant a¹, and which rests or is forced by its elasticity (as it operates
as a spring) against the fixed pin a¹³, to fall by virtue of the inclined part
on it where it acts against the pin a¹. This lowering of the slide a¹¹
contracts or reduces the size of the aperture through which the coin
passes to suit the thickness of a half sovereign, whereas before the slide
was moved from the position shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the aperture,
owing to the end of the slide a" being raised, was suited for sovereigns.
Thus it will be understood that the pushing of the stud a' alters the
counterpoise and the aperture through which the coins pass from the
hopper to suit for treating sovereigns or half sovereigns as may be
Figures 7 and 8 shew other modes of indicating for what kind of coin
the machine is set for treating. In Figure 7 a plate is used to cover up
the name of the coin not to be treated; while in Figure 8 the slide a
has an arm, shewn dotted under the covering plate, and an engraved
slide attached to it, which shews the name of the coin to be treated
through a hole in the covering plate. In Figures 1 and 2 the pin a¹³ is
shewn provided with a head to support the end of slide a¹ against side
pressure while the feeding slide c is pushing the coin out of hopper d
(shewn broken off), and through the aperture formed by the end of
slide a". The feeding slide c is lengthened at the front end, so that
when it retires to take a coin from the hopper the coin falls into the
hole in the slide, and in its forward movement it is placed upon the
forked platform c¹; when the coin is so placed the platform c¹ is lowered,
and the coin is lowered with it until it is placed on the weighing plate a³.
The platform falling still lower leaves room for the beam to vibrate when
it is relieved for weighing. After weighing and when the beam is again
held steady the platform c¹ rises. By this time the feeding slide has
retired (the front end having passed over the coin while it was being
weighed) and is ready to come forward with another coin, and the plat-
form c¹ having raised the coin just weighed off the weighing plate up to

page_text: a. level with the feeding slide, its front end pushes the coin off the plat-
form towards the directing instrument e, while at the same time it plants
another coin on the platform c¹. The rising and falling motion is
imparted to platform c¹ by lever c² and cam c³, spring c being used to
keep the lever against the cam (see Figure 1), lever c² acts on a pin in
the vertical part of platform c¹, the hole in the lever being lengthened
to admit of play. The platform is supported by a bracket c³, which is
made fast to the under side of plate A. This bracket is formed with a
groove, and forms a guide for a fitting piece which is fastened to the
vertical part of the platform c¹, and is formed with a plate which comes
against the back of the bracket c³, while the depending part of the plat-
form c¹ forms a plate on the front of the bracket, so that the platform
can rise and fall, being free to do so while guided by bracket c³. When
the coin is pushed towards the directing instrument e, after having been
weighed, it either passes down the channel e¹ or e², in the first case
passing out to the left hand, and in the second passing out in front and
on its edge, the channel e² being curved at the back and inclined to
cause the coin to roll out. Loose pots or receivers of any convenient
shape may be placed opposite these orifices out of which the two classes
of coins are delivered. When the coin is placed on the weighing plate a³
by the platform c¹ the beam a is relieved or set free for weighing by the
rising of the levelling frame f, which is performed by the lever f¹, under
the short arm of which is a spring to give the upward action and keep
the roller at the end of the long arm against the acting cam f³, which
operates to lower the frame f when the beam is to be levelled, and to
permit the raising of it by the action of the spring below. It will be
seen that the levelling frame ƒ (a full plan of which is shewn in
Figure 12) is arranged to vibrate on centres at f³, f*, and is provided with
pins fand f, which operate upon the lower part of the pendants a', a², to
level the beam and to hold it while the coin is being placed and removed
from the weighing plate and to relieve it for weighing. The lever f¹ in
raising the frame facts against the pin f'. In order to lock the lever
of the directing instrument e after the weighing of the coin has been
accomplished, so that an accidental electric contact if made while the
beam is being levelled or otherwise may not cause the displacement of
the directing instrument, the lever e³ is formed with a small projecting
piece e', which when the lever is in the position shewn in Figure 1
serves as a stop for the pin in lever e of the directing instrument, so that
should the armature lever e³ be acted on by the magnet so as to dis-

page_text: engage lever e, the projection e' on lever e³ will act as a stop or check to
keep the directing instrument in its place until the coin has been
classified.
For driving the machine by hand a crank handle is placed on the
projecting end of spindle g, which is supported in bearings fixed to the
under side of plate A. Spindle g carries a V pulley g', which is con-
nected with pulley g² on the main spindle h by a band or cord which
passes down under tightening pullies 9³ mounted on the spring support
9. Catch i serves to stop the machine when turned backwards by
means of the pin i fast in the pulley g². This pin is so placed that when
it is brought round so as to be caught by the catch i the machine is in a
position of rest, the levelling bar f being down and the beam fixed; the
machine is shewn in the position when the feeding slide c has placed
the coin on the platform c¹ by the help of its lever connection with
cylinder cam on the main spindle, and the platform has lowered it on to.
the weighing plate through the aid of its lever connection with cam
c. The frame f is about to be raised by its lever connection with
cam f, and the rapid rise on cam e is about to actuate lever es to
perform its replacing action to re-engage lever e against the stop catch
on lever e* in case lever e should have been displaced. This being done
and the beam relieved for weighing by the raising of the frame f, the
lever e³ is kept in the proper position to admit of the disengaging and
displacement of the directing instrument lever e during the time allowed
for weighing, which may be represented by the part e' on cam e³, after
passing which the roller end of the lever rises by coming on to the
smaller diameter of the cam, and the other end falls so as to check the
action of the lever e, as before explained, in case such action and dis-
placement of the directing instrument has not previously taken place.
The weighing having been effected the levelling bar falls by action of
cam f, and the platform c¹ raises the coin by action of cam c³, and the
coin is displaced and passed to the directing instrument by the front end
of the feeding slide c, as already described.
The action of the directing instrument, and an electro-magnetic
arrangement for actuating it, are fully described in the Specification of
my previous Patent already referred to.

page_text: coin may, if preferred, be quickened by varying the form of the groove
of the cylinder cam so as to allow more time for the weighing.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention for improve-
ments in weighing machines applicable especially to the weighing of
coins and coin blanks, and also the manner of performing the same, I &
would have it understood that I claim,-
1st. The construction of the feeding slide in such manner that one
part of the slide places the coin to be weighed, and another part of the
slide removes the weighed coin, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination, substantially as described, of a feeding slide
acting across the beam, with a rising and falling rest for placing the
coin upon the scale or weighing place, and removing it therefrom.
3rd. The application in coin and coin blank weighing and classifying
machines of a vibrating levelling frame, working upon a horizontal axis
for levelling the weighing beam, substantially as described.
4th. The application in connection with the directing instrument of a
safety check or apparatus, substantially as described, so that when the
position of the directing instrument has been determined by the
weighing it may remain unaltered when an electric contact is made in
the operation of levelling the beam.
5th. The arrangement of the apparatus so that the opening through
which the coin passes out from the hopper, and the amount of the counter-
poise weight upon the beam, may be simultaneously adjusted to the coin
to be weighed, substantially as described.
2
6th. The general arrangement of the machine for weighing coins, and 2
classifying or separating them according to their weights, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch Napier, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
3