IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING GRAIN, FLOUR, OR OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE QUANTITIES WEIGHED
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1879. A communication
from abroad by William Henry Allen, of the City, County, and State. of New
York, United States of America.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING GRAIN, FLOUR, OR
OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE QUANTITIES WEIGHED."
[A communication from abroad by William Henry Allen, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to furnish an apparatus for weighing grain, flour,
and other similar substances as they flow from a spout into a hopper or other
receiver, which shall be so constructed as to deliver the substance in exact and
uniform quantities, and at the same time accurately register the quantities delivered.
According to this Invention the grain or other substance passes through a spout
leading from a bin, elevator, or other place into and through a second spout which
is attached to a frame or other support, so that its lower end may always be in
exactly the same position, and thence into a vessel which is made of such a size as
to easily contain more than twice the quantity to be weighed at a time. This vessel
is made with a hopper shaped or concave bottom having a large opening in its lower
part; it is divided into two compartments by a partition which is pivoted at or a
little above the middle parts of its side edges to the middle parts of the ends of the
vessel. The partition is made of such a length that its lower edge may project
through the opening in the bottom of the vessel, and that its upper edge may over-
lap the side of the lower end of the lower spout when the said vessel is raised, and
may swing beneath the said lower end of the said spout when the vessel is lowered.
The upper half of the partition is made a little narrower than the length of the
vessel, so as to leave narrower spaces between its side edges and the ends of the said
vessel. To the side edges of the upper part of the partition are attached wings or
flanges to serve as guards to prevent anything from getting in between the said
edges and the ends of the vessel to interfere with or prevent the easy movement of
the said partition. The lower half of the said partition is made a little wider than
the length of the vessel, so as to project into wedge shaped slots in the lower parts
of the ends of the vessel, the edges of the slots serving as stops for the partition.
The wedge shaped slots in the ends of the vessel are covered with caps to prevent
any grain from escaping through them while being discharged from the vessel.
vessel is mounted on pivots on the ends of branches or arins of a forked lever, and
the branches of this lever are pivoted upon fulcrums attached to posts or to hangers
The

page_text: attached to the frame, or to other suitable supports. The other end of the lever
projects through a slotted guide attached to the frame or other suitable support, so
-that-the-said-lever-may-be-kept:from_having_any_lateral movement. The lever is
provided with an adjustable weight for regulating the amount of the substance to
be received each time, which is suspended from the said lever by a slide or loop.
The fulcrums and pivots of the lever should be knife edges or pivots, to make the
apparatus very sensitive and to give great accuracy in the results. The end of the
lever, or an arın connected with the said end, is connected with a lever which is
pivoted to the frame work or case of the apparatus, or to some other suitable support,
and to the end of the latter lever is pivoted the end of a pawl, which engages with
the teeth of a ratchet wheel which is pivoted to the frame or case of the apparatus
or to some other suitable support, and with the pivot of this wheel is connected an
ordinary register for recording the quantities measured or weighed by the apparatus.
The ratchet wheel should be provided with a stop pawl to prevent it being turned
back by the friction of the pawl when being moved back for another stroke. A
plate is interposed between the two spouts sliding in ways attached to the frame; this
plate has holes formed through it corresponding in size with the cavities of the spouts,
extending upon the rear side and becoming gradually smaller, so that the quantity
of grain passing into the apparatus may be regulated as may be desired. In the
rear part of the plate is formed an inclined or curved slot to receive a pin attached
to a bar which slides upon the frame and has a downwardly projecting arm attached
The arm is slotted to receive a pin attached to the slide or loop of the adjust-
able weight. The sliding plate is provided with a projecting arm for convenience in
adjusting it. With this construction, as the plate is drawn forward to lessen the
'quantity of grain passing into the vessel, the weight is drawn inward slightly in
exactly the same proportion. As the grain in the vessel overbalances the weight
and moves down allowing the partition to tilt, a small quantity of grain will always
pass into the said vessel before the said partition can oscillate, and this small quantity
of grain is always larger as the grain is running in more rapidly. The automatic
adjustment of the weight exactly balances this variation by in slightly, as a less
quantity of grain is allowed to run in, so that the vessel will stand a trifle longer
before tilting when the grain is running in slowly, so that uniform quantities will
always be measured, whether the grain be admitted faster or slower. In weighing
flour and other substances that do not readily pass through an opening the inclined
or concaved sides of the vessel may also be pivoted to the ends of the said vessel,
and may be connected with the oscillating partition by rods or other suitable means,
so as to be opened and closed by the movements of the said partition to enlarge the
discharge opening and allow the substance to escape freely and quickly.
to it.
In using the apparatus thé substance is admitted into the closed compartment of
the vessel; as soon as the desired quantity has been received its weight overbalances
the balancing weight and causes the vessel to descend, which downward movement
releases the upper end-of-the-partition, and the weight of the substance resting.
against the side of its lower end instantly reverses it and allows the substance to
drop out. The sudden decrease of weight thus caused allows the vessel to rise with
the upper end of the partition upon the other side of the spout. These various
movements of the apparatus occur almost simultaneously.
If desired, a cross bar or bridge may be attached to the lower end of the spout,
and a small roller pivoted to the upper edge of the partition to roll along the said
bridge, and thus guard against the possibility of a kernel of grain catching between
the edge of the spout and the edge of the partition, and thus impeding the movement
of the said partition.