IMPROVEMENTS IN INFANTS' CRADLES OB CRIES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lucien Theophile Groussin, of Paris, France,.
Physician, for the Invention of" IMPROVEMENTS IN INFANTS' CRADLES OB
CRIES."
Scaled the 17th October 1872, and dated the 23rd April 1872:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lucien Theophile.
Groussin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd April 1872.
I, LUCIEN THEOPHILE GROUSSIN, of, Paris, France, Physician, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
INFANTS' CRADLES OR CRIES," to be, as follows:-
For some years past it has almost been generally accepted by medical
practitioners, that the surest method of judging the state of health of
babies is by weighing them at suitable intervals and thus ascertain
if they have increased in weight to the required extent. For this pur-
pose most of the hospitals for young children are now provided with a

page_text: pair of scales, a steel yard or other similar apparatus by means of which
the child merely wrapped up in a cloth is weighed.
The object of my Invention is to do away with this rather rough
method, and at the same time make the weighing easily applicable for
any nursery room. For this purpose I provide cither the body or crib,
the stand or foot, or any other suitable part of the cradle with a balance,
steel yard, or other suitable weighing apparatus, either permanently or
otherwise connected theroto, but in such manner so as to allow of readily
weighing the child laid in the cradle.
The annexed Drawing shows a perspective elevation view of one of the
various modes in which the Invention may be executed.
A represents the body or crib of a child's cradle, the bottom B of
which is connected by a network C to a ring D, provided with two
gudgeons d for allowing the crib A of rocking between the two
standards E, to the cross bar F which connects these latter together is
fixed the bearer G of a pair of scales, the beam H of which is provided
at one end with a basin J for the weights to be put in, and at the opposite
end with a basin I suitably connected to two supports K, which latter
are hinged to the beam II for allowing of the basin I being let down (as
shown by the black lines) or lifted up (as shown by the red lines,) till ?
the basin I actually touches and even lifts up for a small distance the
bottom B of the cradle, in which position the weight of the babe laid
down on the said bottom B may be easily ascertained, whilst after the
weighing is performed the basin I is let down again so as not to interfere
with the rocking of the cradle.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lucien Theophile Groussin in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 23rd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIEN
THEOPHILE GROUSSIN, of Paris, France, Physician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, lid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Lucien Theophile Groussin, Her special
licence that I, the said Lucien Theophile Groussin, my executors, admi.
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lucien Theophile
Groussin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INPANTS' CRADLES OR CRIBS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Lucien Theophile Groussin, 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 Lucien Theophile Groussin, do
horeby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
Since a few years it has been almost generally admitted by medical
practitioners that one of the surest methods for judging of the state of
health of babies consists in weighing them at suitable intervals, say,
for instance, every fortnight or every week, and ascertain whether
during such interval the child has increased in weight to the required
extent. For this purpose most of the hospitals for young children are
now provided with a steel yard or other similar apparatus to the limb of
which the child merely wrapped up in a towel is suspended and thus
weighed.
The object of my Invention is to do away with this rather barbarious
method, and at the same time make the weighing readily performable
in any ordinary nursery room. For this I provide either the body or
crib, the stand or foot, or any other suitable part of the child's, cradle
with a balance, steel yard, or other suitable weighing apparatus, cither
permanently or otherwise fixed thereto, but in such manner as to allow
of readily weighing a child laid down in such cradle, the tare having
been previously ascertained. I prefer, however, making uso for the
said purpose of the arrangement represented in the horo annexed

page_text: Drawing, which shows a longitudinal side elevation view of a child's
cradle the foot or stand of which is provided according to my Invention
with a balance, and arranged in such manner as to allow of weighing
a child laid down in the crib of the cradic, the taro having been
ascertained previously.
The balance beam A is situated at such distance below the bottom of
the crib or body M as to allow of casily putting the necessary weights
in one B of the scales or basins, whereas the other scale or basin B' is
provided with a rim 6 of such height as to leave only a small distance
apart between this rim and the bottom of the crib M when the balance
beam A is at equipoise and allow the free rocking of the said crib; as
the ordinary balance index would present an impediment to this rocking
the said index is replaced by two pointers or indicator hands c & c',
fixed opposite to each other to the rocking levers D & D', connected
by the hangers d & d¹ to each of the limbs of the balance beam A,
and which levers D & D' have their fulcrums respectively situated in
the supports E & E' fixed on the cross bar F, which latter connects
together the standards G & G of the stand or foot of the cradle.
The various moving parts of the balance move upon knife edges in the
usual manner so as to make the weighing sufficiently true for the
purpose. The crib or body M of the cradle is constructed in the ordinary
manner, viz., the bottom m is fixed to the upper rim m' by the curved
steadying or cross plates a, and the entire provided with a suitable lining,
or the said crib may be made in any other suitable manner, and any
suitable shape given to the stand or foot of the cradle, the upper rim m²
of the crib is provided with two pins or pivots p & p², respectively
turning in corresponding holes or bearings provided in the standards
G&G' for allowing the crib of rocking freely between these standards;
a set screw h allows of lowering the crib till the bottom of this latter
rests on the rim of the scale or basin B', the tare of the crib and its
contents being then ascertained the child is laid down therein, and its
weighing performed in the usual manner.
Ilaving thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the samo is or may be put into
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to restrict or
restrain myself to the precise details of the above described arrange-
ment, as many variations or modifications may be made therein without
departing from the principles or main features of the Invention; but

page_text: what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, providing either the body or crib, or the foot or stand of
children's cradles or cribs with a balance, steel yard, or other suitable
weighing apparatus connected thereto, cither in a permanent or in a
movcablo way for the purpose of ascertaining the weight of babies or
very young children.
ני
In witness whereof, I, the said Lucien Theophile Groussin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord. One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
•
A. G. BRADE.
L. GROUSSIN. (LS.)