IMPROVEMENTS LIF BALANCES OR WEIGHING Macamos
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Loughton, trading as Samuel Turner,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the
Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS LIF BALANCES OR WEIGHING Macamos.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the raid George Loughton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Fatents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1871.
I, GEORGE LOUGHTON, trading as Samuel Turner, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES OR WEIGHING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
herain-after described, the parts of balances or weighing machineɔ,
the said balances or weighing machines being especially adapted for
weighing letters and parcels for postal purposes, but may also be used
for other purposes.

page_text: By arranging the parts according to my Invention the weight of the
letter or parcel and the value or number of postage stamp required for
the said letter or parcel are co indicated that the reading off of the
came is effected with ease and rapidity.
In constructing a babace or weighing machine according to my
Invention support the beam on a knife tage cr fulcrum in the
odiary way, and I make the crais pon or platform end of the beam,
or that end on which the article to be weighed is placed, also in the
ordinary way. The other end of the beam I make in the form of a
hollow tubular case, square by preference, in cross sention, and I fit into
the said tabular case a bar or weight of a corresponding figure, the said
bar or weight being capable of sliding in the said case, so as to be
brought necier to or furthe. Lom the falurum on which the beam turns.
The rear end of the tubular case it open, and the rear end of the sliding
weight protrudes therefrom & berd er knob on the said end of the
weight enabling it to be pushed into cr partly withdrawn from its case.
In the upper face of the tubular case of the beam is a longitudinal slot,
and the sliding weight in the said case is furnished with a finger or
pointer which passes through and works in the said slot. On the apper
face of the tubular case of the beam is a graduated scale to indicate
pounds, ounce, and parts of ounces, and also the value or number
of postage stamp3 which letters or packets of the respective weights
indicated on the scale require.
When a letter or packet to be weighed is placed on the scale pan or
platform of the beam the sliding weight at the opposite end of the beam
is moved or adjusted in its case nearer to or further from the fulcrum of
the beam until its weight balances that on the scale pan or platform,
when the finger or pointer of the said sliding weight indicates on the
graduated scale the weight of the letter or packet and the value or
number of postage stamps it requires, the position of the graduated
scale enabling the indications to be readily read. The position of the
sliding weight is temporarily fixed by means of a light spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Platent,
filed by the said Gcorge Loughton in the Great Stal Patent Office
on the 10th April 1872.
10 ALL TO WHO THESE FRESENTS SHALL COM, I, GEORGE
LOUGHTON, trading as Samuel Turner, of Birmingham, in the Coraty of
Warwick, Manufacturer, oud grating.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Vistoria, by Fies
Lettera Patent, bearing dute the Sixteenth day of October, in the yeze
of our Lord One thousand eight bundied and seventy-one, in the thirty-
Aith year of Her reign, uid, for Ferself, ie bohs and succt=501F,
give and grant unto me, the said George Lough'on, Her special
license that I, the id George Loagaton, my execu.013, adminis
Lators, and assigna, or such others as I, the said George Loughton,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no ɔtherɑ, 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
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCLE 03 WETHING LICHINCз,” upor
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Loughton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe und
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the samo to be filed in the Great Seal
5 Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
13
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Loughton, do hereby
declare the nature of the caid Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
O by the following statement, reference being bed to the Drawings
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-

page_text: weighing letters and parcels for postal purposes, but may also be used
for other purposes.
By arranging the parts according to my Invention the weight of the
letter or parcel and the value or number of postage stamps required for
the said letter or parcel are sɔ indicated that the reading of of the same
is effected with ease and rapidity.
In constructing a balancs 2 weighing machine acending to iny
Invention, I support the beam on a luife edge or fulerera in the ordinary
way, and I make the scalo pan or platforma end of the team or that and
on which the article to be weighcă is placed, also in the ordinary way.
The other end of the beam I make in the form of a hollow tubular casa,
square by preference in oxoss section, and I Sit into the said tubular case
a bar or weight of a corresponding figure, the said or or weight being
capable of slicing in the said case, so as to be brought rearer to
further from the falcrum on which the teain turns. The rear end of the
tubular case is open, and the rear end of the sliding weight protrudes
therefrom, a head or knob on the end of the weight enabling it to ba
pushed into or partly withdrawn from its case.
In the upper face of the tubular case of the team is a longitudinal
alot, and the siding weight in the said case is furnished with a fingar or
pointer, the stem of which passes through and works in the said slet.
On the upper face of the tubular case of the team is a graduated scale to
indicate pounds, ounces, and parts of ounces, and also the value or
number of postage stamps which letters or packets of the respective
weights indicated on the scale require.
When a letter or packet to be weighed is placed on the scale pan or
platform of the beam the sliding weight at the opposite end of the beam
is moved or adjusted in its case nearer to or further from the fulcrum of
the beam, until its weight balances that on the scale pan or platform,
when the finger or pointer indicates on the graduated scale the weight
of the letter or packet and the value or number of postage stamps it
requires, the position of the graduated scale enabling the indications to
be readily read.

page_text: 5
30
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side alevation; Figure 2 in plan; Figure 3 in
longitudinal vertical section; and Figura 4 in end elevation, a letter
halance or weighing machine constructed according to my invention ;
Figures 5 and 6 are portions of the same drawn to a larger scale, us
ezein-after described. The same letters of reference indicate the sama
parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the end of the beam of the balance carrying the scale pan or
platform b, and d is the opposite or weight end of the beam. The
team a, d, tuns on the knife edge or fulcrum o, supported in the side
enceks o . The and a of the beam consists of a hollow or tubular
case, square in cross section, the rear end being open. Fitting closely in
the tubular casa d is a sliding bar or weight e, the rear end of the said
sliding weight protruding from the open rear end of the case d. By
means of the head or knob ƒ on the end of the sliding weight e the sid
weight can be pushed into or partly withdrawn from its case, so as to
bring it nearer to or further from the fulcrum c, on which the beam a, d,
turns. The upper face of the tubular case d of the beam is provided
with a longitudinal slot (ses Figure 2), and the sliding weight c is
furnished with ₹ finger or pointe: . The said Eager or pointer is £xed
to the sliding weight e by the screw pin i, the shank of the said pin
working in the longitudinal slot g in the tubular case d.
A plan of under side and side elevation of the finger or pointer ↳ is
shown detached, drawn to a larger scale in Figure 5, and a portion of the
tubular beam d and sliding weight e and the arrangement for connecting
the pointer to the said sliding weight are represented in longitudinal
section on a larger scale in Figure 6.
By referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the upper face of the
tubular case d of the beam is furnished with a graduated scale, one side
of the slot y being graduated to indiente ounces and parts of ounces, and
the other side of the slot being gradusted to indicate the value or number
of postage stamp3 which letters or packets of the respective weights
35 indicated on the other side of the scale require.
in order to temporarily fix the position of the sliding weight e the
following arrangement in adopted :-The graduations on either side of

page_text: the slot garo sunken and of a √ figure by preference, and on the under
side of the finger or pointer / V shaped projections A, A, are madɔ (523
Figure 5). The pointer h works loosely on the stem of the piz i, and by
means of a light coiled spring (, situated between the head of the screw i
and the finger or pointer, the said pointer is pressed down so that when ||
brought opposite one or other of the sunken gradaations of the scale the
y shaped projections on the under side of the pointer drop into the
sunken graduations on either side of the slot g, and temporarily fix the
position of the sliding weight e.
In using my Invention the letter or article to be weighed is placed on 1
the scale pan or platform b of the beam, and the sliding weight e at the
opposite tubular end of the beam in moved or adjusted in the ɛrid
tubular end, nearer to or further from the fulcrum e of the beam until
the said sliding weight e balances the ictter or article on the scale pan b,
when the finger or pointer of the said sliding weight indicates on 1
the graduated scale of the tubular end or case d the weight of the
letter or article and the valuo or number of postage stamps it requires,
the sliding weight being fixed by the engagement of the projections k, k,
of the finger or pointer with the sunken graduations of the scale. A
cross bar c³ between the bearing cheeks c³, c³, supports the tubular end 20
or case d of the beam when it descends by the drawing out of the woight
beyond the required distance to put the beam in equilibrium.
Although my Invention is especially applicable to the weighing of
letters, packets, and other light articles, yet it may be used for weighing
purposes generally, the graduated scale being varied according to the 25
purpose for which the balance is to be used,
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manger in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my 30
Invention.
But I claim as my Invention the improvements in balances or
weighing machines herein-before described and illustrated in the ascom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, constructing one end or half of the
beam of the balance or weighing machine in the form of a tubular cuso, 35
and balancing the weight on the scule pan or platform at the opposite
cud or half of the bram by means of a hay or weight sliding in the said

page_text: tubular case of the beam, a pointer or finger when the sliding weight is
moved or adjusted traversing a graduated scale on the înce of the tubular
tad of the beam, the parts being constructed and arranged substantially
as described and illustrated.
S
In witness whereof, I, the said George Loughton, have hereunto
But ray hund and scal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy-two.
10
Witness,
RICHARD SKLRRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE LOUCHTON. (L.S.)