Improvements in the Application of Weighing Machines to Carts, Vans, Trucks, Trollies, and other Road, Tramway, and Railway Vehicles..
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Application of Weighing Machines to Carts,
Vans, Trucks, Trollies, and other Road, Tramway, and Railway
Vehicles..
I, THOMAS JENNER, of Mill Lane, Taunton, in the County of Somerset,
Brewery Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to afford greater convenience for weighing
cattle and other animals and goods to be transported and to save loading and
unloading operations. For this purpose I so combine a weighing machine with
the cart, truck, van trolly or other road tramway or railway vehicle that the weight
of the load while contained therein can be ascertained indicated and if desired
printed off on a ticket or otherwise. For this purpose I construct the cart or other
vehicle with a movable floor platform or false bottom which can be made to con-
stitute the scale board of a weighing machine provision being made for putting the
platform and weighing machine in and out of co-operation for instance by means of
a lever which may be worked from any convenient part of the vehicle. The
weighing machine may be enclosed or not. I thus avoid the conveying of the goods
to a separate weighing machine apparatus or platform and the removal therefrom
and the replacing thereof upon the usual van, trolly or other vehicle and save
much time trouble and expense.
As applied to a cart for conveying live cattle the movable platform covers the
bottom, which may be an openworked frame and can be put into operation by
means of a lever so as to act on the weighing machine, which latter may con-
veniently be arranged under the movable platform. In a farmers cart the movable
platform may be similarly constructed and also be provided with a fixed or movable
folding or hinged openworked frame or crate for keeping the turnips or other
produce or goods upon the platform. Or the movable platform may only take up
part of the bottom of the cart especially in the case of carts or waggons for
carrying coal corn or other merchandise in sacks or otherwise separated into
packages or lots, the movable platform when not weighing forming part of the
floor.
The invention when applied to trucks trollies and other vehicles used on
railways tramways common roads or station platforms and in warehouses docks and
other places for conveying luggage and goods of other descriptions would more or
less partake of the nature of the constructions above described.
Dated this 27th day of March 1800
JENSEN & SON,.
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Application of Weighing Machines to Carts,
Vans, Trucks, Trollies, and other Road, Tramway, and Railway
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS JENNER, of Mill Lane, Taunton, in the County of Somerset, Brewery
Proprietor, 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 afford greater convenience for weighing cattle
and other animals and goods to be transported, and to save loading and unloading

page_text: operations. For this purpose I so combine a weighing machine with a cart, truck,
van, trolly or other road tramway or railway vehicle so that the weight of the load
while contained therein can be ascertained, indicated and if desired printed off on a
ticket or otherwise and I therefore make a part or the whole of the bottom of the
cart or other vehicle to constitute when in use the weighing platform or scale board
of a weighing machine the steelyard portions and striking gear or provision for
putting the platform and weighing machine in and out of operation being arranged
in or on the side of the body of the vehicle so as to be accessible and enclosed or
not and means being also provided for automatically fixing or steadying the
weighing platform when in its lowered position and of liberating it when it is
elevated. I thus avoid the conveying of animals or goods to a separate weighing
machine, apparatus, or platform and the removal therefrom, and the replacing
thereof upon the usual van trolly or other vehicle for the transport of the said
animal or goods. I shall now describe the modes of carrying my invention into
effect by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a side view and Figure 2 a plan of the body of a cart for conveying
coal, corn or other goods in sacks or otherwise separated into packages or lots.
Part of the floor or bottom of the cart is taken up by a movable platform A
which is shewn enlarged in the plan view Figure 10 and the longitudinal and
transverse section Figures 11 and 12. This platform when not weighing forms
part of the floor and works in the box frame B. This latter may be replaced
by a frame carrying the working parts, in fact the scantling of the cart with
the working parts arranged on brackets. The frame B is constructed so as to
act in conjunction with double armed levers C C¹ in this case two on each side)
which serve to hold the platform fast when travelling or when not used for
weighing and which release their hold when a slight upward pull is exerted on the
platform. The arms C¹ have each a rubber pad C* C* which when coming into
contact with the sides of the platform A take off the jar therefrom. Or instead of
rubber pads we may use blocks of hard rubber or soft or hard wood or metal
springs or blocks and springs. Figure 11 shews the platform in the lowered
position for travelling and Figure 12 in the raised position for weighing. This
arrangement is described in the Specification accompanying my application for
Letters Patent dated 9th July 1890 No. 10668.
Under the platform A are usual weighing levers D D' which latter by a rod E
is connected to the usual lever E' for putting the steelyard F and other parts into
and out of gear for weighing. The steelyard is in a box G on the side of the cart.
Figure 5 is a side view and Figure 6 a sectional end view of these parts as I
prefer to construct the box G and according to the Specification accompanying my
application for Letters Patent No. 10256 dated 2nd July 1890. The front lid is in
this example made in two parts G G2 the former or outer one covering the lower
front of the box, and the latter in its raised position covering the upper front part
of box. H is a rod with branch H¹ fixed to the lower inner or sliding lid G² with
upper prolongation H2 and lower cross piece H³. When the lid G2 is down and
hence the box G open and the steelyard visible and accessible the parts H2 and H³
are down. The parts H2 and H³ may be lined with leather or the like on the top.
The steelyard F and levers D' D can then be put into weighing position by
depressing the usual lever E¹ whereby the levers D D also slightly raise the plat-
form A so that it frees itself from the holders C C¹ C*. When the weighing
operations are done, the sliding lid G2 should be raised to close up the box G but
this operation brings the rod H into play and causes its projections H2 and H³ to
nurse or slightly lift the lever D' and the steelyard F off their knife edges (but
not so far as to lift the lever D' clear of the hook at bottom of rod H) so that the
cart is ready for travelling when the lever E' has also been raised whereby the
platform A is allowed to drop and be jambed by the levers C C' C*.
66
"
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are side view, transverse section and plan section of another
arrangement of steelyard enclosing box and gear connected therewith. To prevent
the lid G G2 from being closed without the steeelyard F and platform A. being

page_text: put out of position for weighing I connect to the lever E' the rod H the lower
end of which is jointed to one end of a double armed lever the other end of which
carries a block K which as long as the steelyard is in the weighing or operative
position will be raised so high in the position shewn that the lid G G² cannot be
closed, thus reminding the attendant that the lever E¹ has to be raised first. As a
nearly horizontal position is essential to the reliable working of the weighing
machine, I provide means for indicating the level of the vehicle longitudinally
and transversely in the form of pendant triangular indexes L Figure 1 attached
inside the box G one on the back and the other on one end thereof. To bring the
vehicle to the required level I use props M attached to the shafts and one or two
props N adjustable by right and left hand screw sleeves to the underside of the
back of the vehicle. The props M and N are made to fold up and rest in hooks
or staples when out of use. In the case of a fourwheeled vehicle, I use in the
main the same arrangement of parts described.
Figure 3 is a plan view and Figure 4 end view of a roller a having its bearings
in a frame b. The latter swings on pivots b₁₁ in brackets c.
The latter are fixed
to a cross beam d of the bottom at the back of the cart. When a heavy sack, box
or other object is to be pushed into the cart the frame b is swung into the raised
position shewn in Figure 4 and held fast therein by a square part 6* on one of the
pivots b' entering a square recess in its bracket ca pege attached by a chain being
then passed through a hole in the pivot b' for further security. When the roller is
out of use the pin e is taken out and the frame b is slided so far to the right that the
square part leaves its square recess. The frame b can then be swung down into
the dotted position shewn in Figure 4.
For weighing live cattle or any goods I may make the cart or waggon with a
platform forming the whole bottom of the vehicle the arrangements are otherwise
as just described. Or I may construct the cart with a movable weighing platform
forming only part of the bottom of the cart, and provided with a crate like frame
forming a pen, as shewn in Figure 12ª to 15 presently to be described.
For weighing turnips and similar goods I provide the weighing platform A of
a cart such as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and forming part or the whole bottom of
the vehicle with a crate like frame as shewn in the side view Figure 12ª, end view
Figure 13, plan Figure 14 and side view Figure 15. The posts of the frame pass
into holes or sockets in the bottom A and the four sides of the frame are held
together at the corners by links g which pass over the posts of two adjoining sides,
or by other suitable means of fastening. The links may be arranged say at each
end of each side frame or at each end of each end frame or at one end only of each
side frame and end frame. The frame at the tail board end is as shewn in
Figures 13 and 15 provided with a frame-shaped door which is hinged to open
outwards to let the turnips or other goods into sacks or otherwise and provided
with a simple catch for fastening. This crate-like frame is also applicable to
vans, railway trucks and other wheeled vehicles.
For weighing long or bulky goods such as bales of wool or hops I provide wooden
or other chocks i Figures 16 and 17 which fit into holes in the platform or vehicle
bottom A. For weighing pliant and lengthy goods such as sides of beef, sheep or
the like I add a board k with transverse ledges k¹ fitting between the aforesaid
chocks as shewn in Figure 18.
For weighing long goods that will not conveniently adapt themselves to the above
described conditions I provide as shewn in Figures 19 and 20 a frame / with
hoisting tackle or shears in (differential or not) at the top and a cleat n for fastening
the rope.
Figure 21 is a part sectional side view Figure 22 a plan of the underframe of a
railway truck constructed according to my invention and where the whole of the
bottom A forms the weighing platform which may be made in parts cast in steel
bolted together. It rests at the four points B on knife edges on the levers C and D
which are jointed together in the centre. The tongue D of the lever D bears on

page_text: the lever. B.to the end of which is jointed the rod F which transfers the load to the
lever G which is connected to the steelyard H.
The platform A when in the position for travelling is held at the eight points G*
by means of elastic or other pads or blocks on levers as described with reference to
the carts Figures 1 and 2 and the detail views Figures 10, 11 and 12. The steel-
yard is enclosed in a box I on the side of the truck and provided with lever gear for
putting it and the platform in and out of gear as above described with reference
to the cart. The weighing platform A may form a part of the bottom instead of
the whole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A cart, carriage, railway truck or other wheeled vehicle having the whole
or portion of the bottom in the form of a vertically movable platform which is con-
nected by weighing lever gear with a steelyard weighing apparatus on the vehicle,
means being provided for taking the load of such platform off the knife edges
of the weighing levers and for fixing the platform for travelling substantially as
set.forth.
Second. The construction of weighing cart as described and shewn.
Third. The construction of weighing railway truck as described and shewn.
Fourth. The cart fittings for adapting it to various goods, as described with
reference to Figures 3, 4 and 12 to 18:
Fifth. The combined means described for levelling the cart.
Sixth. The application and use in weighing carts, vans, railway trucks and other
wheeled vehicles of pad levers for holding and steadying the weighing platform in
combination with means for taking the platform load off the knife edges of the
weighing gear and for closing the box which contains the steelyard weighing
apparatus substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
Seventh. The application and use in weighing carts, vans, railway trucks and
other wheeled vehicles of a box which contains the steelyard weighing apparatus,
and has a movable lid in combination with means for taking the platform load off
the knife edges of the weighing gear substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings.
Dated this 24th day of December 1890.
JENSEN & SON,.
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.