Improvements in Automatic and other Weighing and Strength Testing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1889-Accepted, 8th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic and other Weighing and Strength
Testing Machines.
RICHARD WATSON Clerk in Holy Orders EMILY WATSON (wife of the above) no
calling RICHARD WATSON (son of the 'above, no calling 6 Clifton Place Stapleton
Road Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to construct an apparatus whereby both the weight
and lifting power of a person can be indicated on the same dial of the machine
without any reckoning or subtracting; and whereby the strength-testing handles
will rise when they are pulled, upwards like the handles of the ordinary machines for
indicating lifting power; but which can only be done when one or more coins or the
like are placed in a slit in the machine, or when the machine is otherwise set free.
Heretofore the strength-testing handles of all such machines were fixed to the frame
of the machine, and never moved when pulled upwards, so that a person could
neither see nor feel that he was lifting anything while he was testing his lifting
power; and all that he really did was, he pressed down the weighing platform
with his hands and feet. .And heretofore none of such machines with only one
dial could indicate on the same dial the exact strength of a person apart from his
weight; they indicate the weight and strength combined, and to ascertain the
exact strength of a person he must deduct his weight which many persons cannot
do. Also heretofore all such machines either with one or two dials required a
much heavier counterpoise weight to counterbalance a person's strength than our
machine requires; because persons testing their lifting power on all such machines
always stand upon the weighing platform, and so the counterpoise weight has to
counterbalance both the weight of the body upon the platform, and also the strength
exerted by a person in lifting, but it is not so with our machine."
The principle
of this our invention is to draw or press down the inoveable platform of a weighing
machine without standing upon it, or to draw or press down the weighing gear upon
which the aforesaid platform is supported without standing upon the said platform;
and to do so by the act of pulling up handles and actually raising them from

page_text: their normal position to a higher elevation; this, our principle, may be carried out
by several methods,, each producing a similar result, and it may be applied to
the very useful purpose of making a weighing machine become also a strength
testing machine at a very-small-extra-cost. The..novelty of our invention consists
of an arrangement of a straight or crooked lever with its appendages, which may
be placed either above or under the aforesaid, platform, the lever has the fulcrum
in the centre, one arm of which is weightedfin order to counterbalance the other
arm, which is connected with the lower end of arrod which prosses upon it, the upper
part of which is screw threaded as usual: for carrying the handles, which a person
grasps and pulls or pushes up in-order to test bis lifting power, and the aforesaid
straight or crooked lever is used in connection with a fixed platform on which the
person stands while he pulls the handles to test his lifting power. In order to
carry out our invention we.cause.to be constructed of any suitable,metal or material
a machine with two platforms, one of which is fixed to the frame, and the other is
moveable. The fixed platform is that upon which a person stands while he tests his
lifting power. The moveable platform is that upon which a person stands while he
weighs hiniself, and consists of a flat or grooved plate of iron with four legs, and
four perpendicular or inclined flanges, and is supported upon four knife edges,
carried upon two frames, which are suspended by means of hooks from knife edges
fixed to the frame. The two frame pieces are coupled together in the centre, and
one of them has an extended arm which is provided with a knife edge. This is the
usual mechanism employed in platform weighing machines. The fixed platform has
a cylinder or tube fixed to it, in which cylinder or tube works a rod the middle
and upper part of which is screw threaded and carries four handles, which by this
means can be adjusted in the usual manner to suit the height of the person who
grasps the handles in order to test his lifting power. The two lower, handles are to
pull upwards and so to test a person's lifting power with his hands below his shoulders.
And the two upper handles are-to-push upwards and so to test the lifting power
of a person with his hands above his shoulders. The aforesaid screw threaded rod
extends downwards from the cylinder or,, tube, and passes through a, hole in the
platform, and the lower part of the rod is connected with, one, end of, the aforesaid
straight or crooked lever, which bears, the whole of its weight and also the weight
of the strength testing handles upon it, the lever has its fulcrum in the centre- or
middle, and its other arm is, weighted to counterbalance the weight of the rod and
handles and at the end of its weighted arm is fixed or screwed to itia hook
on its upper side, and to its under side is fixed or screwed a fork with two
slitted points or prongs and a spindle and roller. When tho straight or crooked
lever is placed under the platform, the object of the. hook is to link on another
hook fixed to the weighing platform underneath; or to link on the weighing gear
which supports the platform, so that when a weight is placed upon the weighing
platform the upper hook slides freely down in the open link of the lower hook without
touching it, and without moving the straight or crooked lever; and such is the action
of the weighing gear when the hook; is linked on it instead of being linked on the
hook fixed to the platform. But when the strongth testing handles are pulled or
pushed upwards, the lower hook draws down the upper hook, and with it the
weighing platform to which it is, attached; and such is also the effect; when
the lower hook is linked on the weighing gear instead of being linked on the
upper hook fixed to the platform. Or instead of drawing the platform or the
weighing gear down-by means of the aforesaid lever and hook, the weighing gear may
be pressed down, by means of the same lever to which is screwed the aforesaid fork
with two slitted. points or prongs, and a spindle and roller; and when the
weighing platform is in its normal position the roller is balanced on the upper arm
piece of the weighing gear, and the two prongs. of the fork loosely clasp it; so that
when a weight is placed upon the weighing platform the upper arm-piece descends
but it does not draw down with it the roller or move the straight or crooked lever.
But when the strength testing handles are pulled-or-pushed upwards, the roller-presses
- down the upper arm-piece-of-the weighing gear, and the platform descends with it,
1
+

page_text: and as in all cases when the handles are liberated the weighing gear and platform
return to their normal position. When the straight or crooked lever is placed above
the platform instead of being placed below it the object of the aforesaid hook is to
link the said lever, when folded back, to the aforesaid cylinder, so that it may
be out of the way when not used; and the object of the slits in the prongs
of the fork of the straight or crooked lever is to lower the roller, so that it may
press on the upper side of the weighing platform instead of pressing on the upper
arm-piece of the weighing gear, when used. Instead of the aforesaid rod and
strength testing handles being counterbalanced by the weight on one arm of the
straight or crooked lever, they may be balanced by a counterpoise weight in the
aforesaid cylinder, where it would be out of the way of children; the weight may
have a hole in its centre through which the rod may work without touching
it, and it may be suspended by two hooks to two chains or cords which pass over
two pulleys fixed to the cylinder and the other end of the chains or cords may be
fastened to the rod, so that when the rod and handles rise, the weight will descend.
And instead of using the aforesaid straight or crooked lever to draw or pull down the
weighing gear or platform they may be drawn or pulled down by using the rod and
handles, balanced in the cylinder as just described; and to the lower end of
the rod may be attached a cord or flexible chain passing on the under side of
two pulleys under the platform and up to a hook or link attached to the weighing
gear or platform. The aforesaid knife edge of the. extended arm 'of one of the
weighing gear pieces is supported by a hook, which is riveted to a flexible chain
which passes up into the casing of the weighing machine where it is connected with
the usual counterpoise and indicating mechanism, and where the usual means are
provided or employed to unlock the machine by means of a coin, or otherwise to set
it free.
1 1
a
1
1000
GEORGE SMITH MILTON
6 Clifton Place Stapleton Road Bristol.

page_text: RICHARD WATSON Clerk in Holy Orders RICHARD WATSON (son of the above) no
calling EMILY WATSON no calling 14 Dean Street Bristol, 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 our invention is to construct an improved apparatus whereby both the
weight and lifting power of a person can be indicated on the same dial of the machine
without any reckoning or subtracting or correcting the scale upon the dial; and
whereby the strength testing handles will rise when they are pulled upwards like the
handles of the ordinary machines for indicating lifting power. The principle of this
our invention is to draw or press down or cause to descend the moveable platform of a
weighing machine without standing upon it or with the platform to draw or press
down or cause to descend the weighing gear upon which the aforesaid platform
is supported without standing upon the said platform; and to do so by the act of
pulling up handles and actually raising them from their normal position to a higher
elevation while a person is testing his lifting power; this our principle may be carried
out by several methods, each producing a similar result, and it may be applied to
the very useful purpose of making a weighing machine become also a strength testing
machine at a very small extra cost and by which the strength of a person may be
ascertained as correctly as his weight. The novelty of our invention consists of an
arrangement of a straight or crooked lever with its appendages, which may be
placed either above or under the aforesaid platform; the lever may have the fulcrum
either in the centre or not, one arm of which is weighted in order to counterbalanco
its other arm, which is connected with the lower end of a rod which presses upon it;
the upper part of which is screw threaded as usual for carrying the handles, which a
person grasps and pulls or pushes up in order to test his lifting power. Or instead of
the aforesaid rod and strength testing handles being counterbalanced by the weight on
one arm of the straight or crooked lever, they may be balanced by a counterpoise
weight or weights in a cylinder or box; the weight or weights may be suspended by
one or two hooks to one or two chains or cords which pass over one or two pulleys
fixed to the cylinder or box, and the other end of the chains or cords may be fastened
to the rod, so that when the rod and its handles rise the weight or weights will

page_text: descend. And instead of using the aforesaid straight or crooked lever to draw or
pull down the weighing gear or platform, they may be drawn or pulled down by using
the rod and handles, balanced in the cylinder or box as described; and to the
lower end of the rod may be attached a cord or flexible chain passing on the under
side of one or two pulleys under the platform and up to a hook or link or its equiva-
lent attached to the weighing gear or platform. Or instead of the aforesaid cord
or flexible chain being attached to a part of the weighing gear or platform, and
drawing or pulling it down when the strength testing handles are pulled up, it-may
be attached to the cord, chain, band, rod or bar which is attached to the extended
arm of the weighing gear and connected with the counterpoise. And instead of the
straight or crooked lever drawing or pressing down the platform or weighing gear it
may be attached to the aforesaid cord, chain, band, rod or bar which connects the
weighing gear and counterpoise. Both of these methods produce a similar result, and
in all the methods we employ the weighing platform descends when the strength
testing handles are pulled, up. In order to carry out our invention we cause to be
constructed a machine with two platforms, one of which is fixed to the frame and the
other is moveable. The fixed platform is that upon which a person stands while
he tests his lifting power. The moveable platform is that upon which a person
stands while he weighs himself, and consists of a flat, or grooved plate of iron with
four legs and four inclined flanges, and is supported upon four knife edges, carried
upon two frames, which are suspended by means of hooks, from knife edges, fixed to
the frame. The two frame pieces are coupled together in the centre, and one of them
bas an extended arm which is provided with a knife edge. This is the usual
mechanism employed in platform weighing machines. But our weighing platform
has a hook or link or its equivalent fixed to it underneath by which it may be drawn
down by a lever or cord connected with the aforesaid rod carrying the strength
testing handles.
The fixed platform has a cylinder or box fixed to it in which a rod
works, the middle and upper part of which is screw threaded and carries two or
four handles, which by this means can be adjusted in the usual manner to suit the
height of the person who grasps the handles in order to test his lifting power. The
aforesaid screw threaded rod is connected with one end of the straight or crooked
lever, which bears the whole of its weight and also the weight of the strength testing
handles upon it; and in all cases when the strength testing handles are liberated
the weighing gear and platform return to their normal position. When the fulcrum
is not placed in the centre of the straight or crooked lever the same dial and finger
will require a separate scale to indicate the strength; but when the fulcrum is placed
in the centre of the straight or crooked lever, the same scale, dial and pointer will
indicate both the correct weight and strength: The aforesaid knife edge of the
extended arm of one of the weighing gear pieces is supported by a hook, which is
fastened to a flexible chain or its equivalent which passes up into the casing of the
weighing machine where it is connected with the usual counterpoise and indicating
mechanism, and where the usual means are provided or employed to unlock the
machine by means of a coin, or, otherwise to set it free.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood, we will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1 is a front
elevation of our combined weighing and strength testing machine with a part of
the case of the cylinder or box w removed, showing one method of balancing the
rod a and the strength testing handles h; figure 2 is a side elevation with part of the
case and box or cylinder w removed, showing a modified form of apparatus in which
a flexible cord or chain t is substituted for the lever u in figure 3, which is a similar
view to figure 2, showing another method of balancing the rod a and handles h.
Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the drawings. Referring to figure 1, a is
a rod on which the strength testing handles are screwed which a person grasps and
pulls up in order to test his lifting power. c is a weight suspended by a flexible cord
or chain which passes over the pulley band is fastened to the rod a which is balanced
by the weight C. w is a box or cylinder in which a part of the rod a is placed.

page_text: is the weighing or moveable platform on which things are placed to be weighed.
m is the fixed platform on which a person stands in order to test his lifting power..
e is the lower end of the rod a to which is attached the lever u shown in figure 3, or
the cord or chain t shown in figure 2. is the case of the machine. is a slot in
which a coin is placed to unlock the machine or a part of it. dis a part of the scale
which indicates both the weight and strength of persons using the machine; when the
cord is used or when the fulcrum of the lever u is placed in the centre: gis'a
separate scale which is used to indicate the strength or lifting power of a person when
the fulcrum is not placed in the centre of the straight or crooked lever u; and this
separate scale must be regulated according to the distance of the fulcrum from the
centre of the lever u; and as in all cases the zero of the weighing scale is the zero of
the strength testing scale. And the same dial pointer indicates both weight and
strength. In figure 3, u is the straight or crooked lever one end of which is attached
to the rod a at the joint e, and the other end of the lever is connected with the
weighing platform 2 by a hook or link k fixed to the platform. s is a counterpoise
weight fixed on one arm of the lever to counterbalance the weight of the rod a and
the handles, instead of using the weight c to counterbalance them. p is the extended
arm of the weighing gear. o is a cord or chain attached to a knife edge at the end of
the extended lever p and passing up into the case where it is connected with the
counterpoise weight which counterbalances both the strength exerted in lifting and
the weight placed upon the weighing platform ; but a person cannot test his strength
while another person is being weighed, neither can one person be weighed while
another person tests his strength. When the lever u is placed under the platform æ
and connected with it by a hook or link k or its equivalent fixed to the platform, the
hook at the end of one of its arms may be dispensed with, and also the fork, spindle
and roller described in our provisional specification. In figure 2, t is a flexible cord
or chain passing on the underside of two pullies pulleys v, one end of the cord or chain
is attached to the lower end of the rod a, and the other end is connected with the
platforma by a hook or link or its equivalent. The handles h, and the rod a and
the lever u do not move while a person is being weighed. The lever u or the cord or
chain t holds the platform in its place upon its knife edges by the hook or link k,
and so prevents persons from lifting it off the weighing gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we say that we are
aware of the Specification of Everitt's Patent No. 16,433 of 1884 and Page's Patent,
No. 12,576 of 1885 and we do not claim the mechanism therein described and claimed,
and we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In a weighing and strength testing apparatus the combination and arrangement
of the handles h, the rod a, the balanced lever u with its weighted arms and the
weighing platform æ, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
•
2. In a weighing and strength testing apparatus the combination and arrangement
of the handles h, the rod a, the weight or weights c, the lever u, (balanced by the
weight or weights c, instead of being balanced by the weights upon one of its
arms,) and the weighing platform, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a weighing and strength testing machine the modified form of apparatus, in
which a flexible cord t or its equivalent passing on the underside of the pullies pulleys v
and connecting the balanced rod a and the weighing platform x, is substituted for the
straight or crooked lever u, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In combined weighing and strength testing machines the combination and
arrangement of mechanism by which the rod a and handles h are balanced by a
separate counterpoise weights or weights c, apart from the counterpoise weight which
balances the strength exerted in lifting or the weight placed upon the platform x, and

page_text: by which the correct weight or strength of a person may be indicated on the same
dial of the machine and by the same dial pointer and scale without any reckoning or
deducting or correcting the scale upon the dial, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
•
5. In a weighing and strength testing machine the combination of parts for causing
both the weight and strength of a person using it to be indicated on the same dial by
the same scale, and by the same dial pointer with the same zero in the same place,
and without any reckoning or deducting, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GEORGE S. MILTON
25 Brigstocke Road City Road Bristol
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
Improvements in Automatic and other Weighing and Strength
Testing Machines.
RICHARD WATSON Clerk in Holy Orders EMILY WATSON (wife of the above) no
calling RICHARD WATSON (son of the above) no calling 6 Clifton Place Stapleton
Road Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to construct an apparatus whereby both the weight
and lifting power of a person can be indicated on the same dial of the machine'
without any reckoning or subtracting; and whereby the strength-testing handles
will rise when they are pulled upwards like the handles of the ordinary machines for:
indicating lifting power; but which can only be done when one or more coins or the
like are placed in a slit in the machine, or when the machine is otherwise set free.
Heretofore the strength-testing handles of all such machines were fixed to the frame
of the machine, and never moved when pulled upwards, so that a person could
neither see nor feel that he was lifting anything while he was testing his lifting
power; and all that he really did was, he pressed down the weighing platform
with his hands and feet. And heretofore none of such machines with only one
dial could indicate on the same dial the exact strength of a person apart from his
weight; they indicate the weight and strength combined, and to ascertain the
exact strength of a person he must deduct his weight which many persons cannot
do. Also heretofore all such machines either with one or two dials required a
much heavier counterpoise weight to counterbalance a person's strength than our
machine requires; because persons testing their lifting power on all such machines
always stand upon the weighing platform, and so the counterpoise weight has to
counterbalance both the weight of the body upon the platform, and also the strength
exerted by a person in lifting, but it is not so with our machine. The principle
of this our invention is to draw or press down the moveable platform of a weighing
machine without standing upon it, or to draw or press down the weighing gear upon
which the aforesaid platform is supported without standing upon the said platform;
and to do so by the act of pulling up handles and actually raising them from

page_text: their normal position to a higher elevation; this our principle may be carried out
by several methods, each producing a similar result, and it may be applied to
the very useful purpose of making a weighing machine become also a strength
testing machine at a very small extra-cost. The novelty of our invention consists
of an arrangement of a straight or crooked lever with its appendages, which may
be placed either above or under the aforesaid platform, the lever has the fulcrum
in the centre, one arm of which is weighted in order to counterbalance the other
arm, which is connected with the lower end of a rod which presses upon it, the upper
part of which is screw threaded as usual for carrying the handles, which a person
grasps and pulls or pushes up in order to test his lifting power, and the aforesaid
straight or crooked lever is used in connection with a fixed platform on which the
person stands while he pulls the handles to test his lifting power. In order to
carry out our invention we cause to be constructed of any suitable metal or material
a machine with two platforms, one of which is fixed to the frame, and the other is
moveable. The fixed platform is that upon which a person stands while he tests his
lifting power. The moveable platform is that upon which a person stands while he
weighs himself, and consists of a flat or grooved plate of iron with four legs, and
four perpendicular or inclined flanges, and is supported upon four knife edges,
carried upon two frames, which are suspended by means of hooks from knife edges
fixed to the frame. The two frame pieces are coupled together in the centre, and
one of them has an extended arm which is provided with a knife edge. This is the
usual mechanism employed in platform weighing machines. The fixed platform has
a cylinder or tube fixed to it, in which cylinder or tube works a rod the middle
and upper part of which is screw threaded and carries four handles, which by this
means can be adjusted in the usual manner to suit the height of the person who
grasps the handles in order to test his lifting power. The two lower handles are to
pull upwards and so to test a person's lifting power with his hands below his shoulders.
And the two upper handles are to push upwards and so to test the lifting power
of a person with his hands above his shoulders. The aforesaid screw threaded rod
extends downwards from the cylinder or tube and passes through a hole in the
platform, and the lower part of the rod is connected with one end of the aforesaid
straight or crooked lever, which bears the whole of its weight and also the weight
of the strength testing handles upon it, the lever has its fulcrum in the centro or
middle, and its other arm is weighted to counterbalance the weight of the rod and
handles; and at the end of its weighted arm is fixed or screwed to it a hook
on its upper side, and to its under side is fixed or screwed a fork with two
slitted points or prongs and a spindle and roller. When the straight or crooked
lever is placed under the platform, the object of the hook is to link on another
hook fixed to the weighing platform underneath; or to link on the weighing gear
which supports the platform, so that when a weight is placed upon the weighing
platform the upper hook slides freely down in the open link of the lower hook without
touching it, and without moving the straight or crooked lever; and such is the action
of the weighing gear when the hook is linked on it instead of being linked on the
hook fixed to the platform. But when the strength testing handles are pulled or
pushed upwards, the lower hook draws down the upper hook, and with it the
weighing platform to which it is attached; and such is also the effect when
the lower hook is linked on the weighing gear instead of being linked on the
upper hook fixed to the platform. Or instead of drawing the platform or the
weighing gear down by means of the aforesaid lever and hook, the weighing gear may
be pressed down, by means of the same lever to which is screwed the aforesaid fork
with two slitted points or prongs and a spindle and roller; and when the
weighing platform is in its normal position the roller is balanced on the upper arm
piece of the weighing gear, and the two prongs of the fork loosely clasp it, so that
when a weight is placed upon the weighing platform the upper arm-piece descends
but it does not draw down with it the roller or move the straight or crooked lever.
But when the strength testing handles are pulled or pushed upwards, the roller presses
down the upper arm-piece of the weighing gear, and the platform descends with it,

page_text: and as in all cases when the handles are liberated the weighing gear and platform
return to their normal position. When the straight or crooked lever is placed above
the platform instead of being placed below it the object of the aforesaid hook is to
link the said lever, when folded back, to the aforesaid cylinder, so that it may
be out of the way when not used; and the object of the slits in the prongs
of the fork of the straight or crooked lever is to lower the rollor, so that it may
press on the upper side of the weighing platform instead of pressing on the upper
arm-piece of the weighing gear, when used. Instead of the aforesaid rod and
strength testing handles being counterbalanced by the weight on one arm of the
straight or crooked lever, they may be balanced by a counterpoise weight in the
aforesaid cylinder, where it would be out of the way of children; the. weight may
have a hole in its centre through which the rod may work without touching
it, and it may be suspended by two hooks to two chains or cords which pass over
two pulleys fixed to the cylinder and the other end of the chains or cords may be
fastened to the rod, so that when the rod and handles rise, the weight will descend.
And instead of using the aforesaid straight or crooked lever to draw or pull down the
weighing gear or platform they may be drawn or pulled down by using the rod and
handles, balanced in the cylinder as just described; and to the lower end of
the rod may be attached a cord or flexible chain passing on the under side of
two pulleys under the platform and up to a hook or link attached to the weighing
gear or platform. The aforesaid knife edge of the extended arm of one of the
weighing gear pieces is supported by a hook, which is riveted to a flexible chain
which passes up into the casing of the weighing machine where it is connected with
the usual counterpoise and indicating mechanism, and where the usual means are
provided or employed to unlock the machine by means of a coin, or otherwise to set
it free.
::
ليم

page_text: RICHARD WATSON Clerk in Holy Orders RICHARD WATSON (son of the above) no
calling EMILY WATSON no calling 14 Dean Street Bristol, 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 our invention is to construct an improved apparatus whereby both the
weight and lifting power of a person can be indicated on the same dial of the machine
without any reckoning or subtracting or correcting the scale upon the dial; and
whereby the strength testing handles will rise when they are pulled upwards like the
handles of the ordinary machines for indicating lifting power. The principle of this
our invention is to draw or press down or cause to descend the moveable platform of a
weighing machine without standing upon it or with the platform to draw or press
down or cause to descend the weighing gear upon which the aforesaid platform
is supported without standing upon the said platform; and to do so by the act of
pulling up handles and actually raising them from their normal position to a higher
elevation while a person is testing his lifting power; this our principle may be carried
out by several methods, each producing a similar result, and it may be applied to
the very useful purpose of making a weighing machine become also a strength testing
machine at a very small extra cost and by which the strength of a person may be
ascertained as correctly as his weight. The novelty of our invention consists of an
arrangement of a straight or crooked lever with its appendages, which may be
placed either above or under the aforesaid platform; the lever may have the fulcrum
either in the centre or not, one arm of which is weighted in order to counterbalance
its other arm, which is connected with the lower end of a rod which presses upon it;
the upper part of which is screw threaded as usual for carrying the handles, which a
person grasps and pulls or pushes up in order to test his lifting power. Or instead of
the aforesaid rod and strength testing handles being counterbalanced by the weight on
one arm of the straight or crooked lever, they may be balanced by a counterpoise
weight or weights in a cylinder or box; the weight or weights may be suspended by
one or two hooks to one or two chains or cords which pass over one or two pulleys
fixed to the cylinder or box, and the other end of the chains or cords may be fastened
to the rod, so that when the rod and its handles rise the weight or weights will

page_text: descend. And instead of using the aforesaid straight or crooked lever to draw or
pull down the weighing gear or platform, they may be drawn or pulled down by using
the rod and handles, balanced in the cylinder or box as described; and to the
lower end of the rod. may be attached a cord or flexible chain passing on the under
side of one or two pulleys under the platform and up to a hook or link or its equiva-
lent attached to the weighing gear or platform. Or instead of the aforesaid cord
or flexible chain being attached to a part of the weighing gear or platform, and
drawing or pulling it down when the strength-testing handles are pulled up, it may
be attached to the cord, chain, band, rod or bar which is attached to the extended
arm of the weighing gear and connected with the counterpoise. And instead of the
straight or crooked lever drawing or pressing down the platform or weighing gear it
may be attached to the aforesaid cord, chain, band, rod or bar which connects the
weighing gear and counterpoise. Both of these methods produce à similar result, and
in all the methods we employ the weighing platform descends when the strength
testing handles are pulled up. In order to carry out our invention we cause to be
constructed a machine with two platforms, one of which is fixed to the frame and the
other is moveable. The fixed platform is that upon which a person stands whilo
he tests his lifting power: The moveable platform is that upon which a person
stands while he weighs himself, and consists of a flat, or grooved plate of iron with
four legs and four inclined flanges, and is supported upon four knife edges, carried
upon two frames, which are suspended by means of hooks, from knife edges, fixed to
the frame. The two frame pieces are coupled together in the centre, and one of them
has an extended arm which is provided with a knife edge. This is the usual
mechanism employed in platform, weighing machines. But our. weighing platform
has a hook or link or its equivalent fixed to it underneath by which it may be drawn
down by a lever or cord connected with the aforesaid rod carrying the strength
testing handles. The fixed platform has a cylinder or box fixed to it in which a rod
works, the middle and upper part of which is screw threaded and carries two or
four handles, which by this means can be adjusted in the usual manner to suit the
height of the person who grasps the handles in order to test his lifting power. The
aforesaid screw threaded rod is connected with one end of the straight or crooked
lever, which bears the whole of its weight and also the weight of the strength testing
handles upon it; and in all cases when the strength testing handles are liberated
the weighing gear and platform return to their normal position. When the fulcrum
is not placed in the centre of the straight or crooked lover the same dial and finger
will require a separate scale to indicate the strength; but when the fulcrum is placed
in the centre of the straight or crooked lever, the same scale, dial and pointer will
indicate both the correct weight and strength. The aforesaid knife edge of the
extended arm of one of the weighing gear pieces is supported by a hook, which is
fastened to a flexible chain or its equivalent which passes up into the casing of the.
weighing machine where it is connected with the usual counterpoise and indicating
mechanism, and where the usual means are provided or employed to unlock the
machine by means of a coin, or, otherwise to set it free.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood, we will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1 is a front
elevation of our combined weighing and strength testing machine with a part of
the case of the cylinder or box w removed, showing one method of balancing the
rod a and the strength testing handles ; figure 2 is a side elevation with part of the
case I and box or cylinder w removed, showing a modified form of apparatus in which
a flexible cord or chain t is substituted for the lever u in figure 3, which is a similar
view to figure 2, showing another method of balancing the. rod a and handles h
Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the drawings. Referring to figure 1; a is
a rod on which the strength testing handles are screwed which a person grasps and
pulls up in order to test his lifting power. c is a weight suspended by a flexible cord
or chain which passes over the pulley band is fastened to the rod a which is balanced
by the weight c.w is a box or cylinder in which a part of the rod a is placed.
:
:
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1:

page_text: te
3
is the weighing or moveable platform on which things are placed to be weighed.
m is the fixed platform on which a person stands in order to test his lifting power.
è is the lower end of the rod a to which is attached the lever u shown in figure 3, or
the cord or chain t shown in figure 2. is the case of the machine. is a slot in
which a coin is placed to unlock the machine or a part of it. d is a part of the scalo
which indicates both the weight and strength of persons using the machine, when the
cord is used or when the fulcrum of the lever u is placed in the centre. g is a
separate scale which is used to indicate the strength or lifting power of a person when
the fulcrum is not placed in the centre of the straight or crooked lever u; and this
separate scale must be regulated according to the distance of the fulcrum from the
centre of the lever u; and as in all cases the zero of the weighing scale is the zero of
the strength testing scale. And 'the same dial pointer indicates both weight and
strength. In figure 3, u is the straight or crooked lever one end of which is attached.
to the rod a at the joint e, and the other end of the lever is connected with the
weighing platform by a hook or link k fixed to the platform. is a counterpoise
weight fixed on one arm of the lever u to counterbalance the weight of the rod a and
the handles h, instead of using the weight c to counterbalance them. p is the extended
arm of the weighing gear. o is a cord or chain attached to a knife edge at the end of.
the extended lever and passing up into the case where it is connected with the
counterpoise weight which counterbalances both the strength exerted in lifting and
the weight placed upon the weighing platform ; but a person cannot test his strength
while another person is being weighed, neither can one person be weighed while
another person tests his strength. When the lever u is placed under the platformla
and connected with it by a hook or link k or its equivalent fixed to the platform, the
book at the end of one of its arms may be dispensed with, and also the fork, spindle
and roller described in our provisional specification. In figure 2, t is a flexible cord
or chain passing on the underside of two pullies v, one end of the cord or chain is
attached to the lower end of the rod a, and the other end is connected with the
platform by a hook or link k or its equivalent. The handles h, and the rod a and
the lever u do not move while a person is being weighed. The lever u or the cord or
chain t holds the platform & in its place upon its knife edges by the book or link k,
and so prevents persons from lifting it off the weighing gear.
2
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a weighing and strength testing apparatus the combination and arrangement
of the handles h, the rod a, the balanced lever u with its weighted arms and the
weighing platform x, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompaying drawings.
2. In a weighing and strength testing apparatus the combination and arrangement
of the handles h, the rod a, the weight or weights c, the lever u, (balanced by the
weight or weights c, instead of being balanced by the weight s upon one of its
arms,) and the weighing platform æ, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a weighing and strength testing machine the modified form of apparatus, in
which a flexible cord t or its equivalent passing on the underside of the pullies vand
connecting the balanced rod a and the weighing platform x, is substituted for the
straight or crooked lever u, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In combined weighing and strength testing machines the combination and
arrangement of mechanism by which the rod a and handles are balanced by a
separate counterpoise weight's or weights c, apart from the counterpoise weight which
balances the strength exerted in lifting or the weight placed upon the platform, and
by which the correct weight or strength of a person may be indicated on the same
dial of the machine and by the same dial pointer and scale without any reckoning or

page_text: deducting or correcting the scale upon the dial, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a weighing and strength testing machine the combination of parts for causing
both the weight and strength of a person using it to be indicated on the same dial by
the same scale, and by the same dial pointer with the same zero in the same place,
and without any reckoning or deducting, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1889.
GEORGE S. MILTON,
25, Brigstocke Road, City Road, Bristol,
"Agent for the Applicants.