An Improved Suspended Weighing and Automatic Recording Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: An Improved Suspended Weighing and Automatic Recording
Apparatus.
I, JOHN HEMPSTALK, of Lyttelton Canterbury, in the Colony of New Zealand,
Shipwright, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a new or improved weighing and recording jack, which
I have designed more particularly for the purpose of weighing and automatically
recording the weights of grain in sacks, coal in slings or baskets, or carcases of
meat; but it can also be arranged for weighing and automatically recording the
A load can be attached
weight of grain or carcases of frozen sheep on "shoots."
to the "jack" immediately weighed, the weight indicated in sight of the operator,
and at the same time automatically recorded upon a travelling apron inside the
casing of "jack.'
By the use of this "jack "for the purposes mentioned above, a great saving of
time is effected and correct weights recorded; thus being of great value to
merchants, shippers, ship owners, and ballast men.
The "jack" may be made of various sizes to suit requirements, and may be
constructed; so as to be capable of weighing and recording as many as ten thousand'
separate weights.
Referring to the annexed drawings illustrating my invention
Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved weighing and automatic recording "jack."
Fig. 2. is a side view of same, the outer casing or jacket being removed.
Fig. 3 is a cross section through centre of "jack."
Fig. 4 is a side view of "jack" the outer casing or jacket and also the inner
casing and travelling apron being removed.
Fig. 5. is a plan at A. B.
Fig. 6. is a plan at C. D.
Fig. 7. is a plan at E. F.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
a is the head plate; a' is the bottom plate; b is the top cup provided with
shackle; c is the bottom cup; c¹ the outer casing or jacket. dare coupling rods,.
by which the said top cup, head plate and bottom cup and bottom plate are
connected; e is a movable fork which passes through the bottom cup c, the upper
ends being secured to the fork head e¹ the lower end having a shackle e.
fis a spindle round which an apron f¹ is coiled, the outer end of which apron is
passed round the casing theu inside the curved plate f³ and secured to the
spindle, a roller f being fitted on plate f³ to assist the action of said apron.
Longitudinal lines are indicated upon this apron representing weights: g is a
strong screw spindle which passes through the fork head e' the said fork head being
screw threaded for the purpose. The upper and lower ends of this screw spindle
are shouldered to bear against the head plate and bottom plate respectively; a
spring is secured to and coiled round each end of said screw spindle; the outer
end of each said spring being secured to one of the coupling rods d. A toothed
wheel is fitted to the lower end of said screw spindle, engaging with a smaller
toothed wheel fitted to bottom plate a¹; this smaller toothed wheel engaging with
another toothed wheel 2 (also fitted to bottom plate a¹) which engages with a larger
toothed wheel i fitted on lower end of spindle f; the upper side of this larger
17

page_text: toothed wheel is recessed and provided with inner teeth, while a pawlj is fitted to
spindle, engaging the said inner teeth, thus forming a ratchet wheel. To the
fork head e a jointed marker k (or other equivalent) is attached for marking the
apron f¹.
This marker is shown separately upon a larger scale in sectional elevation and
plan in Figures 8, 9 and 10. It consists of a metal block u fitting in a dovetailed
groove in fork head e¹ and grooved to receive a lever v pivoted at v and provided
at its upper end with a pivoted finger w and engaging at its lower end with a
nib on a pencil holder y fitted to slide horizontally in block u; a spring z engages
with the pencil holder y so as to retract the pencil clear of the apron f'. During
the descent of the fork head e' the contact of the finger w with the apron f1 causes
the lever to be oscillated and the pencil k to be projected into contact with the
apron as in Figure 8, whilst during the ascent of the fork head e', the finger wis
folded downwards by contact with apron f' and the pencil-holder y is retracted by
the spring z so as to hold the pencil k clear of the apron f' as shown in Figure 9.
The head plate and bottom plate are provided with lugs between which are
fitted small rollers over which a ribbon m passes, the ends of this ribbon being
secured to the fork head e. This ribbon has weights indicated thereon corresponding
to weights indicated upon the apron f. A collar n is fitted over the top of
spindle g and is notched out on the underside to fit over the pin o to form a ratchet
wheel; pins p are passed through slots inside of cup 6 and secured to said collar;
springs being attached to said pins and to the head plate a; bifurcated lever r
fulcrumed on standards clips the pins p, the outer ends of said lever having a rope
attached.
t
The apron may be of paper or other suitable material while the rest of the
jack may be of any suitable metal, the screw spindle g being preferably of chilled
steel.
The jack is so constructed that all the parts can be readily disconnected to allow
the springs and apron to be taken out and changed to suit different ranges of
weight
The operation of the jack is as follows:
When the load to be weighed is attached to the shackle e' the rope t is pulled
down thereby causing the lever to raise the collar n and thus release the pin o
when the load pulls down the fork e and fork head e' which in descending turns the
screw spindle g, the springs h coiling round the ends of said spindle as it turns ;
while the marker k as the fork head e' descends marks the apron f¹, (which remains
stationary the toothed wheel rotating loosely upon the spindle f*) and thus
records the weight of the load, while at the same time the ribbon m moves upwards
and also indicates the weight of the load in sight of the operator, if the outer casing
only is removed. The casing f' has slots formed therein to allow the ribbon m to
be seen.
As soon as the load is released the springs uncoil causing the screw
spindle g to turn back, thereby raising the fork head el to its former position ready
for use again; at the same time the toothed wheel 3 by means of the pawlj, causes
the apron to travel forward ready for the next load; the marker k in rising falls
down or folds on its joint to prevent marking the apron.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
In weighing and recording jacks:
(1.) The combination of the fork such as e the fork head e¹ (having marker kor
its equivalent) the screw spindle g, the spring h, (within the cups and c), and the
plates a, and a substantially as described.
(2.) The combination of the apron f working on spindles f¹ and f* actuated
by the toothed wheels i, i, and and passing round casing and over curved
plate (or its equivalent), and the indicating ribbon m attached to fork heade
working over rollers, substantially as described.

page_text: (3.) The combination and mechanical arrangement of the several parts
constituting my new or improved weighing and automatic recording jack
substantially as described.
Dated this Ch J... CL
1008