COMPOUND BALLANCE OR ENGINE (BY ME FOUND OUT AND INVENTED), BY WHICH WAGGONS AND OTHER CARRIAGES, AND ALSO ALL HEAVY GOODS, WARES, AND MERCHANDIZES, MAY BE WEIGHED WITH EASE, DISPATCH, AND ACCURACY
Year: 1774

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDGELL, of Frome Selwood, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
on or about the Tenth day of September, One thousand seven hundred and
seventy-four, in the fourteenth year of His said Majesty's reign, did give and
grant unto me, the said James Edgell, my exors, admors, and assigns, His
special licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said James
Edgell, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during
the term therein expressed, make, use, exercise, and vend, within that
part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my "COMPOUND BALLANCE OR
ENGINE (BY ME FOUND OUT AND INVENTED), BY WHICH WAGGONS AND OTHER
CARRIAGES, AND ALSO ALL HEAVY GOODS, WARES, AND MERCHANDIZES, MAY BE
WEIGHED WITH EASE, DISPATCH, AND ACCURACY;" in which said recited Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said James Edgell, shall not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and be void, as in and by the said Letters Patent; reference being
thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Edgell, do hereby declare that my said compound ballance or engine
is made and used, and to be performed in manner following (that is to
say) :-
A large scale or platform is placed nearly level with the surface of the
ground or floor, so that waggons and other carriages, or any heavy goods,
wares, and merchandizes, may easily be drawn and placed thereon, which
large scale or platform is supported by four pillars or legs resting or standing
on four different points of application of the short brachia or arms of unequal
ballance beams, whose longer arms, at the points of application thereof, meet,
and are combined or coupled together, under the large scale or platform.
Another ballance beam, being inverted, and acting reverse from the former
beams, is so placed that the point of application of the shorter arm thereof is
nearly perpendicular under the combined points of application of the longer
arms of the first ballance beams, and acts on all those combined points at the
same time by a chain or bar being suspended from one to the others, the
longer arm of which inverted ballance beam extends to some distance from
under the said scale or platform in and by a chain, rod, or rope being applied
to the point of application of such longer arm of such inverted ballance beam)
is suspended to the point of application of the shorter arm of another ballance
beam, to the point of suspension of the longer arm of which other ballance
beam is hung a scale or bason, wherein the weights are to be placed in order to
denote the content in the weight of the waggon or other carriage, goods,
wares, and merchandizes that. shall be placed on the large scale or platform,
and in which scale, so hung to the longer arm of such last ballance beam, a
small weight will equinponderate with a large weight on the large scale or
platform, the engine being compounded of several levers or unequal ballance
beams, the shorter arm of the one being applied to and acting on the longer
arm of another.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edgell; have hereunto set my hand
and, seal, the Thirtieth day of November, in the fifteenth year of the
reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third; by the grace of God of
Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c.,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy-
Sealed and delivered (being first duly
stampt) in the presence of
THO SKURRAY.
JOHN WOOD.
JAMES EDGELL. (L.B.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of November, in
the year of cur Lord 1774, the aforesaid James Edgell came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Indenture aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor
of the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and
Queen William and Mary of England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Eighth day of December. in the year of our Lord One