Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating Automatically both the Weight and the Value of Commodities at Varying Prices.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating Automatically both the
Weight and the Value of Commodities at Varying Prices.
I, ARTHUR HUBBLE, of 29, Prebend Gardens, Chiswick, Middlesex, Science
Demonstrator and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the first place of a spring balance carrying an ordinate
scale graduated in units of weight such as pounds, kilogrammes or otherwise.
and sub-divided into convenient smaller divisions such as ounces, hectogrammes.
dekagrammes or otherwise.
Attached to the inner tube of the spring balance and moving with it, is a long
graduated arm termed the abscissa, secured by screws or in such
to allow of proper adjustment.
a manner as
The abscissa is graduated in units of monetary value such as shillings, francs.
dollars, marks, roubles, or otherwise, and subdivided into convenient smaller
divisions representing pence, half-pence, farthings, sous, centimes, cents, kopecks.
pfennige, or the like.
The graduated edge of the abscissa moves in close proximity to a plane surface
or dial, but without necessarily touching it. This dial is arranged, and ruled
with certain lines, in a particular manner dependent upon co-ordinate geometrical
principles.
When the apparatus is not in use and at rest the zero point on the abscissa
scale is exactly superimposed above a fixed point on the dial, termed the point of
origin; and from this latter point as a centre there are a number of radiant lines,
termed radii vectores, ruled or otherwise marked upon the face of the dial.
Each radius vector represents a price or rate per unit of weight, such price or
rate being plainly marked against each line, intermediate prices being indicated
by small sub-divisions which need not necessarily be carried through to the point
of origin.
The prices marked against the radii vectores may range by successive farthings,
half-pence, or pence to a shilling more or less, by successive sous or centimes up
to a franc more or less, by successive cents up to a dollar more or less, or by a
successive gradation in any other monetary system.
With this apparatus a simultaneous indication of the weight and value of an
article at any given price per unit weight is made in the following manner:―The
article is placed upon a hook or in a scale-pan suspended under the spring balance.
This extends the spring causing the inner tube to descend and to carry the
abscissa with it. The graduated edge of the abscissa is thus made to move for
a certain distance across the radii vectores and then come to rest. The operator
can now read off the weight of the article by observing the point on the ordinate

page_text: scale at which the end of the abscissa comes to rest, and he can also at once read
off the required value by observing the point, on the graduated edge of the abscissa,
which meets the particular radius vector denoting the given price.
To facilitate quick readings of money values at times when a large number of
weighings are to be made at a uniform price, or in cases where an unusual price
is occasionally used and for which a special line may not be ruled on the dial, a
thin slip or movable radius vector turning freely about the point or origin, may
be provided and fitted with a screw or other means of adjusting it in any required
position.
The tubes of the spring balance may be provided with small guide wheels or
rollers for preventing motion in any other direction than that of the length of the
spring, and also for reducing friction.
The whole apparatus herein described may be fixed for use upon a vertical pillar
or pair of standards, it may be bracketed to a wall, partition or post, it may be sus-
pended from above, or supported in any other convenient manner.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating Automatically both the
Weight and the Value of Commodities at Varying Prices."-
} t
I, ARTHUR HUBBLE, of 29, Prebend Gardens, Chiswick, in the County of Middle-
sex, England, Science Demonstrator and Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
This my invention consists essentially of a spring balance, in combination with
a graduated arm or rule hereinafter called the abscissa which is capable of moving
in close proximity to a plane surface hereinafter called the dial; the said: abscissa
and dial being graduated, ruled with certain lines, and adjusted upon co-ordinate
geometrical principles so as to accurately indicate by their relative positions, both
the weight and total value, within any given range of prices, of articles suspended
upon a hook or in a scale pan attached to the spring balance.
In other instruments of this class it is often difficult to avoid inaccurate readings
on account of friction and the magnification of slight errors due to a complication
of moving parts such as toothed wheels, pinions, levers, links or other transmitters
of motion; whereas in my invention no such connections are employed, the essen-
tial moving parts are few and simple, they have no rubbing surfaces and are sub-
stantially fixed together, so that all move as one piece and in one direction, that
is to say upward or downward in the direction of the length of the spring as
influenced by the gravitation of the articles weighed.
Again, there is frequently an unfavourable complication in other instruments
of this class caused by the employment of a large number of graduated lines or
series of numbers in order to show total values for a wide range of rates or prices;
whereas in my invention only three graduated lines are necessary, that is to say
one abscissa or total value scale, one ordinate or weight scale, and one price scale,
however wide the range of prices.
There is also a further disadvantage in other instruments of this class arising

page_text: from the necessity of making a price adjustment previous to each weighing:
whereas in my invention such adjustments need not be made, for the article to be
weighed being simply placed on the hook or in the pan of the balance as in
ordinary weighing, the abscissa at once indicates weight and value by its position
on the dial, within any predetermined range of prices.
The particular forms of apparatus based upon the principle of my invention
will vary according to the nature of the different kinds of commodities to be
weighed. One such form suited for retail or household weighings is shown in
Fig. 1, where the dial is attached to the side of the outer case of the spring balance,
and the ordinate scale N shown vertically may be graduated in units of length
representing units of weight such as pounds and ounces, kilogrammes and deka-
grammes, or otherwise. There is also a graduated rate or price scale divided in
units of length representing a series of rates or prices ranging upward to any
desired limit from a farthing, a cent, a centime, a pfennig, a kopeck, or from any
other monetary unit, as shown at P.
The abscissa A is held firmly in the socket S, and is made capable of adjust-
ment by set screws or by other suitable means, so that its lower edge is parallel
with the price scale P.
If the abscissa be graduated to indicate value up to 12 shillings with inter-
mediate pence and half-pence while the ordinate scale N is graduated to show
weight up to 12 pounds with intermediate ounces, then the price scale P may be
made equal in length to the abscissa and both may be divided into twelve equal
parts each of which on the price scale will represent a penny, and on the abscissa
a shilling, with suitable sub-divisions in each case. The ordinate scale however
may be graduated up to any other desired number of pounds, stones, kilogrammes,
hundredweights, or the like, the abscissa being proportionately graduated to
correspond in representing shillings, francs, dollars, roubles or the like, with
suitable subdivisions.
When the apparatus is not in use the zero point on the abscissa scale is exactly
superimposed by adjustment over a fixed point on the dial called the point of
origin O, and from this point radiant lines hereinafter called radii vectores R R-
are drawn to meet certain of the price graduations on the price scale P.
Fig. 2 shows the apparatus in use. The article to be weighed and valued
being placed upon the hook or in the scale pan extends the spring of the balance
downward, causing the inner tube T, sockets S, S., and abscissa to move down-
ward the abscissa passing closely over the face of the dial but without touching
it. As soon as the abscissa comes to rest the operator reads off the weight by
observing the point on the vertical ordinate scale which is met by the lower angle
of the abscissa or by a separate pointer. The operator can also at once read off
the value of the article by observing the point where the particular radius vector R
denoting the given price meets the graduated edge of the abscissa.
In Fig. 2 the lower left hand angle of the abscissa points out the weight, 7 lb.
12 oz., and supposing the given price to be Sd per lb., the radius vector marked 8d.
is seen to meet the graduated edge of the abscissa at the point denoting a total value
of 5 sh. 2d. In the same way the total value may be obtained for any other given
price per pound.
The separate prices may be readily distinguished by ruling their radii vectores
alternately in two different colours, as for instance one colour for prices consisting
of whole numbers as Id, 2d, 3d, and another colour for intermediate prices as
1½d., 1½d., 2½d., 3½d.
To facilitate quick readings of value when a number of weighings are to be
made at one and the same price or when an intermediate price is occasionally
used and for which no special radius vector may be ruled upon the dial, it may
be desirable to provide a movable radius vector M consisting of a thin slip, wire,
or thread capable of turning freely about the point of origin, and arranged so that
it can be fixed in position to indicate any desired price, whole or fractional, on

page_text: the dial by a clip, screw or other means of adjustment,-C. Or it may be desirable
where an exceptionally wide range of rates or prices is employed to provide two
dials and two abscissae, one on each side of the balance, so that alternate prices
may be shown upon each dial, for instance prices represented by whole or even
numbers on one dial and frictional or odd prices on the other.
In Fig. 3 some details of my invention are shown.
A portion of the spring, H, is contained within the inner tube indicated by the
broken lines L L, the lower extremity of the spring being attached to the inner
tube at some suitable position as B, and the upper end of the spring being attached
to the upper end of the outer case at G.
The sockets S, S₁ are flat pieces rigidly attached to the sides of the inner tube
and projecting through long narrow slots in the outer case extending from W W
to X X. These sockets are arranged so as to be capable of moving upward or
downward with the inner tube barely touching the sides of the slots, and if one
dial and one. abscissa only be used then the abscissa may be carried by the socket S
while the opposite socket S2 carries a counterpoise K adjusted to balance the
weight of the abscissa.
The inner tube should move only upward or downward under the action of
gravity, and it may be steadied laterally by means of movable guide wheels or
rollers at W W engaging with the slots on each side of the outer case, and also
by means of guide wheels or rollers E E attached to the lower end of the outer
case; all the guide wheels or rollers being adjusted to barely touch the outer case
and inner tube respectively, and thus to eliminate friction when the inner tube
is moving vertically under the action of gravitation modified by the elasticity of
the spring.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 prices per pound are indicated on the dial, but should
prices per stone, hundredweight or the like be required a proportionately stronger
spring to show heavier weights would be employed. For instance a heavier form
of the apparatus than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 might be arranged to indicate
weight up to 20 stones or more at prices ranging from 1 shilling to 8 shillings or
more per stone. On the other hand a smaller and lighter form of the apparatus
than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with a proportionately weaker spring might
be arranged to indicate small units of weight such as drams, grammes, and the
like at prices per dram, per gramme, or otherwise.
The whole apparatus as herein described may be fixed upon uprights or
standards to a table, counter or other horizontal surface, it may be attached by
brackets to a post, wall or other vertical surface, it may be suspended from above,
or it may be supported by any other convenient means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The graduated arm or abscissa moving parallel to a graduated rate or price
line upon a dial ruled with radiant lines or radii vectores dependent upon co-ordin-
ate geometrical principles as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the annexed
drawings.
2. The combination of a spring balance with a graduated arm or abscissa and
a dial ruled and graduated upon co-ordinate geometrical principles substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
3. In a spring balance the sockets attached to each side of the inner tube and
projecting through slots cut in each side of the outer case substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
4. In a spring balance the guide wheels or rollers attached to the upper end
of the inner tube and engaging with the slots cut in the sides of the outer case,
and the guide wheels or rollers attached to the lower end of the outer case sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.

page_text: 5. The movable radius vector turning freely about the point of origin, and
capable of being fixed in any desired position upon the dial, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1898.
ARTHUR HUBBLE.