CERTAIN TRAMONTO IN MACHINES OP APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Simpson, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
TRAMONTO IN MACHINES OP APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING"
Sealed the 6th April 1853, and dated the 7th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sinipson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th October 1852.
I, GEORGE SIMPSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING
be as follows:-
These improvements relate, firstly, to the indicating lever or steel-
yard, in which by a simple contrivance I dispense with the placing
and displacing of detached weights, and with the necessity of a long
lever.
I use a short lever or steel-yard, with a moveable suspending regu-
lator of considerable weight. On the top edge of this lever I cut
indentations, or V grooves, as marks for the graduated scale of weights,

page_text: and the aforesaid suspending regulating weight being supported by a
carriage which runs on the top edge of the said lever, with a finger or
indicating point fitting exactly in the V grooves, indicates the exact
weight, and prevents the carriage from slipping. This suspending or
regulating weight is hung or suspended to the carriage from a pivot
or centre, so as to keep the finger firmly in its place and prevent
its slipping during the operation of weighing. Or I accomplish the
same object by forming a grooved rack in front of the lever or
steel-yard, and by causing a wheel to revolve in the said grooved
rack it shall indicate at every revolution, by a finger on a dial, the
weight of the object on the platform.
Secondly, to a new mode or method of throwing the machine out
of gear, which I accomplish by simply throwing a lever up, which
is attached to the vertical lever communicating with the platform
and steel-yard; and,
Thirdly, to a double lever or steel-yard connected by coupling links
with V grooves, as before stated.
The whole of these improvements will be easily seen by reference
to the accompanying sketches or outline Drawings. But I wish it
to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the
exact details shown thereon, as I consider this description merely an
outline of my Invention, which I will more clearly and fully explain in
my Complete Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office, 2
on the 7th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE SIMPSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and in the

page_text: sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Simpson, Her especial license
that I, the said George Simpson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Simpson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Simpson, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, as reference being thereunto
had will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Simpson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:
Instead of using a number of detached weights, or a long indi-
cating lever, as has been hitherto adopted, I use a short double
indicating lever, with two weights to travel upon it, one heavier
than the other; the heavy weight to travel or slide upon one arm
of the said double lever, on which I put a graduated scale to indi-
cate heavy weights, as hundred-weights, and the smaller weight to
indicate the aliquot parts of the same. On the top edges of these
arms I cut deep notches or indentations to agree exactly with the indi-
cating points or graduated scale. I fix two frames or carriages to slide
or travel on the tops of these arms, and over the said notches to this
slide or carriage I attach a moveable handle, having a foot or finger
point corresponding exactly in shape with the aforesaid notches or the
lever or index; between this foot and the pin connecting the handle

page_text: with the slide or carriage I suspend the aforesaid weight,- thereby
keeping the foot or finger point always firmly in its place, and the rela-
tive position of the weight and foot or finger point the same (a hair's
breadth removal of or slipping from its position being sufficient to vary
the indicating point very materially; I thus secure an accuracy in
weighing hitherto unknown. Or I use for the same purpose an indi-
cating wheel which revolves in a rack made in the said lever, so that
every revolution of the said wheel indicates by a finger on the dial
the ascertained weight of the object on the platform of the machine.
Another part of my said improvements relates to the mode or
method of throwing the machine out of gear, which I accomplish
by fixing a currilinear link to work loose on pins in the main or
vertical shaft which connects the indicating lever with the platform,
and to one of the joints or pins of the said link I connect a small
hand or tightening lever, so that when the said lever hangs down,
the currilinear or connecting link is at its full length, thus making
the vertical shaft too long to act on the indicating lever, but by merely
throwing the said hand or tightening lever up, the link rises and
shortens the vertical lever, thus making it the proper length to com-
municate motion to the indicating lever aforesaid, and, on the contrary,
by pulling the said lever backwards, and allowing it to fall, the machine
is out of gear again; this simple contrivance decreases the wear and
tear of the several parts of the machine by friction to a very great
extent. The next part of my said improvements relates to a smaller
kind or more portable weighing machines, suitable for counters or
domestic purposes, and consists of fixing two uprights to a base, thus
forming a frame, and then attaching an extra or suspending lever con-
nected to a double indicating lever before described by a coupling link,
so that any convenient kind of frame or carriage hung or suspended to
the said extra lever will act upon and weigh down the double indicating
lever, and thus indicate the weight of the goods on the frame. The
nature of these improvements will be more clearly understood by re-
ference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, on which the Figures
are progressively numbered, and the same letters of reference used

page_text: to represent similar parts where different views or diagrams are shewn.
Fig. 1, represents an elevation of a weighing machine, shewing my
improved double lever, with the notches or indentations and the
carriages, and weights attached, and also the hand or lighting lever in
the upward position, by which the machine is in gear; Fig. 2, a plan
of the same; Fig. 3, a view of my improved indicating lever, shewing
the indicating wheel and rack as before mentioned; Figs. 4, and 5,
are views of my small or counter machines, shewing the framework,
with the extra or suspending lever under the double indicating
lever, and connected to it by a coupling link as before described; and
Fig. 6, a plan of the double indicating lever as used for the small
machines. a, is the box containing the compound levers as usually
employed; b, the standard; c, the double indicating lever or steel-yard,
with the notches d, on one arm to indicate the cwts., and the divisions
e, on the other to indicate the aliquot parts; f, is the large weight
suspended from the carriage g; and h, is the smaller weight suspended
to the carriage i; k, is the hand or lighting lever attached to the vertical
lever 1, by the loose or swivel link m, which by bringing the handle
down in the direction of the red dotted lines drops down and throws
the machine out of gear. In Figs. 4, and 5, n, represents the extra or
suspending lever attached to the double lever c, by the connecting link o;
and p, the frame suspended from the extra lever n, on which the object
or goods to be weighed are placed.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
Invention, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details thereof, as such may be varied or modified
without departing from the principle of my said Invention; but I
claim,--
Firstly, the compound lever with notches or indentations in connection
or combination with the carriages and weights as herein described and
illustrated.
Secondly, the mode or method of throwing the said machine in
and out of gear by the hand lever being connected to the vertical shaft,
as herein described; and

page_text: Thirdly, the use and construction of the extra or suspending lever
connected to the said double indicating lever, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Simpson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
by the said George Simpson
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
GEORGE SIMPSON. (L.s.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.