Improvements relating to Weighing Machines or Scales.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Weighing Machines or Scales.
I HENRY BEDFORD SLEEMAN, Merchant, of India House, 84 Leadenhall
Street, in the City of London, communicated to me from abroad by Robert Nesbit
Coghlan, of Karachi, Bombay Presidency, India, Collector of Customs, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to devices employed for weighing grain, coal, goods and
produce of all kinds, and all portable or moveable articles, from the smallest weight
up to one ton or more. My improved apparatus is specially adapted for use for
weighing classes of goods for which the machines hitherto employed are unsuitable
or are attended in use with considerable inaccuracy or inconvenience.
No
My improved scale has no loose weights or springs connected with it, and also
has few working parts, and can be constructed in a very portable form.
masonry or other made foundation is required for the apparatus. The improved
scale may be suspended by a rope or chain from any beam, tree or projection, or
may mounted on a moveable and portable trestle or tripod.
When taken to
pieces, the scale can be packed away in a small box, so that a scale capable of
weighing 2 cwts. or more at once can be carried by one man with ease. It is
constructed of the most durable materials and those not liable to rust, while if at
any time, the machine or any part of it should be injured or in any way affected by
accident, the part injured or affected can be replaced with the greatest facility and
at a trifling cost.
The scale is constructed so as to show, with the simplest adjustment, and at a
glance, the exact net weight of the goods or articles weighed, and can be made to
indicate weights in any measure, or in terms of the scales of weights used in any
country.
In accordance with my invention I employ a graduated lever made heavy at one
end, and capable of sliding through a suitable rocking or canting holder, guide, or
clamp, supported by projecting knife-edges or their equivalent, resting on a
suitable support.
The material to be weighed is suspended from a link
depending from a bar or knife-edge fixed in the rocking and canting holder
above referred to. I also employ an anti-friction wheel resting upon a friction
roller which can be turned by means of its milled head. The lever has a spirit
level to it, to indicate when same is horizontal, and can, if desired, be clamped by
screws &c. to the holder which has attached thereto and capable of traversing same
a light index and pointer.
When it is desired to weigh any article, it is attached to the aforesaid link by
means of chains or the like, and the index being clamped to the holder by means of
screws whilst the lever is caused to slide through the holder by simply pulling it
with the hand or by turning the milled head of the friction roller. The equilibrium
between the weighted lever and the load, is indicated by the index and pointer
above referred to. When the lever is level, the reading of the index shows directly,
the weight of the article or articles being weighed.
I propose in accordance with my invention a collapsible bucket hereinafter
referred to for weighing granular substances, which is conducted in the same way
as above described, and in addition thereto the operator can by means of my
improved machine see at a glance the exact weight of the bucket independent of the
substances.
The collapsible bucket above referred to, which 1 use in certain cases consists of
a number of short metal telescoping cylinders which when not in use can rest one
within the other. The said bucket being hung from chains connected with handles

page_text: projecting from a ring. When the bucket is hanging from the scale the short
supporting chains pass up on opposite sides of two studs, so that even if there is a
strong wind the bucket will not upset. When it is desired to tip the load out of
the bucket, one of these chains is passed over the corresponding stud, so that both
chains pass on the same side of the studs.
Dated this 20th day of August 1892.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Weighing Machines or Scales.
I, HENRY BEDFORD SLEEMAN, of India House, 84 Leadenhall Street, City of
London, communicated to me from abroad by Robert Nesbit Coghlan of Karache,
Bombay Presidency, India, Collector of Customs, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in weighing machines, and has for its
object to provide an improved form of steelyard, having few working parts, arranged
in such a manner that they cannot readily get out of order by exposure to wind, rain
or variations of temperature. This improved steelyard which may be packed within
a small bulk, can be fitted for use in a few minutes and need only be supported upon
a portable trestle or tripod suspended by means of a rope or chain slung from a
tree, beam, or other convenient overhead projection. With my improved steelyard,
light as well as heavy articles or merchandise can be accurately weighed.
A movable gauge which is connected to the beam of the steelyard, enables the
net weight of any goods such as grain, coal, salt and the like, which are placed for
convenience of weighing in a suitable receptacle, to be read off at once.
My improved steelyard consists of a long beam weighted at one end and furnished
with marks or graduations corresponding to cwts., lbs. &c. on its upper and lower
edges; or, the scale may be marked centrally along the beam.
This beam is
capable of sliding through a rocking or canting holder, the holder being provided
on either side with a knife edge or projection by means of which it can be suspended
from a tree &c. as aforesaid.
A light index capable of sliding on the said holder to which it can be readily
secured by means of a suitable screw, serves to indicate the weight of the goods
being weighed.
The goods requiring to be weighed are placed in a bucket or secured to a hook
or link and suspended from a bar or knife-edge fixed in the rocking holder
aforesaid.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved weighing machine, mounted upon a trestle;
and,
Figure 2 is a similar view of a slightly modified form of a machine mounted
upon a tripod.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 2 showing the weighing
mechanism; and, Figure 4 is an end view thereof.
Figure 5 shows the frame and handles to which is fixed the collapsible bucket
shown in plan in Figure 6.
My improved steelyard consists of a long graduated beam a provided at one end
with a weight m. The said lever a slides through a rocking or canting holder b
upon the guiding rollers d, d', and the actuating roller c'. The latter is mounted
on a spindle which likewise carries the milled disc or wheel c by means of which
the roller c¹ can be turned in either direction, thus moving the beam a in or out of

page_text: the holder b according as desired. The latter is provided on either side with a
knife edge or projection e by means of which it may be suspended from a tree or
beam by means of a rope or chain or upon the support & fixed in any suitable
manner upon a portable trestle or tripod t. The index g capable of sliding on the
holder to which it may he secured by the screw serves to show the net weight of
grain or other goods being weighed in any suitable receptacle.
The collapsible bucket B consists of a number of short metal cylinders u capable
of sliding one within the other. The said bucket is slipped through a frame or
hoop i provided with handles ; and bearing at the top against the underside of the
rim of the last cylinder. The bucket is suspended from the knife edge ƒ by
means of the short chains m' m² the hoop 9 and the long chain n.
The holder 6 is further provided with a spirit level to indicate when the beam a
is accurately adjusted; and, I may substitute for the friction roller c¹ a pinion
wheel gearing with a rack formed on the underside of the beam a.
My improved steelyard is used in the following manner.
g
The collapsible bucket B is suspended from the knife-edge f fixed in the side of
the holder b by means of the hook o or the chain n. The graduated beam a is first
approximately drawn out to the distance required and finally adjusted by means of
the milled head screw c and roller c¹ until equilibrium is obtained; whereupon, the
gauge is shifted back to the zero on the lever and secured to the holder b. by the
screw h. The goods to be weighed are placed in the bucket B and the beam a is
again drawn out and adjusted until equilibrium is obtained; the net weight of the
goods being read off by means of the graduation on the beam a coinciding with the
left hand edge of the gauge g. Should it be necessary to weigh out a number of
bucket fulls of the same weight, the beam a is drawn out until the mark on the
said beam corresponding to the weight required comes level with edge of
the gauge g; the beam being then secured to the holder 6 by means of the screw
or clamp r, it will only be necessary to fill the bucket with the goods required
to be weighed until equilibrium is obtained; when, the bucket is emptied, and
subsequently refilled, a process which may be repeated any number of times.
Solid goods are simply held by a loop formed at the end of the chain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved steelyard arranged and constructed substantially as herein
described and shown and for the purposes set forth.
2. In steelyards such as above claimed the arrangement of a sliding gauge or
index by means of which the net weight of goods contained in a "tared" receptacle
can be at once ascertained, substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 1st day of November 1892.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.