Improvements in or relating to Weighing or Computing Scales.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Weighing or Computing Scales.
I, JAMES EUGENE DUNCAN, of Centralia, in the County of Wood, and State of
Wisconsin, United States of America, Inventor, 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 computing scales, the computing mechanism being
adapted for use in connection with that class of scales wherein beams are employed;
and the other object in view is to provide a simple and compact construction and
arrangement of parts whereby an extended range of rate marks or characters and
relative value-indicators may be employed.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in
the appended claims.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a view of a scale-beam computing apparatus constructed in accord-
ance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing a different arrangement of the poise.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the arrangement of parts when the apparatus
is used to determine the quantity or weight of a given substance or article of
merchandise when the rate per unit of weight and the value, for the amount
desired, are known.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the superficial divisions and characters of one of
the value-indicating devices.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the computing apparatus on the
line 5-5 of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a detail longitudinal section of the poise and the contiguous portion
of the feed-screw.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention wherein, for
convenience of illustration, the weight-indicating devices are of sufficient extent
to weigh only four pounds, while the rate-indicating devices extend to eight cents
per unit of weight; and furthermore, for the purposes of illustration, I have
deemed it sufficient to show only two value-indicating devices, with the means for
communicating simultaneous motion thereto from the poise which carries a pointer
to traverse the weight-indicator; but it will be understood that the scope and
number of the indicators may be extended upon the lines disclosed in the drawings
and in the following description, and that various other changes in the form,
proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without
departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a scale-beam fulcrumed at 2 and
carrying, by means of suitable terminal brackets 3 and 4, a plurality of parallel
rate-indicators 5 and 6, consisting of bars divided linearly to form units of rate or
077

page_text: the rate-bars, have their characters arranged to increase according to the number
found in the longitudinal column of the initial graduation. For instance, in the
transverse column of which one-eighth forms the initial character, the values
increase at each step by one-eighth, as one-eighth, one-fourth, three-eighths, one
half, etc.; in the transverse column of which three-sixteenths forms the initial
character the values increase by three-sixteenths at each step, as three-sixteenths,
three-eighths, nine-sixteenths, "three-fourths, etc.; in the transverse column of
which three-fourths is the initial character, the values increase by the three-fourths at
each step, as three-fourths, one and one-half, two and one-fourth, etc.; and in the
transverse column of which 1 forms the initial character, the values increase by
one at each step, as one, two, three, etc. This progression brings the character 16
in the terminal or maximum space in the transverse column which is in registra-
tion with the terminal division four of the main rate-bar 5, whereby the value, or
sixteen cents, of four pounds of an article of which the rate is four cents a pound
may be indicated. The system of graduation, as above indicated, is carried out on
the auxiliary value-indicator, and may be extended to additional auxiliary
indicators, to the desired number.
.With the parts constructed as above described, it will be understood that one
complete revolution of each value-indicator is caused during the movement of the
poise from its initial or innermost to its terminal or outermost point on the main
rate-bar, which constitutes the weight-indicator, and that when the poise is located
at any given main or subdivision of the main rate-bar, the several values of
articles of the weight indicated by the poise, and at rates ranging from one-fourth
of a cent per pound to eight cents per pound, will be exposed contiguous to the
indicating edges of the rate-bars and in registration, respectively with those
For instance,
graduations of the rate-bars which indicate the several rates.
referring to Figure 2, wherein the poise is located to indicate one pound in weight,
it will be seen that in the column corresponding with the column one of the rate-
bars 5, is found the value-character one, thus indicating that one pound of an
article worth one cent per pound is one cent. If the value of the article is three
cents per pound, the numeral 3 will be found in the column on the value-indicator
or computing cylinder in alinement with the rate-character three of the rate-
bar 5.
If the value of the article is four and one-half cents per pound the value-
characters, four and one-half, will be found in the column four and one-half of
the rate-bar 6. In the same way, if the poise is arranged to indicate two and one-
half-pounds, as shown in Figure 1, the value of two and one-half pounds of an
article worth two and one-half cents per pound will be found on the computing
cylinder in the column registering with the column two and one-half of the rate-
bar 5, or six and one-fourth. If the value of the article is seven and one-half
cents a pound, the value of two and one-half pounds thereof will be found in the
column of the computing cylinder 15 which is arranged in registration with the
column seven and one-half of the rate-bar 6, or eighteen and three-fourths.
It will be understood that for each movement of the poise through a distance
corresponding with one graduation, or one-fourth of a unit of the rate-indicators,
the computing-cylinders rotate sufficiently to bring the succeeding longitudinal
columns of value-characters contiguous to the indicating edges of the rate-bars.
For instance, assuming that the poise is in the position shown in Figure 2 with
its pointer 16 on the graduation one of the rate-bar, the movement of said poise
to the succeeding graduation subdivision one-fourth of the rate-bar will turn the
computing-cylinder 14 to bring the succeeding longitudinal column in place of
the one shown in Figure 2, whereby the lowest graduation of the then exposed
longitudinal column will be three-sixteenths, and hence the graduation three-
fourths will be in registration with the column one of the rate-bar 5, and the
graduation three of the computing-cylinder will be in registration with the
column 4 of said rate-bar.
The poise which I prefer to employ in connection with the computing mechanism
above described is of sectional construction, the body portion 17 thereof carrying the

page_text: passed under the indicating edge of the rate-bar 6, and four points or dots in the
column eight have passed under the indicating edge of said bar. Hence, the
position of the poise in Figure 3, indicates the weight of one cent's worth of an
article worth two cents per pound, two cents' worth of an article worth four cents
per pound, three cent's of an article worth six cents per pound, and four
cent's worth of an article worth eight cents per pound.
The advantage of the double arrangement of cylinders, or the duplication of
the same, resides in the fact that with a scale-beam of a given length, a greater
number of rate graduations may be employed, and hence articles having a greater
range of prices can be read thereon without loosing the advantages of the price-
computing means. In other words, with a single cylinder of the range illustrated
in the drawings, the highest rate per pound which can be computed is four cents,
whereas by doubling the computing cylinder, without increasing the length of the
scale beam, articles ranging in price up to eight cents per pound can be read.
And, furthermore, this duplication of the computing cylinder is accomplished
without materially complicating the construction of the device, owing to the fact
that one of the rate indicators is utilized as a weight indicator thus dispensing
with an auxiliary or special weight indicator. The disadvantage of employing a
long scale-beam is that as the poise is moved toward the outer end of the beam, or
from the pivot, the graduations will necessarily be placed so close together as to
render the operation of the apparatus difficult. By shortening the scale-beam and
employing a plurality of computing cylinders and rate bars, this disadvantage of
reducing the distances between the graduations is overcome; and the disadvantage
of reducing the intervals between the graduations is of special advantage when the
device is constructed to weigh articles of which the rate is expressed in the
fractional parts of a unit, as 2½ 3½ 13 etc., cents per pound.
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 combination with a scale-beam, of a computing cylinder, superficially
provided with circumferential columns of value-characters, a rate-indicator
arranged contiguous to the cylinder, and provided with columns registering with
those on the cylinder, and having characters indicating rates per unit of weight,
a poise traversing said rate-indicator and referring to the graduations thereof to
indicate weights, and connections between the poise and cylinder, whereby rotary
motion is imparted to the latter, substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a scale-beam, of a computing-cylinder, superficially
provided with circumferential columns of value-characters, a rate-indicator
arranged contiguous to the cylinder and provided with columns registering with
those on the cylinder, and having characters indicating rates per unit of weight,
said cylinder being circumferentially divided, in the planes of the columns of the
rate-bar, into a number of divisions corresponding respectively with the characters
designating said columns of the rate-bar, a sectional poise traversing a weight-
indicator, and capable of movement either in whole or in part, and operating con-
nections between one member of the poise and the cylinder, for imparting rotary
motion to the latter, substantially as specified.
3. The combination with a scale-beam, of a computing-cylinder, superficially
provided with circumferential columns of value-characters, a rate-indicator arranged
contiguous to the cylinder, and provided with columns registering with those on
the cylinder, and having characters indicating rates per unit of weight, said
cylinder being circumferentially divided, in the planes of the columns of the rate-
bar, into a number of divisions corresponding respectively with the characters
designating said columns of the rate-bar, a sectional poise traversing a weight
indicator, and comprising main and auxiliary members, of which the former is
capable of movement independently of the latter, a locking device for securing the