AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING VARIOUS KINDS OF ARTICLES OR GOODS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of March, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Willian Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said William Newton, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, an Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING
VARIOUS KINDS OF ARTICLES OR GOODS," being a communication from Andró
Weschniakoff, a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after

page_text: the date of tho said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at largo appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with. the said proviso, T, the said
William Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention,, which has been communicated to mo by Major André
Weschniakoff, of the Royal Engineers of Russin, consists of certain improvo-
ments upon a machine or apparatus for weighing, for which a former Patont
was granted to me in England on behalf of the above named André Wesclunia-
koll, and dated at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of September, Ono
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, the Specification whereof was duly
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery on or before the Nineteenth
day of March, One thousand eight hundred and forty, as required by a proviso
in the said grant.
In order that the improvements claimed to be protected under the present
Patent may be more clearly understood and distinguished from those claimed
under the foriner, it would be advisable to refer to the Specification of the
said provious Patent. The principal features of the former luvention may
be briefly described as follows:-The scale or plate in or upon which
the goods or things to be weighed were placed was suspended by a chain
or cord attached to and passed over or round a pulley. This pulley was
mounted upon and firmly fixed to an axle, formed at its two extremities like
wedges or knives edges, on which it rocked or oscillated. This pulley had
also at its lower side a pendant arm or lever to the extremity of which an
adjustable weight was attached, which when raised, described the segment of
a circle as the pulley was drawn round on its axis by the weight of the goods
placed in the scale. To the same axla as the pulley just described was affixed
the needle or index, which as the axle turned pointed out on a graduated
quadrant indicator or face plate the weight of any body placed in the scale.
The graduations or divisions on the indicator gradually increased from the
point zero, and the method of correctly setting off these divisions or graduations
was fully explained.
Having thus briefly described the nature of the former Invention, I will
now proceed to point out the various improvements that have been made
thereon, whereby the machine will be found to weigh more correctly and to a
greater extent, that is, a greater quantity of goods may be weighed by this
improved machine than by the former.

page_text: In order that these improvements may be more readily understood, I
have shewn in the accompanying Drawings various views of the machine, and
also of the parts detached.
Fig. 1, Sheet I, represents a front elevation of the whole machine com-
plete, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. This machine is intended for
weighing heavy goods, and is therefore to be firmly secured in any convenient
manner to the ceiling beam or roof of the warehouse in which it is intended
to be used. The several Figures in Sheet II. represent views of the parts of
this machine detached.
Sheet III. exhibits several views of the improved balance upon a more
simplified construction than the former, suited to the general and ordinary
purposes of weighing. The machine first mentioned is to be fastened to
the ceiling or roof of the warehouse by means of the crosshead a, a, a,
which is furnished with screw bolts and nuts at b, b, b, b, as seen in the
top horizontal view of the crosshead, Sheet II., Fig. 1. On the under side
of this crosshead are made ears or collars, shewn by dots at c, c, and the
machine is suspended therefrom by means of pins or bolts d, d, which pass
through corresponding cars or collars e, e, formed on the upper side of the
metal entablature f, f, and f*,f*, (see Sheet I.), which consists of two parts
or portions, the upper part f, f, being secured to the lower part f*, f*, by
screw bolts g,g. A plan and side view of the lower part f*, f, is seen
detached at Figures 2 and 3, Sheet II. Metal bearings h, h, h, h, Fig. 1,
Sheet I., and Figures 2 and 3, Sheet II., are formed at each end of this
entablature, and these bearings are furnished with knife edges i, i, on which
the horizontaleshaft or axloj of the machine rocks or oscillates; at each end of
this axle a cavity or recess is mado by cutting away about one-third of the
substance of the shaft, as seen in the detached view Fig. 4, Sheet II., for the
purpose of receiving the knife edge i, as seen in Fig. I., Sheet I. This shaft
is maintained in its proper position on the knife edges i, i, by means of stop
pieces k, k, which are screwed or bolted on to the bearings h, and thereby pre-
vent the shaft j, j, from being knocked out of its place by any sudden con-
cussion, as would be likely to be the case when putting a heavy body in the
scale to be weighed. Instead of suspending the scale I, 1, (Sheet I.) by means
of a cord or -chain passed over a pulley, as in the former Invention, already
alluded to, the pulley is entirely suppressed and a curved lever m, m, substi-
tuted in its place. This curved lever is formed on or connected to a collar n,
through which the axle or shaft j, j, passes, and is firmly fixed thereto by a
tenon and screw nuts, as seen in the detached views, Figures 5, 6, and 7,
Sheet II., Fig. 7, being a view of the curved lever in and collar n detached

page_text: from the axle j. The outer end of the curved lever m is furnished with a
knife edge o, from which is suspended the pendant frame p, whose lower entl
is terminated by a swing joint or hinge p³ (see Fig. 2, Sheet I., and Fig. 8,
Sheet II.), whereby it is connected to the rod p*, whose lower end terminates
in four hooks, from which the scale board or plate is suspended by means of
the long and short rods q. q. 1. 9. The pendant or vibrating weight, which
in the former construction was connected to the pulley, is in this instance
entirely distinct from it, or from the curved lever m, m, used in place thereof,
but is connected to the lower end of a rod or lever r, r, the upper end of
which is terminated by a collar s, 8, similar to the collar n, and is fastened to 1
the axle j in a like manner, is seen in Figures 5 and 6, Sheet II. The needle
or index (, t, is also connected to the axle j in a similar manner, and vibrates
on the centre thereof in front of the index plate t, u, on which the needle
points out the exact weight of any body that is placed in the scale. The
graduated plate u, u, is fastened by screws or otherwise to the lower end of
the pendant open framework v, v, v, v; and in order that the machino
may weigh with accuracy, it is necessary among other things that this open
framework which carries the indicator should hang in a perfectly vertical
position. This is effected by turning the handle of the rod w either to the
right or left, as may be required.
is
The upper end of this rod w has a screw thread passing through a screw
box above, which being turned alters the position of the open framework; the
amount of alteration required shewn by the level and plumb line a. Tho
vibrating action of the needle or index t, t, is somewhat controlled by the bridal
pieces y, y, which connect it to the rod or lover r, r, on which the weight
fixed. The respective positions which the index t, t, and weighted lever r, r,
occupy on the axle j is regulated at first when making and setting the balance,
and they are afterwards maintained in their proper places by the bridle pieces
y, y, by which they are connected together. The graduation of the indicator
in the old construction increased in size the farther they receded from the
point zéro; but in the present construction, by the peculiar arrangement of the
mechanism and the several parts of the machine, the divisions are made to
diminish the farther they recede from the point zero. A further alteration in
the graduations of the indicator may be made by elongating and elevating the
'curved lover n, m, as seen in the auxiliary Figuro attached to Fig. I., Sheet I.,
so as to raise the end of the lever (when in a quiescent state) to an angle of
30 degrees from a horizontal line drawn through the centre of the axle j,j;
when this alteration of parts is made, the divisions on the indicator must be
symmetrical, as seen in the additional Figure attached to the indicator on

page_text: Fig. 1, Sheet I. Fig. 9, Sheet II., represents a portion of the graduated scale
or indicator of the improved balance upon an enlarged scale, shewing the
method of dividing it into English pounds. As the divisions for pounds at the
end of the indicator farthest from zero would be too minute if placed all on
one line, the indicator is divided horizontally into seven parts or lines as shewn
in the Figure, each of which lines has a graduation, which answers to a pound
heavier than the line immediately above it; but when by the alteration in the
curved lever m, above mentioned, the graduations are made symmetrical on
both sides of the centre line of the indicator, then the divisions may be placed
all on the same line, as seen in the auxiliary leaf attached to this Figure.
The several Figures in Sheet III. represent the improved balance, constructed
for general and ordinary purposes, and therefore much simplified. Fig. 1 is a
front elevation, showing the index and indicator; Fig. 2 is a side elevation;
Fig. 3, a plan view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal view of the metal
framing and bearings which support the machine. Instead of fastening the
apparatus to the roof or ceiling, it is in this instance affixed to a strong square
wooden framing a, a, a, a, on the top of which the metal framing f,f, is fixed
by screw bolts and nuts g, g; metal bearings h, h, are mounted on each side of
this framing, as seen in the two horizontal views, Figures 3 and 4. These
bearings are furnished with knife edges i, i, (Fig. 4), on which the horizontal
shaft or axle j,j, is placed. The scale plate or board 7, 1, is suspended from a
knife edge at the end of the curved lever m, m, which is connected to the axle
or shaft j. j. as described in reference to the Figures in Sheets I. and II. The
vibrating weight,, is fixed to the end of the pendant lever r, r, also con-
nected to the axle, in the manner already described. The needle or index t, t,
is fastened by means of screws to a forked piece, which is connected to the
collar s, 8, on the shaft or axle j. j. The indicator or graduated plate u, u, is
affixed to the pendant open framework v, v, which is suspended at its upper
end from the knife edge i above, and thereby allowed to vibrate to and fro, in
order that it may always assume a perfectly vertical position. To each end of
the indicator are screwed or otherwise fixed certain guide rods w, w, which pass
through slots in the guides y, y, and thereby prevent the vibrating pendant
frame v, v, from being shaken out of its place on the knife edge above by any
weighty body that may be suddenly placed in the scale. The slots in the
guides y, y, are made sufficiently long to allow the frame v, v, to vibrate freely
on its axis. This vibration is, however, regulated and arrested at pleasure by
raising the friction roller & by means of the handle, and making it bear against
the under side of the frame v, v.
Fig 5, Sheet III., represents a method of connecting the needle or index

page_text: with the weighted lover or rod r. The rod », r, in this instance is suspended
from the axle, in the same manner as in the arrangements above described, but
instead of mounting the needle.or index t,t; on the shaft or axle j.j, it is placed
at one end of a horizontal arm =,=, extending from the lower end of the rod or
lover 7, 7, and is thus acted upon by the vibration or motion of the weighted
lever T, T.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me, as
before stated, I wish it to be understood that I lay no claim under this Patent
to such parts of tlio machine as have been described under my former Patent,
above mentioned, nor to any of those parts which are not new; but I claim the 1
arrangement of parts herein shown and described, or any modification
thereof, when employed for or constituting a machine for weighing goods or
merchandizo.
In witness whereof, I, tho said William Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our 1
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
WILLIAM (L.S.) NEWTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of August,
in the sixth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said William
Newton came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and overy thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year
of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Tbird.