Improvements in Letter Balances and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Balances and the like.
I, ALFRED WILLMER POCOCK, of GG, St. Ann's Hill, Wandsworth, London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a weighing machine which instead of,
or in addition to showing the actual weight of the article weighed shall show
in a plain and unmistakeable manner the price to be paid for it or in the case
of letters, parcels &c. the sum to be paid for postage or the value of the stamps
to be affixed.
To carry out this invention I provide a scale beam having at one end a suitable
receptacle for the article to be weighed and at the other end several weights so
attached or connected to the beam that upon an article being placed in the scale
pan one or more of the weights is raised until the remaining weights overbalance
the said article.
In order to show the value or postage I attach to some moving part of the
apparatus a scale having figures marked upon it. In front of this moving scale
I fix a screen having a hole in it through which one of the figures is visible.
These figures, the scale and the hole in the screen are so arranged and adjusted
to one another and to the weights that only the figure corresponding to the
value or postage of the article in the scale pan is visible at any time.
When requisite I make the scale adjustable for varying values.
In addition to the figures indicating the values or postage additional figures may
be provided indicating the actual weights.
I do not confine myself to the use of the beam as other methods may be employed
for balancing the weights and articles such as a cord passing over a pulley.
T 1
1000
Improvements in Letter Balances and the like.
I, ALFRED WILLMER POCOCK, of 66, St. Ann's Hill, Wandsworth, London,
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:-
The object of this invention is to produce a weighing machine which instead of
or in addition to showing the actual weight of the article weighed shall show in
a plain and unmistakable manner the price to be paid for it or in the case of

page_text: letters parcels ac. the sum to be paid for postage or the value of the stampa 10
be affixed,
To carry out this invention I provide a suitable scale beam having at one end
a suitable receptacle for the article to be weighed, and at the other end several
weights so attached or connected to the beam that upon an article being placed
in the scale pan one or more of the weights is raised until the remaining weights
overbalance the said article. In order to show the value or postage I attach to
some moving part of the apparatus a scale having figures marked upon it. In
front of this moving scale I fix a screen having a hole in it through which one of
the figures is visible.
These figures, the scale, and the hole in the screen are so arranged and adjusted
to one another and to the weights that only the figure corresponding to the value
or postage of the article in the scale pan is visible at any time.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as adapted for the purpose
of a letter balance.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a letter balance and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
A, is the scale beam.
E, is the scale pan or receptacle for letters.
B, B₁ are the sides of the instrument supporting the scale beam & of which B
forms the screen having the hole F cut in it.
G, is the scale attached to the beam and having the figures 1d., 1d., 2d., 2d., 3d.
marked upon it. This scale is shown in dotted lines, being behind the screen B.
The scale has an additional mark upon it viz: "
"
over 12 oz. to indicate that the
limit of the instrument has been reached.
D, D1, D2, D3 are 4 weights which in this instance weigh with their links L, L',
L each to each 2 ozs. each that is to say the weight D together with the link L
which joins or connects D with D¹ weighs 2 ozs.: similarly D with the link L'
weighs 2 ozs. and De with the link Lª weighs 2 ozs. The weight D³ being the
last of the series having no link weighs of itself 2 ozs.
L, L, La are links connecting the weights to one another but being long, allow
of a certain amount of movement of one weight before acting upon the weight
below it. This movement is sufficient to bring another figure into view in the
hole F.
M, M², M³, M3, M4, M5, M6 are pins fixed in the weights and passing through
the links L, L1, L2 and also the link N, which latter link connects the series of
weights to the scale beam A.
The scale beam in this instance is weighted at the "weight" end by the weight C
so that the beam will not move until a weight slightly exceeding 4 ozs. has been
placed on the scale pan E.
The action of the instrument is as follows: until a weight, of letters say, has
been placed upon the scale pan slightly exceeding 4 ozs. the figure 1d. will remain
visible which is the postage for articles up to that weight.
As soon as this weight is exceeded the beam moves and if the excess weight do
not exceed 2 ozs. will come to rest when the lower end of the link N comes in
contact with the pin M and the figure 1d. will become visible in the hole F and
remain so until the weight in the scale pan exceeds 6 ozs. or is removed.
Similarly additional increments of weight will cause the other figures to become
visible until the total exceeds 12 ozs., in this instance, when the words " over
12 ozs." will appear to indicate that the limits of the instrument have been
exceeded.
When requisite I make the scale adjustable for varying values.
In addition to the figures indicating the values of postage &c. additional figures
may be provided to indicate the weight or the approximate weight.
I do not confine myself to the use of the beam as other methods or devices may
be used such as a cord passing over a pulley.
In some cases it is convenient to attach the screen to a moving part of the
instrument and to fix the scale which is of course equivalent.

page_text: 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. In a weighing machine the attachment of a scale to some moving part bearing
figures to indicate the values of the articles weighed or the postage or carriage
payable for such articles in combination with a fixed screen having an opening
through which only such figure is visible as corresponds to the value or postage
of such article being weighed.
2. In a weighing machine the attachment of such screen to a moving part while
the said scale is fixed with a like object.
3. In a weighing machine the combination and general arrangement of parts
shown and described for the objects stated.