Improvements in and relating to Weighing Machines, Scales, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Weighing Machines, Scales,
and the like.
I, HENRY VALDER, of 54, Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand, Storekeeper,
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:―
It is well known to retail salesmen and others that pointers and similar visual
indicators usually employed upon scales and weighing machines are insufficient
to prevent loss through the carelessness or inadvertence of attendants, who often
pay insufficient regard to the position of such indicators and give overweight.
The object of this invention is to cause a bell or other signal to sound when
the article being weighed is equal to or exceeds a pre-determined amount above
the weight against which it is being balanced.
In carrying my invention into practice, I employ a lever or trigger which is
struck by any convenient part of the scale when moving under an equal or
excess of weight in the scale-pan. The lever may either strike a bell direct,
release a catch whereby a spring-driven bell is put in operation, or close the
electrical circuit of an electro-magnetic bell.
The mechanism requires but slight modification for any type of scale or machine,
and for the sake of clearness I have shown the arrangement for all the kinds of
bells above referred to in the accompanying drawings, wherein :-
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Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary balance-scale, in which an electro-
magnetic bell is used in connection with my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a bell and mechanism whereby a moving part
of the scale causes it to be struck.
Figure 3 is a part side elevation of a scale similar to that shown in Figure 1,
but showing the circuit closing mechanism in a different position.
Figure 4 is a plan.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a spring-driven bell and releasing mechanism.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts throughout
the figures.
Referring first to Figure 1. The pointer (a) is fixed upon the scale beam (b),
and when the article being weighed equals or exceeds its counter-balance, said pointer
ΓΥ

page_text: comes in contact with a regulating screw (c) upon a bell crank lever (d) pivoted
upon a bracket (e), whereby the bell crank lever is vibrated and its upper end
brought into contact with an insulated terminal pin (f), to which is connected one
wire (g) of an electrical battery (h) employed to drive the electro-magnetic bell (i).
The opposite wire (k) of the battery (h) is connected by a nut (4) to the pin (m)
upon which the bell crank lever (d) is pivoted in bracket (e).
The arm (n) of the bell crank lever (d) is screwed, and a screwed balance weight (o)
can be adjusted upon it to regulate the amount of overweight in the article being
weighed necessary to vibrate the lever sufficiently to cause electrical circuit to be
closed between the pins (f) and (m).
A dial staff (p) upon the bell crank lever (d) serves as a guide in adjusting
position of the balance weight (o).
In Figure 2 the bell crank lever is operated as in Fig. 1, and the end of arm (n)
contacts with a pawl (w) pivoted upon the end of an arm (a) fitted upon the rocking
shaft (s) which carries the bell-hammer (t).
Pawl (w) is pivoted to allow return of the arm (n).
In Figure 3 the shape of the parts is slightly altered to allow the circuit closing
bell crank lever to be operated by the moving lower part (r) of the scale lever.
Otherwise the mechanism is the same as that described in relation to Fig. 1.
In Figures 4 and 5 the arm (n) of bell crank lever (d) is arranged to engage
adjusting pin (c¹) at the end of a straight lever (d) which is pivoted near its
middle, and returned to its normal position by a spring (d³).
When vibrated against the pressure of spring (2) by the scale pointer which
engages screw (c) the opposite end of the lever (d¹) releases the spring driven
bell (2) which it normally retains by engaging with a pin (v) depending from the
bell hammer (y).
The bell hammer (y) which is pivoted at (5) is vibrated by a spring motor
driven ratchet wheel (y) which engages with pallets (y²) and (y³) upon the hammer
lever ().
The end of lever (d¹) normally engages pin (v) and prevents pallet (y) from
coming out of the ratchet tooth with which it is in engagement, but when lever (d)
is vibrated by the scale pointer the pin (v) is released and the bell allowed to
ring.
The end of the lever may be bifurcated as shown so that when vibrated by over
weight upon the scale the bell is first released, a further movement of the lever (d)
brings the other fork into contact with pin (v) and the bell is stopped; a still
further movement of the lever releases the bell which will then ring continuously
until the over weight is removed from the scale.
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 weighing machine of means whereby a bell
is rung to indicate when an equal or more than a pre-arranged weight above
the counter balance has been placed in the scale pan, the said means consisting of
a lever, one arm of which projects into the part of a moving part of the scale and
is operated thereby to cause a bell to ring; said lever being provided with an
adjustable balance weight whereby the amount of overweight in the scale pan
necessary to cause the bell to be operated can be regulated substantially as herein
described and illustrated.
2. The combination with a scale weighing machine of apparatus for causing
a bell to be struck when the weight of the article being weighed equals or exceeds
the weight of the balance weight upon the opposite side of a scale, said apparatus
consisting of a pivotted bell crank lever, one arm of which is struck by the pointer
upon the scale beam whereby the opposite arm is caused to engage a pawl pivotted
upon arms fixed upon a rocking shaft carrying the bell hammer substantially as
herein described and illustrated in Fig. 2.

page_text: 3. The combination with a scale weighing machine of a lever, one arm of which
projects into the path of a moving part of said scale and is operated thereby, the
other arm of said lever provided with a balance weight adjustable upon it and
means whereby the bell is rung when said lever is vibrated substantially as for the
purposes herein described and illustrated.
4. In combination, a scale weighing machine, a bell crank lever pivoted above
it with one arm in the path of a pointer upon the scale beam, the said bell crank
lever being operatable by overweight upon one side of the scale and arranged when
so operated to close an electrical circuit whereby an electro-magnetic bell is caused
to ring substantially as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in
the drawings.
5. The combination with a scale weighing machine of a bell crank lever (d)
vibratable by a moving part of a scale when overweight is placed upon one side
thereof, said bell crank lever engaging a straight lever (d) and thereby releasing
a spring motor driven bell, which is held by the end of the said lever when in
its normal position and released when the lever is vibrated substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and illustrated particularly in Figures 4 and 5
of the drawings.
6. The combination with a scale weighing machine of means whereby a bell is
caused to ring when an article being weighed exceeds a pre-arranged amount
above the weight against which the article is being balanced, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
7. The improvements in weighing machines, scales and the like, consisting of
parts constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially as and for the purposeз
set forth herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of Nov 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.