An Improved Weighing and Price and Value Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Weighing and Price and Value Indicating Apparatus.
I, WALTER FRANKLIN STIMPSON, of 46-52, Porter Street, in the City of Detroit,
State of Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 invention consists in the construction of a computing spring scale, and
particularly in the construction of the devices for indicating the computations for
the various weights at the various prices per pound without in any way effecting
the weighing qualities of the scale, which will greatly enlarge the computing
capacity which can be indicated with a single scale, and further, in the construction,
arrangement and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter
described.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a scale embodying my invention,
showing one type of pointer.
Fig. 2 is a vertical, central section, illustrating the construction of the operating
mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the pointers and the pointer actuating or controlling
disk.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3, showing the pointers in
different position.
Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the controlling disk and the spring actuated
pointer.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the pointer.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a scale dial, showing another construction of
pointer.
My device embodies the usual spring weighing mechanism, with a dial plate
showing the pounds, and a table of computations made up by multiplying the
price per pound by the weight, with two or more pointers, arms or indices actuated
or controlled by the weighing mechanism, and adapted to successively pass over
the dial, the primary pointer, arm or index carrying only the price per pound,
while the succeeding or secondary pointers carry multiples of the price per pound,
to be added to the computations on the dial plate.
In the drawings, I have shown two ways of carrying out my invention; Figs. 1
to 6 show a system of rocking or oscillating indices and in Fig. 7 I show a series
of arms rotating about a common axis to effect the same result. The latter form
is the simpler and preferable one although both come within the spirit of
my broad
invention. I will first describe the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6.
A is the frame preferably of the shape as shown, and having suitable means
for suspending it, and the usual segmental weight indications, as shown at B. Below
the weight indications is the computed table C.
D) is the weighing bar on which the article to be weighed may be suspended by.
being hooked in the hook at the lower end thereof, or by being supported on a
weighing pan, not shown.

page_text: This weighing bar connects to the springs E and carries the rack bar F mesh-
ing with the pinion G on the shaft H journaled in a suitable supporting frame or
bracket I, so combined that as the weighing bar is moved up and down, the shaft
will be rotated. These parts are of the known and usual construction in such
spring scales.
1
Upon the shaft H is secured the disk J. Between the disk J and the bracket,
the lower end of the pointer K is journaled loosely on the shaft H. This pointer is
held normally against a pin or shoulder L on the disk, by the tension of the coiled
spring M, so that as the disk is rotated to the right Fig. 3, the spring will carry
the pointer correspondingly across the face of the dial plate.
This pointer is marked with the prices per pound and as it reaches any desired
point, it will indicate the value of the article at any price per pound which may
be marked upon it, the operator reading the computed value from the table
opposite the price per pound on the pointer.
'
"
With this construction, it is evident that no power is required from the weighing
mechanism, to move the pointer across the face of the dial, and in fact assists some-
what in overcoming the friction of the parts, thereby adding to the delicacy of
operation of a scale to which it is applied:
1.
I have shown a dial plate in Fig. 1 having weight indications up to ten pounds.
When the pointer K has reached the ten pound mark, I provide a second pointer,
which will commence to travel over the indicator dial.
The construction which I employ in the type of scale for this second pointer
is that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in which I have shown a pointer O pivoted upon
a pin on the outer face of the disk J and away from the center thereof; the
upper end of this pointer rests upon a shoulder or pin P.
While the pointer K is travelling across the face of the dial, the pointer O will
not be operative but will remain in the position as shown at the left hand in Fig. 1,
the casing of which is broken away slightly to show this pointer.
When the pointer K moves off the dial, the pin P¹ on the disk J will strike the
end of the pointer and further movement of the disk will carry the pointer Ü
across the dial.
This pointer in addition to carrying the price per pound, as does the pointer K,
is provided with a lateral extension Q upon which are marked opposite each price
per pound the computations Q' which are formed by multiplying the price per
pound with the highest weight indicated upon the dial, in this case ten pounds,
so that the operator in using the scale adds to the proper computation upon the
dial plate the computation upon the pointer O, thereby obtaining the computations
of the article at any given price per pound between ten and twenty pounds in
weight. While the pointer O is travelling across the dial, the pointer K is sup-
ported upon a pin or stop R in the casing, as shown in Fig. 3. To prevent the
pointer O from having an unsteady motion or from falling forward after it passes
its vertical point, I provide a support for that pointer comprising a pin S in line
with the shaft H, engaging in a slotted bearing T in the bracket T, the pointer
being thus fulcrumed upon a pin $ as soon as it commences to travel over the face
of the dial.
It will be observed that when the pointer K is travelling over the dial, the
pointer O in no wise effects the free operation of the weighing mechanism and that
when the pointer O is travelling over the dial, the pointer K is supported by the
pin R, thus the work required of the weighing mechanism in moving the pointers
is reduced to a minimum.
In the initial position of the parts, the two pointers will extend substantially in
the position shown in Fig. 4.
It is desirable to have the pin S run in a closed slot so that when the scale is
handled or shipped it cannot get out of position. The lower end of this slot I
preferably enlarge, as shown, so that except at the point of bearing in the normal
operation of the parts the pin will not touch the slotted bracket.
I will now describe the construction illustrated in Fig. 7, and this, as before

page_text: mentioned, is a very much simpler form of my device and is a preferable one to
manufacture, both because of its cheapness and simplicity as well as its reliability
in weighing.
In the construction shown in Fig. 7, I have shown four arms or pointers a b c d
connected together and to the shaft H in such relation to the dial e that as one
pointer moves off of the dial the other will move on. The first pointer is marked
only with the price per pound, the second pointer is marked with the price per
pound and computations as described for the pointer dial O and the third and fourth
pointers are marked for similar computations only arrived at by using larger
multiples of five as the multiplicator.
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. A computing scale, having a segmental weight and price indicating dial and
a multiple of weight actuated indices or arms, each bearing the price per pound
adapted to be moved to register with the said segment of the dial successively.
2. A computing scale having a segmental weight and price indicating dial and
a multiple of weight actuated indices or arms, each bearing the same price per
pound, and means for successively connecting the arms to the weight actuated
devices, to successively move them across the dial.
Dated January 14th 1899.
WALTER FRANKLIN STIMPSON,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.