IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES."—A
communication from abroad by John Howe, junior, and Frank E. Howe,
both of New York, and Francis Miles Strong and Thomas Ross, both of
Brandon, County of Rutland, and State of Vermont, United States.
Sealed the 3rd February 1860, and dated the 5th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th September 1859.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the employment of spheres or balls for
supporting the platform of weighing machines, the same being arranged
relatively with the platform and intermediate bearing pieces or a frame. These
spheres or balls are placed in suitable concaves, and so arranged as to permit
of a lateral movement of the platform, when any disturbing force is applied,

page_text: without communicating that movement to the intermediate bearing pieces or
frame, to the injury of parts immediately connected therewith.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a peculiar means for preventing the
knife-edged supports or pivots from working longitudinally in their bearings,
thereby reducing the friction attending the working of the scales to a
minimum, and using in connection therewith self-adjustable bearings to com-
pensate for any irregularity in the position of the knife-edged supports or
pivots.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to a peculiar arrangement of levers, and
parts intimately connected therewith, whereby the length of the platform may
be prolonged indefinitely.
The Invention relates, fourthly, to a novel way of suspending the bearing
blocks of a compound shaft, which is used in extended platforms, as herein-
after fully described.
66
The Invention is more especially designed for what are generally known as
platform scales," and it may be adopted for railway scales, although certain
parts are applicable to smaller scales, such as counter scales. The horizontal
sustaining shafts of the machine are furnished with knife edges, inserted at
their centres in heads formed to receive them at or near each of the extre-
mities. These knife edges are the fulcra for levers, and rest on bearings
secured to the foundation. Inwardly from these knife edges, and parallel to
and all equidistant therefrom, are other knife edges, on which rests what may
be termed an intermediate frame, which supports the platform. Concaves are
formed at each corner of the intermediate frame to receive balls or spheres,
on which the platform rests, the under face of said platform being in like
manner formed with concave recesses to rest on the balls. The bearing
blocks of the intermediate frame are inserted in sockets, where they have
room to rock on ribs projecting from their upper sides, so that they may
adjust themselves to the knife edges on which they rest, and they have at
the same time an end play in the direction of the length of the frame to allow
for limited irregularities in the distance of the levers apart, or variations of the
length of the frame itself. The blocks are prevented from dropping out of
the sockets by means of staples. The intermediate frame is formed in two
parts, each part forming one side and one end of the quadrangle, the two
being connected by links at diagonally opposite corners. The intermediate
frame in certain cases may be dispensed with, and intermediate bearings used
instead. These bearings have concave V-shaped foot pieces, which rest on
knife edges, carried by arms projecting inwardly from the supporting shafts.

page_text: These shafts are provided with knife edges, as previously noticed, which rest
in bearings carried by the main or bed frame, the said benrings being self-
adjustable to compensate for any irregularity in the position of the knife edges
or the bearings themselves. These bearings have cylindrical shanks pro-
jecting at right angles into corresponding sockets, where they are secured by
a screw in such a manner as to admit of their moving on their axis only.
These bearings are furnished on their upper face with a projection, which
takes into a notch in the knife edges of the sustaining shafts, in order to
prevent the parts from changing their relative longitudinal positions. In
those scales which require extended platforms, such as railroad scales, (the
sustaining shafts (a series of them being required) are each provided with an
arm, and these arms are all connected with and act upon a compound shaft,
which transmits the force through an arm to the scale or weighing beam in
the usual manner. The manner of coupling the parts of the compound shaft
is as follows:-The ends of the several sections are fitted with flanches, which
bave ears projecting from them. The ears on the front side of one section of
the shaft rest upon the ears on the front side of the other section to which the
first is to be coupled; the other ears are similarly situated, but are connected
together by a link, the force applied to the shaft tending to separate these,
while the first are forced together. The surfaces of the ears which come in
contact are made convex and concave, to keep them in position. This manner
of connection allows the shaft to act freely upon its knife edges, even if thrown
considerably out of line. The levers of the sustaining shafts are connected to
the compound shaft by loops.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County,
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said

page_text: Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, cr such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES," being a com-
munication from abroad by John Howe, junior, and Frank E. Howe, both of
New York, and Francis Miles Strong and Thomas Ross, both of Brandon,
County of Rutland, and State of Vermont, United States, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to. be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :--
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates, firstly, to the employment of spheres or balls interposed between the
platform and intermediate bearing pieces or a frame, suitable concaves being.
provided to receive the balls. By this means provision is made for a lateral
movement of the platform when any disturbing force is applied, without that
movement being communicated to the intermediate bearing pieces or frame,
to the injury of parts immediately connected therewith.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a peculiar means for preventing the
knife-edged supports or pivots from working longitudinally in their bearings,
thereby reducing the friction attending the working of the scales to a
minimum, and using in connection therewith self-adjustable bearings to com-
pensate for any irregularity in the position of the knife-edged supports or
pivots.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to a peculiar arrangement of levers, and
parts intimately connected therewith, whereby the length of the platform may
be prolonged indefinitely, and an efficient action obtained.
The Invention is more especially designed for what are generally known as

page_text: "platform scales," and it may be adapted for railway scales, although certain
parts are applicable to smaller scales, such as counter scales.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation shewing the
platform of the scales, levers, and an intermediate frame; Fig. 2 is a plan
shewing the levers and intermediate frame on which the platform rests;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged section shewing more clearly the intermediate frame
and shafts; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation shewing a modification of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a section shewing the manner of sustaining the shaft where a great
length of platform is required, as in railway weighing machinery; Figures 6
and 7 are a plan and elevation of portions of the said shaft shewing the
manner of combining the several parts composing the same; Fig. 8 is a
plan shewing the arrangement of levers used with an extended platform;
Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the
shaft and intermediate bearing shewing the manner of connecting the bearings
to the framing; Fig. 11 is a sectional view shewing the means employed for
preventing the longitudinal play of the knife edges on their bearings; similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, A, Fig. 2, represent shafts which have knife edges inserted at their
centres, as shewn at a, Fig. 3, in heads formed to receive them at or near
each of the extremities. These knife edges are the fulcra of the levers, A,
B, A, B, and rest on bearings secured to the frame or foundation. Inwardly
from these knife edges, and parallel to and all equidistant therefrom, are other
knife edges, on which rests what may be termed an intermediate frame C,
which supports the platform D; concaves are fornied at each corner of the
intermediate frame to receive balls or spheres 6, on which the platform rests,
the under face of the platform being in like manner provided with concave
recesses to rest on the balls, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. This manner of
connection allows the platform to yield to any lateral movement, without
communicating it to the intermediate frame, thereby preventing the kuife-
edges being abraided or injured. The balls or spheres also admit of the
platform adjusting itself by its own gravity to its proper position.
The bearing blocks d (Figures 1 and 3) of the intermediate frame are
not rigidly secured thereto, but are inserted in sockets, where they have room
to rock on ribs projecting from their upper sides, so that they may adjust
themselves to the knife edges on which they rest, and they have at the same
time an end play in the direction of the length of the frame C, so that they
may adjust themselves to limited irregularities in the distance of the levers
apart or variations of the length of the frame itself. These blocks are

page_text: prevented from dropping out of the sockets by means of staples c (Fig. 3).
The intermediate frame C is formed in two parts, each part forming one
side, and one end of the quadrangle, the two being connected by links at
diagonally opposite corners, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. This allows the
frame to yield to the transverse movement of the knife edges on which it rests,
such movement being caused by the oscillation of the levers in arcs of circles
in the operation of weighing. The frame C in certain cases may be dispensed
with, and intermediate bearings e used instead, as shewn in Figures 4 and 10.
In these Figures it will be seen that two balls or spheres are interposed between
the platform and the intermediate bearings, they being preferable when the
frame C is dispensed with and intermediate pieces e used instead. The
pieces e have concave V-shaped foot pieces which rest on knife edges f carried
by arms projecting inwardly from the supporting shafts A. These shafts are
provided with knife edges a previously alluded to, which rest in bearings h in
supports of the framing (see Fig. 10), the said bearings being self-adjustable
to compensate for any irregularity in the position of the knife edges or the
bearings themselves. These bearings have cylindrical shanks projecting at
right angles into corresponding sockets, where they are each secured by a
screw passing through the support i into the axis of the shank in such a
manner as to admit of motion on its axis only. The bearings h are constructed
with projections ; near their centres, see Fig. 11. These projections take
into notches k in the knife edges a; the projections fit at their bases to the
corresponding portions of the notches, but space is left above to avoid contact.
The relative positions of the parts are thus prevented from changing longi-
tudinally, the friction being by. this means reduced to a minimum.
In those machines which require extended platforms, such as railroad
weighing machines, the shafts A (a series of which are required) are each
provided with an arm A¹ (see Figures 8 and 9), the said arms being all
connected with and acting upon a compound shaft B¹, which transmits the
force through its arm C¹ to the scale or weighing beam in the usual manner.
The main levers A, A', have equal power and are all alike, except. that the
two composing the central section have their arms A¹ attached in a slight
angular position to effect their connection with the shaft B' at the same
relative distance from its axis as the rest of the series. The shafts A rest
upon bearings h, as in the previously described arrangements. The manner
of coupling the shaft B¹ is shewn on an enlarged scale at Figures 6 and 7.
The ends of the several sections composing it have flanches E' cast on them,
and from these flanches project ears 1, 1. The ears on the front side of one

page_text: section of the shaft rest upon the cars on the front side of the other section,
to which the first is to be coupled; the other ears 1, P, are similarly situated;
but are connected together by a link m, the force applied to the shaft tending
to separate these while the first are forced together. The surfaces of the ears
1, 2, which come in contact, are made convex and concave, to keep them in
position. This manner of connection allows the shaft B' to act freely upon
its knife-edges even if thrown considerably out of line, and that too without
materially affecting the accuracy of the weighing action, as the knife edges
(both the one which sustains the shaft, and the one to which the arm C¹ is
connected( are inserted in the same part of the shaft, and cannot be changed
in their relative positions by any change which may take place in the supports
or foundations. In Figures 5, 6, and 7, F¹ represents the loops connecting
the levers A, A', to the shaft B¹, these levers being connected at what may
be termed the front side of the shaft B'. The manner of suspending the shaft
is shewn in Fig. 5. D¹ is a portion of the standard through which an opening
is cast to admit the flanged plug n, the flange projecting beyond the opening
and resting upon the standard. Through this plug a pin o passes, and from
this the links d¹, d', depend. These links take in the block c', upon which
the knife edge of shaft B' rests. This manner of hanging the lever permits
the block to adjust itself to the knife edge, and also allows the shaft to oscillate
laterally and longitudinally, thereby obviating any tendency to cramp, and it
does this without any rocking motion of the block. In this way the fineness
of the knife edges is preserved to secure that delicacy so essential to the
sensitiveness and accuracy of the machine. This is mainly effected by
suspending the block from two separate points, and by two links.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
weighing machines," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim:—
First, the use of corresponding concavities and balls, in combination with
the proximate faces of the intermediate bearing pieces or framing, and the
platform of weighing machines substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Second, the combination of the adjustable bearings h, with the knife edges
a, constructed substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third, the employment or use of an auxiliary frame C, or intermediate
bearing pieces e in combination with and interposed between the platform D,
and levers, and either with or without the balls b.

page_text: And, fourth, the arrangement above described for elongating the platform
of weighing machines, and ensuring the efficient action of such machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.s.)