IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING SCALES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Penn-Gaskell, of South Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEIGHING SCALES."-A communication from abroad by Sandy Harris,
of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
Sealed the 28th November 1873, and dated the 17th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Penn-Gaskell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th September 1873.
I, PETER PENN-GASKELL, of South Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING SCALES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improvement in weighing scales for
counter and general use, and for weighing letters.
The object of my Invention is to avoid the use of detached weights,
which are liable to be lost or mislaid, and to enable the weight of the
articles or goods to be readily ascertained, even in the dark.

page_text: The machine is based upon the principle of the common steelyard,
inasmuch as the arms of the scale beam are of unequal length, and the
goods to be weighed are placed on the shorter arm of the beam, which
is mounted on centres on a suitable frame or standard.
Instead however of employing a movable weight sliding along the
steelyard or beam I provide a number of shifting weights placed upon
pins or other supports projecting from the arm of the beam. These pins
are fixed at certain distances apart along the beam, and when there is
nothing in the scale pan and the beam is consequently at rest the said
pins coincide exactly with a corresponding series of pins fixed upon a
stationary frame forming part of the supporting frame or pedestal.
Upon each pin a weight is placed or hung representing one or more lbs.
or aliquot parts of 1 lb., according to its gravity and distance from the
beam centre. The said weights can be readily slid or transferred from
the fixed pins or supports on to the corresponding pins on the scale
beam, but there is no liability of the weights being mislaid as they are
merely slid along the pins and cannnot be removed therefrom without
taking the machine to pieces. Any number of the weights can be
simultaneously transferred to the scale beam to make up the amount
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Penn-Gaskell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
PENN-GASKELL, of South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Peter Penn-Gaskell, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Penn-Gaskell, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Penn-Gaskell, 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

page_text: term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WEIGHING SCALES," a communication to me from abroad by Sandy.
Harris, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter.
Penn-Gaskell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in.
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain 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 Peter Penn-Gaskell, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
My Invention relates to an improvement in weighing scales for
) counter and general use.
The object of my Invention is to avoid the use of detached weights, .
which are liable to be lost or mislaid, and to enable the weight of the
articles or goods to be readily ascertained, even in the dark.
The machine is based upon the principle of the common steelyard,
5 inasmuch as the arms of the scale beam are of unequal length, and the
goods to be weighed are placed on the shorter arm of the beam, which is
mounted on centres on a suitable frame or standard.
Instead however of employing a movable weight sliding along the
steelyard or beam I provide a number of shifting weights placed upon
O pins or other supports projecting from the arm of the beam. These pins
are fixed at certain distances apart along the beam, and when there is
nothing in the scale pan, and the beam is consequently at rest, the said
pins coincide exactly with a corresponing series of pins fixed upon a
stationary frame forming part of the supporting frame or pedestal.
5 Upon each pin a weight is placed or hung representing 1 or more lbs. or:
aliquot parts of 1 lb., according to its gravity and distance from the

page_text: beam fulcrum.
The said weights can be readily slid or transferred from
the fixed pins or supports on to the corresponding pins on the scale
beam, but there is no liability of the weights being mislaid as they are
merely slid along the pins and cannot be removed therefrom without
taking the machine to pieces. Any number of the weights can be 5
simultaneously transferred to the scale beam to make up the amount
required
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of the improved
machine. a is the scale beam supported by the usual knife edge
centres 6 on a frame or pedestal c; d is the scale pan support mounted
in the usual manner on the shorter arm of the beam a; e are a series of
horizontal pins fixed along the rear side of the longer arm of the.
beam a and at suitable distances in a direct line from the fulcrum b;
ff, are a corresponding row of pins fixed to a stationary frame y fixed 1
on the pedestal c. When the long arm of the beam is down these pins f
severally coincide with the pins e on the beam a, so that any one or
more of the perforated weights / sliding on said pins f can be readily
transferred on to the corresponding pin e on the beam a.
'
The respective values of the weights are indicated opposite the pins a
on the beam a, so that the total value of the weights required to counter-
poise the goods in the pan can be ascertained at a glance.
The blue lines show the beam when oscillated by the weight of the
goods in the pan, the value of the weights which have been transferred
to pins e being 4 lbs., 8 oz., as shown by the figures adjoining in a
Figure 2.
The capacity of the machine may be readily adapted to the class of
goods to be weighed.
It will be seen that in the machine shown the weights represent
respectively oz., 1 oz., 2 oz., 4 oz., 8 oz., 1 lb., 2 lbs., and 4lbs., by a
suitable combinations of which weights any amount can be weighed
(not involving smaller fractions than an oz.), and not exceeding 7 lbs.,
15 ozs. (which is the total value of all the weights when shifted from
the fixed pins on to those e on the beam a), but this capacity might be
readily increased. Thus by lengthening the long arm of beam a and
providing additional pins and weights, or by putting two weights, the

page_text: one behind the other, on each pin f, the capacity may be readily doubled
or further increased as required.
It will also be understood that other fractions of a lb. or an oz. may be
represented by weights placed on pins at suitable distances from the
fulcrum b, according to their gravity and the amount they are intended
to represent.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1st. The employment in a weighing machine of beam a, having the
lateral pins e projecting at intervals of different distances in a direct
line from the fulcrum, in combination with the corresponding series of
stationary pins and sliding weights h, substantially as shown and
described.
2nd. The employment of laterally shifting balance weights, in com-
bination with weighing scales, having a fulcrum beam adapted to receive
said weights at different intervals of its length, as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Penn-Gaskell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and savanter fau