AN IMPROVED SELF- FEEDING, DISCHARGING, AND REGISTERING BEAM BALANCE FOR WEIGHING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Eugene O'Brien at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th April
1869.
I, EUGENE O'BRIEN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-
FEEDING, DISCHARGING, AND REGISTERING BEAM BALANCE FOR WEIGHING GRAIN
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
-
This Invention has for its object a simple and improved self-
regulating, feeding, discharging, and registering beam balance for
weighing grain and other substances, and consists of a balance beam
with arms of equal length, to one end of which is suspended the usual
scale for carrying the ordinary weights, or a rod on which the weights
are suspended (as will be herein-after described), and on the other a
box scale divided into two equal parts by a vertical diaphragm, and
the bottom of each compartment is hopper shaped, having by preference

page_text: three inclined sides and one vertical side, which latter is formed by
the side of the diaphragm which divides the scale into two chambers
The lower end of the scale box is fitted with a double vibrating bottom
(in one piece) jointed to or having its axis in line with the lower edge
of the diaphragm, the upper surface of which is divided into two
inclined planes diverging from the centre at such an angle that when
one side is brought to an horizontal position it closes the hopper bottom
on that side, and the outer edge of the other end of the tilt bottom is
deflected, so as to be clear of the curved side of the hopper on the
opposite side to allow the grain or other substances being weighed to
escape (as herein-after explained). The side of the tilt bottom, which
is in an horizontal position, is locked when so placed by a vertical latch
piece working through a slot in the side of the hopper on the bottom
of the box scale, and is jointed at its lower end to a fixed bearing, and
at its upper end to the lower limb of a lever of the first order, having
its fulcrum at a point a short distance above the top of the latch piece.
The lever is weighted that the upper end naturally falls outwards, and
the lower end is forced inwards, carrying with it the head of the latch
piece; but on the tilt bottom travelling up that inner side the latch
piece is forced out until it passes the head of the latch, when by the
action of the weighted lever it immediately returns and prevents the
tilting of that part of the bottom, until the latch piece is withdrawn.
The head of the lever is formed with a short stud or lip piece to receive
a flap or broad pawl jointed to the side of the scale box, and is capable
of working from an horizontal position upwards. The object of this
pawl or jointed flat piece is to receive the end of the lever to prevent
the upper end of the same being thrown inwards, and allowing the
bottom to unlock or release the latch piece which supports the bottom
on that side until the materials to be weighed overcome the pre-
ponderance of the weights in the opposite scale, when as the scale
descends the flap piece or pawl coming into contact with a fixed small
standard is released, the lever being then free to pass under the flap
piece allows the upper end of the latch piece to be forced outwards
when the contents escape and fall down, are discharged into any
suitable receptacle. The head of the latch piece being formed with a
slight incline inwards, so that the weight of material in that compart-
ment overcoming the pressure of the weighted lever forces out the
upper end of the latch on which it rests. The opposite side of the tilt

page_text: bottom having now assumed an horizontal position is locked in place
by a vertical latch piece and weighted lever, and so forth, similar to
the opposite side. The tilting bottom is made available by means of a
crank or its mechanical equivalent to throw over a pendulas or
oscillating hopper fitted on the top of the scale box and jointed thereto,
so that the lower end or throat thereof is capable of being thrown from
side to side sufficiently to cause it to discharge first into one chamber
and then into the other; the rods and levers or their mechanical
equivalent, actuating the same, regulate the motion of the pendulas
or tilting supply hopper in unison with the tilting bottom, so that the
discharge from the tilting hopper is always delivered into the com-
partment closed at the bottom, and which is being fed whilst the
opposite chamber is being discharged. In place of the tilt hopper
described it is proposed to joint a leaf or tilt board to the upper edge
of the diaphragm which divides the box scale, the two vertical edges of
which are provided with a double feather, so as to form a channel on
either side when thrown into an oblique or diagonal position. In
connection with this leaf board it is proposed to have an additional
leaf on each side, working on fixed joints at the bottom, and coupled
with the centre leaf by a connecting rod on each side, so that they have
a lateral motion, and are at all times parallel with the contre leaf or
receiving board. Whether the tilting hopper or the tilting leaf boards
are used they are mounted and carried on the box scale. The tilting
hopper or receiving board are supplied from a stationary delivery spout
immediately above. The supply spout is fitted with a cut-off slide
resembling an ordinary flue damper, which is actuated by a small lever
beam, which works on a fixed joint on the exterior of the supply spout,
one end of which is jointed to the regulating slide and the other to
a second lever beam immediately above, and which has its fulcrum
in a position above the first lever, being supported on a bridge or its
mechanical equivalent, to allow the limb of the first-named lever
freedom of action. The lower limb of the second or outer lever is
curved downwards, and works within an open guide on the end of the
balance beam, so that when the balance beam is deflected or brought to
an horizontal position the supply slide is pushed in by the action of the
beam through the levers. On that end of the beam descending a little
lower on its descent to discharge, the supply is partially cut off, and the
curved end of the lever is clear until sufficient grain or other material

page_text: weighed is discharged to allow the balance beam to return to its normal
position, when the guide piece on the end of the balance lever coming
into contact with the under side of the curved end of the lever elevates
it, and thereby causes the regulating slide to be withdrawn, so as to
allow a free passage for the grain or other material through the spout.
One side of the supply spout is fitted with a metre or counting
apparatus, which is actuated by an horizontal arm jointed to the
interior of the metre case, and fitted with a pawl taking into the
ratchet or first motion wheel of the metre. The horizontal arm projects
sufficiently beyond the metre case to rest upon the end of the balance
beam or a lateral stud or rod projecting therefrom. The projecting
arm has a sufficient upwards play to be acted upon by the balance beam
(when it arrives at a short distance from its highest point of elevation)
when coming into contact therewith; the projecting arm is elevated
sufficiently to throw the ratchet wheel forward one tooth, and on the
descent of the beam the projecting arm falling down withdraws the
pawl from that tooth and allows it to fall into the next, and so on, as
will be well understood by those acquainted with the art.
The partial cutting off of the supply is accomplished by dividing the
weights into two parts, that is to say, that a portion of the weight is
first elevated, and then the remainder, which may be done in several
ways, such as suspending a portion of the weight, which is taken up
in the ascent of the weight scale, and which may be placed either above
the scale or attached to it from below as is well understood. In most
instances it is preferred to use a twin balance beam, i.e., two beams
placed parallel to and a little apart from each other, having a common
centre, being connected together by rigid transverse rods or their
mechanical equivalent. To insure certain and easy action in disen-
gaging the locking pawls from the heads of the vertical weighted
levers on the descent of the box scale for discharging, it is preferred
to fit the front edges of the horizontal pawls with antifriction rollers.
When this improved balance is used for the weighing of flour or
other like substances, which do not readily clear themselves from the
scale by gravity, it is proposed to arrange the interior of the two
chambers into which the box scale is divided in such a way that on
the tilt bottom falling down the material being weighed will find no
resting place, which may be done by arranging a set or sets of luver

page_text: bars placed a little distance from the inner side of the outer shell of the
box scale, by which arrangement the air will be freely admitted to act
on the flour or other material; but this desideratum may be effected
in several ways.