IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF INDICATING WEIGHING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM HODGSON (trading as Hodgson and Stead) of Egerton Iron Works
Windsor Street Salford in the County of Lancaster Weighing Machine Maker do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF
INDICATING WEIGHING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of pit bank weighing machines and indicators
wherein the connecting rod from the transfer lever of the machine is suspended on
knife edges fixed in a pendulous lever, mounted vertically (or nearly so) on other
knife edges resting on a fixed part of the frame; the lower arm of the said
pendulous lever being provided with an adjustable weight and the upper arm of
the same with a curved toothed rack which by means of a train of gearing moves
an index finger on a circular dial or turns a circular dial in combination with
a fixed finger.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the curved rack toothed gearing
and circular dial and to simplify and improve the construction and working of the
indicator and to obtain rapidity of action.
I use the pendulous lever mounted as before and provided with an adjustable
weight attached to its lower arm and I suspend the connecting rod therefrom in
the usual manner-The upper arm of the pendulous lever however merely serves
to actuate a lever provided with a paddle working in a dash-pot or vessel of water
the resistance of which to the motion through it of the paddle serves to prevent
undue vibration of the pendulous lever and to cause it to settle more quickly to
its position of rest without oscillation so as to indicate the exact weight of the
load without delay.
On a fixed centre or fulcrum near the lower end of the pendulous lever I mount
a long index finger the shorter arm of which below the fulcrum is formed with
a slot in which works a pin fixed in the lower arm of the pendulous lever so that
as the latter vibrates the index finger vibrates also but in the opposite direction
and to a much larger extent. The upper end of the index finger works against
a curved graduated index plate at the top of the frame marked with hundred
weights and quarters or other graduations.

page_text: At or near the centre of the pendulous lever I attach thereto (in such a manner
as to be adjustable) a double steel yard formed of two bars coupled together at
each end, the position of the said bars being at or about right angles to the lever.
These bars are graduated and provided with moveable weights one being for the
tare or weight of the tubs boxes or other vessels and the other for the not load-
When these weights are once adjusted the pendulous lever remains stationary
unless the load exceeds the minimum weight but as soon as a greater weight
is placed on the platform the pendulous lever vibrates and causes the finger
to indicate on the curved index plate the number of hundred weights and quarters
in excess of the minimum load.

page_text: Improvements in Self Indicating Weighing Machines.
I WILLIAM HODGSON (trading as Hodgson and Stead) of Egerton Iron Works
Windsor Street Salford in the County of Lancaster, Weighing Machine Maker
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF
INDICATING WEIGHING MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
27
This invention relates to that class of pit bank and other weighing machines
and indicators wherein the connecting rod from the transfer lever of the machine
is suspended on knife edges fixed in a pendulous, lever mounted vortically (or
nearly so) on other knife edges resting on a fixed part of the frame the lower arm
of the said pendulous lever being provided with an adjustable weight and the
upper arm of the same with a curved toothed rack which by means of a train of
gearing moves an index finger on a circular dial or turns a circular dial in
combination with a fixed finger.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the curved back toothed gearing
and circular dial and to simplify and improve the construction and working of the
indicator and to obtain rapidity of action.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed will be readily understood on reference to the annexed drawings and the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawing is an elevation of my improved machine with
the front plate removed and Fig. 2 is an external elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is
a vertical soction. Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof and Fig. 5 is a movable figure
hereinafter referred to.
I use the pendulous lover a, a mounted as before and provided with an adjustable
weight b, b attached to its lower arm and I suspend therefrom the connecting
rod c, c connected to the transfer lever of the weighing machine in the usual
manner.
The upper arm of the pendulous lever a, a however merely serves to actuate
a lever provided with a paddle working in the vessel c*, c* of water or other fluid,
the resistance of which to the motion through it of the paddle serves to prevent
undue vibration of the pendulous lever a, a and to cause it to settle more quickly
to its position of rest without oscillation so as to indicate the exact weight of the
load without delay and with accuracy.
On a fixed centre or fulcrum & near the lower end of the pendulous lever a, a
I mount a long index finger e, e. In this finger immediately above the fulcrum d
a slot is formed in which works a pin fixed in the lower arm of the pendulous
lever a, a'so that as the latter vibrates the index finger e, e vibrates also but to
a much larger extent.
The upper end of the index finger e, e works against a curved graduated index
plate g, at the top of the frame or case h, h marked with hundred weights and
quarters or other graduations,

page_text: On the top of the pendulous lever a, a at or near the centre I attach thereto
(in such a manner as to be adjustable) a double steelyard i, i formed of two bars
coupled together at each end, the position of the said bars being at or about right
angles to the lever a, a.
These bars are graduated, and provided with movable weights j and k one being
for the tare or weight of the tubs, boxes, or other vessels and the other to be placed
at a point indicating the minimum net load likely to be weighed on the machine.
When these weights are once adjusted the pendulous lever a, a remains stationary
unless the load exceeds the minimum weight but as soon as a greater weight is
placed on the platform the pendulous lever moves and causes the finger to indicate
on the curved index plate g, g the exact net weight of the load being weighed.
In the index plate g, g loose or movable figures (see Fig. 5) are placed to adapt the
machine to the varying loads of different localities. When the movable weightsj
and k are at zero the index finger e, e is also at zero, and the adjusting and testing
of the machine may then be easily accomplished.
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
First. The mode of connecting the large index finger e to pendulous lever a by
means of a pin and slot.
Secondly. The arrangement of double adjustable steelyard i, i in combination
with the pendulous lever a, a.
Thirdly. The method of supporting the index finger e on a fixed fulcrum d.