Improvements in Weighing Apparatus, and in Indicating and Recording Mechanism therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by JEREMIAH CAMPBELL, of Chelsea, in the County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Merchant.]
Improvements in Weighing Apparatus, and in Indicating and
Recording Mechanism therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 is an improvement in recording scales and it relates especially to
the coupling together of the counterpoise and the recording devices, whereby the
movement of the counterpoise causes the movement of the recording devices, and
whereby also the counterpoise may be used independently of the recording devices
in weighing.
.
It also relates to means whereby the recording devices are centered in respect
to the printing type and counterpoise during the printing or recording operation.
It further relates to means for obtaining two recording impressions by the use
of one type ribbon. It also relates to means whereby a single lever controls the
counterpoise latch and the connection between the counterpoise and the recording
devices.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of scales having the features of my invention.
Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, enlarged, of a portion of the scale beam,
the counterpoise and the recording devices.
Figure 3 is a view in vertical section upon the dotted line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view principally in vertical section showing the connection between
the counterpoise and the recording devices.
Figure 5 is a detail view in plan of the counterpoise.
Figure 6 is a view in vertical section upon the dotted line 5-5 of Figure 5.
The scale preferably has the tare beam A and tare counterpoise A¹, the main
scale beam B and main counterpoise B¹ and the stationary track C below the main
scale beam upon which is mounted to slide lengthwise the recording devices C¹.
The scale beam B has the notched upper edge b, and upon its lower edge the line
of inverted numerals b', from which recording impressions are taken.
The counterpoise B has a latch 62 to engage the notches in the upper edge of the
scale beam, and which is operated by the lever 63 upon the front side of the counter-
poise. The latch is pivoted at 6 to the counterpoise and moved downward by the
spring 6. It is lifted from engagement with the notch by the lifting pin 66 on
the lever shaft 6', (see Figure 6). The counterpoise also has at its front end 68 the
sight point 69 which is in line with the latch. The counterpoise also carries a
short beam E upon which a small counterpoise E¹ is adapted to be moved, this
beam and counterpoise weighing smaller frictions or weights than the large counter-
poise. The short beam E is not notched and the small counterpoise E¹ is moved

page_text: .
back and forth thereon by a knob e¹. It is centered in respect to the recording
devices during the printing operation as will hereinafter appear and has a line E³ of
inverted numerals upon its under side which are in line with the numerals of the
scale beam.
The recording devices C¹ have the two parts or sections c, c¹, and the part c¹ is
movable vertically upon the part c by a cam lever . The recording device is
connected with the counterpoise by a vertically movable connection F in the nature
of a bolt. It is carried by the counterpoise and its weight forms a part of the
weight of the counterpoise. It is moved downward by the counterpoise latch
lever 63 and upward by the counterpoise latch spring and also by a coil spring
surrounding it, (see Figure 4). The upper part f of the connection is contained
in a guiding sleeve f¹ and it is connected with the counterpoise latch lever by a
rock shaft supported at 3, the arm f of which engages the upper end of the
sliding connection and the arm f5 the counterpoise latch lever 63. The end of
the last named arm f5 has a slot fe into which a pin f7 extending from the side
of the counterpoise projects and plays. The lower end of the sliding connection F
has the tapering surfaces f8 and fo. The bolt or connection is represented as
engaging the upper plate of the vertically movable section c¹ of the recording
device, the said plate having a hole 3 of the size of the main part of the bolt or
connection.
Upon actuating the counterpoise latch lever to disengage its registering latch 62
in order that the counterpoise may be slid upon the scale beam to another position
the connection or bolt F is moved downward and engages the section of the
recording device so that the movement of the counterpoise also causes the move-
ment of the recording devices. When the counterpoise has been located in its new
position and latched its latching lever returns to its highest position, thereby
allowing the bolt or connection to be lifted by its spring to its highest position and
to become practically disengaged from the recording devices; although its pointed
end still remains in the hole 3 in the plate thereby causing its inclined or
tapering ends to remain in such relation to the recording devices that they may
act as centering devices for them as the section c¹ is lifted to the type on the scale
team and small counterpoise to print an impression of the weight."
It will be understood that the small counterpoise carries a short type bar with
inverted numerals. The ribbon reels and the recording strip reels are turned
upon the downward movement of the part c¹ of the recording devices by pawls
which engage ratchet wheels on the reels. There are two sets of pawls and ratchet
wheels for each pair of ribbon reels and strip reels and the pawls are so hung as
to be alternately used with the ratchets thereby ensuring means for rotating the
ribbon and strip reels in both directions according to the pawls brought into play.
If the recording devices are not in line with the particular numeral whose position
the main counterpoise indicates, it is upon its upward movement centered in
respect to said numeral by contact of one edge or other of the hole with one or
the other of the inclined or tapering ends of the locking connection. The small
counterpoise is at the same time centered to bring its numeral in line with the
numeral of the main beam by means of a short pointed outwardly extending spur
or tooth e on the plate 5, which enters one of a series of registering holes in the
bottom of the counterpoise.
The printing ribbon is carried by the reels D, D¹, which are arranged with their
axes lengthwise the recording device and the ribbon extends from one reel over a
small anti-friction roll d upon the plate forward to a small anti-friction roll d
on the plate c5 and then backward upon the same line over roll d³ to the second
reel. This brings over the platen the same ribbon, but in two thicknesses folded
upon it to run in opposite directions, thereby providing two printing sections, the
upper of which is adapted to print upon the continuous recording strip which
extends from the reel H to the reel E¹ and the lower of which is adapted to press
upon a recording ticket or slip inserted over the plate cupon the platen between
the platen and the printing section of the ribbon,

page_text: The operation of the device is as follows: The tare having been determined
the main counterpoise is moved upon the scale beam as in ordinary weighing, its
latch being held lifted from the notches, and, a connection between the counter-
poise and the recording device being established at the same time by the lifting
cf the latch, the counterpoise and recording devices are simultaneously moved.
When the counterpoise has reached its balancing position its latch is allowed
to engage the proper notch, and by said engagement the connection between the
counterpoise and the recording devices is established so that the counterpoise is
free. to act as a counterpoise simply and without being hampered or restrained
by the weight of the recording devices or any part thereof. The smaller counter-
poise is then moved to establish the accurate balancing of the main counterpoise,
and by so doing its type bar is moved and the material which indicates. the
weight which it is set to brought in line with the numeral expressing the weight
to which the main counterpoise is set. The upper section of the recording device
is then moved upward and is centered and locked in relation to the main counter-
poise, and it serves to center and lock the main counterpoise, and an impression
by the numerals indicating the weight is printed upon the recording strip and also
upon a supplemental ticket or strip at the same time if desired.
I prefer that the recording devices be encased in a casing which provides an
opening for the insertion of the ticket or slip, but which covers the recording
strip and the recording devices, which case may be locked, if desired, so that access
to the recording strip may not be had by the weigher.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that I make no claim to the detail-mechanism
of the recording apparatus but what I claim is :—
1. In a recording scale the combination of a main scale beam and its type, a
main counterpoise movable thereon, a stationary support below the main scale
beam and in line therewith, a recording device movable on said support connected
with the counterpoise by a connection which exists during the movement of the
counterpoise but is dis-established at the end of said movement, as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. In a recording scale, the combination of the main scale beam and its type, a
movable counterpoise thereon, a movable recording device, a movable connection
between the counterpoise and the recording device and means for operating it.
3. In a recording scale the combination of the main scale beam and its type, the
main counterpoise movable thereon, a stationary support, a recording device
movable on said support, a vertically bolt carried by the counterpoise, and a plate
carried by the recording device having a hole into which said bolt is adapted to
be moved, as and for the purposes described.
4. In a recording scale the combination of the main scale beam and its type, a
main counterpoise movable thereon, a stationary support below the main scale
beam, a recording device movable on the said support, one section of which is
movable vertically, and a connection between the counterpoise and the recording
devices which is movable to connect the counterpoise and the recording devices
together, and which when disengaged from the recording devices serves as a
centering means for centering the movable section of the recording device as it is
inoved towards the counterpoise.
5. The combination of the main scale beam, having type and a line of notches,
a counterpoise carried thereon, a counterpoise latch, a spring for moving the latch
in one direction and a lever for moving it in a reverse direction, a stationary
support below the main scale beam, a recording device movable thereon, a con-
nection between the said counterpoise and the said recording device connected
with the counterpoise latch lever to be moved thereby, whereby upon the movement
of the lever to disengage the latch a connection is established between the counter-
poise and the recording devices, and whereby upon the engagement of the latch with

page_text: the notch the said connection is automatically disestablished, as and for the
purposes set forth.
6. The combination of the main scale beam, its type, the counterpoise movable
thereon, a stationary support below the same, a recording device movable upon said
stationary support, the upper section of which is movable upward, and means
for centering said upwardly movable section in respect to the counterpoise, as and
for the purposes set forth.
7. The combination in a scale of a movable counterpoise, a short scale beam,
a movable small counterpoise on said short beam having type and registering holes
and a recording device vertically movable in respect to said small counterpoise
and having a registering pin to enter one of the registering holes therein.
8. The combination of a scale beam having type and a main counterpoise, a
movable scale beam carried upon said counterpoise, a small counterpoise having
type carried upon said movable scale beam, vertically movable recording devices
and means for registering devices in respect to the main counterpoise, and the
small counterpoise in respect to the recording devices, as and for the purposes set
forth.
9. A recording device having a single printing ribbon fed forward and back
above a printing platen, whereby two printing surfaces upon the same ribbon
are interposed between the platen and the printing type.
10. The combination in a recording scale of the printing type of the scale beam
and small counterpoise and recording devices movable in relation to said type,
having a recording strip feed, a single printing ribbon extending crosswise the
line of the feed of the recording strip and back, and means whereby a separate slip
or ticket may be presented one section of said ribbon, whereby the same ribbon a
record upon the recording-strip and upon the slip or ticket may be simultaneously
printed.
11. The combination of a scale beam printing type and counterpoise arranged
in relation to each other to operate as specified with recording devices forming no
part of the counterpoise movable with the main counterpoise horizontally and a
portion of which is also movable vertically towards and from the printing type.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.