IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL- ROAD WEIGH-LOCKS AND OTHER PLATFORM SCALES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Avery, of Essex Street, in the County of
Middlesex,. Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-
ROAD WEIGH-LOCKS AND OTHER PLATFORM SCALES."-A communication from
abroad by E. Sampson and Dennison S. Wheeler, of Troy, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 13th January 1860, and dated the 22nd October 1859.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Avery at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 22nd October 1859, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
I, JOHN AVERY, of Essex Street, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention communicated to me from
abroad by E. Sampson and Dennison S. Wheeler, of Troy, in the United
States of America, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILROAD WEIGH-LOCKS, AND OTHER
PLATFORM SCALES," and also the manner in which the same is to be performed,
to be as follows, reference being had to the annexed Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side view of the chief portion of my Iuvention, a portion being
bisected vertically as indicated by the lines D, D, D', D', Figure 2; Figure 2
is a plan or top view of the chief portion of the same, a portion being bisected
horizontally as indicated by the line Y, Y, Figure 2. Similar letters of refer-
ence indicate corresponding parts in the two Figures.
The object of this Invention is to adapt what is known as "platform scales"

page_text: to a railroad weigh-lock and other platform scales in such manner that the
scales will be rendered extremely durable, all the difficulties attending the
ordinary mode of application being obviated, and the device rendered much
more simple and efficient.
To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my
Invention I will proceed to describe it.
may
A, A, represents two rails of a railroad, said rails being a section of the
road which forms the platform of the scales. These rails A, A, are attached
to sleepers B. Three sleepers are shown in the Drawings, but more or less
be used as desired. At each end of each sleeper two uprights a, a, are
attached. The uprights may be of a cast metal, and they are secured to
proper sill pieces D, D, which are placed below the rails A, A, a sill piece
being at each side of the track or platform. To the upper ends of each pair
of uprights a, a, a horizontal plate b is attached. These plates have elliptical
openings c made in them one in each, and on each plate b there are two
bearings d, d, which receive the axis e of a pendent lever E. The levers E
are allowed to work freely on their axes e, and in the upper part of. each
lever E a screw rod F is fitted. These rods are some distance from the
axes of the levers, and to their lower ends sockets f are attached, into which
the ends of the rods g are secured by the pins g'; the rods g connecting the
several levers E at each side of the track or platform. The rods g, g, at one
end of the track or platform, are attached to arms h, h, of a shaft G, to which
the graduated beam is attached as usual, or in any proper way. The sockets f
are fitted to the lower end of the levers E in consequence of projections ¿ on
said sockets fitting in recesses in the upper parts of forks j in the lower parts
of the levers E, see Figure 1. In the upper parts of the levers E, and at the
opposite sides of their axes to the rods F, horizontal rods k are placed having
each a knife-edge bearing 2, see Figure 1. There is one rod k in each lever E,
and on each knife-edge bearing a yoke H is placed, said yokes being con-
nected at each end by links m to the ends of the sleepers B, as shown
clearly in Figure 1. From the above description it will be seen that if the
shaft G be turned so as to actuate or move the levers E in the direction
indicated by the arrows, Figure 1, the yokes H will be raised simultaneously,
and the track or rails A, A, which constitute the platform will be balanced on
the axes e, k, the weight on the beam being made to counterpoise the plat-
form and weight thereon through the medium of the shaft G, arms h, h, con-
necting rods g and levers E. The rods F, to which the connecting rods are
directly attached, may be adjusted, or raised and lowered, so that each lever E
may be made of.equal length, that is to say, have the same leverage, and

page_text: thereby avoid the difficulty that might ensue attending any variation in length
of said levers. This will be clearly understood by referring to Figure 1, in
which it will be seen that each rod F is provided with nuts n, which admit of
their adjustment.
By this Invention the device is applied in a very direct manner to the plat-
form, and the weight on the platform, and the shaking or movement thereof
is not permitted to injure or wear the knife-edge bearings 6 of the axes k of
the yokes H, for the links m will not transmit the shaking or vibratory
movement of the platform to the yokes. The long cumbersome and weighty
levers hitherto used are also dispensed with, the device is rendered more
durable, and may be readily kept in correct weighing order.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is, attaching the rails A, A, of the platform or their
equivalents direct to sleepers B, which are connected at each end by links m
or their equivalents to yoke H, fitted on levers E or their equivalents, the
lower ends of said levers at each side of the platform being connected together,
and to the shaft G of the scale beam by rods g, or their equivalents substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
I also claim the employment or use of the adjustable rods F or their equi-
valents attached to the levers E, to permit of the compensation of the same
for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Avery, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN AVERI. (L.S.)