A NEW MACHINE OR ENGINE CALLED AN INDEX BALLANCE, FOR WEIGHING MONEY OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS WITHOUT SHIPTING THE WEIGHTS
Year: 1772

page_text: CLAIS' SPECIFICATION.
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SEBASTIAN CLAIS, of Denmark Street, in the Parish of Saint. Giles in the
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Cloth Maker, send greeting..
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WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirtieth day of April, in the twelfth year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said John Sebastian Clais, His, especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Sebastian Clais,
my.executors, administrators,, and assigns, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of Great Britain called England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, .my, Invention of "A NEW MACHINE OR ENGINE CALLED
AN INDEX BALLANCE, FOR WEIGHING MONEY OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS WITHOUT
SHIPTING THE WEIGHTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a provisoe
obliging me, the said. John Sebastian Clais, under my hand and seal, to cause
a particular, description of the nature of my said Invention,, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court. of Chancery within four calendar months after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had)
may more fully and at large appear. >
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said provisoe, I, the said
John Sebastian Clais, do hereby declare that my said Invention of a new

page_text: Machine or Engine called an Index Ballance for Weighing Money or any
other Materials, without Shifting the Weights, is described in the manner and
by the different Drawings following (that is to say) :-
The new index ballance has its derivation from the same principle as the
common scale, but the difference of the index ballance to the common scale
and all other ballances consist herein :-First, one may weigh upon the scale
without having other weights to make an equipoise; secondly, an index shews
upon a dial the different weights of heavy and light matters with the utmost
accuracy, and without trouble or loss of time."
From this improvement it may be conceived the advantage gained by such
a ballance, for its simple construction shews its several uses very clear. All the
trouble is saved of changing the weights continually by weighing heavy and
light matters; and as the weights by often using becomes incorrect, this new
ballance gains another great advantage, as one counterpoise serves for all the
intended weights, and an index points upon the dial with the greatest exact-
ness, and will at all times serve for a real standard weight. The different
sizes make no difference in exactness. The greater the weight is wanted the
larger the quadrant must be made to get room sufficient for a great
number of divisions, whatever weight is wanted, to describe so much clearer
the subdivisions which will appear from the increase of their mutual
distances

page_text: For a General Rule.-From this general axiom the common scale and the
new index balance has their derivation and construction:-Take Z=v=0
and Ya, then will the lever be a strait line, and the two parts of the
lever QD, and P D, will become equal, is the rule for common ballances;
but if I take Z=0 and a and Y of a constant length, wherefore Qy=
PV xx v Pr, which is the rule for the new index balance, and proves
their fundamental construction; and this is the principle which can be intro-
duced in all sorts of shapes, as far as fancy leads, which nevertheless does not
alter the principle or construction.
Design, and Forms, and a Descriptive Use of the new Index Balance :-
Fig. 2 represents a square dial, with an inscribed circle. E is the centre
of suspension, D the centre of motion, A the place where the scale is placed,
and F the point for the index or plumb line.
Use. By putting anything upon the scale Q, the dial will descend and the
index be carried from G towards M, which shews upon the dial L, G, or P, G.
which have been pass'd between the square L, G, that is 14½ ounces, or any
weight. Nota.-By this index balance the dial is moveable, and serves for a
counterpoise, and the plumb line, which serves here the index, where it is fixed
will naturally hang vertically, and, shews upon the dial the weight as soon as
it has been put in motion.
Fig. 3, representing a quadrant which is fix'd upon a pillar, and the
beam B, C, D, is moveable; at D hangs one scale, and at F hangs. another;
them two scales D and F hookt to the beam directs as there may be hookt to
the beam, two, four or more; then the nearer the scale is brought to the
centre of motion the more one may weigh with the same counterpoise P;
and on the contrary, the further the scale is placed from the centre of motion,
the less one can weigh, but the larger and distinct the divisions become.
Use. Put any matter upon the scale Q, it will cause the counterpoise P to
rise with the index X, which will exactly point to the weight of the goods.
Fig. 4 represents a part of a circle which is moveable between the pillar C,
and the cock D, to which the index L is fixed with a screw, to adjust the
balance if it stands not in level, and P the dial itself serves for the counter-
poise.
Use. Put any matter into the scale Q, it will make the dial rise, and the
fix'd index shews the proper weight.
Fig. 5 represents D, D, a part of a circle which is fix'd; on the stand X is
A, D, C, the lever or beam on which the two scales Q, Q, are adapted. The
arbor D, to which the lever is fix'd, moves between the pillar X and the cock
E, and fix'd to the lever. A, A, are the two indexes.

page_text: Use. This scale is mostly adapted for apothecary's purposes; as for instance,
put some powder upon the scale Q, Q, the index a, a, will point to the weight
as many drachus and grains as. the powder weighs. In case the powder .put
in the s ale should exceed ninety grains upon the dial, you put the remains in
the second scale: Q, with which you can weigh ninety grains back again;. then
the powder in the first scale Q; Q, serves for a counterpoise as the empty
scale: Q did to the scale.QQ, you. began to weigh upon.
Fig. 6 agrees exactly with the description of Fig. 3; the dial is fix'd upon a
pillar, and the beam with its counterpoise R.is moveable. The only difference
is, that it has a whole circle for a dial, upon which, by a six-pointed index in
form of a star, six different weights will be 'expressed, and you can have either
all the English weights markt upon the dial, and each point will shew its
different weight, or you can mark English; Spanish, French, &c., and it will shew
the proportion exactly between the English and all'other weights; and by the
circular dial it has this advantage, as you can fix 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or any num
ber of indexes you think proper, according to the many different weights you
want to weigh.
Use. Suppose the dial is divided into six sections, a, a, b, b, c, c, d, d, e, e, f,f,
and each point of the star a, b, c, d, e, f, serves for the indexes, then put the
matters in the scale Q, it will shew you at once how much it weighs in aver-
dupoise, troy weight, diamond weight, or in coins; then all the points move at
once, and shew the proportion of each weight, as likewise the foreign weights
to the English. The hydostatic for gold or silver, gold coins in standard, or if
adulterated with silver or copper, can be best explained on these sort of dials,
because it shews how much it loses in proportion to the real standard section,
as likewise upon the other two sections, which must be markt out for adul-
terated gold with silver or with copper, by an exact calculation; it proves so
easy to the greatest nicety, and this Figure almost alone convinces the great
utility of the index balance.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sebastian Clais, have hereunto sett
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of
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JOHN SEBASTIAN CLAIS. (LS.)
Sealed and delivered (being first duly
stampt), in the presence of
Jo. MAFFEY.
JAC BANNISTER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the same Twenty-sixth day of August,
in the year above said, the aforesaid John Sebastian Clais came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in the
manner and forms above said. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stampt according to the tenor of the Statute made in the sixth year of the
reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of England, and so
forth.