IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING WEIGHT AND VALUE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the. Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BALANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING WEIGHT AND
VALUE." A communication from abroad by Placide Nezeraux, of Paris, in
the Republic of France, Engineer.
Sealed the 28th November 1876, and dated the 5th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
AND INDICATING WEIGHT AND VALUE." A communication from abroad by Placide
Nezeraux, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer...
This Invention has for its object the production of an apparatus which shall be
capable of indicating simultaneously both the weight and the corresponding value
of any merchandize or goods, and this object is attained by the combination with a
balance of a calculating appliance arranged in the manner herein-after described.
In carrying out this Invention the balance is suspended upon knife edges which
rest upon fixed steel fulcra or bearings secured by dovetails in hollows or recesses
formed in the supporting frame of the apparatus. These knife edges, however, do
not carry the scale board directly, but are formed on a beam or axis provided with
arms having oscillating knife edges, upon which the scale board (carried on cross
bars) is supported. This axis may be composed either of steel or iron, or, which is
preferable, of cemented malleable cast iron. Two parallel vertical stems are pro-
vided which are steeled at their lower part (made of a half round shape), one of
these stems is attached to the carrying cross bars and the other to the frame, they
are secured together by a tongue or yielding connection and form with the other
parts a parallelogram jointed upon knife edges, the function of which is to ensure
a rectilinear vertical movement of the scale board. To the beam or axis before-
mentioned there is attached by means of screws a rod provided at each end with
a claw or projection for the attachment of the weight indicating and the calculating
apparatus next herein-after described. This apparatus is composed of a drawn
tube of tinned iron or other suitable material bearing a graduated scale, the
[Price 6d.]

page_text: -
principal divisions on which are indicated by Figures which show parts of the
required standard measure of weight, say, for example, kilogrammes, the inter-
mediate subdivisions representing hectogrammes for example. Within this weight
graduated tube there is placed another tube which is supported by a small pro-
jection at each end and carries a milled ring whereby it may casily be turned
by hand.
This inner tube which may be designated the counter or calculator is also
graduated, the graduations being visible through a slot formed in the outer tube.
At one end of the graduated scale there is marked a series of figures extending
circumferentially round the tube and denoting prices per kilogramme, say, from a
fraction of a franc to any required number of franes, whilst a series of horizontal
graduated lines give the products of the weights marked on the graduated scale of
the outer tube, inultiplied by the various prices per kilogramme, marked on the
end of the graduated scale of the inner tube so that by turning the inner tube
until the required price per kilogramme is brought opposite to the weight
graduations, when the weight is taken the total amount to be charged may be read
off simultaneously.
In order to ascertain the weight a slider is employed of annular form so as
to embrace the outer tube, which slider is made of the required weight in proportion
to the leverage as in ordinary steelyards and serves to indicate integral weights,
whilst an additional slider, the weight of which is the tenth of that of the
other slider, serves to indicate fractional parts, say, for example, centimes and
decagramines.
Points arranged opposite each other are provided for indicating by their relative
position whether the apparatus is or is not in perfect equilibrium. A counter-
weight is also placed within the counting tube, which weight serves at the same
time to make the equilibrium of the balance when the slider is at zero, and to
calculate the tare of any receiver; for this purpose it is provided with a small rod
carrying a button by means of which it may be caused to move more or less in a
longitudinal direction in the tube When it is stopped or at the end of its course
the balance should be in equilibrium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
January 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
AND INDICATING WEIGHT AND VALUE." A communication from abroad by Placide
Nezeraux, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer.
The said Invention has for its object the production of an apparatus adapted
for commercial and domestic use which shall be capable of indicating both the
weight and the corresponding price or value of any merchandize, ware, or goods,
and this object is attained by the combination, in the manner herein-after described,
of a calculating appliance with a balance or apparatus for ascertaining weight. The
apparatus may be arranged so as to indicate the weight and the price or value
separately, or both simultaneously as desired.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now pro-
cccd more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed two Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings illustrate an
apparatus constructed according to this Invention, in which the indications of the
weight and the price or value are given separately, Figure 1 being a vertical section,

page_text: Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end elevation, partly in section of the same;
Figure 4 represents a plan of an apparatus in which the indications both of weight
and price or value are given simultaneously; and Figures 5 and 6 are details of the
latter modification to be herein-after referred to.
Figure 7 (Sheet 2) is a diagram of a portion of the calculating apparatus.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, A, A, are knife edges upon which the balance
is suspended; they rest upon bearings a, a', composed by preference of steel, which
are secured by a dovetail to the angular part of recesses formed in the brackets C, C¹,
on the base S. B, B', are oscillating knife edges formed on a bar B² which support
the frame D, the cross arms E, and the tray G, and are secured to the bar A
carrying the knife edges A, A¹, by means of screws b. A double parallelogram
jointed upon knife edges is employed for the purpose of ensuring the rectilinear
vertical motion of the tray G. It is formed of two similar parts, each consisting of
two rods I and J of a flat elongated section steeled at the lower part, and carrying
between them a small tongue K, which is required for the movement of the paral-
lelogram. The moveable rods 1, which are made longer than the others, are rigidly
united to the frame D; the rods J are fixed by screws to the under side of the
base S. L is a bar secured to the oscillating bar A by two brackets &, and carrying
cars or lugs at each extremity, which serve to receive and support the calculating
apparatus X.
The apparatus is composed of the following parts:-M is a metal tube provided
with a double engraved scale m, the principal divisions of which represent on the
one side hectogrammes and kilogramines, for example, and on the other side deca-
grammes and hectogrammes. N is another tube placed in the interior of the
tube M, and supported therein by means of a small projection at each end, upon
which projections it is capable of being rotated with a certain amount of friction,
and without play. This tube is provided at one end with a milled ring m', by
means of which it may be readily turned by hand, whilst its opposite extremity,
which is of a similar form, constitutes the bottom or end of the calculating ap-
paratus. The tube N, which is termed the " calculator," is graduated, and bears the
following series of figures, some only of which are visible through the narrow slot m³
formed in the tube M, videlicit, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 1 franc, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60,
70, 80, 90, 2 francs, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 3 francs, and so on up to
6 francs. It is evident that the scale may be extended to suit weighing apparatus
of greater magnitude.
These scales, a developed specimen of which is shown in the diagram, Figure 7,
on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, are engraved around the circumference
of the movable tube N.
The numbers placed in the margin to the left of the scale, and all round the
tube, indicate the prices per kilogramme of the merchandize, the scale ranging from
50 centimes per kilogrammes up to 6 francs, with a difference of 10 centimes
between any two graduations of the series. The horizontal lines corresponding
to these specific prices are set off by divisions proportioned to the said prices, and
corresponding to the weight indicated on the scale on the tube M. The small
figures placed upon these horizontal lines indicate francs, and the larger figures
express tens of franes. O is a slider of annular form, embracing the tube M. upon
which it is guided by projections m², soldered or otherwise attached thereto. The
weight of this slider is so arranged that the weight and the price which it indicates
upon the scale by the pointers o, o', respectively correspond exactly to the weight
and price of the merchandize placed in the tray G of the weighing apparatus.
The long pointer o of this slider, which is situate opposite the scale m, indicates
the weight, and the short pointer o', opposite the opening m³, indicates the price. In
addition to the slider there is also employed a small indicator P, the weight of
which is one-tenth of that of the slider O. This indicator, which slides upon the
rod T, serves to indicate hectogrammes and decagrammes with the long pointer 2,
with which it is provided, and centimes with a sharp pointer p¹.

page_text: With the apparatus constructed according to this modification the weight and
the price of the merchandize are calculated independently, the one of the other, as
before mentioned.
The operations are performed in the following manner:-Assume, for example,
that it is required to weigh a quantity of merchandize, the weight of which
although unknown is 4 kilo 700 grammes, the slider O is to be moved along
the scale until the long pointer o is brought opposite to the nearest integral
within the weight in the kilogrammes column in the scale of weights, which will
be found to be the figure 4, after which the indicator P is to be moved along the
rod T until equilibrium is obtained, when it will be found that its long pointer p
- is over the 7th principal division of the column of hectorgrammes and deca-
grammes next after the figure 4 in the column of kilogrammes.
If it is now
required to ascertain the value of a certain weight of merchandize at say, 0 francs
80 per kilogramme, the tube N is first to be turned round so as to bring that portion
of the column of specific prices containing the figures 0,30 opposite the slot m³,
and the equilibrium must then be sought with the slider O, if the short pointer o¹
of the latter is found to be situate between any two integers, say, for example,
between the figures 1 and 2 of the scale for 0 francs 80 per kelogramme, the slider
is to be left over the figure 1 for example, and the equilibrium adjusted by means
of the indicater P, the short pointer p¹ of which indicates the centimes: R, R', are
two pointers, the edges of which when opposite each other indicate perfect
equilibrium of the parts, the pointer R is attached to the bar L and the pointer R¹
is attached to the base S of the balance. F is a counterweight placed inside the
calculating tube, and which serves both to form the equilibrium of the weighing
apparatus when the slider stands at zero, and for ascertaining the tare of a
wrapper or receptacle of any description. For this purpose the counterweight I
is provided with a small rod f carrying a knob or button f¹, by means of which
the counterweight may be caused to move longitudinally to a greater or less
distance in the direction of the axis of the tube. When it comes to a stop or
is at the end of its travel the apparatus should be in equilibrium. With a view
to obviate unless oscillations of the apparatus when the merchandize is placed
on the tray, a lever U is provided at u, as in the case of ordinary weighing
apparatus, which lever serves to lift the whole of the mechanism and support it in
a suitable manner so as to render it insensible to the charging of the tray, after
which the lever is to be lowered in order to weigh the merchandize.
Figure 4 illustrates a simple arrangement of apparatus for weighing 1 kilo-
gramme or less with only one parallelogram for supporting the tray G, and
Figures 5 and 6 represent in side and front elevation the supporting apparatus
detached.
In this example the calculating apparatus indicates at the same time the weight
and price of the merchandize placed upon the tray.
The slider O is moved as before upon the tube M. The side turned towards the
commencing point of the engraved scales serves to mark the weights inscribed on
those scales with which the tube M is provided. A small bolt sliding in the
slides O and divided into ten parts indicates the grammes which complete the
weights. The same side of the slider indicates upon the column containing the
specific price the total price or value corresponding to the total weight of the mer-
chandize.
All the other parts of the weighing apparatus are similar to those berein-before
described with reference to the first example, it is therefore unnecessary to repeat
the description.
The system herein-before described is susceptible of various modifications, which,
however, in no way affect the principal, thus, for example, a counter or calculator
may be employed which may be fixed and independent of the mechanism of the
weighing apparatus, and composed of two small rollers jointed together, and wind-
ing off one on to the other, a printed band indicating in like manner to the diagram
Figure 7, Sheet 2, all the figures of the price.

page_text: The calculating tube will in this case be replaced by a flat or triangular scale
forming part of the balance and only divided for the weights. A slider travelling
upon this scale will indicate the weight, and be also provided with a pointer indi-
cating the prices on the fixed counter or calculator. At the extremity of the scale
there will be provided as in the examples with a tubular calculator a sliding
counterweight to adjust the tare. The mechanism of the weighing apparatus inay
be arranged in one plane and covered with a casing, the tray only being allowed
to project at the top and the graduated scale at the side. The principle of the
mechanism will in this case remain the same, the details of construction being alone
modified. For example the brackets of the parallelogram will be placed upon the
platform in lieu of under the base, such brackets placed upon the same plane will
then be turned up.
It will be obvious that the scales indicated on the accompanying Drawings are
merely given as examples, as the Invention is applicable with any standard
measure of weight and system of currency to which it may be required to
adapt it.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hercin-hefore in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combination of a balance or apparatus for ascertaining and
indicating the weight of goods, wares, or merchandise, and an apparatus for ascer-
taining and indicating the corresponding price or value of the same in conjuction
or not with means for determining the tare, all substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication, set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)