IMPROVE- MENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES OR BALANCES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel of No 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES OR BALANCES" Communicated to him from
abroad by Hugo Gerike of Berlin in the German Empiro
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1882.
"
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES OR BALANCES
[Communicated to him from abroad by Hugo Gerike of Berlin in the German
Empire]
This invention relates to that description of weighing machines or balances in
which the variable load is balanced by the varying position of a weighted lever or
system of levers.
The present improvements consist mainly in arrangements
whereby the levers may be loaded with a small weight only when light objects are
to be weighed in order to obtain great delicacy of indication, while when heavy
objects have to be weighed a correspondingly heavy weight is brought to bear on
the levers, the indications in either case being effected by a separate pointer on a
separate circular index or scale, in such manner that each pointer has a range equal
to the entire circumference of its scale. Furthermore the system of levers is so
arranged as to be guided at six points in its parallel inotion.
For these purposes two horizontal spindles mounted in lathe centres or on knife
edges in a casing, carry each a pair of bell crank levers having a short horizontal
arm and a long vertical arm, The arms of each pair of levers are connected by
bars, mounted in lathe centres or on knife edges on the levers, and to the two bars
of the short arms is loosely connected a forked saddle piece having a vertical rod
to which is connected the weighing pan. To the two bars of the long arms is
loosely connected a flat plate of some thickness which constitutes the light weight
of the balance. Thus on a load being placed on the weighing pan, the short arins
of the bell crank levers are all depressed, thereby raising the long arms and with
them the weight, to an angle varying with the load.

page_text: Over the said plate forming the light weight is situated a block of metal forming
the heavy weight, which, when in use, rests upon the plate and is prevented from
shifting by a projection on the one fitting into a recess on the other. On the
upper side of the heavy weight is formed a hook, with which a broad hook can be
made to engage that is formed on an arm fixed to a spindle, carried in bearings on
the casing, through which one of its ends projects, it being provided outside with
a lever by which it may be turned by hand. When the heavy weight is to be put
out of action the hooked arm is turned so as to cause its hook to engage with the
hook of the weight and to raise the latter off the plate forming the light weight,
keeping it in a suspended position, in which it is prevented from shifting by a stud
on the casing entering a notch in one end thereof. To one of the bell crank levers
is pivotted a rod formed as a toothed rack engaging with a pinion on a spindle
passing through the casing and carrying outside two pointers at an angle to each
other, each of which moves over a separate circular index or dial, so that on a lond
being placed on the pan the notion of the bell crank lever causes the rack to turn
the pinion and consequently the pointers through an angle corresponding to the
angular position assumed by the lever, the range of motion being such that the
lever can cause the pointers to turn through the entire circle of the scale. The
position of the pointers relative to that of the weighted lever system, as also their
angular position relatively to each other are such, that when no load is on the
weighing pan, and the heavy weight is lifted out of gear, the light weight pointer
stands at zero on its scale, while when the heavy weight is put in gear the levers
shift sufficiently to cause the heavy-weight pointer to move into the zero position.
In order to adjust the pointers accurately to their zero positions when the balance
is unloaded, the frame is supported at one end by an adjusting screw. The
weighing pan is supported at four points of its edges by the ends of cross shaped
arms fixed on the vertical rod or socket that supports the pan, so that the latter
cannot be tilted if the load is placed to one side thereof

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the
22nd December 1882.
"1
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHING MACHINES OR BALANCES
A communication to me from abroad by Hugo Gerike of Berlin in the German
Empire
This invention relates to that description of weighing machines or balances
in which the variable load is balanced by the varying position of a weighted lever
or system of levers The present improvements consist mainly in arrangements
whereby the levers may be loaded with a small weight only when light objects are
to be weighed in order to obtain great delicacy of indication, while when heavy
objects have to be weighed a correspondingly heavy weight is brought to bear on
the levers, the indication in either case being effected by a separate pointer on a
separate circular index or scale, in such manner that each pointer has a range equal
to the entire circumference of its scale. Furthermore the system of levers is so
arranged as to be guided at six points in its parallel motion.
The construction of the improved weighing machines will be readily understood
on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig: 1 shews a side view,
Fig 2 a longitudinal section on line A B, fig 3. Fig 3 a plan with the cover
removed, fig 4 a cross section on line C-D fig 3, Figs 5, 6 and 7 shew details
of the variable direct weight.
Two horizontal spindles bb mounted in lathe centres or on knife edges a a in
a casing A carry each a pair of bell crank levers c c, c¹ c' having a short horizontal
arm and a long vertical arm. The arms of each pair of levers are connected by
bars m m' and m² m³ mounted in lathe centres or on knife edges dd on tho
levers, and to the two bars of the short arms is loosely connected a forked saddle
piece 2 having a vertical rodj to which is connected the weighing pan B. To
the two bars m³. m³. of the long arms is loosely connected a flat piece o of some
thickness which constitutes the light weight of the balance. Thus, on a load being
placed on the weighing pan, the short arms of the bell-crank levers are all depressed,
thereby raising the long arms and with them the weight o to an angle varying
with the load.
Over the said plate forming the light weight is situated a block of metal D
forming the heavy weight, which when in use rests upon the plate o, and is
prevented from shifting by a projection t on D fitting into a recess in o.
Ou the
upper side of the heavy weight is formed a hook s with which a broad hook r can
be made to engage that is formed on an arm fixed to a spindle p carried in bearings
on the casing through which one of its ends projects, it being provided outside
with a lever q by which it may be turned by hand. When the heavy weight D is
to be put out of action, the hooked arm is turned so as to cause its hook to engage
with the hook of the weight and to raise the latter off the plate o forming the light
weight, keeping it in a suspended position, as indicated by dotted lines fig 5
in which it is prevented from shifting by a stud 2 on the casing entering a notch
in one end thereof. To one of the bell crank levers c is pivotted at a' a rod
formed as a toothed rack engaging with a pinion y on a spindle w passing through
the casing and carrying outside two pointers x combined at an angle to each other,
each of which moves over a separate circular index or dial as shewn at Fig 1, so
that on a load being placed on the pan the motion of the bell crank lever causes
the rack to turn the pinion and consequently the pointers through an angle corre-
sponding to the angular position assumed by the lever, the range of motion being

page_text: uch that the lever can cause the pointers to turn through the entire circle of the
cale. The position of the pointers relatively to that of the weighted lever system, as
lso their angular position relatively to each other are such, that when no load is on
he weighing pan, and the heavy weight is lifted out of gear, the light weight
pointer ¹ stands at zero on its scale, and on placing an object in the pan its weight
will be indicated by x¹ upon the outer circle, while when the heavy weight is put
n gear the levers shift sufficiently to cause the heavy weighted pointer to move
nto the zero position and the weight of the load on the scale will then be
ndicated by upon the inner circle.
T'o
In order to adjust the pointers accurately to their zero positions when the balance
s unloaded the frame is supported at one end by an adjusting screw E.
prevent mistakes each pointer and its corresponding graduated circle may be
coloured differently from the other pointer and circle The weighing pan is sup-
orted at four points of its edges by the ends of cross-shaped arms; fixed on the
ertical rod or socket that supports the pan, so that the latter cannot be tilted if
he load is placed to one side thereof.
The cover F of the casing has a slit for the support of the pan to pass through
and it is provided with handles P for carrying the apparatus conveniently.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
ame is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
laim in respect of weighing machines of the kind herein referred to;-
First-Connecting a series of bell crank levers that support the scale or pan so as
to form a parallel motion having six articulated connections, substantially as
herein described
Second-The use of a separate weight such as D which can be either connected
to or disconnected from the scale levers, according as heavy or light objects
have to be weighed while at the same time the said levers are so connected
to two combined pointers moving over dials that when the weight D is
disconnected, the one pointer serves to indicate the weights on the entire
circumference of one dial, while when the weight is connected the other pointer
serves to indicate the weights on the entire circumference of the second dial.
Third-The construction of the double pointer xx¹, the limbs of which are such a
distance apart, that the one or the other is automatically brought to the zero
of its dial according as the weight D is put in or out of action
Fourth-The combined arrangement of weighing machine, substantially as herein
described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, consisting of a
system of bell crank-levers, the parallel motion of which is effected by means
of six articulated connections in combination with a separate and independent
mechanism for applying a separate weight to, or removing the same from the
weighing mechanism, and with a support for the scale or pan whose arms
embrace the pan so as to prevent it from tipping over when the load is placed
to one side thereof
In Witness whereof, I the said Charles Denton. Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty second day of December, in the year of our
Lord one Thousand, Eight hundred and eighty two