Improvements in Weighing Mechanism and in Recording Mechanism for Use therewith.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan,, 1898-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weighing Mechanism and in Recording
Mechanism for Use therewith.
A communication from abroad by HENRY FAIRBANKS, Manufacturer, and THE E. AND
F. FAIRBANKS AND COMPANY, a Corporation, all of Saint Johnsburg, Caledonia,
Vermont.
I, REGINALD WILLIAM JAMES, of 1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered
Patent Agent, 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 :-
My invention relates to mechanism, in connection with the sliding poise and the
counterpoise of weighing scales, by means of which the weight of loads is most
conveniently ascertained, and the same printed upon suitable tickets, making, in
addition to the reading which the attendant may note, a permanent record in which
mistakes are impossible.
My device includes improved methods of moving and steadying the poise slides by
which the smaller divisions of weight are ascertained, an improved method of
mounting and of keeping moist the printing ribbon through which the printing
numerals make their impression on the tickets, improved lever mechanism moving
the printing slide or platen, and improved guide recesses, and arrangements for
combining the records made by the poise and the counterpoise printing,
In the drawings
Figure 1 shows the ticket or weight check as it would be printed on the poise
standing in the position shown.
Figure 2 is a side view of the poise, poise slides, and printing mechanism, and of
a portion of the scale beam.
Figure 3 is an end view of the same partly in section, showing the beam, the
frame of the poise, the rollers by which this poise rides upon the beam, and below,
the pinion by which one of the poise slides is moved, when the milled head is turned,
and the friction roller on which one end of the other poise slide is supported.
Figure 4 shows the underside of the scale beam and the two poise slides, and the
arrangement of printing numerals upon them.
Figure 5 the arrangement of spring and roller steadying each poise slide.
Figure 6 is an end section of the poise, poise slides and printing mechanism near
the centre, and showing the ink ribbon roll in its relation to the printing numerals.
Figure 7 is another end view and section of the same at a point near its centre,
and showing the printing lever, platen and type in their relative position.
Figure 8 illustrates the milled head, pinion and friction roller by which at each
end of the poise one poise slide is moved and the other is supported.
Figure 9 is a side view of the counterpoise and its printing mechanism.
Figure 10 is a partial section at the line D, D, showing ink roll J.
Figure 11 is a section through the weight follower in the line E, E, showing the
ticket recess W in its relation to the printing numerals and platen.

page_text: covering of spongy elastic felt, saturated with the printing ink. The ticket recess is
so shaped and arranged that the ticket slides to its place between the ink ribbon and
the platen, and is pressed against the ribbon which covers the face of the printing
numerals. It will be noticed that the main poise is of greater length than either of
the poise slides and of just so much greater length that in the outer limit of the
movement of said poise slides, they will not pass beyond the planes of the extremities
of poise a.
This makes a simple compact structure, the casing or frame work of the
main poise substantially entirely enclosing the poise slides, the means for operating
said poise slides, that is, the milled nuts etc., passing out through the front wall of
the main poise casing. Furthermore to increase the compactness of the structure,
the beam is recessed so that the poise slide e fits snugly against it and said poise
slide e is also recessed to receive the horizontal of the angular poise slide f and thus
in the printing action the poise slides e, f, have a firm backing against the shoulders
forming the upper sides of the recesses on the beam and slide e respectively. From
the tip of the scale beam hangs the counterpoise hook and stem B, carrying the
weight bottom F upon which weights as C are placed, drawing in this scale one
hundred thousand pounds. Above these weights and resting on them is the weight
follower A, sliding on the counterpoise stem B, and showing through its opening O
the proper figure to be read as indicating the hundreds of thousands of the load.
This stem B also carries printing numerals L, corresponding to the figures shown in
front, and the weight follower A has a properly shaped ticket recess W, and, corre-
sponding with it, an elastic faced sliding platen R moved by the lever N, arranged to
press the ticket in the recess against the printing numerals of the stem B. The
action of the lever N actuating the platen R is similar to that described in connection
with the lever n above referred to, and there co-operates with the said lever N another
handle upon the side towards which the first handle noves, thus the printing action
of the counterpoise is also effected by the compressing motion of the two handles
without displacing any of the parts of the scale. The weight follower may carry a
travelling ink ribbon, but if the counterpoise weights are likely to be little used it
will be sufficient to have a piece of ink ribbon stretched over the type faces, and to
arrange an inking roller J, with a thick cover of spongy felt T to moisten the ribbon
over the printing numerals each time the weight follower is moved. The ticket
recess W is made of the same width of the one w in the sliding poise, but is so
much less deep that the numeral is printed at the left of those printed in the poise,
and read with them stands in the place indicating hundreds of thousands. When a
load is to be weighed upon this scale, the two poise slides are set at zero, and the
poise moved out in the usual manner upon the scale beam, and latched in the notch
one short of the one in which it would carry down the beam, weights being added
upon the counterpoise if necessary, and the number of thousands of pounds in the
load is indicated. Then the heavier poise slide is moved by its milled knob until
with increasing leverage it will almost carry down the beam, in which position it
correctly shows the hundreds which are to be read with these thousands. Then the
smallest poise slide is moved until the load is balanced, and its position indicates
the tens of pounds to be read with the thousands and hundreds. The attendant
not only reads and makes note of the weight indicated, observing the three
points o, o and o¹¹, adding what the counterpoise weight may draw, but inserts
the prepared ticket in the recess of the poise, and presses the printing lever n
toward n; and also inserts the same end of this ticket into the recess in the weight
follower of the counterpoise, and prints there the proper figure in its proper
place.
The scale illustrated is a heavy one, but it will be understood that this invention
may be adapted to a great variety of modifications of large and small scales. The
poise might carry three poise slides, perhaps for units, tens and hundreds, or it may
have but one; the counterpoise may be dispensed with and all the load registered
upon the beam and poise. For most uses it seems desirable to print with color, and
since an ink ribbon cannot be wound from one roller to another without changing
the effective weight of the poise, I have adopted the short endless ribbon, and have

page_text: combination with these a counterpoise adapted to receive additional weights, printing
numerals on the stem of this counterpoise, a weight follower sliding on this stem and
resting on the weights that it carries, this weight follower provided with a device
for pressing the saine ticket aforesaid against the printing numerals on the said stem,
and with a recess for this ticket of such depth in relation to the corresponding recess
in the sliding poise that the counterpoise figures are impressed at the left of the.
poise figure, in position to give then their proper decimal force when the two sets are
read together, as herein fully set forth.
4. The combination with a scale beam graduated and correspondingly notched to
indicate the larger divisions of weight, of a sliding poise carried by said beam, sealed
to said graduation and provided with a spring latch engaging the beam notches to
hold it in its adjusted position, a notched poise slide carried by the poise parallel
with the beam, graduated to indicate the smaller division of weight, and provided
with a rack, a pinion engaging said rack and provided with an operating knob, and a
spring provided with a friction roller working in said slide notches, said notches
corresponding to its weight graduation, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
5. The combination with the sliding poise for the beam, of the parallel poise-slides
each provided, at opposite ends, with a rack, transverse shafts mounted in the poise
and provided with pinions engaging the respective racks and with anti-friction rollers
on which the non-toothed edges of the other slides rest, and means for rotating said
shafts; substantially as described.
6. The combination with a counterpoise adapted to receive additional weights and
provided on its stem with printing numerals, of a weight-follower movable vertically
on the stem provided with a ticket recess and means for pressing the ticket against
said numerals; substantially as described.
7. The combination with the counterpoise adapted to receive additional weights
and provided on its stem with printing numerals and an inking ribbon crossing said
numerals, of a weight follower movable vertically on the stem and provided with a
ticket recess and a platen for pressing the ticket against the ribbon over the numerals;
substantially as described.
8. The combination with the counterpoise adapted to receive additional weights
and having its stem provided with printing numerals on one edge and with corre-
sponding indicator numerals on one side, of the sliding weight follower on said stem
and provided with a ticket recess to register with the printing numerals and with a
reading opening to register with the indicating numerals, and a platen mechanism
carried by the follower to press the ticket towards the printing numerals; substantially
as described.
9. The combination with the counterpoise adapted to receive additional weights
and having its stem provided with printing numerals, and an inking ribbon covering
said printing numerals, of the vertically sliding weight follower mounted on said
stem and provided with a ticket recess to register with said numerals, a platen for
forcing the ticket towards the numerals, and an inking roller carried by the follower
and engaging the ribbon to ink it whenever the follower is moved along the stem;
substantially as described.
10. In a printing register for weighing scales, a scale beam carrying a series of
numerals upon its lower side, a poise movable on said beam, a poise slide supported
by said poise moving through it parallel to the scale beam and provided with
printing numerals on its under side, a pinion engaging a rack on the poise slide, and
means for operating said pinion to move the slide; substantially as described.
11. In a printing register for weighing scales, a scale beam carrying a series of
printing numerals upon its lower side, a poise on said beam, a poise slide supported
by the main poise and moving through it parallel to the scale beam and provided
with printing numerals on its lower side, a second poise slide also supported and
guided on the main poise and held between the wall of said main poise and the first
poise slide and having a projection lying under and backing against the first poise