IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WEIGHING AND MEASURING SKINS AND LIKE ARTICLES.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR WEIGHING AND MEASURING SKINS AND LIKE ARTICLES.' A
communication from abroad by David Thomas Winter, of Peabody, Essex
County, Massachusetts, United States.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WEIGHING AND MEASURING SKINS AND
LIKE ARTICLES." [A communication from abroad by David Thomas Winter, of
Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.]
These improvements have for their object a simplifying of the construction and
the reduction of the labour and power in operating machines for measuring and
weighing skins and like articles.
Skin measuring machines as heretofore made require that the table on which the
skin is placed for measurement shall have a vertical movement, and they are also
plentifully perforated to afford independent openings to admit a weight or rod
through each opening, and it was also important to preserve as far as practicable a
steady level or horizontal position for the weighted table.
In these improvements any movement of the lower table is dispensed with, and
the upper or weighted table is made not only a counterbalanced lever, but so applied
and operated that but slight power is needed to raise it, which being done it
automatically shifts its centre of gravity, and sustains itself in its tilted and raised
position until again drawn down for another measurement of a skin. The improve-
ments further consist in entirely dispensing with the system of perforations in the
skin supporting table, and using instead a table having parallel slats, so that the
space for the descent of the weights is greatly increased, and there is but little
solid material in the bed of the table which can offer any impediment to the free

page_text: action of the weights, and in suspending the weights by cords or thread directly
from the bottom of the lever table; in suspending the forward end of such lever
table directly from the spring of the indicating scale; in attaching a skin weighing
platform directly under the scale, and to the chains or connections which connect it
with the forward end of the weighted lever table.
The stationary table for supporting a skin to be measured, its top or skin sup-
porting portion is a mere frame having a series of parallel bars, on which the skin
is placed, the bars being made as thin horizontally and as deep vertically as may
be consistent with the space desired for the unobstructed movements of the pendent
weights, and with the proper support of the skin and the needed strength of the
table.
There is a rocking or lever table, to the under side of which are suspended by
threads or cords the required weights, these weights being disposed in parallel rows
so that each row may hang over the space between two adjacent bars of the lever
table. This rocking or tilting piece further differs from the suspended tables
heretofore used or constructed in having no series or system of perforations to
receive and support measuring pins or weights, whilst the manner of applying
the weights to it also differs from them in being hung from hooks or eyes or in any
equivalent manner attached permanently to the table, and the weights are free to
swing laterally as this table is tilted.
There are counterbalancing weights placed at the rear extremities of braces or
bars, which project rearward from the bars of the rocking or lever table, and their
function is to counterpoise or balance the table exactly, the table itself resting upon
pivotal points or edges.
There may be more than two pivotal points or edges, or one continuous edge.
The pendent measuring weights in each row, commencing with the second row
(next to the outer or front row) are of greater weight than those in its next
adjacent outer row, proportioned to the distance of each row from the fulcrum or
pivotal line of their tilting table, and the weights of each successive row hang lower
when the table is in a level position than those of its next adjacent outer row,
those which are nearest the fulera or fulcrum hanging the lowest. The objects of
these features will be more fully explained presently. These weights may be made
of metal or of any other desired material that will not deface the leather or other
article to be measured, and they may be connected to the table by twine or any
flexible connection, as slight as it can be consistent with the requisite strength and
durability, and they are preferably made of somewhat cone shape, and flat on the
bottom.
A spring balance or indicator is placed over the front part or edge of the table,
and supported on any appropriate bracket or frame fixedly secured to the stationary
table or rack.
To the toothed or rack bar of this spring balance (and which actuates the pinion on
whose arbor the index hand is secured) is suspended the chain or the links or other
appropriate connections, which connect the forward end of the rocking table to the
spring balance, and such connection converts this table into a graduated scale beam.
The spring balance may however, if desired, be hung from the ceiling or roof of a
building, instead of from an arm extending over the top of the machine.
To enable the upper table to tip up and backward from the front, and to aid it in
thus pivotting or turning on its fulcrum points as upon hinges, a heavy weight
sufficient to overbalance the whole set of pendent weights is attached to the rear
end of a shifting rod or lever, and the other end of this rod is furnished with a
movable or flexible connection which connects it to the front edge of the graduated
scale beam or table.
It will be manifest that as the upper table is a lever and moves in the arc of a
circle, and as its weights are hung on cords or flexible, and therefore swinging con-
nections, mere perforations in the lower or stationary table would not be practicable,
as they would not permit the unobstructed descent of the weights, and no accurate

page_text: measurements could be made. The slats and their intervening spaces must also run
in the direction from the front to the back of the machine.
The dial plate may of course be marked off or graduated in any desired way,
adapted to the size or character of the particular machine, but as a general rule it
is desirable that it shall be so graduated that when the table is brought down and
the lever hooked in front, and the whole aggregate weight of the weights is upon
the spring balance, the hand or pointer will inove around one twentieth part of the
dial face for every foot of surface of the skin or material placed on the slats.
In order to use the same apparatus for a weighing machine I suspend a table or
platform from the chains or other connections which connect the spring balance to
the upper or lever table, and on the same dial plate and with the same pointer
already described indicate the weight of any skins or number of skins placed upon
the platform, a special graduated scale being marked off for this purpose on the dial
plate, and the graduations being of course in a direction the reverse of that used for
the measuring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
September 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WEIGHING AND MEASURING SKINS
AND LIKE ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by David Thomas Winter, of
Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.
These improvements have for their object a simplifying of the construction and
the reduction of the labor and power in operating machine for measuring and
weighing skins and like articles.
Skin-measuring machines as heretofore made require that the table on which the
skin is placed for measurement shall have a vertical movement, and they are also
plentifully perforated to afford independent openings to admit a weight or rod
through each opening; and it was also important to preserve, as far as practicable,
a steady level or horizontal position for the weighted table.
In these improvements any movement of the lower table is dispensed with, and
the upper or weighted table is made not only a counterbalanced lever but so applied
and operated that but slight power is needed to raise it, which being done it auto-
matically shifts its centre of gravity and sustains itself in its tilted and raised
position until again drawn down for another measurement of a skin; the improve-
ments further consist in entirely dispensing with the system of perforations in the
skin-supporting table, and using instead a table having parallel slats, so that the
space for the descent of the weights is greatly increased, and there is but little
solid material in the bed of the table which can offer any impediment to the free

page_text: action of the weights; and in suspending the weights by cords or thread directly
from the bottom of the lever table; in suspending the forward end of such lever
table directly from the spring of the indicating scale; in attaching a skin-weighing
platform directly under the scale, and to the chains or connections which connect it
with the forward end of the weighted lever-table, and in other details hereinafter
set forth.
Figure 1 illustrates one form of machine embodying my improvements; Figure 2,
a sectional detail enlarged; Figure 3, a different node of suspending the weights;
Figure 4, different forms of weights enlarged; Figure 5, still another mode of
hanging the weights; Figure 6, a vertical section through the bracket and scale;
Figure 7, a modified mode of balanced weighting the tilting table; and Figures 8
and 9, a modification of the upper table and its connections.
A is the stationary table for supporting a skin to be measured, and its top or
skin-supporting portion b is a mere frame having a series of parallel bars e on
which the skin is placed, the bars being made as thin horizontally and as deep
vertically as may be consistent with the space desired for the unobstructed move-
ments of the pendent weights, and with the proper support of the skin and the
needed strength of the table.
D is the rocking. or lever-table, to the under side of which are suspended by
threads or cords the required weights e, these weights being disposed in parallel
rows, as shown, so that each row may hang over the space between two adjacent
bars c of the lower table. This rocking or tilting piece D further differs from the
suspended tables heretofore used or constructed in having no series or system of
perforations to receive and support measuring pins or weights, whilst the manner
of applying the weights to it also differs from them in being hung from hooks or
eyes, or in any equivalent manner attached permanently to the table D, and the
weights are free to swing laterally as this table is tilted.
F, F, are counterbalancing weights placed at the rear extremities of braces or
bars g, g, which project rearward from the bars of the rocking or lever table D, and
their functions is to counterpoise or balance the table exactly, the table itself
resting upon pivotal points or edges h, h, to make this practical, and the braces or
stringers g, g, having grooves or concaves g¹ on their under side to admit such
points or edges.
There may be more than two pivotal points or edges h or one continuous edge.
The pendent measuring weights e in each row, commencing with the 2nd row (next
to the outer or front row), are of greater weight than those in its next adjacent
outer row proportioned to the distance of each row from the fulcrum or pivotal
line of their tilting table; and the weights of each successive row hang lower
when the table is in a level position than those of its next adjacent outer
row, those which are nearest the fulcra or fulcrum hanging the lowest. The
objects of these features will be more fully explained presently. These weights
e may be made of metal or of any other desired material that will not deface
the leather or other article to be ineasured, and they may be connected to the
table by twine or any flexible connection, as slight as it can be, consistent with
the requisite strength and durability; and they are preferably made of somewhat
cone-shape and flat on the bottom, as shown in Figure 4, though they may be of
any other suitable shape.
I is a spring-balance or indicator placed over the front part or edge of the table D,
and supported on an appropriate bracket K. or frame fixedly secured to the stationary
table or rack A.
To the toothed or rack-bar 7 of this spring-balance (and which actuates the
pinion on whose arbor n the index hand o is secured) is suspended the chain or
the links or other appropriate connections which connect the forward end of the
rocking table D to the spring balance, and such connection converts this table into
a graduated scale beam. The spring-balance may however, if desired, be hung from
the ceiling or roof of a building instead of from an arm extending over the top of
the machine.

page_text: To enable the upper table to tip up and backward from the front, and to aid in
thus pivoting or turning on its fulcrum points as upon hinges, a heavy weight P
sufficient to overbalance the whole set of pendent weights, is attached to the rear
end of a shifting rod or lever q (see Figures 1 and 6), and the other end of this rod
is furnished with a moveable or flexible connection r, which connects it to the front
edge of the graduated scale-beam or table D.
This rod or lever q near its weighted end rests in the groove of a pulley s, sup-
ported in a standard s¹ secured to the back-beam or stringer of the under table A,
and so that it may ride upon such pulley; as the graduated scale beam D is raised and
lowered the forward or moveable connection permits the proper movement of the
weight during such raising and lowering, thus carrying the weight farther to the
rear when the scale-beam is raised, thus shifting the weight relatively to the fulcrum,
and causing this beam to be easily lifted, and to be automatically held up when
lifted, and when the skin is placed upon the table A to be measured it needs but
little strength of the workman to pull the beam down again to a level as the shifting
weight P now moves nearer to the fulcrum, and aids in restoring the equilibrium of
the beam. The connection may be a rod, as shown, or a 'chain, but it should be so
applied as to restrain the distance to which the weight P may be shifted upon its
pulley, and also so as to prevent the rod or lever q which carries this weight from
becoming accidentally detached from the machine. The rod q and table D are
provided with any suitable means for clasping them together when this upper
table D has been pulled down to a horizontal position; I have shown for that
purpose a continuation of the rod bent downwards as at t, and provided until
with a hook t¹ which engages with any hasp, bar, or piece u on the table A.
Instead of employing the pulleys to support the lever
the latter may be hung
at its centre from the roof or from the arm or bracket K by a cord or chain, in such
case a heavier counterbalance-weight would be required.
It will of course be understood that the Drawings cannot properly display the
very large number of weights required in a full-sized operative inachine. I will,
however, proceed to describe more fully certain of the parts in what I call a No. 1
sized machine, suitable for measuring goat-skins, sheep-skins, and other articles of
comparatively small area, say, capable of measuring twenty (20) square feet, or five
(5) feet by four (4) feet.
The bars or slats c would be about two inches in depth, a quarter of an inch in
thickness, and five feet long, the slats being wood or of any other suitable material;
the slats should be three quarters of an inch apart from each other, that is, one inch ...
from the centre of one bar to the centre of the thickness of the next bar. This will
afford in such a table an open space between each two slats of 5 feet x inch, and
will demand 2880 weights, each placed one inch apart from its neighbouring ones;
or, in other words, 60 rows of weights, each row having 48. The upper table has
substantially the same superficial area as the slatted or lower table. The spring-
balance or indicator should be hung five feet forward of the fulcrum edge or points
and about directly over the front edge of the scale or lever-beam D. When the
weights e are all hung to place, their aggregate weight will pull down the spring in
the spring-balance, and also lower the table D with its weights e, and these latter
will drop into or through the spaces between the slats, and cause the pointer to
indicate their weight on the graduated face or dial plate.
The 48 rows of weights extend back from the front of the machine to about
within one foot of the rear of the table; the line of the 1st row running directly
under the connection which unites the scale-beam to the spring-balance, and the
48th row being 48 inches back of that, thus leaving a space of 12 (twelve) inches
at the back of the table for its whole length unweighted. This brings the 31st row
in the middle line of the table or graduated scale-beam D; and therefore in order
that the weights in this row shall be equal in operative effect to those in the first
or outer row, they must each weigh twice as much as the outer ones.
Let the weights in the front or outer row weigh each 1 of an ounce, then those

page_text: in the middle should weigh /, of an ounce, those in the 46th row 1/2 of an ounce,
in the 47th row 17/so of an ounce, and in the 48th or back row 18 of an ounce.
Thus the weights in cach row commencing with the 2nd (second), will increase
in weight of an ounce over its adjacent outer rows till the centre is reached,
and the weights in the 48th or back row will each weigh 12 of an ounce more
than each weight of the front row.
Thus I have a system of graduated weights adapted to the graduated scale-
beam D, and each and all of the weights are in consequence of their relative
weights being made proportionate to their distances from the fulcrum or pivotal
centre, equivalent to one-eighth () of an ounce on the spring-balance or indicator.
The whole number of weights being 2880, and each weighing in effect 1/3 of an
ounce, gives 22 pounds on the spring balance; for the table itself it will be
remembered, is by reason of its weighted extensions self balancing, or in equilibrio,
and therefore producing of itself no effect upon the indicator.
If therefore the pointer or end of the hand should make a complete circuit of the
dial for 22¹ pounds, that is, when all the 2880 weights above named drop through
the slats in the table A, then by placing a piece of skin or other article having a
superficies or area of a square foot (and of any shape, regular or irregular), upon the
slats it will prevent 144 weights from dropping through the openings between the
slats, and the pointer consequently would only indicate 213/, pounds, or 1/8 pounds
less than before, and would move 10, or 1/20 of the circuit less than it did when all the
weights were left free to drop; a foot of surface would therefore be equal to or
indicated by the movement of the pointer 1/20 (one twentieth) of the circumference
of the circle or face of the dial; one of the weights represents in such case of
the circumference of the circle; and in such case, the weight P should be about
232 pounds, or sufficient to overbalance the aggregate or total of the pendent
weights e, viz. 22¹/ pounds.
By bearing down the front end of the lever-beam D, this over-balance P is lifted,
its loose connection in front is slackened, its hook t¹ is hooked to the lower
stationary table A, and the spring-balance then has upon it just the 22 pounds,
that is the sum of the 2880 weights.
The weights of the back or 48th row are not only the heaviest in themselves, but
they hang below those of any of the preceding or more forward rows, and each row
also hangs somewhat lower than the row in front of it; and therefore when the
front weights (as the beam D descends) shall have reached their furthest point
forward in the described arc of movement, and the beam D is perfectly level the
back-weights will have already turned that point, and will be receding on the
lower arc; and this it will be seen obviates any difficulty that might otherwise
arise from binding on the strings or connections after the weights have dropped
past the skin, leather, or other article lying on the slats to be measured.
+
The grooves or concaves g' which rest upon the points or square edges / being,
say about 7/8 (seven eighths) of an inch in depth, it will be evident that a line
drawn from the top of that groove or concave to the point at which the first or
outer row of weights is suspended will at the 48th row be about 3/4 of an inch
higher than at the first or outer row; and therefore as all the rows are suspended
from the same graduated under surface or plane of the table or beam D, the
suspension point of the 48th row will be some 3 of an inch lower that the
suspension point of the 1st or front row, and that the suspension points of all
the intermediate rows will gradually vary accordingly, proportionately to their
distance from the fulcrum points; and this alone may give in most cases all the
required varying depths of descent of the respective rows of weights. But in other
cases or in larger machines, or where the grooves or concaves g¹ are shallower as
to their depth, the same result may be effected, and to any degree desired by
varying or rather graduating the lengths of the strings or cords which sustain the
weights, those of the back row being the longest, or the hooks or staples of the
several rows may vary in length, and the cords be all of equal length; in either case
the result would be the same in character,

page_text: It will be manifest that as the upper table is a lever and moves in the arc of a
circle, and as its weights are hung on cords or flexible, and therefore swinging
connections, mere perforations in the lower or stationary table would not be
practicable, as they would not permit the unobstructed descent of the weights, and
no accurate measurements could be made, the slats and their intervening spaces
must also run into the direction from the front to the back of the machine.
The bracket K may be of any form desired, having the requisite strength, and
the spring balance may be connected with it in any way preferred; I prefer in
general a simple bracket, and to hang a spring-balance on a hook at its extremity
as shewn in Figure 8.
The dial plate may of course be marked off or graduated in any desired way
adapted to the size or character of the particular machine, but as a general rule it
is desirable that it shall be so graduated that when the table D is brought down,
and the lever q hooked in front, and the whole aggregate weight of the weights e
is upon the spring balance, the hand or pointer will move around one-twentieth
part of the dial-face for every foot of surface of the skin or material placed on
the slats.
In order to use the same apparatus for a weighing machine I suspend a table or
platform U from the chains or other connections which connect the spring-
balance to the upper or lever table D, and on the same dial-plate, and with the
same pointer already described, indicate the weight of any skin or number of skins
placed upon the platform, a special graduated scale being marked off for this
purpose on the dial-plate; and the graduations being of course in a direction the
reverse of that used for the measuring.
The weight or weights F instead of being attached as shown in Figure 2 to the
underside of the braces g, g, are preferably secured to its top as shown in Figures 7,
8, 9, at a point, say of four or five inches or more above the plane or level of the
fulcrum or pivotal point g', and in this way the lever table is rendered almost
automatic in its action, needing only about an ounce or two of weight or of
equivalent power to bring it down, and very little to push it up and back, and for
the reason that in descending these elevated weights F practicably become farther
distant from the fulcrum and increase their leverage; whilst in ascending they
approach nearer to it, and decrease the leverage; chains 1 limit the upward and
backward movement of the lever table D.
The braces g, g, may be notched on their under sides to receive cross slats w (see
Figures 7 and 8) and these slats may be made with saw-cuts y to receive the cords
of the weights c, as shown in Figure 5, and a simple mode of applying the weights
is to attach a weight to each end of a short cord, and then lodge this cord in
two adjacent saw-cuts of the same slat, as shown, the loop or bend of the cord
holding to that part of the slat between such cuts, as indicated by dotted lines
at z.
A handle m serves for readily pulling down the upper or lever table.
The surface of this lever table D may be either solid, as shown in Figure 1, or a
skelton one open and slatted, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, and I prefer the open
construction; it is much simpler and lighter, and admits of attaching or adjusting
the suspended weights more readily and satisfactorily, and permits the braces or
beams g, g, to be placed nearer to each other, the ends of the slats extending beyond
the beams, and allows at all times of an inspection through the tables and of a view
of the skin and weights e during the measuring, whilst for weighing purposes the
material to be weighted may be laid directly on the slats.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the samne into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
'
1st. In a machine for measuring the area or superficies of skins or other articles,
a stationary slatted table having long or continuous openings between the slats to
permit the descent of rows of measuring weights, substantially as shown and
described.

page_text: 2nd. The counterpoised measuring lever table D, having a system of suspended
weights, and fulcrumed at or near its rear, and flexibly connected at its front with
the balance or indicating apparatus, substantially as shown and described.
3rd. In combination the lever-table D and a weighted lever-arm supported
above such table, and serving to aid in lifting it, substantially as shown and
described.
4th. A system of graduated weights suspended from the underside of the lever-
table or beam, and having those of each row heavier than those of its next adjacent
forward row, substantially as shown and described.
5th. A system of weights suspended from the under side of the lever table or
beam, and having those of each row hang lower than those of its next adjacent
forward row, substantially as shown and described.
6th. In combination the fulcrumed table or beam, the weighted rod or lever q,
the guide pulley 8, and its stationary standard or support, substantially as shown
and described.
7th. The counter-poised or balanced lever-table D, having its rearmnost, or counter
poise weight located thereon at a point or in a plane above that of the fulcrum or
pivotal points of such table, and serving thus to hold it up when raised, and to
keep it level when lowered, substantially as shown and described.
8th. In combination, the fulcrumed table or beam, a system of weights suspended
therefrom, the stationary slatted table, and a device for clasping this table to the
weighted rod or lever, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.