IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGH BEAMS FOR PLATFORM WEIGHING MACHINES
Year: 1870

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 WEIGH BEAMS FOR PLATFORM WEIGHING MACHINES."-
A communication from abroad by Michael Kennedy, of the City
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th July 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County:
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGH BEAMS FOR PLATFORM WEIGHING.
MACHINES," a communication, to me from abroad by Michael Kennedy,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanic,
to he as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying a double set of graduated scales.
and weighted pointers to a-weigh beam, so that when the known weight

page_text: of the empty wagon or other vehicle to be weighed has been marked
upon one scale the weight of the load may be ascertained. For this
purpose the loaded vehicle is placed upon the platform, and the known
weight of the vehicle when empty is to be marked by the pointers on
one of the graduated scales, then the weighted pointers are to be moved
forward on the other scale, or until it balances; these latter pointers
will then indicate the net weight of the load. Thus one weigh beam
with its scales is made to indicate at once to the eye the separate
weights of the vehicle and of the load carried therein, whereby the
necessity for calculating the difference is obviated.
In carrying out this Invention I construct a weighing beam with
four sliding weights, one to slide on a rod on the top of the beam, one
to slide on a rod at the under side of the beam, and two to slide in two
separate slots, made for that purpose longitudinally in the middle (or
thereabouts) of the beam. The weights on the top and bottom of the
beam will indicate, say, for example, hundreds for any scale of ten tons
capacity or under, and will indicate thousands for any scale over ten
tons capacity; the weights in the middle will indicate pounds for any
scale of ten tons or under, and five pounds for any scale over ten tons
capacity. A rod runs longitudinally at the back of the beam for the
two small weights to slide on, which rod is applied to the beam by
means of three studs secured to the beam, or otherwise attached thereto
for that purpose. The back of the two small or middle weights is slotted
for the purpose of allowing them to slide easily and with little friction
on the rod, and to be readily applied thereto. Two small knobs are
attached to the small weights so as to form a part thereof, and indicator
points are also attached to all four weights. A slot or groove is made
at the back of the beam, and a clamp is attached to the bottom of the
weight and slides in the said slot for the purpose of preventing the
sagging of the bottom rod by the gravity of the bottom weight when
moved from graduation to graduation. The top rod is applied to the
beam by constructing two solid projections into which the rod at each
end enters, and is fastened by means of a pin passing through the
projections and rod.

page_text: 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 26th January 1871..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special licenso
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my, executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,.
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might máke, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN WEIGH BEAMS FOR PLATFORM WEIGHING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Michael Kennedy, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, Mechanic, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to.
say:
The said Invention consists in applying a double set of graduated
scales and weighted pointers to a weigh beam, so that when the known
weight of the empty wagon or other vehicle to be weighed has been
marked upon one scale the weight of the load may be ascertained. For-

page_text: this purpose the loaded vehicle is placed upon the platform, and the
known weight of the vehicle when empty is to be marked by the pointers
on one of the graduated scales, then the weighted pointers are to be
moved forward on the other scale, or until it balances; these latter
pointers will then indicate the net weight of the load. Thus one weigh
beam with its scales is made to indicate at once to the eye the separate
weights of the vehicle and of the load carried therein, whereby the
necessity for calculating the difference is obviated.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that pur-
pose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a plan of the improved weigh
beam; Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same; and
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 1-2 in Figure 2.
The improved weighing beam A is constructed with four sliding
weights B, C, D, E, one of which B slides on a rod F on the top of the
beam; the other C slides on a rod G at the other side of the beam,
whilst the small weights D and E respectively slide in the corresponding
slots H and I made for that purpose longitudinally in the middle (or
thereabouts) of the beam A. The weights B and C on the top and
bottom of the beam respectively will indicate, say, for example, hundreds
for any scale of ten tons capacity or under, and will indicate thousands
for any scale over ten tons capacity; the weights D and E in the middle
will indicate pounds for any scale of ten tons or under, and five pounds
for any scale over ten tons capacity. A rod K runs longitudinally at
the back of the beam for the two small weights D and E to slide on,
which rod is applied to the beam by means of three studs a, a, a, secured
to the beam in any convenient manner for that purpose. The back of
each of the two small or middle weights is slotted for the purpose of
allowing them to slide easily and with little friction along the rod K,
and to permit of their being readily applied or adapted thereto. Two
small knobs 6 are attached to the small weights so as to form a part
thereof, and indicator points c, c, and c¹, c', are also attached to all four
weights. A slot or groove d is made at the back of the beam A, and a
clamp e is attached to the top of the lower weight C, and slides in the
said slot for the purpose of preventing the sagging of the bottom rod G

page_text: by the gravity of the bottom weight when moved from graduation to
graduation. The top rod is applied to the beam by forming two solid
projections or lugs f,f, on the beam, into which the rod at each end
enters, and is secured by means of a pin passing through the projections
and rod or otherwise. In using this beam I prefer to adjust the bottom
weight C and the small weight E to the weight of the empty vehicle,
and to employ the weights B and D as in the ordinary weigh beam for
weighing the load.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, 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 herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
struction and use of a weighing beam provided with a double set, of
divided scales and adjustable weights so arranged as to be capable
of indicating simultaneously to the eye the separate weights of the
vehicle and of the load, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)