US18973A - Balance for detecting counterfeit money - Google Patents

Description

F. H ERPER.

Coin Tester.

Patented Dec. 29, 1857x UNTTEE sTaTEs PATENT oEErcE.

FERDINAND J. HERPERS, OF NEYYARK, NEW' JERSEY.

BALANCE FOR DETECTING COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. J. I-IERPERs, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Implement or Device for Detecting Counterfeit Gold Coin', and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l, is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvement, a, a2, Fig. 9., shovving the plane of sect-ion. Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section of ditto, y, y, Fig. l, shovving the plane of section. Fig. 3, is a plan or top view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention consists of a new article of manufacture, viz., a coin balance, constructed substantially as hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the base of the implement, and B, B, are tvvo uprights attached to the base.

C, C, represent t\vo vertical rods which are placed at the inner sides of the uprights B, B, one to each. The lovver ends of these rods are connected to the ends of a hori- Zontal rod D, which is attached to the inner end of a lever E, said lever being pivoted at a, to the base A, and having a spring F, underneath it, the spring keeping the outer end of the lever elevated, and consequently' the inner end depressed.

To the upper ends of the rods C, C, rectangular blocks Z), b, are attached. These blocks 7), lit in the uprights B, B, which are constructed of metal and bent or formed of three sides so as to serve as guides for the blocksvsee F igs. l and 8. The blocks b, l), are also constructed of metal and have each a triangular opening or bearing c, made through them to receive the ends of a bar G, which are made in triangular or knifeedged form, similar to the pivots of all scale beams. To one end of the bar G, an index IVI, is attached and a vertical bar I, is suspended to said bar near the index H. the lovver end of the bar I, being heavier than its upper part so that it will be retained in a vertical position, and the upper end of 18,973, dated December 29', 1857.

said bar having a segment (l, attached to it vvith a vertical mark e, made at its centersee Fig. l.

To the bar G, the scale beam J, is attached. One end or part, f, of this scale beam is graduated or has small holes g, made in it to receive the point of a weight K, said holes being made in the beam at proper points and numbered corresponding to the different denominations of U. S. gold coin, see Fig. 3. The opposite end of the scale beam is formed of a plate 7L, having slots z', made in it, said slots corresponding in length and ividth to the several U. S. gold coins, see Fig. 3. To the under side of the plate r, a vertical plate j, is attached, said plate being slotted vertically, the vertical slots corresponding in Width to the slots z', and being in line ivith them, see Fig. l.

The knife-edged ends of the bar G, lit in V-shaped notches 1, in the upper ends of the uprights B, B, when the implement is not in use-the ends of the bar being kept in the notches XJ, by the spring F. By this means the bearings and knife edges of the bar G, are kept in order or prevented from being injured by unnecessary Wear.

The implement is used as follows. Suppose a $2?,- gold piece is to be tested. The coin is placed in the slot marked in the plate 7L, said coin also tittingin the slot in the plate j, directly in line with the slot in the plate z. If the coin fits snugly in these slots it is of proper dimensions. The outer end of the lever E, is then depressed and the blocks are elevated so that the bearings c, are raised above the upper ends of the uprights B, B, and the ends of the bar G raised above or out of the notches 7e, in the upper ends of the uprights B, B. The scale beam J, then rests in the bearings c, and the point of the Weight II, being placed in the point marked on the end or part j", of the scale beam, the coin ivill more than counterbalance the Weight and the index H, Will be moved to the right of the mark e, on the segment (Z, and the coin is proved to be genuine.

Counterfeit coin, if of the same size as the genuine ones, are necessarily lighter, because the alloy is of less specific gravity than gold. If a spurious coin be of the same Weight as a genuine one, the spurious coin lOO will necessarily be larger, consequently by measuring and weighing the coin spurious ones may be readily detected.

I have graduated the scale beam so that new genuine coins will more than counterbalance the weight K, in order to allow for a deficiency in weight occasioned by wear, but the wear will never be so great as to prevent genuine coins from exactly balancing the weight and causing the index to be at the point e, on the segment. If a coin be not sufficiently heavy to do this, it is spurious.

I have practically tested the above described machine as follows: I took two pieces of gold, one being 21gcarats II. S. standard, and the other 18 carats. These two pieces I worked into wires exactly of the same thickness. The piece of carats, I made of the same weight as a halfeagle or gold piece. The piece of 18 carats wire was then cut so as to correspond exactly in size with the wire of 211gcarats. I then weighed the two pieces of wire and found the wire of 18 carats to be 1S grains lighter than the one of 211gcarats, thereby showing a difference of 3% grains on the dollar. If, therefore, an allowance of one grain on the dollar be made for the wear of gold coin, to which extent it probably will not wear, as only the projecting surfaces are exposed, the implement will detect base coin made of as good a quality or of as line gold as profit would permit.

I am aware that there is in some coins a small difference in size owing to the different degrees of pressure given it by coining, but this difference is so minute, and the difference between the genuine coin and lf3-carat gold so great, being (after a deduction of one grain on the dollar for wear) 2% grains, that a well constructed implement will detect any base coin. The accuracy, therefore, of an implement for the purpose of detecting base coin is important, and by having the implement constructed or arranged as shown so that the beam is not allowed to rest in its bearings when not in use, the bearings are kept in perfect order, being subjected to wear only when the implement is used.`

I am aware that implements have been previously invented for effecting the same purpose as the one herein described. I therefore do not claim detecting spurious coin by weight and measurement irrespective of the construction of the implement as descried, but to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is new inbalances of this description to arrange the knife edges as herein described, so that the knife edges can only come in contact with their bearings at the moment of weighing.

I do not claim to be the inventor of slid ing or movable supports for the knife edges, as this feature is seen in jewelers scales, apothecaries scales, etc. But in all of these, it will be found that the knife edges rest upon their bearings when the scales are not in use. Consequently every concussion or jarring in the apartment or building injures the knife edges and bearings, and after a time the scales become inaccurate. This can never happen in my improvement, because the knife edges never come in contact with their bearings, except when the lever is pressed, and they wholly separate and are held steadily apart when the lever is released. It is also new to have vertical pockets of the exact size of the coins, upon the fulcrum bar, which pockets serve as measures of thedimensions of the pieces of money, and also indicate the exact spot where the coin is to be placed by the operator. I do not, however, claim, broadly, the placing of gages or receptacles upon balances. But no balances have ever been ar ranged with a number of vertical pockets in close proximity. The apparatus is thus made very compact and highly convenient.

I do not claim to be the inventor -of swinging index bars for weighing machines; and therefore I disclaim the same as used in my apparat-us. Their employment is not essential as my instrument can be made and used either with or without the same, as may be desired.

No coin balance like mine has ever been known or used, to the best of my knowledge and belief. It is therefore a new article of manufacture, and possesses useful qualities not seen in any other analogous article.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as a new article of manufacture,v

A coin balance when constructed as herein described.

FERDINAND J. HER-PERS. 7Witnesses:

JAMES F. BUCKLEY, W. TUsoI-I.

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