US393340A - Spring-scale - Google Patents

Description

J. H. NOLAN.

SPRING SGALE.

(No Model.)

No. 393,340. Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

PATENT Errors,

JOHN H.

NOLAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION lorming part of Letters Patent No. 893,340, dated November 20, 1888,

Application filed January Ill, 1888. Serial X0. 260.110. (Xe model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known thatI, JOHN H. NOLAN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringBalances, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, in which Figure l. is a :front elevation. vertical section on line m, Fig. 1. a top view from line 3 3 Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is the construction of a simple and cheap device by which the weight of small articles may be easily measured; and it consists in a suitable platform or receiver on which the article to be weighed is placed, said platform being supported by a spiral spring the distention of which is indicated by a pointer on a dial by means of a rack and pinion connected and constructed as hereinafter set forth.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A represents an upright triangular case, which may be made of tin or other suitable material, and which is designed to inclose the spring and its connected parts. This case is provided with a bottom, 1), and a top, 0, the latter being provided with an aperture to re ceive the hollow shank c, which supports the platform, said aperture being slightly larger in diameter than the shank, so as to admit of the vertical movement of the shank. The top and bottom are flanged slightly, as shown, so as to fit onto the case A, and the bottom D rests on a. base B, having spread enough to support the device firmly. The frame and its top and bottom are secured together and to the base by vertical rods a, which are headed at their upper ends and provided with screwnuts at their lower ends, which, when screwed up tightly, secure the parts firmly together.

On the bottom D, inside the case A, a vertical rod, b, is secured, the rod being provided with a flattened base for the purpose of securing it, by solder or otherwise, to the bottom D. The upper part of the rod 7) is encircled by a spiral spring, G, the upper end of the spring being secured in a slot or aperture in the top of the rod 7). A. collar, d, encircles the red I) and has an upwardly-projecting flange, p, which is secured by a pin, 9', to the lower end Fig.2isa Fig. 3 is of the spring G. but is free to play up and down on the rod 1) as the spring is distended or contracted. The hollow shank c, which supports the platform E on which the articles to be weighed are placed, rests at its lower end on the collard, and is therefore supported by the spring G. To this shank c the arms a at either end of the vertical rack f are secured by solder or otherwise. The rack f meshes with a pinion, j, fast on an arbor, 7. which carries the pointer at, said arbor being journaled at its rear end in a frame, g, secured inside the frame A by screws /1, which pass through the dial 1+ and the case A, and which also serve to secure the dial in place. The front end of the arbor is journalcd in the frame and dial and projects in front of the dial a sufficient distance to receive a nut or cap, Z, which is screwed or otherwise secured to the front end of the arbor directly in front of the pointer or. On the inner face of the nut Z an annular recess is provided for the re ception of the spiral spring a. \Vhen the nut is in position, the spring it. bears against the inner end or journal of the pointer in with suflicieut force to cause the pointer to move normally with the arbor In, and at the same time permit the person using the balance to move the pointer around the dial independently of the movement of the arbor, if desired. A washer or flange, 3, may be secured to the arbor 7. between the frame A and the pinion j, or said flange may be fast to the pinion to receive the inner end of the hub or bushing ol' the pointer m, which is pressed against said flange by spring a. By mounting the pointer m. in the manner above described the balance may be much more conveniently used in the weighing of articles which require to be placed in a receptacle, as a plate or cup. "When a given amount of the article is to be weighed out irrespective of the weight of the recepta- 010 or vessel in which it is held-for example, if a housekeeper desires to use two pounds of flour-a plate is placed on the platform of the scale. The weight of the plate may cause the pointer to indicate nine and a half ounces. Instead of putting flour into the plate until the pointer indicates two pounds nine and a half ounces, the pointer, after the plate is on the scale, is slipped back to zero, and then flour is added until the pointer indicates the weight desired. In this way no account need be taken of the weight of the plate or other receptacle, and no process of reckoning is necessary.

The dial should be marked with a scale graduated in accordance with the power of the spring, as will be obvious. In case a light spring is used the dial maybe coarsely graduated, thereby allowing ounces or parts of an ounce to be indicated. In such case the pointer may pass around the dial several times in weighing a heavy article, and in order to indicate the number of times the pointer has traversed the dial a hole, to, may be cut inthe face of the dial in front of the rackf, exposing a number on the rack which will indicate each revolution of the point-er, or the total weight the pointer indicates.

In case the spring G requires to be adjusted slightly the collar (Z may be turned on the rod b. thus causing the pin 1" to ride up or down the spiral spring and increasing or diminish ing the working length of the same.

What I claim is 1. InasprIng-balance, thecombina-tion,with the shank c and the balancingspring G, ofthe rack f, attached to said shank, an arbor provided with a pinion meshing with said rack and having also a threaded outer end, the pointer m, having a hub surrounding said arbor, the nut 2, having an interior annular re cess, and a spiral spring, 02, arranged in said recess and pressing against the said hub, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the platform E 5 and its supporting-shank, of the rod I), the spring G,attached thereto at its upper end, the

'collar 11, secured to the lower end of said spring, the raekfand its pinion, and the arbor k and its pointer m, substantially as de- 0 scribed.

3. The combination, with the case A, having the top and bottom pieces, 0 and D, of the platform-shank 0, extending within said case, the balancing-spring G, the rod 1), the base B, 45 and the rods a, provided with heads at their upper ends and with nuts at their lower ends beneath said base, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the caseA and the rod 1), secured to the bottom thereof, of the 50 spring G, encircling said rod and secured at its upper end thereto, and thus guided and supported independently of said case, and the hollow platform-snpporting shank c, surrounding said spring and connected at its lower end 55 with the latter, substantially as set forth.

JOHN H. NOLAN.

\Vitnesses:

WM. A. MAoLEoD, ROBERT WALLACE.

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