US399487A - Machine for weighing traveling loads - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE COP A. E. BROWN.

MACHINE FOR WEIGHING TRAVELING LOADS.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

Jnren 130 z,

W ra kamu H M M Wz'inzaxres,

BEST AVAiL ABLE CCF UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. lRO\\'N, OF (.LEVELAND, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR WEIGHING TRAVELING LOADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,487, dated March 12, 1889.

' Application filed March 5, 1887.

T 0 all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known thatl, ALEXANDER E. BRoWN, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Weighing 'iraveling Loads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad tothe accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a machine or apparatus for weighing materials (and in the case shown'adapt-ed especially to the weighing of traveling trucks or loads in the use of hoisting and col'lveying machines) according to a novel method or system made the subject of United States Letters Patent granted to me August 9,1887, No. 368,063,in which said new method will be found fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my presentinvcntion relates to make and use my novel machine for practicing my said new system of weighing, I will now proceed to more fully describe the same, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated my invention carried outin that form in which I have successfully practiced it, and which is the best now known to me.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view or' elevation of one of my improved machines, such as I have made and used in connection with a rigid tramway hoisting and conveying machine. Fig. .2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. 4. a partial vertical cross-sccti n at line a: w of Fig. 1.

In the several figures the same parts will be found designated by the same letters of reference.

A A are the track-beams or elevated tramway in connection with which I have practiced my present invention. At suitable distances apart on said tramway are erected and securely supported two metallic arches, B B, and also an intcrn'iediate arch, C, and at the locality between the arches B B the inner upper edges of the track-beams A are chamfered off, as n'iostclearly seen by reference to Fig. 3.

D is a cage-like weighing-platform composed, as shown, of a series of metallic arches Serial No. 229,807. (No model.)

connected together by longitudinal bracebars, (the'whole being suitably cross-braced to give the cage rigidity,) and the lower inner ends of the arch-like. pieces have securely fastened to them angle-irons n, (see Fig. 3,) which form a continuation of the intcrrupted track-irons a of the tramway. These track-irons 'n are adapted to receive and support the wheels of the conveying-machines (shown at 11) whenever the same may travel or pass from the track a a of the tramway onto and over the track it n of the platform or cage 1). machine are shown as traveling 'upon'the track-irons of the platform 1). This trackplatform is suspended at four points, and

At Fig. 3 the wheels of the near each end by suspension-loops s, which are hung upon hooks that are suspended at their eyes upon the kniferedged supports 1) of two lovers or scale-beams, I, that are in turn hung upon knife-edges at their outer ends, and which are supported at their adjacent and inner end-s upon similar knifeedged supports, in a manner to be presently explained. These levers or scale-beams E are each supported at the outer end upon knife-edged bearings c, which rest and bear in loops that are hooked into fixed suspenderrods 1), that depend from the tops of the metallic arches B, all as best seen by reference to Fig. 1. The inner and adjacent ends of said scale-beams E- are supported by knifeedges 6 and 0?, which havetheir bearings in the eyes of the loop or link f, the upper end of which is hooked into apivotcd link,,g, that in turn rests upon a knife-edge, i, (see Fig. 4,) which is permanently secured to the middle part of the lever-arm (1, one end of which is suspended by an articulation ath from the top of the metallic frame C, and the other end of which is connected with a hook, m, to a loop which passes over the knife-edged journal J of the scale-beam G. This scale-beam G'is pivoted at 7.; bya knife-edged journal in the upper end of a stand, l, whichis securely bolted to and projects a short distance above lower end of which isz'uu-lzorcd to a tixed part of the frame-work ot' the appz't'ratus.

Ill is an indicator or register wheel, which is mounted to turn freely with or upon a-ver- I 5 tical. shaft, 1, having a suitable step-bearing I0 is rotated continuously with a uniform moriphery of said idler at -r, is provided at its lower end with a nor to be presently tion by any suitable means, preferably by clock mechanism, such as shown at S, through the mediumof a driving band or cord, f,which, after having passed partially around the pedrum M and thence over an weight, '11. This drum is designed to carry on its periphery an iiulicator-eard or slip of paper, upon which are to be recorded, in a manexplained, the lines which indicate and register the weight or weights of the loads which maybe placed upon the platform 1), or which may travel over the same, and also the standard line or "lines, by comparison of which, according to my system, the record of the load or loads weighed is to be ascertained. The outer end of the scale-beam G is connected by a suitable rod or piston, as shown at Fig. 1, with a dash-pot at L, designed to operate preferably with atmospheric air. q is a vertical guide bar or way, against the inner face of which travels an auti-frietion roller, :10, that is mounted to turn freely on a stud secured in a stand that projects laterally from the outer side or face of the scale-beam G near its outer end, for a purpose to be presently explained.

'r is a marker device or pencil, suit-ably mounted near the end of beam G at a point 0 about coincident with a radius of the wheel Mthat is, at right angles to the vertical plane in which the beam G lies.

In the working oroperation ot' the machine so far described the placement upon or passage over the suspended platform D of any weight or load causes said platform to be i slightly depressed, and in its descent it pulls upon the pivoted levers E E through the media of the connecting links or loops .9 and the '50 knife-edged pivots c, causing the inner and adjacent ends of said levers E to pull down through the media of the knife-edged pivots e and 6 upon the. link f, which in turn exerts a downward pull through its connection at g on the knife-edged pivot 1' of the cross-lever (1. This lever (I, being articulated, as before described, at one end, is caused to slightly-descend at its other end, thus pulling downwardly through the media of the. bar m and knife-edged pivotthe shorter end of the scalebeam 9, thus causing the outer or longer-end of said scale-beam to ascend, and in this upward movement of the outer end of said sealebeam the pencil or marker device '2' is caused to drawin a nearly-vertical direction a line or mark upon the periphery or indicator card of the drum M. As this drum revolves continu- BEST AVAlLABLE COP- ously, the line drawn will be slightly oblique, and when the load shall have, been removed from or shall have passed entirely over the platform D the resumption by all the parts of theiroriginal positions will cause the marking dev ice to draw a slightly-oblique descending line, the loop end of which will of course be at the same level as that in which the line first made began. As the marker device or pencil '2' remains (mnt'inuously in contact by suitable spring-pressure with the periphery ot' the drum ill or the paper placed thereon, said pencil will of course continue to mark in a horizontal direction on the drum-paper until the mechanism may be again operated by another load applied to or passing over the platform I). I

Dtiring the operation just described the scale-beam G, when operated by the weight of a load on the platform D, is moved against the pulling tendency or resistance of the powerful coil-spring I, and it is this spring which acts as a motor when the platform shall have been relieved of its load to bring all the parts back to their original positions. As in suddenly placing a load on the plat form I), or suddenly causing aloaded ear or truck to pass thereovcr, there is exerted a great tendency to etl'eeta sudden jarring'and vibration of all the parts, which would naturally tend to obstruct an even movement of the marking device, and which might operate to throw the long end of the scale-beam either above or below the exact. limits to which the dead-weight of the load should cause it to move, I have combined, as already described, with the outer end of the scale-beam G a dashpot, L, the function and effect. of which is to prevent any sudden vibration of the long end of the scale-beam G without preventing said end from moving in either direction to the fullest extent to which the weight on and the releasement of the weight. from the platform should move the scale-beam fort-he purpose of making a true registration of the amount of gravity of the. load passing over the platform.

To avoid any possible vibration of the long end of the scale-beam G laterally, that might operate to and in j uriously atfect the perfect working of the spring-pencil or elastic marking device, I have provided a vertical guide or bar, and the small anti-friction roller 1', mounted on one side of the SCZLlt'E-lltlitlll G, as shown and described, thefunction and effect of which devices are to cause the anti-friction roller to bear with little or no impediment to the motion of the scale beam against the inner face of the vertical bar q andto steady and hold the scale-beam laterally during its upward and downward movements.

It will be observed that the knife-edges 01' pivotal points of each one of the lovers E, as well as those of the scale-beam G, are placed exactly in a right line, and this is an important and indispensable feature in the construction of my machine, although directly oppositeto the principle of construction necessarily and properly involved in scales or weighing contrivances in which the operation involves the balancing of some lover or beam in the operation of measuring the weight. In my machine, as there is no balancing of any of the beams or levers, but the registering operation, in order to be correctly done, must be effected by the action of vibrating parts, in which the leverage must remain exactlythe same during their movements, this a rangement of the pivotalpoints exactly in ine is of the utmost importance.

In the practical use of my machine so far, especially for thepurposes for-which I haveemployed it namely, for ascertaining the separate and collective weights of aseries of loaded trucks or cars passing over a bridge or tramway and of the empty returning cars, (in order to ascertain the aggregate weightof material deli vered ove r the tramway withi n a given time)I have adopted a system of depressing the platform periodically-say--at-me'iifing,.noon, and evening of each dayby the passage over it of what I call a standard weightthat is, a load of accurately-ascertained gravity-and then, by a comparison of the marks registered by'the action on the platform of all the loaded and empty cars passing over during the day with either one of the marks made by the passage of the standard weight, (or with an average a'sto the lengths of said three marks, provided apy variation between them appear,)

I haye ascertained the exact weights of the aggregate gross loads passing over the platform, and also the aggregate of the tare loads returned, a subtraction of one from the other of which of course shows accurately the amount of material that may have been delivered over the platform within a given time.

So far as the main or generic features of novelty involved in my machine are concerned, it is of course immaterial whether it be used in the way I have employed it or in some other manner or under entirely diiferent'circumstances. I therefore wish it to be understood that I do, not limit myself in this application to a form of machine such as shown and'descrihed, and which is more especially I adapted tobe used for the purposes to which I have happened so far to have practically applied my invention. Itmayhefound quitepractieable for other purposes-for instance, such as for the purposes of hay and other stationary platform-scales embodying the primary or generic features of my present invention in a machine of quite diiferent form and very different in its detailed construction from that shown and described. In any such modification of mymachine, however, it will be indispensable to its accurate operation that the platform-sustaining system of levers have their pivotal connections arranged in line on each lever, and that some sort of device, either stationary or movable, be employed for the purpose of registering the extent of move- BEST AVAELABLE COP ment of the long arm of the scale-beam G, and thatsome sort of standard measure or load be employed with which to draw comparison of the marks registered by weighing other loads for the purpose of ascertaining exactly the gravity of said other-loads in substantially the manner hereinbet'ore explained. In another application filed simultaneously with this, Serial No. 229,808, in which I have shown and described the same machine which constitutes the subject-matterof this application, I have set up certain specific claims on said machine, and I wish it to be understood that i set up no claim or claims in this application for any of the specific matters which may be covered by the claims of said other case.

l-l'aviii gnow so fully explained the construction and operation of my improved weighing apparatus in that form in whichI have successfully used it, what I claim, broadly, in this case, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is.

1. In a weighing-maehine'specially adapted to weigh and record the weights of loads passing over a railway, the combination of the following instrumentalities, arranged and operating in substantially the manner hereinbefore set forthviz., first, a suitable depressible platform provided with tracks which form continuations of those of the railway upon which theloadto beweighc'd is supposed to travel and suitably supported in the proper relationship to said railway; second, the system of supporting-levers forming the connecting means between said depressible platform and its means of support, the final one of the series of said levers constituting the weightindicating beam, and being arranged to move (by the depression of the depressible platform) in opposition to the resistance of a suitable spring; third, the marking device arranged at the end of the longer arm of said final one of the series of levers and operating to make marks of lengths corresponding with those of the movements. of the end of said lever, and, fourth, a suitable surface for the regist 'ation thereon of the marks so made by the device at the end of said lever.

2. The combination of the followinginstrumentalities, all arranged and operating together in substantially the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth: first, the railway over which the traveling loads to be weighed are supposed to travel; second, the

depressible platform provided with rails which form eontinuations of the rails of said railway, and which is suspended from suitablethe apparatus, and operating, as specified, to preventthe marking device oi? the lever G making any movement beyond the point up to which it should move, in order to make a mark that will correctly indicate the weight. exerted upon the depressihle platform hythe load being weighed, and to thus prevent any inaccuracy in the registration oi? the lines or marks employed for estimating the aggro; 0 weight. of the loads passed over the depre hle platform.

3. In a weighingapparatus or eout-rimnee adapted specially to the weighing of travelinp, loads, the combination of, first, the depressible platform l), suspem'led from suitable supports, and havingits traek arranged substantially in line with that ol' the railway over which the loads to llOWOlg'llOd are supposed to travel; 'econd, a suitable supporting-i' rame operating to sustaint-he suspended aml'depressihle platiorn'i; third, a resistant BEST AVAZLABLE coespring connected at one end to'the final one of the system oi. levers and at the other end to some stationary port-ion of the apparatus, and, fourth, a system of lovers, each one of which has its pivotal or lfuleralpoint-S (orknifeedge hearings) arranged in' a right line,in order that eaeh and every one of said levers may workat all times with the vsame degree of leverage, and the final one of which system of levers operates to produce a recordof marks, the various lengths of which corre-- spond suhstantiall y with the variable movements of its longer arm, the said combination as awholc being and operating inthe manner and for the purposes hereiubefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of August, 1886.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN. In presence of{ E. 'l. seovum, uAs. W. KELLY.

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