US1784046A - Metroscopic force-measuring instrument - Google Patents

Description

D 1930; R. CRAIG 1384,46

METROSCOPIG' FORCE MEASURING INSTRUMENT Original Filed June 4, 1920 4 Sheeis-Sheet, 1

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METROSCOPIC FORCE MEASURING INSTRUMENT Original Filed June '4, 1920' 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

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Suva nick a amaw M 00 351x elf town d W I Ken/v PA9'MJa/M/J 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 avwemtpz Dec. 9, 1930. R. CRAIG METROSCOPIC FORCE MEASURING INSTRUMENT Original Filed June 4,

WEIGHT VALUE Original application filed June 4, 1920,

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 ROBERT CRAIG, OF DAYTON,

OHIO,'ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL IB'U'SIITES3 MACHINES CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK mnraoscorro roncn-mnasunnve INSTRUMENT Serial No. 386,453. Divided and this application filed October 14,

1922. Serial.No. 584,535.

This invention relates to scales adapted to indicate weight of a commodity, or total price thereof, or both. More specifically the invention relates to automatic weighing or automatic price-computing scales.

\Vithout attempting to enumerate all of the objects of the invention, before specifically describing certain physical embodiments thereof, it may be stated that some of the important objects are as follows:

One of the objects is to provide an automatic wei hing scale in which the more or less cumbersome and error-introducing mechanism connecting the indicator and scale mechanism, of the scales now in use, is replaced b a beam of light.

Another 0 ject is to provide a weighing scale in which the reading of weight or total price orEother function of weight is projected upon a screen.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, and in view of the disclosure in my copending application Serial No. 386,453,

filed June 4, 1920, and of which the present application is a division.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate what I now consider preferred forms of my invention 1 Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of an automatic weighing scale of the spring type embodying certain features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figs. 3 and-4 are respectively front and side sectional elevations illustrating a portion of the structure of the scale shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating a slight modification in the biasing means of the weight-actuated reflector shown in the preceding figures. 1

Fig. 6 is a view of the chart which may be employed in connection with the scale shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating how the scale shown in the last mentioned figure may be constructed to indicate total prices of the commodity on the load support.

Fig.8 is a fragmentary detail view of that portion of the chart structure which faces therefiector 135.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the price indicating chart employed in the scale illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of the means shown in Fig. 7 for setting the price chart in'accordance with the price per unit weight of the commodity under consideration.

Fig. 11 isa detail view of the indicating screen or finder when a commodity Weighing 50 pounds (or other units) is placed upon the load support 101 of Fig. 7.

In my above mentioned parent application I have illustrated certain features of my invention applied to an automatic weighing scale of the pendulum type, and also to ascale of the spring type. I have restricted the present disclosure to a scale of the last mentioned type to avoid surplusage. It will be understood that certain of the features of invention herein claimed are applicable to both of these types as well as other types of scales. The scale shown comprises a latform or load support 101 mounted on a ase 102 and adapted to exert a downward pull on the draft rod or steelyard 103 in proportion to the weight of a commodity placed on the said load support 101. The connections between the platform 101 and rod 103 may be of the usual construction common in this type of scale, the nose iron portion of one of the levers forming a part of the base lever system being indicated at 104 in Fig. 4.

The rod 103 is connected to a cross-bar 82 in turn connected to a cross-bar 83 by means of rods 84. The upper bar 83 has pivotally levers 88. The plate 91 has secured thereto a rod 92 adjustable through a sleeve 93, secured to housing 110, by .yirtue of a nut 9% which screw-threade-dly engages the upper end of said rod 92. When acommodity is placed upon the load support 101 the bar 83 will be deflected vertically downward against the action of springs to an extent directly proportional to the weight of the commodity. This bar 83 may therefore be connected to means for indicating accurately and automatically the weight of the com- .modity. One form of such means is illus portion 138 extending at right angles to the main portion of the tube 125.

The bracket 137 is shown secured to said tube portion 138. The tube portion 138 has also secured thereto by means of screws or other suitable means an arc-shaped member 139 which, is preferably of such form that its center of curvature lies on the axis of oscillation of the mirror 135. The said member 139 is pro vided on its lower surface with a weight indicating scale as shown in Fig. 6 and will be hereinafter referred to as the chart or chart member. An image of a portion of the chart is received by the mirror which is preferably silvered on its upper surface, i. e., the surface which lies toward the said chart, and reflected along the optical axis of a system of lenses 140 mounted Within the tube portion 138. After passing through the lenses 140 the image of the chart is reflected by a stationary reflector 141 vertically upward to a stationary mirror 142 mounted within and adjacent the upper end of the tube 125. While the image might be projected from the mirror 142 upon an opaque screen I prefer to project it upon a ground glass or other suitable screen or finder 143 mounted within the right-angularly extending cap portion 144. For clearness I have traced the path of a ray of light from the chart 139 to the screen 143, by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Obviously, by virtue of the structure above described, an image of a portion of the chart 139 will be projected upon the screen 143 and, on movement of the mirror 135 about its axis of oscillation, the image of the chart will move vertically across the said screen. In other words when the mirror 135 is oscillated an apparent movement of the stationary chart 139 will be observed at 143. Designating as 145 the line along which an incident ray from the chart 139 must pass to be reflected by the mirror 135 along the optical axis 146, it will be apparent that the angular deflection of said line on deflection of the mirror 135 will be equal to twice the angular deflection of the said mirror. In other words, the reading of the chartimage with respect to the reference lihe 147 on the screen 143 may be and is de signed to be a function of the instantaneous angular position of the mirror 135. Before describing the means whereby the mirror 135 is moved in accordance with the weight of the commodity on the load support I wish to 139 reads from right to left instead of from left to right.

As previously pointed out the vertical or longitudinal movement or deflection of the bar 83 is a function of the weight of any commodity onthe load support 101. I accordingly provide connections between this bar and the mirror 135 so that the angular deflection of said mirror will be a function of the weight of the commodity. A cam 150 is secured to the mirror 35 and has secured thereto one end of a flexible wire 151, the other end of which is adjustably secured to the outer end of a forked bracket or arm 152. The forked end of said arm straddles the rod 117 (secured to the bar 83), being secured thereto. The shaft of the mirror 135 and cam 150 has secured thereto a weighted arm 156 which serves to bias the mirror 135 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4.

The parts are so adjusted that with no load on the platform 101 and with the chart 139 properly illuminated the reading at the reference line 147 will be Zero. A commodity placed upon the load support will cause a downward movement of the rod 117 and the arm 152 to an extent which is a function of the weight of the commodity. The weighl 156 will cause an angular deflection of the mirror 135 to an extent which is a function of said weight-of the commodity so 'that the image at the screen 143 will be deflected from its zero position to an extent which is a. function of the last mentioned weight. The design and calibration are such that the reading at 143 on the line 147 will be the weight of the commodity on the load support. With this construction the scale of the chart 139 may be made substantially uniform.

It will be noted that the biasing torque due to the weight 156 and consequently the downward pull on the wire 151 varies slightly on angular deflection of the mirror 135. Bearing in mind that the pull on the wire is but slight this variation may be considered negligible from a practical standpoint. If desir able the downward pull on the wire 151 may be made absolutely constant by adopting the arrangement shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the last mentioned fi ure, the parts 151, 156 and 150 will at once be recognized. The construction differs from that previously, described in that the wire 151 passes completely around the cam 150, and is secured thereto atR. Instead of securing the weight 156 to an arm on the cam shaft, the

said weight is secured to the lower end of the Wire 151. Obviously, the downward pull on the wire 51 is constant.

While the chart 139 may be illuminated at all times and throughout its entire length, I prefer to illuminate it only while a weighing operation is being performed and to concentrate or spot the light upon the region of the chart intersected by the line 145. (As previously stated I have designated the line along which an incident ray from the chart 139 must pass to be reflected by the mirror 135 along the optical axis 146, as 145.) The illumination system comprises an incandescent electric or other suitable light 175, condensing lens or lenses 176 and a mirror or reflector 17 7 The lamp 17 5 is shown fixedly secured to the housing 110 as are also the lenses 176. The mirror 177 is mounted on the shaft of the mirror 135 so as to oscillate with the latter, the reflecting surface of the said mirror 177 being in such position as to con-.

tain at all times the axis of oscillation of said mirrors. Light rays from the lamp 175 pass through the lenses 176 and are thereby caused to converge. The rays are then reflected by the mirror 177 and brought substantially to a focus on the region of the chart 139, intercepted by the line 145 no matter what the position of the'last mentioned line may be.

The means for energizing the lamp 17 5 only when a weighing operation is being performed are not herein illustrated but may be constructed as disclosed in my above mentioned parent application.

I have described above an arrangement in which my invention is applied to an automatic weighing scale of the spring type. The invention may be applied to other types of scales at will. For example I have shown, in my parent application above cited, the invention applied to an automatic scale of the pendulum type.

The operation of the scale shown in Figs. 1 to 6 will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the preceding description.

lVhen a commodity is placed upon the load support 101 its weight maybe read at the reference line on the screen. By turning the nut 94 the zero position of the scale may be adjusted or if desired a tare adjustment may be efi'ected.

If the capacity of the scale shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is 1000 the chart 139 may be calibrated to read 01000. Or, if desirable, the chart may be calibrated as indicated in Fig. 6 so as to indicate tare. Referring to the last mentioned figure, it will be seen that the chart 139 is calibrated to read 01000 on one side of the zero indication and 0-200 on the other side thereof. The operation and advantages -of this form of invention will be understood from the following description.

Suppose that it is desired to weigh a large mass of fungible goods such as grain. An suitable container may be selected to hold that portion of the grain which is being weighed. The empty container is placed upon the load support 101 and the nut 94 adjusted until the reading at the reference line of the screen or finder is zero. Grain may thus be placed in the container and the net weight thereof may be read at the reference line,of the screen. This process may be repeated until all of the grain is weighed. If at any time during the weighing opera tion it. is desired to ,know the tare, i. e., the weight of the container, this may be found, without disturbing the adjustment of the nut 94, simply by removing the container from the load support. The image of that portion of the below-zero portion of the chart 139 which indicates the tare will thus be read on the reference line of the screen.

Besides indicating weight, scales embodying my invention may be employed automatically to indicate value or total price of the commodity being weighed. If desired the weight indication may be omitted but I prefer to indicate both weight and price. While the price-indicating feature of my invention may be applied to either of the types of scales described in my said parent application, or to other types of scales, to avoid surplusage I have shown it applied only to a scale such as the one illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. In Fig. 7 'I have indicated one form of means whereby a price indication may be obtained. It will be understood that the scale illustrated in Fig. 7 will embody all of the structure shown in and described in connection with Fig. 4. For the sake of clearness I show inFig. 7 only a few of thevarious previously described elements, together with the price indicating system. The weightchart 139 is secured, painted or inscribed upon a plate 200 (see Fig. 8) which is of the same curvature as the member 139 in Fig. 4. Slidably mounted on the back of the plate 200, by means of brackets 201, is a plate 202. The latter is provided with a plurality of rows of price indications, four of which are shown in Fig. 9 and designated P1 to P4. In the particular embodiment illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10, ten rows of price indications are provided but it will be understood that the number of rows may be increased and if desirable the calibration Varied to compute the total price or value of a commodity valued at Whole-numbers, fractions or mixed numbers per pound. The row P1 is the one-cent per pound row, P2 is the twocent-per-pound row, P3 the three-cent-perpound row, and so on. The calibration and design is such that when any row is brought into the operative position and a commodity placed upon the load support, a reading of total price or value of the commodity (based on the price-per-unit weight corresponding to that particular row) will be obtained at 147 on the screen or finder. The plate 200 is preferably made thin so that the weight and price charts are at substantially the'same dis tance from the axis of the movable mirror. In practise this plate may be made very thin and reinforced with bars or strips at its edges to provide mechanical strength and rigidity. Calling attention to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the plate 200 is provided with a slit 203 with which any one of the rows of indications P1 to P-4 may be brought into registry with its'right hand edge adjacent the left hand edge of the weight chart 129. In order to enable the operator to set the chart member 202 with respect to the chart member 200 the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 to 10 may be employed.

The plate 202 has secured thereto a rack bar 205 which meshes with a pinion 206 secured to a shaft 208. The latter is shown journaled in a stationary bearing 207 and the top of the housing 110. The upper end of said shaft 208 has secured thereto a thumb nut 209 and a pointer 210 which pointer cooperates with a dial reading 1 to 10 in the-present instance. The design and adjustment of the parts is such that when the nut 209 is so turned as to place the pointer 210 on a particular indication on the dial 211 (Fig. 10) the plate 202 will be moved to such a position as to cause a corresponding one of the rows P1, P2, etcQto register with the slot 203.

The operation of this form of the invention may be briefly described as follows. Suppose that it is desired simultaneously to determine the weight and price of a commodity to be sold say at 23 cents a pound. The operator first turns nut 209 until the pointer indicates 3 on the dial 211. The row P3 of indications on the. price. chart 202 will then register with the slit 203 in the chart member 200. The connnodity may then be placed upon the load support 101 and its weight and total price will be indicated at the horizontal reference line on the screen or finder. Assuming that the weight of the particular commodity is 50 the reading at the screen will be as shown in Fig. 11, where the reading of weight at the reference line 47 is 50 and the total price reading is 150 (50X3). The operation where the'commodity has some other price-per-unit-weight will be apparent to those skilled inthe art and needs no further description. A stop pin 212 is mounted on the dial 211 in a position to engage the pointer 210 and prevent movementof the said pointer fromJO through 0 to 1 or vice versa.

It should be bornein mind that each of the rows of indications P1, P2, etc., may be made very narrow in view of the fact that the image thereof at the screen 43 is an enlarged one. Consequently a large number of said rows may be provided without exceeding dimensions defined by practise. The said rows patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results and eiiects outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

I claim 1. A weighing and price-computing scale comprising in combination, a chart having a set of weight indications and a plurality of sets of price indications, manually operable means for selectively controlling the visibility of said sets of price indications, and i means including a weight-controlled optical device for distinctively disclosing a portion of said set of weight indications and a por tion of any selected set of said price indications.

2. A computing scale comprising in combination, a chart having different sections each of which is calib ated to produets of weight and price-per-unit weight; a screen; a load support: and means, comprising a movable optical device whose position is controlled by said lead support, for projecting images of said chart upon said screen.

3. A computing scale comprising in combination. a load support, a stationary chart hav- 1;.)

ing different sections each of which is calibrated to products of weight and price-perunit weight, means for selectively controlling the visibility of said sections in accordance with the price-per-unit weight of a commod- 1: 3

'ity whose total value is to be indicated, a

screen, and means controlled by said load support for projecting upon said screen that portion of a section of said chart which indicates the total value.

4. A computing scale comprising in combination, a chart having sections calibrated to products of weight and different prices per unit weight, a screen, and means comprising a part actuated by the scale mechanism for distinctively disclosing upon said screen that portion of said chart which indicates the total price of a commodity.

5. In combination, a price-indicating chart manually settable in accordance with the price per unit weight of a commodity, a reflector from which an image of said chart may be obtained, a load support and loadofisetting means therefor, and means for controlling said reflector by the weight of a commodity upon said load support.

6. A computing scale comprising in combination, a load support, load-oflsetting means therefor, a reflecting element controlled by said load support and displaced in accordance with a function of the Weight of a commodity upon said load support, a computing device manually settable in accordance with a function of a unit Weight of a commodity, and means including the reflecting element con trolled by said load support for distinctively disclosing that portion of said computing device which indicates the product of the weight and the function per unit weight for which said device has been set. I

7. In combination, a weight-indicating chart, a price-indicating,chart, a. load support and load-offsetting means therefor, means comprising a movable reflector from which an image of said charts may be obtained, and means for controlling said reflector by the weight of a commodity upon the load support.

8. A computing scale comprising in combination, a load support, a device controlled b said load support, and displaced thereby in accordance with the weight of a commodity placed upon said load support, a computing device manually settable in accordance with a function of a unit weight of a commodity, and means controlled by said first mentioned device for distinctively illuminating that portion of said computing device which indicates the product of the weight and the function per unit weight for which the device has been set.

9. A computing scale comprising in combination, a load support, a chart having a plurality of sets of indications, manually operable means for selectively controlling the visibility of said sets of indications in accordance with the function of a unit weight of a commodity; a screen, and means controlled by said load support for distinctively disclosing upon said screen, a portion of any selected set of said indications in accordance with a function-of the weight of a commodity.

10. A computing scale for indicating funca tions of total weights of commodities and selected set of indications upon said screen.

11. A computing scale comprising in combination, a weight-actuated device, means provided with a plurality of sets of indications, manually controlled means for selectively controlling the visibility of said sets of indications, means controlled by said device for selecting a portion of any selected set of said indications in accordance with a function of the weight of a commodity, a"

screen, means for displaying an image of the selected portion of the selected. set of indications upon said screen, and means for indicating which of the sets of indications has been selected.

12. A price-computing scale comprising in combination, means provided with a plurality of setsof price indications, a screen, and means including a manually settable device and a Weight-actuated device for distinctively displaying upon said screen a portion corresponding to the weight of a commodity placed upon the scale of any one, but only one, of said sets of indications.

13. A price-computing scale comprising in combination, means provided with a plurality of sets of price indications, a screen, and means including a Weight-actuated device for displaying upon said screen a portion corresponding to the Weight of a comy modity placed upon the scale of any one, but

only one, of said sets of indications.

14:. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and spring loadoffsett-ing means therefor, a chart, a screen, and means comprising a movable optical device controlled by said load support for projecting an image of at least a portion of said chart upon said screen.

15. A weighing scale comprising in combination, aload support and spring loadofl'setting means therefor, a chart, a screen, a movable optical devicecontrolled by said load support, and means comprising said dcvice for projecting an enlarged imagevof at least a portion of said chart upon S:l-l(

screen.

16. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support, and spring loadofl'setting means therefor. a movable optical device controlled by said loa-d support. a stationary chart, a screen, and means comprising said device for projecting an image of at least a portion of said chart upon said screen.

17. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and spring loadofl'setting means therefor, a stationary chart, a. screen, and means controlled by said load support for causing an image of said chart to move across said screen on movement of said load support.

18. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and spring load- Ofi'setting means therefor, a stationary chart,

responds to the tare for which said load-off setting means has been adjusted.

20. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and load-offsetting means therefor, means for effecting a tare adjustment of said load-offsetting means, a chart, a screen, and means controlled by said load support for optically projecting upon said screen a distinctive image of that portion of said chart which corresponds to the tare for which said load-offsetting moans has been adjusted.

21. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and load-offsetting means therefor, means for effecting a tare adjustment of. said load-offsetting means, a chart, and means controlledby said load support for optically projecting a distinctive image of that portion of said chart which corresponds to the difference in weight of the load upon the load support and the tare for which the load-offsetting means has been adjusted.

22. A weighing scale comprising in combination, a load support and load-offsetting means therefor, means for effecting a tare adjustment of said load-ofi'settin means, a chart, a'screen, and means control ed by said load support for optically projecting upon said screen a distinctive image of that portion of said chart which corresponds to the difference in we ght of the load upon the load support and the tare for which the load-ofi'-- setting means has-been adjusted.

23. A computing scale comprising in com- I bination, a chart having a plurality of series of price indications, and means for selectively projecting graduations from each of said series. p

24. A computing scale comprising in combination, a load support and load-offsetting with the price per unit weight of a commodity, a load support and load-offsetting means therefor, means comprising a movable refiector from Which an image of said charts may be obtained, and means for controlling said reflector by the Weight of a commodity upon the load support.

28. An automatic scale comprising in combination, a load support, resilient counterbalancing means operatively connected to said load support, a stationary opaque chart, and means controlled by said load support for causing an apparent movement of said chart.

29. In a weighing scale, in combination, a chart having rows ofmoney Value characters, each row corresponding to a price per unit of Weight, a projector, said chart and projector being relatively movable, Weighing mechanism for'controlling the operation of one of said elements, a manually operable means for selectively positioning the other of said elements according to prices per pound, whereby.

'the money value of a load on the scale is indicated by said projector.

In testimony whereof I hereto afl'ix my signature.

ROBERT CRAIG.

-means therefor, 21 chart having a plurality of series of price indications, means for selecting a series of graduations according to the price per unitweight of the commodity upon the load support, means for projecting an indication from theselected series, and means controlled by said lead support for selecting the indication to be so projected.

25. An automatic scale comprising in combination, a screen, a load support, resilient counterbalancing means operatively connected to said load support, a stationary chart, and means controlled by said lead sup-

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