( 52 ) 



[Aug. 1, 



NEW PATENTS LATELY ENROLLED. 



>IR. DAVID HARDIe's, (sT. JAMEs's, WE'iT- 



MiN'^TKP.,) Jhr Improvements of u 

 Wei^/iitiir Apparatus. 



THE drawings attached to the fpecifi- 

 cation before us, and to which we 

 refer the reader, exhibit, 1. The manncF 

 of delineating certain fcales, on the fcale- 

 board appropriated for weights, for the 

 purpofe of pointing out on mere infpec- 

 tion the total gravity of the weijihts 

 placed upon thele fcales by means of 

 mcnfiir.ition. — 2. An elevation of the 

 fcale-bourd for the weights when fixed to 

 the ground by means of a bolt placed a 

 little below the level of the floor, and 

 runniu'^ through a (laplc in the centre of 

 the bottom of the fcalc-board. — 3. Aper- 

 fpeftive view of the apparatus without 

 the fcale-board. — 4. The icale-board for 

 tlie goods when fixed to the ground by 

 two united claws placed a little below the 

 level of the fioor, and holding two projcft- 

 ing pieces attached to two fides of the 

 board. 



From thefe and other drawings the 

 mechanic will readily underftand the na- 

 ture of Mr. Hardie's invention. 'J'he 

 fcales which determine the total wtight 

 on the b6ard, as well as the fliapc of the 

 weights, are modified according to the 

 various cafes to which they are applied. 

 The board lor the weights, rapalde of 

 weighing a ton, is about 38 inches by 31, 

 on which arc delineated two fcales, one 

 of larger di\'ifions for the half-hundred 

 weights, and the other of fmaller divillons 

 ■for the pound weights. The larger 

 veights are placed oil their particular 

 fcalc, beo[iuning on the left, and |)rocped- 

 ing to the right, and fo on with each row. 

 The firlt hundred weight covers a blank 

 f(|narc, the fecond a fquare marked 1, 

 the third that marked 2, and fo on. The 

 pound weights are placed on their parti- 

 cular fcatc, beginning on ihe l(ft, and 

 proceeding to the right. 



There is no fcale for quarter-weights, 



being at moft only two in number, namc- 



' ly, a half-hundrerl weight, and a qiiarter- 



huiidred weight, of which the total is e^i- 



dent on infpcMion. The totals of the 



hunareds and pt)unds fire indicated by 



" the luimhers I'ext the weight^ reipe^ivrly 



on the riglit-lmnd. Hence if follows that 



the amounts of the weights oii the board 



in hundreds, quarters, and pounds, are 



. accurately known by mere infj.e('tion ; 



and that ' the book-keeper has it in his 



power, with a glance, to difcover wlic- 

 ther the weighers call the proper weight. 

 The greafell individual weight for the 

 purpofe of being portable is a half-hun- 

 dred. When a very light package is to 

 be weighed with a board adapted for one 

 much greater, a hook-and-eye are to be 

 ufed at e;ich of the two cords iufpending 

 the board for the weights, in order to 

 Ihorten them, and prevent the board 

 from leaning to one fide. VVhere a chain 

 inftead of a rope is ufed, one of itslin'ks 

 might fcrve as an eye to the hook. 



In confequence of exhibiting the 

 amount of the weights on tlie board, by 

 means of a fcale, with mathematical pre- 

 cifion, the patent weighing-appiiratub ob- 

 viates the numerous errors of the com- 

 mon mode of weighing, arillng in the 

 procefs of counting the larger weights, 

 and adding the funis of the fmalier weights 

 to deteniiine the amount ; and at the 

 fame time performs the operations with 

 much greater difpatch, as will appear 

 ^Voni the follo^ving particulars. 



VVith ix'lpect to the number of the 

 fmaller weights, the connnon mode is 

 fubject to a choice of evils. If they were 

 more numerous, they would require more 

 time ill finding the iuuount, and alfo be 

 more liable to error in the addition ; but 

 by ^;cing only fi\e in number, namely, » 

 one pound weight, a two pound weight, 

 a tour pOjUnd weight, a fe\en pound 

 weight, and a fourteen pound weight, 

 they occalion a wafte of time in produ- 

 cing the quantity required. For inftance, 

 if a one pound weight, a two pound 

 weight, and a four pound weight, were 

 laid on the board, and ihould prove one 

 pound lliort of the weiiiht, this addition- 

 al pound could only be obtained by the 

 complicated moflc of placing on the 

 board a feven pound weight, tmd remo- 

 vini: the two pound weight and tlie four 

 pound weight; whereas the patent aj)pa- 

 rattis, by admitting into ufe a multipli- 

 city of the fmaller weights without being 

 liable to error, could in fuch cafe produce 

 tiie prfiper weight in lefs time by the 

 fimple operation of placing an additional 

 pimnd weight on the board ; while the 

 walte of time arifing trom the extraordi- 

 nary agitation of the beam occafioned by 

 placing a fevcn pound weialit on the 

 board, and removing the two pound 

 weight and the four pound weight, would 

 be prevented. A liill farther iols of time 



iar 



