US655899A - Price-scale. - Google Patents

Description

No. 655.899. Patented Aug. I4, 1900;

- .Fi FULLER.

PRICE SCALE.

(Application filedsenh' 15, 1899. Renewed Juna 15, 1900.) (lo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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TNE nonms PETERS co, wu'ruumn. WASNINGTON, n. c

Patented Aug. I4, 1900.

F. L. FULLER.

PRICE SCALE.

(Application filed Sept. 15, 1899. Renewed June 15, 1900.\

(No Model.)

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TATES NITED uric.

PRICE-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,899, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed September 15, 1899. Renewed June 15, 19 00. Serial No. 20,453. (No model.)

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton,county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Price-Scales, fully described and represented in the following specification and'the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the computing or indicating mechanism of my prior Letters Patent, dated May 3, 1898,the obj ect of the present invention, generally stated, being to adapt the inclined controlling member or actuator of said Letters Patent to weighing-scales of the type commonly known as beam-scales.

As a full understanding of the improvements constituting the present invention can best be given bya detailed description of an organization embodying the same, such description will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of I a beamscale equipped with the improvements constituting the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the upper portion of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 f Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of a grip for connecting the actuator and poise, so that the two will move together during the Weighing operation.

Referring to said drawings, 1 represents the base of the scale, 2 the side standards, and 3 a tubular top frame supported thereby and which, as will hereinafter appear, contains the inclined controlling member or actuator of the present invention, and which also supports a hood or casing 4, containing indicating devices actuated thereby and the rate-adjusting devices whereby said indicating devices and actuator may be relatively adjusted in accordance with variations in the rates per pound or other unit of-Weight of the articles to be weighed. The scale is provided with a beam 5, fulcrumed at 6 and provided at its rear end with the usual adj usting-poise 7 and at its forward end with a weight-scale 8, bearing a weight-poise 9, and with a tare-scale 10, bearing a tare-poise 11. The scale-beam 5 is also provided with the usual means, as 12, by which it is connected to the usual levers supporting the platform 13 of the scale.

So far as the parts thus far described are concerned they form of themselves no part of the present invention, and they need not therefore be further described herein.

The indicating or computing mechanismof the present invention consists of a longitudinally-movable inclined controlling member or actuator 14 and a vertically-movable rackbar 15, actuated thereby and which in turn actuates, through connections which willbe hereinafter described, indicating devices consisting of pointers 16 17, coacting with dials representing, respectively, dollars and cents. The actuator 14 is mounted in the tubular top frame 3, so as to slide therein upon guides 18 19, and is inclined longitudinally or in the direction of its movement, so as to actuate the rack-bar 15, and through it the indicating devices, a distance corresponding to the extent of its movement, and is also inclined in a transverse direction, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that its longitudinal inclination will vary-progressively transversely to suit variations in the unit prices of the articles weighed. The rack bar 15 is adjustable transversely to the inclined actuator 14 and faces of the hood 4, the object of such adjustment being to position the rack-bar 15 relatively to the inclined actuator 14, so as to set it for operation thereby in accordance with the rate per pound or other unit of weight of the article weighed. Manuallyoperated means are provided for so adjusting the rackbar 15, consisting of a shaft 22, journaled in the casing 3 and provided with a spiral camgroove 23, which receives a pin or stud 24, carried by a sleeve 25, secured to the lower end of the guide 20, the result of this construction being that as the shaft 22 is rotated the cam-groove 23, engaging the pin 24, will move the guide 20, and with it the rack-bar 15, transversely to the inclined actuator 14, the extent of such movement of adjustment depending upon the rate or unit price of the article to be weighed. For convenience the shaft 22 is provided with a thumb-piece 26, by which it may be rotated, and said thumbpiece is in turn provided with apointer 27, coacting with a dial 28, representing units of price from zero to sixty cents. For the purpose of limiting the movement of the shaft 22 and parts connected therewith a stop or pin 28 is provided adapted to engage the pointer 27 in zero position or at the opposite end of the gradnations on the dial and prevent the movement of said pointer and of the shaft 22 beyond either of these positions, thus preventing injury to the shaft 22 or the parts actuated thereby should an attempt be made to rotate the shaft 22 beyond these points. The rack-bar 15 engages a broad pinion 29, fast upon the shaft 39, carrying the pointer 16, which coacts with the dollar-dial 31, and said shaft 30 is also provided with a gear 32, engaginga pinion 33, fast upon the shaft 34, hearing the cents-pointer 17, which coacts with the cents-dial 35. It will be understood that as the rack-bar 15 is moved vertically it will, because of its engagement with pinion 29, rotate the shaft 30 and dollar-pointer 16 and, through gear 32 and pinion 33, also rotate the shaft 34 and the cents-pointer 17, the gearing between the shafts 39 and 34 being such as to secure a one-half revolution of the shaft 34 and cents pointer 17 during the movement of the dollar-pointer 16 from zero position to the numeral 1, or from one numeral to the next adjacent numeral upon the face of the dial 31. The cents-dial 35 is provided, as will be observed, with two sets of graduations following each other, each running from 0 to 99.

The inclined actuator 14 and poise 9 are designed to move together, and for this reason the two are connected by the following devices: Upon its under side the actuator 14 is provided with a projection 36, extending into a groove between the dials 18 19 and having secured to it by means of screws 37 a block 38, bearing a grip consisting of jaws 39, pivoted thereto and extending downwardly so as to embrace a pin 40, projecting from the poise 9, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 7. At their lower ends the jaws 39 are provided with projections or thumb-pieces 41, by which said jaws may be moved inwardly toward each other into proper relation to the pin to engage the latter and through it move the poise 9 along the beam 8 during the weighing operation. The engagement between the jaws 39 and the pin 40 for the purpose of so moving the poise is such as to maintain the poise and the inclined actuator 14 in such relation to each other as to insure the movement of the actuator and the poise during the weighing operation to exactly the same extent, the engagement between the jaws 39 and the poise 9, however, being loose, so as to permit vertical movement or play of the poise 9 and beam 8 relatively to the actuator during the weighing operation and as the beam 8 is balanced. In order to prevent binding or pinching contact between the jaws 39 and the pin 40, which would interfere with such vertical play of the poise and .beam, the block 38 is provided with a pin or stop 42, projecting between the adjacent faces of the jaws 39 above the pin 40, this pin 42 being slightly largerin diameter than the pin 40, so as to limit the movements inwardly toward each other of the jaws 3.9,and thus prevent their coming into binding or pinching contact with the pin 40, while permitting them to come into such relation thereto as to insure the proper movement to the same extent of the actuator and poise during the weighing operation. Between the jaws 39 and below the pin 40 is interposed a spring 43, the purpose of which is to force the jaws away from each other while the scale is at rest or upon the release of the thumb pieces 41 by the attendant upon the completion of a weighing operation. The jaws 39 are provided at their upper ends with stops 44, which engage a flange 45 on block 38, so as to limit the outward movement of the jaws 39 by the spring 43.

The operation of the scale is as follows: If it be desired to indicate the cost or price of the article being weighed, the rack-bar 15 will be adjusted to the proper position transversely to the actuator 14 by rotation of the thumb-piece 26 and shaft- 22 until the pointer 27, carried thereby, reaches the numeral on the dial 28 representing the unit price of the article weighed. As the thumbpiece 20 and shaft 22 are thus rotated the cam-groove 23, engaging the pin 24, will move the sleeve 25, guide 20, and the rack bar 15 transversely to the actuator 14, and the rack-bar as it is thus moved is brought into engagement with gradually-increasing inclined portions of such actuator. hen the rack-bar is thus adjusted, the scale is ready for the weighing and priceindicating operations. To perform these operations, the attendant will move and hold the jaws 39 inwardly toward each other as far as the stop or pin 42 will permit and then move the poise 9 along the beam 8 to the proper position, as in any weighing operation, the actuator being also moved to the same extent relatively to the beam 8. As the actuator 14 is thus moved its inclined face engaging the rack-bar 15 will elevate the same to an extent dependent upon the extent of movement of the actuator, which in turn is dependent upon the weight of the article weighed, and thus actuate the indicating devices in accordance with the weight of the article multiplied by the rate per pound thereof, which rate is represented by the position of the rack-bar15 transversely to the actuator. If, for example, the unit price of the article weighed be thirty-three cents per pound, the thumb-piece 2G and the shaft 22 will be rotated until the pointer 27 arrives opposite the graduation on dial 28 representing thirty-three cents when the During such rotashaft is brought to rest.

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tion of the shaft 22 the guide 20 and rack-bar 15 are moved transversely to the inclined actuator 14 to about the position illustrated in Fig. 3. If the weight of the article be-five pounds, the poise 9 will be moved along the beam 8 to the graduation 5 thereon, as shown in Fig. 2, the actuator and poise moving together. As the poise 9 and inclined actuator 14 are thus moved the latter engaging the rack-bar 15 will raise said rack-bar to about the position shown in Fig. 2, and thus rotate the pointers 16 17 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1that is to say, with the dollar-pointer 16 between the numerals 1 and 2 on dial 31 and the cents-pointer'17 at the numeral in the second set of graduations on dial 35. If the unit price be greater than thirty-three cents, the rack-bar 13 will of course be adjusted beyond the po-. sition in which it is shown in Fig. 8, and if it be less it will of course be brought to rest before it reaches the thirty-three-cents posi tion. As the poise 9 approaches the graduation on scale-beam 8 at which the latter balances the poise 9 and scale-beam 8 are, because of the loose connection heretofore described between said poise and the inclined actuator 14, free to move or play vertically relatively to the jaws 39 and said actuator.

In order to retain the rack-bar 15 in engagement with the actuator 14, a segment 46 is provided, pivoted in the hood 4 and having a weight 47, which segment engages a pinion 48, fast to the shaft 34, and thus resists upward movement of the rack-barl5 and retains it in proper relation to the actuator 14 for operation thereby. Means are also provided in the present case for retaining the thumbpiece 26 and shaft 22 in the position to which they are adjusted at different times, the' means provided consisting of a toothed wheel 49 upon the shaft 22, which is engaged by a detent 50, projecting from a plate 51, screwed to a pivoted arm 52 and held yieldingly in engagement with the wheel 49 by means of a spring 53, connected to the arm 52 and to the hood or" casing 4. Means are also provided in the present case for positively limiting the movement of the actuator 14 rearwardly or to zero position, consisting of a stop 54 at the end of the guideway on which said actuator slidesin the top frame 3. Means are also provided in the present case for positively arresting the upward movement of the Weighted segment 46 and through it the rotation of the indicating devices and upward movement of the rack 15, the means provided for this purpose consisting of a stop 55, mounted in the hood 4 and adapted to engage the upper edge of the arm of segment 46 when the latter is moved upwardly by the rotation of shaft 34 and pinion 48.

The pointers and dials heretofore referred to for indicating the rate and price or cost of the articles weighed are located on the attendants side of the machine; but like point-- ers and dials are provided also upon the opposite or customers side of the machine. The indications of weight on scale-beam 8 will preferably also be repeated upon the customers side of the machine.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of devices shown and described, but that modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention.

Whatl claim is 1. The combination with a scale-beam, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline Varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, and connections between the poise and inclined member, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the othertransversely to the incline and said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, and connections between the poise and inclined member, said connections being loose to permit vertical play of the beam and poise relatively to the inclined member, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a scale-beam, of price-computing mechanism comprising, an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby and adjustable transversely to the incline, said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in aplane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby and adjustable transversely to the incline, said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, and connections between the poise and inclined member, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby and adjustable transversely to the incline, said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, and connections between the poise and inclined member, said connections being loose to permit vertical play of the beam and poise relatively to the inclined member, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined membermovableinaplane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controll'ed thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, and connections between said poise and inclined member comprising two pivoted jaws carried by the inclined member and a member engaged thereby carried by the poise, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprisingan inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment, connections between said poise and inclined member comprising two pivoted jaws carried by the inclined member and a member engaged thereby carried by the poise, and means for limiting the gripping movement of the jaws, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising a member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and inclined in the direction of its movement and a movable member controlled'bysaid inclined member, and connections between the poise and inclined member whereby the two are caused to move together, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising a member movable in a plane sub stantially parallel to the beam and inclined in the direction of its movement and a movable member controlled by said inclined member, and connections between the poise and inclined member whereby the two are caused to move together, said connections being loose to permit vertical play of the beam and poise relatively to the inclined member, sub stantially as described.

11. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movablein a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline varying progressivelyin the direction of adjustment, and connections between said poise and inclined member comprising pivoted jaws 39 carried by the inclined member, and a pin 40 carried by the poise and engaged by said jaws, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a scale-beam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprisingan inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member controlled thereby, said members being adjustable one relatively to the other transversely to the incline and said incline varying progressively in the direction of adjustment,connections between said poise and inclined membercomprising pivotedjaws 39 carried by the inclined member, a pin 40 carried by the poise and engaged by said jaws, and limiting-stop 42,.substantially as described.

13. The combination with a scalebeam and its poise, of price-computing mechanism eomprisinganinclinedmembermovablein a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a movable member cont-rolled thereby, and connections between said poise and inclined member comprising pivoted jaws 39 carried by the inclined member and a pin 40 carried by the poise and engaged by said jaws, substantially as described.

14:. The combination with a scale-bea1n,and its poise, of price-computing mechanism comprising an inclined member movable in a plane substantially parallel to the beam and a m ovable member controlled thereby, connections between said poise and inclined member comprising pivoted jaws 39 carried by the inclined member, a pin 40 carried by the poise and engaged by said jaws, and limiting-stop -12, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a scale-beam, of inclined member 14, rack 15, indicating devices actuated by the latter, and means for adjusting the rack transversely to the inclined member, substantially as described.

16. The combination with a scale-beam, of inclined member 14, suitably-supported rack 15, indicating devices actuated by the latter, shaft 22, and connections between said shaft and the rack-support consisting of a cam groove 23 on one and a pin 2% on the other entering said cam-groove, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a scale-beam, of inclined member 14, rack 15, guiding-sup port 20 therefor, shaft 22 and connections between said shaft and support consisting of a cam-groove 23 on one and a pin 24: on the other entering said cam-groove, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK L. FULLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS; E. RIORDON, J. J. KENNEDY.

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