The balance is attached in a case, and would be used for weighing rather small amounts; placed on a marble slab are two identical sample/weight pans of metal, a metal weighing pan, a scale, and a level window made of metal and glass; other parts, such as a beam and the central pivot, are enclosed i…
The balance is attached in a case, and would be used for weighing rather small amounts; placed on a marble slab are two identical sample/weight pans of metal, a metal weighing pan, a scale, and a level window made of metal and glass; other parts, such as a beam and the central pivot, are enclosed in a wooden box under the marble slab and are not visible; a wooden box with a glass top panel is attached to the marble slab with two hinges at one edge; this top cover protects the parts above the marble slab when the scale is not in use; each sample/weight pan is concave and is supported by a vertical rod that must be connected to the beam in the wooden box; each pan has a long projection pointing to the centre of the instrument; the tip of this pointer is painted black and it moves up and down in front of the scale that is placed mid-way between the two pans; the scale is a flat, rectangular piece of white natural product (ivory?); it is rounded at the top edge, is graduated in black, and is held upright with a metal bracket and four screws, on the marble slab, behind the two pointers extending from the pans; the end of the bracket on the marble slab is connected to a level window behind the scale; the level window is a cylindrical metal dome; between the metal dome and the marble slab is enclosed a glass capsule containing water and an air bubble; two legs on the instrument on the right side of the viewer are screws held by nuts protruding from the side of the instrument; by rotating these two screws, the level of the instrument can be adjusted; two other legs on the left side of the viewer are wooden; a knob at the front centre of the lower wooden box is a beam stopper; when in use, the beam is released by rotating the knob in one direction, and when not in use, the beam is held securely by rotating the knob in the other direction (to protect the beam from damage caused by vibration); there is a trace of a rectangular tag that was once attached on the front centre of the upper wooden cover; there is also a trace of an oval tag that was once attached on the reight front of the lower wooden box; there are two screw holes on the left front of the lower wooden box; the two tags and six screws are missing; on the back of the lower wooden box, at the centre, an end of a metal shaft projects about 2 mm; around the end of the shaft, a metal ring is attached to hold a sign; the weighing pan, used to hold samples or weights during measurement, is a concave metal disk that is placed on the marble slab at the centre.
Number Of Parts
3
Part Names
a - case - Size: Length 19.8 cm x Width 34.1 cm x Depth 15.9 cm
b - pan - Size: Length 13.8 cm x Width 5.0 cm x Depth 3.0 cm
c - pan - Size: Length 13.8 cm x Width 5.0 cm x Depth 3.0 cm
Provenance
Owned by Jack Willson
Dates
1890
1910
circa 1890-1910
Material
metal: silver; yellow
glass: clear
ivory (?): cream
marble: white
wood: brown
Inscriptions
The sign on the metal ring tag on the back reads, "PENNA&N.Y.APPDTYPE 1Y // SERIAL W2"; on the back of each sample/ weight pan, a "5" is engraved where the pointer joins the disc.
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0007
0007-A2-3
Condition Remarks
The beam (below the marble slab, not visible) and the beam stopper work smoothly; minor corrosion on metal parts; numerous minor losses and discolouration on wood and marble; dirty with brown / black residue;
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Reference Comments
"Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Scientific Instruments JC-141," Central Scientific Company of Canada Ltd., 1942, p. 31 (similar to item 7450)
Research Facts
This was approved by authority for accurate measurement.