On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:26:51 -0400, Leon Fisk
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:22:22 -0400, Joe
wrote:

OK, I posted a photo in the Dropbox: Hay_CottonScale.gif & Hay_CottonScale.txt
Coming from this area, it's possible that it's a cotton scale, but I still don't
know what would have been attached to the left side to bring it level. The scale
is 0 - 50 lbs. Maybe a pan - it took about 2.75 lbs to level it out.

Hi Joe,

I suspect you only have the beam portion of a platform
scale. Take a look at Fig 1 in this old patent diagram:

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=1072020

It looks like your beam may have been meant to sit in some
sort of framework. That would explain why it doesn't have
any hooks to hang it up with or hang stuff to be weighed on.

If this were the case, then the upward loop to the left of the sliding
weight would not be there, this would be the place where the knife
edges would rest on the bearings of the scale.

The McFarlane patent diagrams also use the same shape of
cut-out on the sliding weight. I couldn't find out much
about McFarlane Manufacturing other than they did make some
platform scales that used a dial indicator...

This is common to every beam scale I have operated in the range of 5
pounds to 50 tons. Incidentally, this is why my signature is so
terrible - at one time I was signing up to 500 weigh tickets in a 12
hour shift.
It seems like I have seen some floor type platform scales
that used a similar balance beam system before. Maybe this
will stir up some other peoples memories of what they looked
like.
The additional weights may be marked "50" and "100" which would extend
the capacity to 200 pounds.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada