Hydraulic load cell for weighing machines

Claim 1

A FLUID PRESSURE LOAD CELL FOR WEIGHING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A STATIONARY BASE MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LOAD-BEARING AXIS, A SECOND MEMBER IN SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BASE MEMBER AND MOVABLY MOUNTED THEREON FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIAL MOTION RELATIVE THERETO, MEANS FORMING A CYLINDER PORTION ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, FURTHER MEANS FORMING A COOPERATIVE PISTON PORTION PORTIONS ADAPTED TO MEMBERS, SAID CYLINDER AND PISTON PORTIONS ADAPTED TO FREELY INTERFIT WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT THEREBETWEEN A RELATIVELY THIN FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM OF FLUID IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL SEALED TO SAID CYLINDER PORTION AND OVERLYING SAID PISTON PORTION TO FORM A FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, AN ANNULAR FOLD OF SAID DIAPHRAGM INTERLYING A PORTION OF THE FREE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND PISTON PORTIONS, A FLUID PRESSURE PASSAGE LEADING FROM SAID PRESSURE CHAMBER TO MEANS FOR CONNECTION TO AN EXTERNAL PRESSURE LINE, BALL AND RACE GUIDING MEANS BETWEEN SAID BASE MEMBER AND SAID SECOND MEMBER FOR LIMITING RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID VERTICAL LOAD-BEARING AXIS, A LATERALLY MOVABLE LOAD BEARING MEMBER MOUNTED UPON SAID SECOND MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO YIELD IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID LOAD-BEARING AXIS, AND A LATERALLY COMPRESSIBLE ELEMENT RESILIENTLY URGING SAID LOAD BEARING MEMBER TO A CENTRAL NO CROSS-LOAD POSITION, WHEREBY THE FORCES OF CROSS LOADS APPLIED TO SAID LOAD BEARING MEMBER ARE NOT TRANSMITTED ALONG SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LOAD-BEARING AXIS, AND NORMAL AXIAL MOTION BETWEEN SAID BASE AND MOVABLE SECOND MEMBER REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY UNAFFECTED BY THE LATERAL THRUST OF SUCH CROSS LOADS.