Weighing element embodying a resilient contact unit

Claim 1

IN A WEIGHING MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED HAVING A WEIGHING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO BE DEFLECTED IN AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONAL TO THE LOAD BEING WEIGHED, A RESILIENT FORCE MEASURING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT UNIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID WEIGHING ELEMENT INCLUDING A PORTION DIRECTLY CONNECTED THERETO AND MOVABLE THEREWITH AND HAVING A SECOND PORTION THEREOF CONNECTED TO A STATIONARY SUPPORT AND ADAPTED TO ABSORB ANY VIBRATION TRANSMITTED BY THE STATIONARY SUPPORT WHEREBY TO PREVENT PREMATURE CLOSING THEREOF, SAID RESILIENT FORCE MEASURING DEVICE ADAPTED TO YIELD WHEN A PREDETERMINED DEFLECTING PRESSURE CORRESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED WEIGHT IS APPLIED TO SAID WEIGHING ELEMENT, SAID RESILIENT FORCE MEASURING DEVICE HAVING PROVISION WHEREBY MINUTE MOVEMENT OF THE WEIGHING ELEMENT AND SAID DIRECTLY CONNECTED PORTION IN THE ORDER OF ONE-THOUSANDTH OF AN INCH OPERATES TO EFFECT A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER MOVEMENT OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FORCE MEASURING DEVICE TO CLOSE SAID CONTACT, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FORCE MEASURING DEVICE AND CLOSING OF THE CONTACT FOR CONTROLLING THE WEIGHING OPERATION, SAID FORCE MEASURING DEVICE BEING PRESET TO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF THE LOAD APPLIED TO THE WEIGHING ELEMENT.