Combined lifting and weighing device

Claim 1

A COMBINED LIFTING AND WEIGHING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FRAMEWORK INCLUDING AN UPPER MEMBER AND A LOWER LOAD-ENGAGING MEMBER SPACED FROM AND UNDERLYING THE UPPER MEMBER, A LEVER HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER MEMBER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, A LIFTING BAIL DESIGNED FOR CONNECTION TO AN OVERHEAD HOIST AND CONNECTED TO THE LEVER AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREON, THE FREE END REGION OF SAID LEVER NORMALLY UNDERLYING A PORTION OF THE UPPER MEMBER, A WEIGHTSENSING DEVICE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER MEMBER AND SAID FREE END REGION OF THE LEVER AND RESPONSIVE TO COMPRESSIONAL FORCES EXERTED THEREON BY THE FREE END REGION OF THE LEVER AND THE UPPER MEMBER WHEN THE LIFTING BAIL IS PULLED UPWARDLY, AND A WEIGHT-INDICATING DEVICE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE WEIGHT-SENSING DEVICE FOR RENDERING AN INDICATION OF THE DEGREE OF COMPRESSIONAL FORCE TO WHICH THE WEIGHT-SENSING DEVICE IS SUBJECTED WHEN THE LIFTING BAIL IS PULLED UPWARDLY, SAID LIFTING BAIL BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LEVER TO ALLOW FOR TILTING MOVEMENTS OF THE FRAMEWORK UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT POSITIONING OF THE LOAD UPON THE LOWER MEMBER TO THE END THAT THE DOWNWARD THRUST EXERTED BY THE LOAD THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK UPON THE POINT OF PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE UPPER MEMBER AND THE LEVER, AND THE DOWNWARD THRUST EXERTED BY THE LOAD THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK UPON THE WEIGHT SENSING DEVICE WILL REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY UNAFFECTED BY SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN POSITIONING OF THE LOAD ON THE LOWER MEMBER.