Accession No

1890

Brief Description

Chemical balance by Oertling, 1888

Origin

London; England

Maker

Oertling. L.

Class

balances

Earliest Date

1888

Latest Date

1888

Inscription Date

1888

Material

wood (mahogany); metal (brass, platinised copper, oxidised brass); stone (agate); glass; ivory; liquid; cloth (velvet)

Dimensions

breadth 720mm; depth 340mm; height 650mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Transferred from the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, in 1981. From Professor A.H.W. Beck’s laboratory.

Inscription

‘L. Oertling London’ (beam)
‘26/3/88’ (pencil on underside of drawer)

Description Notes

Brass. Open triangle form beam; agate centre knife and end knives. Beam graduated 9 - 1 and 1 - 9, numbered by 1, subdivided to 1/2. Verso of beam stamped ‘3’ and the underside ‘5’. ‘J’ wires with agate planes to stirrup-hung platinised copper pans. Rider sliders on left and right operated by knurled screws outside the case. Index screws onto beam and moves over ivory scale. Wire flag with screw for beam adjustment.
Brass pillar on square base with two bubble levels with mutually perpendicular axes. Oxidised brass triangular frame supports beam. At front of case a knurled headed knob to operate the beam arrestment mechanism.
Polished mahogany glazed case on 4 brass levelling screws. The base contains two drawers - underside of right-hand drawer carries cabinet maker’s initials and date. Sliding doors to left and right of front. Sliding door rear left. Brass locks to doors (one detached lock in left-hand drawer).

Condition fair (pans marked); complete.

References

Events