Accession No

1593

Brief Description

chemical balance, 10 1/4-inch beam, by Robinson, English, c. 1830

Origin

38 Devonshire Street; Portland Place; London; England

Maker

Robinson, Thomas Charles

Class

balances

Earliest Date

1825

Latest Date

1841

Inscription Date

Material

wood; metal (brass, steel); glass; rope (cord); stone (agate); ivory

Dimensions

length 428mm; height 404mm; depth 192mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Transferred from the Department of Mineralogy & Petrology, University of Cambridge, in 16/08/1971.

Inscription

‘Robinson
38, Devonshire Street
Portland Place London.
517’’ (on base plate)

Description Notes

Chemical balance, 10 1/4-inch beam, by Robinson, English, c. 1830.

Brass open triangle shaped beam with steel centre-knife and and steel end knives with inclined slit and steel pressing screw adjustment. Index pointer with screwed sensitivity bob, turns over silvered scale below. Wire flag adjustment above centre knife. Three brass pans hung on cord (restrung?). Four assorted J wires, none original. Circular column set on square base plate. Two bubble levels with mutually perpendicular axes. Column splits t two verticals with square shaped piercing and two diagonals to horizontal beam support and a resting mechanism. Lever controlled arrestment mechanism locates beam and end plates by crutch mechanism. Agate centre plane / baseboard has three brass levelling feet and fitted drawer for beam, pan etc. Original weight pen missing, but newer version has been added - it can be screwed onto the top of the wooden baseboard. Wooden cabinet fits over baseboard. Glazed front and back. Side and front opening doors. Weights missing.

Condition fair (case broken); Incomplete

References

Events