Accession No

1447

Brief Description

balance, 1st half 19th C

Origin

Maker

Class

balances

Earliest Date

1800

Latest Date

1850

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, steel); wood

Dimensions

length of beam 235mm; diameter of pans 96mm; box length 300mm; breadth 147mm; height 65mm

Special Collection

Cavendish collection

Provenance

Transferred from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

Inscription

Description Notes

Fitted wooden box with drawer forms base for balance. Steel beam (possibly not part of original balance). Box beam ends with finials; self-locating steel knife edge and ring centre bearings; index over; gallows with ring bearing and two apertures below. All hung from arm hinged to a 2-part turned brass column with pedal at base for raising and lowering pans. Column screws into lid of box. Two circular brass pans with suspension cords and hooks. Drawer in box with brass weights marked ‘1000 GRAINS’, ‘500 GRAINS’, ‘300 GRAINS’, ‘200 GRAINS’, ‘100 GRAINS’, ‘50 GRAINS’, ‘30 GRAINS’, ‘20 GRAINS’; also a set of fractional weights. Paper label giving conversions between grains, drams and ounces (Troy and avoirdupois). Brass knob on drawer.

Condition fair; complete

References

Events