How do these work???

[Farjo]

Saw these in a shop in Spain:

It's got two plates, as if you would put the goods on one side and weights on the other, but that doesn't make sense as it has that big needle thing and a dial.
So question 1: why two plates?
Question 2 is: the top row goes up to 1kg, but what are the other 'rows' for?

[locksmith]

Thinking back to my youth, the scales had different prices for different weights.
For example if I had a quarter of sherbert lemons she would weigh the quarter out and then look down the scale to the correct base price for sherbert lemons and then read across where the pointer was for how much I owed her!

[Farjo]

Yes I think you're right because if you look at the full sized image the needle has 'preci~~~' (a bit fuzzy at the end) which presumably comes from precio = price :thumbup


So just the question of the two plates

[richfzs]

It's something of that sort, I agree - but there's more to it somewhere, as weight (up to 1kg) is also displayed across the top of the display.

Perhaps the weights came only on 1kg increments, and the scale calculates the fraction of kg price, to be added to the multiple of the number of weights (if that makes sense?!? )

[Buzz]

I reckon the plates work independently, the one on the right looks like you can put a pot on it, so maybe used for rice/potatoes etc. The one on the left is probably for more stable stuff like sliced meat/cheese?

[midden]

sweet scales had a pan  these are more for meats.  light weights like sliced ham weighing under 1Kg needed no counter weights. 
Produducts weighing more than 1kg  needed weights to be put on the left tray.  So the lower rows would be used depending on the counter weight used


So 1kg of product takes needle all to end of scale, placing a 1kg weight on left tray brings needle back to zero


Just a thought

Oh and the small tray is a counter weight itself

[richfzs]

Produducts weighing more than 1kg  needed weights to be put on the left tray.  So the lower rows would be used depending on the counter weight used


So 1kg of product takes needle all to end of scale, placing a 1kg weight on left tray brings needle back to zero

Aye, that's what I said, midden ;-)

[midden]

[quote author=midden link=topic=13360.msg150871#msg150871 date=1401451135]
Produducts weighing more than 1kg  needed weights to be put on the left tray.  So the lower rows would be used depending on the counter weight used


So 1kg of product takes needle all to end of scale, placing a 1kg weight on left tray brings needle back to zero

Aye, that's what I said, midden ;-)
[/quote]
You calling me a cheat?  :evil

[Exupnut]

How many pies in a kilo ?

[Farjo]

Ah, so if someone wanted 3&ahalf kilo you could put three 1kg weights on one plate then the other side (the goods) will be 3.5kg when the scale reaches 500g. Is that what you mean?

And yes I see what you mean about the place for a bowl and the other plate for cheese etc. I guess the bowl would have come with it and was the exact weight to take the scale to 0 (zero grams). Although perhaps that sounds a bit tricky, mechanically.

[richfzs]

Ah, so if someone wanted 3&ahalf kilo you could put three 1kg weights on one plate then the other side (the goods) will be 3.5kg when the scale reaches 500g. Is that what you mean?

Yep..

And yes I see what you mean about the place for a bowl and the other plate for cheese etc. I guess the bowl would have come with it and was the exact weight to take the scale to 0 (zero grams). Although perhaps that sounds a bit tricky, mechanically.

Dunno about this - scale looks to be sitting at zero now (my mother did tell I'd go blind though) . I think if a bowl was involved, yes it would have to come with it, together with a corresponding weight to zero it again. Or used without, if slices of meat.

Think weights will always be on the left, produce on the right.

[richfzs]

Isn't it time some miserable foccer came along and told us off for discussing something not bike related? Well :foc :rollin

[richfzs]

You calling me a cheat?  :evil

I am accusing you off taking my clumsily worded explanation, rephrasing it much clearer, and then trying to take the credit, you cheeky little  :2guns :nana :kiss

[midden]

[quote author=midden link=topic=13360.msg150882#msg150882 date=1401452995]

You calling me a cheat?  :evil

I am accusing you off taking my clumsily worded explanation, rephrasing it much clearer, and then trying to take the credit, you cheeky little  :2guns :nana :kiss
[/quote]
Lol not at all but reading yours I can see where you're coming from. 

 

[red98]

Ooooo.can remember my gran using these in local butchers......and yes midden is right in the way they work  :thumbup......blast from the past for me........

[Millietant]

I've got an even older set in my garage that were in my gran's house when she died 30 years ago.

A tray on one side and a frame on the other side (with 2 pans of different sizes which fit) but no scale, just a pointer with a middle marker and a whole boat-load of small weights.


If you want to weigh out 8 ounces, you put 8 ounces of weights on the tray and then fill up the pan until the pointer comes to the centre mark - eg, both sides are balanced, and you have 8 ounces in the pan.


I remember shops having and still using these in the early '60's


I feel old......................