The present invention relates to a weighing apparatus. More particularly, this invention concerns a springless scale capable of very accurately measuring weight.
A scale is known wherein a chamber of variable volume defined by a cylinder and piston displaceable therein is connected via a conduit to a further smaller-diameter chamber also having a piston. The two chambers and the conduit between them are completely filled with an incompressible fluid. Both of the pistons are turned upwardly and are downwardly displaceable into the respective chambers to reduce the volumes thereof. Thus, when a weight is rested on the large-diameter piston, the small-diameter piston will be displaced upwardly. It is possible in such an arrangement to provide a plurality of such large-diameter piston arrangements connected via respective conduits to a plurality of such smaller-diameter piston arrangements all of whose piston rods are interconnected so that their positions can be determined.
Such an arrangement has shown that even when the pistons and their cylinders are machined with utmost care, the considerable friction between the pistons and the cylinders falsifies the readings to such an extent that the scale cannot be used for accurate scientific measurement. Furthermore, this friction, which is a function of temperature, wear, and other factors that are impossible to compensate out.