Railroads earn money for hauling freight, and they charge by the ton. On June 13 1857, Thaddeus Fairbanks received United States patent #16,381, the first U.S.
If you have ever bought a load of gravel, coal or animal feed in your pickup truck, you have probably driven your vehicle onto a scale that was originally designed by Thaddeus Fairbanks. Their products ranged from the small counter-top scales seen in hardware stores, to the familiar floor model that we step on at the doctor’s office, to a very large version capable of weighing a vehicle. Fairbanks Company” was formed in 1834 and began selling platform scales, not only in the United States but also in Europe, South America, and even China. Then, while awaiting their appointment, he had a further brainstorm, which he later recalled in the passage quoted above. When family members suggested that he market the scales to others, Thaddeus secured the services of an agent. Fairbanks’ solution of a platform balance allowed a wagon could be driven onto the platform and weighed together with its cargo. This made it difficult to weigh very large or very heavy items. Prior to this time, objects had always been weighed by hanging them from a balance beam. This eliminated the need to hoist the entire load. He dug a pit for the levers, placing the platform level with the ground. He arranged a system of levers that significantly reduced the weight needed to counter-balance a load. Since no scale was available that could accurately weigh large loads of hemp, Thaddeus proceeded to design one. There, in partnership with his brother Erastus, he manufactured stoves and farm implements.Īround 1830, the Fairbanks brothers became interested in the production of hemp.
Five years later he built an iron foundry. At age 19 he opened a wheelwright shop above his father’s mill in St. Thaddeus Fairbanks was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts on 17 January in 1796. I told the agent that he must wait a few days until I could make plans and patterns in accordance with my new discovery, and said to my wife that I had just discovered a principle that would be worth more than a thousand dollars.” “While sitting up watching for the time to call him, the principle upon which we now build our scales suddenly came into my mind.
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