General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

ALUMINUM BASE/ STEEL BALANCE/ METAL & SYNTHETIC PARTS/ WOOD CASE WITH METAL FOIL-LINED GLASS WINDOWS, METAL HARDWARE

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

138.3 cm

Width

68.3 cm

Height

198.6 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Metrology

Category

Mass/weight

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Westphal

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1950 TO C.1980

Canada

MADE BY A CANADIAN, GEORGE WESTPHAL OF TORONTO, WHO MADE SCIENTIFIC BALANCES & INSTRUMENTS FROM AT LEAST 1950-1962. THIS INSTRUMENT WAS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL MEASUREMENT STANDARDS &FOR ALMOST 35 YEARS IT PROVIDED ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS OF CANADA'S NATIONAL MASS STANDARDS & FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

Function

A PRECISION MEASURING DEVICE USED TO COMPARE MASS STANDARDS, SPECIFICALLY TO ATTEST THE STANDARD MASSES FOR THE CANADIAN DEPT. OF LEGAL METROLOGY & NATIONAL DEFENCE, & VERIFY COMPARISON MASSES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL & INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES WHICH RELY ON EXACT MASSES TO PRODUCE THEIR PRODUCTS.

Technical

A LARGE CUSTOM-MADE PRECISION BALANCE, WHICH ORIGINALLY HAD A LIFTING CAM TO RAISE THE BEAM OFF ITS PIVOTS. IN THE LATE 1960'S, A HYDRAULIC CAM WAS USED TO PROVIDE MORE STABILITY & EASIER HANDLING BUT WAS UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT LEAKED OIL. IN 1993 NRC DESIGNED A NEW CAM LIKE THE FIRST BUT IT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL & THE BALANCE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE HIGHLY ACCURATE MEASUREMENT REQUIRED.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BLACK SCALE MARKINGS FOR 0 TO 40 ON WHITE SCALE/ DETACHED LARGE SYNTHETIC PLATE READING IN BLACK 'GEORGE WESTPHAL/ TORONTO'/ TWO DECALS ON PLATE READING 'Property of/Propriete du/ NRCC/CNRC/ 002170' & 'NRC/CNR/ PHYSICS/PHYSIQUE/ 012818'

Missing

From CA of 03/09/1995 by Myles Bailey: No - Complete

Finish

WHITE PAINTED BASE/ BLACK PAINTED BALANCE ARM, PAN BASES/ POLISHED STEEL BALANCE FRAME & PARTS/ WHITE SYNTHETIC SCALE & MFR'S I.D. PLATE/ WOOD STAINED DARK BROWN & VARNISHED ON INTERIOR OF CASE, EXTERIOR HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF ITS FINISH/ COLOURLESS TRANSPARENT GLASS/ METALLIC FOIL

Decoration

N/A