Flexure scale

In combination with a chair for seating a medical patient;

• a scale for displaying changes in weight of the patient in said chair, said scale comprising
• a support frame;
• a load frame disposed on said support frame for receiving the chair;
• a pair of displacement transmitting members disposed on opposite sides of said support frame;
• a plurality of load flexures connecting said load frame to each of said members to transfer the weight of a load thereto;
• a plurality of support flexures connecting each said member to said support frame to permit each member to pivot under an applied weight of a load on said load frame;
• a first beam arm secured to one of said members to pivot therewith;
• a second beam arm secured to the other of said members;
• a transfer arm secured to said second beam arm and to said first beam arm to transfer the motion of said second beam arm to said first beam arm;
• means secured to said support frame and to said first beam arm to proportionately restrain movement of said beam arm relative to said support frame;
• a linear variable differential transformer mounted on said support frame for emitting a signal corresponding to the displacement of said first beam arm at said free end relative to said support frame;
• and
• a readout means connected to said transformer to display changes in weight of the patient in said chair.

In combination, a plurality of scales, each scale including a support frame;

• a load frame mounted on said support frame for receiving a load and for moving vertically relative to said support frame upon receiving a load;
• a beam arm connected to said load frame to pivot about a horizontal axis in response to movement of said load frame;
• means mounted on said support frame and secured to said beam arm to proportionally restrain movement of said beam arm relative to said support frame;
• and a linear variable differential transformer mounted on said support frame for emitting a signal corresponding to the displacement of said beam arm relative to said support frame;
• and
• a single digital readout means for selectively receiving a signal from said transformer of each scale and for displaying a digital valve corresponding to the received signal as a measure of weight of a load on a respective scale.

A scale comprising

• a support frame having a plurality of tubular members defining a rectangular opening;
• a load frame having a plurality of tubular members defining a rectangular opening;
• a pair of displacement transmitting members disposed on opposite sides of said support frame;
• a plurality of load flexures connecting said load frame to each of said members to transfer the force of a load thereto;
• a plurality of support flexures connecting each of said members to said support frame to permit each member to pivot under an applied weight of a load on said load frame;
• a first beam arm secured to one of said members to pivot therewith, said arm being located outside the plane of said opening in said load frame;
• a second beam arm secured to the other of said members and extending towards said one beam arm;
• a transfer arm secured to said second beam arm and to said first beam arm to transfer the load of said second beam arm to said first beam arm;
• a spring secured at one end to said support frame and at an opposite end to said beam arm to proportionately restrain movement of said beam arm;
• and
• a linear variable differential transformer mounted between said support frame and said first beam arm for emitting a signal corresponding to the displacement of said first beam arm relative to said support frame as a measure of the weight of a load on said load frame.