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This listing is for a VINTAGE FISHER SCIENTIFIC ENCLOSED 200g APOTHECARY CHAINOMATIC BALANCE as can be seen in the pictures.
UNIT IS IN WONDERFUL COSMETIC CONDITION AND WILL ENHANCE ANY COLLECTION!
Unit is being sold as is since we do not know how this unit operates.
Description
This was FISHER SCIENTIFIC's top-of-the-line Chainomatic analytical balance at the time.
The aluminum case is gray crinkle finished with nickel plated (now corroded on the outside) trim.
There are glass panels on the front and top, and on the back.
The plate is black glass setting on a cast aluminum base.
The case is about 20"h x 18 1/4"w x 9"d.
There is a drawer in the base.
The balance has stainless steel pans on polished brass, 3-piece, hangers.
The column is enclosed in a polished brass sheath.
See catalog descriptions for additional details.
As seen in the enlarged image, a nickel-plated black-painted brass tag attached to the back of the balance case provides the style (AB-4), capacity (200 g) and serial number (A 16771).
A small cardboard box (3 5/8" x 2 5/8" x 1/2") originally containing the chain for this balance was found in the balance drawer.
Original wrappings etc. were still in the box as shown in the image.
Research
According to the equipment inventory list for HSU this balance was acquired in 1952 for $462.48.
A history of this company is available on-line.
Use/History
The chainweight balance allowed more rapid determination of small weights by substituting a precision chain weight for the small (<100 mg) weights of the traditional balance.
Thus, once the operator came to within 100 mg of the desired weight, he/she would no longer need to arrest the beam, open the balance case, add additional weights, close the case, release the beam and observe its swing, etc. greatly speeding the determination of exact weights.
This instrument also has a notched beam allowing up to 1 gm of additional mass (for a total of 1.1 gm) to be added without opening the case.
The aluminum cased chainweight balances replaced the older mahogany cased versions such as this model in 1950.
This was the elite balance for the chemistry department when it was obtained.
Mervin Hanson, a student in the Humboldt chemistry department (1956-1961), and later a Professor (1965) commented that he was finally allowed to use this balance when he was a senior!
Inventory # 18111
