The Balance

The balance probably has the longest history of any scientific instrument.
The principle of the double-arm balance was known to the early Egyptians,
but not until the 18th century was the instrument refined to permit truly
precise measurements. One of the first balances to appear in America was
made by Christian Becker around 1850. Becker equipped his instrument with
an arc arrest mechanism to eliminate wear on the knives and bearing surfaces
when the beam-was lifted from the fulcrum. The success of his balance, led
Becker to devote his life to its manufacture, and the Becker line of balances
continues among the finest of American instruments.
Another American pioneer in balance construction, was William 1880, began to
design assay balances and other mining instruments. With unusual mechanical
ability, Ainsworth devised a multi-weight carrier for the addition of
fractional weights. To facilitate easier operation in later models he
connected the weight system to a keyboard in the front of the cabinet. Today,
the firm of Wm. Ainsworth & Sons, Inc. has taken the lead in the field of
automatic recording balances.