Re: Scale for weighing fully laden power wheelchairs

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:430aa924.75541159@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >My question is this:  If I took four identical bathroom scales, a 4x4
sheet
> >or two of 3/4" plywood and attached wood block "feet" at each corner that
> >would sit on the bathrooms scales, would their readings (assuming each
scale
> >was zeroed out to start) total up to the weight of the object?  After my
> >knockout gaffe today, I'm looking for a sanity check just to make sure I
> >haven't overlooked the obvious.  I think it should work and since I have
the
> >plywood, the only cost would be the four scales.
>
> Yes. At least one commercial wheelchair scale operates on the same
principle
> with independent load cells adding up to the total.
>
>      http://www.itinscales.com/medweigh_ms2300_wheelchair_scales.htm
>
> With bathroom type scales you'll need to position them so that each is
> loaded centrally. I'd suggest at 45° to the corners.

Good.  I'll make the feet out of scrap of doubled-up 2x4 scrap pieces all
miter cut identically and mounted across the corners as you've suggested to
give a fairly broad, central footprint on each scale.  Then I'll have a
wheelchair scale and four bathroom scales, one for each bathroom and then
some.  For another $50 I can aim pinhole B&W board cameras -- they're down
to $12 each with cabling:

http://www.supercircuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4232&HS=1

at each readout and display them thru my new MUX box on the video feed.
Gotta love COTS solutions.

Thanks for the sanity check,

--
Bobby G.