The Weights and Measures Regulations 1963

PART VWEIGHTS

Materials and principles of construction

38.—(1) Weights shall be made entirely of metal, other than lead or other soft metal or soft alloy:

Provided that lead may be inserted into a weight for the purposes of adjustment.

(2) No weight of a purported value of less than 4 ounces in the imperial system, or less than 100 grammes in the metric system, shall be made of iron.

(3) Avoirdupois weights shall not be made of aluminium or of any other metal or alloy of low density.

(4) Subject to regulation 44(1), no weight shall be made of two or more different and unalloyed metals.

39.  Avoirdupois weights shall be of the flat-circular, bar, bell or ring type, and, if they are of octagonal shape, they shall only be of a purported value of 50 pounds, 20 pounds, 10 pounds or 5 pounds.

40.  Avoirdupois weights of the flat-circular type shall—

(a)if made of iron, only be made in purported values from 4 pounds to 4 ounces inclusive;

(b)if not made of iron, only be made in purported values from 4 pounds to half a dram inclusive, and the weights in each set shall be of similar shape and proportional dimensions.

41.  Every avoirdupois weight of the bell type of a purported value set out in column 1 of the table contained in Schedule 3 hereto shall be so constructed that—

(a)it is of such shape that a diagram of the figure of its vertical section taken through the centre from top to base would correspond to that contained in the said Schedule; and

(b)the height of the said weight is that set out in column 2(a) of the said table appropriate to a weight of that purported value, or approximate thereto within the appropriate limits set out in column 2(b) of that table.

42.—(1) Apothecaries weights and troy weights of a purported value of 1 ounce or more shall be made of stainless steel, brass, gunmetal or bronze and shall be of the cylindrical type and provided with carrying handles or knobs.

(2) Grain weights, apothecaries weights, troy weights and pennyweights of a purported value of less than 1 ounce shall be made of any of the metals aforesaid and may, in addition, be made of platinum, aluminium or aluminium alloys, and shall be of the flat or wire type.

43.  Metric weights (other than carat (metric) weights), including counterpoises—

(a)if made of iron, shall be of the hexagonal type;

(b)if not made of iron, shall be of the cylindrical, hexagonal, flat or wire type;

(c)if of the cylindrical type and of a purported value of 5 grammes or more, the height of the cylindrical portion shall be approximately equal to the diameter.

44.—(1) Weights made of iron shall be blacked, black-leaded, oxidised or protected by galvanisation or by any other process approved by the Board.

(2) No weight made of iron shall be fitted with removable or split rings.

45.  Weights shall be free from flaws and smooth on all their surfaces.

46.—(1) Weights shall have their purported values conspicuously, legibly and durably marked thereon, either in full or by means of one of the following abbreviations only:—

• lb

• oz

• dr

• gr

• oz.tr

• oz.apoth

• dwt

• kg

• kilog

• kilogram

• gram

• g

• milligram

• mg

• C.M.:

provided that—

(a)during a period of 5 years from the date of the coming into operation of these Regulations, metric weights which were first stamped prior to the said date may be marked with one of the following abbreviations:—

• grm

• dg

• cg

(b)apothecaries weights may be marked by means of one of the following symbols:—

iv (4 drachms)

ij (2 drachms)

i (1 drachm)

ij (2 scruples)

fs (1½ scruples)

i (1 scruple)

fs (½ scruples)

(2) If the maker's name is stated on any weight, it shall be in letters not exceeding half the size of the letters or numerals indicating the purported value of that weight.

47.—(1) Avoirdupois weights (other than those made of stainless steel) of a purported value of 1 ounce or more, shall be provided with one adjusting hole only.

(2) Avoirdupois weights made of stainless steel shall not be required to have an adjusting hole.

48.  The adjusting holes in all weights shall be in the under surface of the weight and shall not extend to the upper surface. They shall be undercut and plugged with lead, which shall cover the bottom of the hole and shall not project beyond the surface.

49.  No avoirdupois weight (other than one made of stainless steel) shall be adjusted otherwise than by means of an adjusting hole in accordance with regulations 47 and 48.

50.—(1) In the case of weights of the flat-circular type made of iron, the lead inserted for adjustment shall be not less than one-eighth of an inch in thickness; the approximate depth of the adjusting hole shall be equal to three-fifths of the centre thickness of the weight; and the approximate minimum distance of the lead from the surface of the weight shall, when new, be one-fifth of the centre thickness of the weight.

(2) The adjusting holes in such weights shall be circular and their smallest diameter shall be approximately—

(a)in the case of weights of a purported value of 4 pounds or 2 pounds, 1 inch;

(b)in the case of weights of a purported value of 1 pound, three-quarters of an inch;

(c)in the case of weights of a purported value of 8 ounces or 4 ounces, half an inch.

51.—(1) The adjusting holes in weights made of iron other than those of the flat-circular type, shall be rectangular or circular, and shall not be greater in area than the area of a rectangle of the following approximate dimensions:—

(2) The minimum distance of the lead (when new) from the surface of the weight shall correspond approximately to that specified in the fourth column of the foregoing table.

52.—(1) The adjusting holes in weights other than weights made of iron shall be circular and of the following approximate dimensions:—

(2) The minimum distance of the lead (when new) from the surface of the weight shall correspond approximately to that specified in the fourth column of the foregoing table.

Testing

53.  The inspector shall not test any weight unless his testing equipment is—

(a)balanced in true equipoise;

(b)free from any influences likely in his opinion to affect its accuracy.

54.  In testing any weight, the inspector shall—

(a)place the appropriate local or working standard on one pan of his testing equipment; and

(b)place counterpoises on the other pan so that the pointer exactly indicates zero; and

(c)replace the standard by the weight under test; and

(d)if the pointer does not then exactly indicate zero, add sufficient testing counterpoises to either pan to determine whether the weight falls within the prescribed limits of error:

provided that where in any particular case the inspector is of the opinion that it is not practicable to adopt such procedure, he shall test the weight by direct comparison with the appropriate local or working standard.

55.  Part III of Schedule 1 here to shall have effect for prescribing limits of error in relation to weights.

Stamping

56.—(1) Weights shall be stamped on the lead in the adjusting hole, if any.

(2) Weights not provided with an adjusting hole shall be stamped on the under surface of the weight.