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TOLEDO FAN
SCALE MODEL 405
Toledoan
Robert Tomes moved to Spartanburg, SC in 1973 as part of a new plant start-up team as an employee of the Toledo Scale Company. This
model was built in 1918 and was one of the last few to be restored [by Mr. Tomes]. It is a rare piece with all original
manufactured parts, including the glass and aluminum scoop.
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HANGING SCALE
Built c. 1950. Mr. Tomes was an engineer with Toledo Scale for 25 years until 1994. Both scales
were built in the Toledo plant on Telegraph Road. He was able to locate and restore this scale as well to museum quality.
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Calibration
weights: 1 Lb.-460g, 4oz.; 50g.; 1oz.; 20g.; 1/4oz.; 2g.
Also known as test weights, they were produced
in many various graduations and in several styles depending on the weight capacity. The lighter capacity weight ranges were
for use in retail scales. These particular samples are cylinder shaped and called “knob” or “jug”
weights. They were made from carbon steel round bar stock and then chrome plated, polished and sealed to exact weight specifications
by pouring molten lead into a cavity bored into the top of the weight for that purpose. Another version was flat tapered disc
shaped and called “hockey puck” or “puck” weights. These were also chrome-plated, polished and sealed
to exact weight specifications by pouring molten lead into a cavity bored into the side of the weight for that purpose. The
puck weights have the advantage of being easier to stack on a platter while setting-up and calibrating the scale. Newer versions
of these weights are made from stainless steel in order to eliminate the expensive chrome plating and polishing processes
in order to reduce costs. Each weight is marked with “TOLEDO SCALE” and the capacity unit of measure in pounds
(lb.), ounces (oz.), or grams (g.), and sometimes both avoirdupois and metric nomenclatures. When the size of the weight is
very small, the Toledo name is omitted and they are not sealed with lead but are precision machined for accuracy.
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HANGING
“T”
COASTER - Size: 4” x 4” x ¼”. Material: Machined Aluminum.
The Toledo Scale Spartanburg plant had several types of Moog and Cincinnati
programmable multiple axis horizontal and vertical milling machines at the time it was actively producing production parts.
This Coaster was made as a promotional piece during demonstrations of how those machines operated for an open house tour for
one of the early plant anniversaries that were commemorated over the years. |
SOUVENIR GROUND-
BREAKING SHOVEL
Measured at 7”x1-7/16”, and given out as a souvenir from the ground-breaking ceremony for the Spartanburg,
SC Toledo Scale Plant located at the intersection of Highway 176 and I-85 in Inman, SC on September 5, 1973. At that time
Toledo Scale was a division of Reliance Electric Company (since 1968) whose philosophy was to have various small plants located
around the country vs. one large centralized plant. Additionally the company wanted to remove themselves from the hold of
the union on the work force in Ohio and South Carolina being a right-to-work state was a factor in choosing South Carolina
as the location for the new plant. At that time the union had a strong influence on the ability to produce load cells which
were integral to the transition away from mechanical lever scales and toward electronic scales. The new plant began at the
advent of the digital age of the 1970’s when new innovations reaching the market as a result of the space program technologies
were being applied to the weighing industry in the form of load cells and electronic scales. This would require new thinking,
new skills and new machinery not currently in place at the Toledo, Ohio facility.
Only (7) employees currently working at the Toledo, OH plant
were asked to move to South Carolina to become a part of the start-up team including Jim Carroll, Jim Chlo- pek; Patrick Hinde; Ron Quinlan; John La- num; Richard Pavalino; and Robert Tomes.
The Spartanburg plant remained in operation until it was closed in November 2003, a span of 29 years.
At that time the load cell manufacturing which was the major product of the facility was transferred for economic purposes
to an off shore plant (China) and the various scale products were moved to other manufacturing locations off shore (China)
and within the U.S. |
