Bate's gravimeter, c. 1830-5

Bate's gravimeter, with seven brass and four platinum weights in ivory box, in mahogany case, 6 1/2" x 2 1/8" x 2 1/2", c. 1830-5

From the legislation of Sikes’ instrument in 1816 til the appointment of the Royal Society’s Committee which reported in 1833, the only official table of strengths was that compiled by Sikes. The specific gravities upon which he had based these strengths were not published. R B Bate (fl. 1807-1843) proposed that the gravities (expressed as weights per gallon at 62F) appropriate to the graduations on the hydrometer be determined by actual observation. This instrument was designed for the determination; it is based on an earlier design of William Nicholson, the weights being loaded on the upper scale spindle projecting out of the liquid.