L'ANCIENNE BASCULE

THE BASCULE BRIDGE
In 1741, an English carpenter from Birmingham, John Waytt, came up with the principle of a counterbalanced lever, which enabled him to invent the bascule and later the bascule bridge. These measuring instruments represented the public authority for weighing and measuring goods and merchandise offered for sale at fairs.
The first weighbridge was built on the Port-Saint-Père fairground on 13 July 1898. It measured 3 metres by 2 metres. It was used mainly during the three annual fairs: Whit Tuesday, 30 July and the Monday after the feast of Saint-Michel. A cabin was built alongside it on 26 November 1902.

ITS EXTENSION
The decree of 17 August 1932 mentions the acquisition of a wider public weighbridge for the passage of two-wheeled vehicles. This weighbridge is 5 metres long and 2.2 metres wide.
The Departmental Service for Measuring Instruments requested repairs to the weighbridge, first in 1957 and then again in 1976. The weighbridge has not been in use since the 1960s.

INVENTION OF THE WEIGHBRIDGE
Like the Roman balance, the weighbridge is a balance with unequal arms. The load is placed on a support acting on a short lever arm. Balance is achieved by placing known weights on the pan at the end of the longer free arm. Depending on the ratio between the lengths of the two arms, the ratio between the known mass and the load being weighed can range from 1 to 100.