The Weights and Measures Regulations 1963

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations come into operation (simultaneously with Parts I, II, V and VI of the Weights and Measures Act 1963) on the 31st January 1964. They substantially replace the Weights and Measures Regulations 1907, as amended, which cease to have effect with the repeal on that date of the Weights and Measures Act 1904.

The Regulations, which apply to all weighing and measuring equipment for use for trade of the classes specified in regulation 1, deal with the materials, principles of construction, inspection, testing, passing as fit for use for trade and stamping of such equipment.

The present Regulations in substance repeat the provisions of the earlier Regulations, subject to some drafting alterations and to such adaptations as are necessary to enable the present Regulations, operating within the framework of the Weights and Measures Act 1963, to produce the same effect as was produced by the earlier Regulations operating within the framework of the Acts repealed by the Act of 1963. Except as respects the matters mentioned below, the alterations have not made any changes of substance in the requirements under the earlier Regulations.

The only changes of substance which have been made are to extend to all equipment in the class to which they relate, those requirements which the Board of Trade formerly imposed in relation to particular equipment in those classes as a condition of granting a dispensation from the general requirements of the earlier Regulations. The changes are as follows:—

(a)

in regulation 18(a), the maximum permitted increase in the capacity of mental milk churns caused by the addition of a top rim, lip or relating edge has been raised from 10 per cent. to 25 per cent., in accordance with British Standard Specifications for such churns;

(b)

regulation 26(2), the requirements as to the marking of the maximum purported value on liquid capacity measures made of sheet metal have been varied;

(c)

in regulation 42, certain apothecaries and troy weights may now be made of stainless steel;

(d)

in regulation 43, the permitted shape of certain metric weights has been varied;

(e)

in regulation 47(2), avoirdupois weights made of stainless steel are no longer required to have an adjusting hole;

(f)

in regulation 64(2), the requirement that a weighing instrument shall be properly balanced when unloaded has been varied;

(g)

in regulation 78, the requirements as to the position of the stamping plug on beam scales and balances have been varied;

(h)

in regulation 103(1), the requirements as to the fitting of knife edges of dead-weight machines have been varied;

(i)

in regulations 136–138 and in Part XI of Schedule 2, the requirements as to the testing of automatic weighing machines have beenvaried.