SALTER
model 701
letter- & parcel scale up to 1kg
for PTT, the Dutch Postal Service

maker: Salter Industrial Measurement Limited, Broseley, Shropshire, England bruine lijn

letter & parcel scale Salter model 701 up to 1kg

This large letter and parcel scale with scale housing dimensions of 33.0 x 26.5 x 18.0 centimeters, a platform diameter of 20.0 cm, and a total height of 39 cm, weighs no less than 8.4 kilograms. The scale was made by Salter Industrial Measurement Limited, of Broseley, Shropshire, in England. The dial shows the PTT logo with the text below: weegvermogen 1kg (Dutch, translated: weighing capacity 1kg), under there: niet voor handelsdoeleinden (Dutch, translated: not for trading purposes), and underneath: uitsluitend bestemd voor weging van poststukken (Dutch, translated: intended exclusively for weighing postal items). After some searching it turned out that this scale was built into a PTT red steel housing at the Dutch PTT. This unit, together with a stamp machine and possibly a money exchange machine, was set up on major train platforms and in post offices and available to the public in part of the 1980s, see the photos at the bottom of this page. There are a few specifics. There is a round spirit level on top of the scale housing to check whether the scale is level, but there are no adjustable feet to adjust the position if desired. Moreover, the spirit level disappears from view when installed at the PTT. The pointer can be set to zero via an adjustment knob located centrally on top of the scale housing, which requires a cylindrical pin. But for this adjustment the front of the built-in cupboard must first be opened by opening the two locks. The weighing mechanism is rock solid, has ball bearings, and the pinion of the hardened rack also runs in ball bearings. The scale has a pneumatic damper to stop the movement faster. The scale springs are made of a nickel-iron-chromium alloy, which provides a constant modulus of elasticity between minus 45 and plus 65 degrees Celsius, making the scale virtually independent of temperature. The scale housing is made of aluminum. The parts of the weighing mechanism are made of galvanized and passivated steel. Striking is that a second indicator already is present inside at the back of the scale.

back of the Salter model 701

Model 701 can be found in the Salter catalog from 1982. According to the accompanying price list for the Netherlands, the price including the 18% VAT of that time was no less than 1986.71 NLG (= Dutch guilders), or converted into euros € 901.53.
A version with a dial on two sides was offered as Salter model 702. There was also a two kilograms version of the Salter model 701, see here.
Below are some more images of the Salter model 701 as a letter & parcel scale for the PTT, the Dutch postal company.

side view left

Salter model 701 for the Dutch PTT weighs up to 1 kilogram

side view right

the partially disassembled scale	at the top right of the parallelogram the ball bearing has come out, probably during transport	here, at the top right of the parallelogram of the scale mechanism, the recovered ball bearing is reattached with Loctite Bearing Fit
the pneumatic damper ensures a quick stop of the mechanism during weighing	a pointer is already mounted on the back	there is a weight of 1 kilo on the scale
the round aluminum weighing platform	the fine adjustment button can be operated with a metal pin	the spirit level on top of the scale housing is of little use for the PTT in the built-in version because there are no adjustable feet
the PTT scale up to 1 kilogram has clear stripes per 2 grams and per 5 grams	the SALTER sticker on the inside of the glass plate	top right of the dial: Registered Design No's 952533/4/5
bottom left of the dial: SALTER - Model 701 - Made in England	the bottom of the scale shows two sturdy fixed strips	the PTT logo with below the texts: weegvermogen 1kg niet voor handelsdoeleinden uitsluitend bestemd voor weging van poststukken
the Salter scale at the PTT was built into a red steel housing	setup at a PTT post office	as part of a postal machine setup at a train station