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NOTES & UNIQUE PHENOMENA

A Swinging Stage to Continuously Level a Platform Balance for Field Use

USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Range Research Station, 2000 18th Street, Woodward, OK 73801. All programs and services of the USDA are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap

^* Corresponding author (Tim.Springer{at}ars.usda.gov).

Subsample wet weight is usually taken with a portable platform balance often times situated on the tailgate of a truck. Each time the vehicle is moved, the balance must be re-leveled, and depending on the terrain, it may have to be shimmed. A "Swinging Stage" was designed, built, and tested to determine its usefulness in weighing subsamples. The Swinging Stage was constructed from common materials and takes about an hour to build. After the parts are cut and preassembled, the support hanger can be secured to a truck's stake rack and the stage suspended from it. Next, a platform balance can be placed onto the stage and initially leveled. To test the Swinging Stage performance, the vehicle was moved several times onto varying slopes and each time the balance remained level. The Swinging Stage eliminated the time and frustration of leveling a platform balance each time the vehicle was moved.

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Received for publication November 1, 2007.