Mechanical balance expert? Help please!

[Froggman]

I recently acquired a beautiful piece of equipment- a Sartorius 2462 mechanical balance. I got it from someone who purchased it direct from a government lab. It got a bit shaken up while shipping and came with no manual. He couldn't figure the thing out so he sold it to me.

It appears to be in great working condition. I replaced all the mg weights and played around with the tare- all the knobs work and the lights are aligned- everything seems to be in order. Only one problem- it still doesn't work. I am in the process of getting a copy of the manual mailed to me- but in the meantime I am eagerly trying to figure out what I have wrong.

When you flip the switch, the fixture holdig the pan lowers and SHOULD be resting on the arm. However, this doesn't happen. It appears as if a part may be missing from between 2 sharp metal points at the top of the handle supporting the pan.

I have a digital picture but apparently I can't post it in this forum. If anyone thinks they can help, if you have a place I can post the pics or email them, they provide a much better idea of what I am trying to say than my piss poor description.

I feel sooo close, yet so far!