Hi,
Weight used to cover the vent during sterilisation of surgical instruments because sterilisation is carried out very high temperature which is done by increasing the temperature by increasing the pressure above the atmospheric pressure which is done by putting weight over the cover of the vent as vent is covered by weight due to which water is heated in closed vessel and boiling doesn't occur in closed vessel and hence vapour pressure remarkably increased due to which sterilisation take place in proper way.
Regards