CA1233842A - Method and apparatus for weighing material - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A method and apparatus for separately weighing, by means of a common scale, contributions of material from multiple streams, such materials typically being printed papers, such as from a printing press. Material that is to be weighed, which is typically waste material, is loaded into receptacles or the like for temporary storage thereof and is subsequently and sequentially released into a storage bin or the like associated with the common scale . An increase in measured weight associated with each respective material release or discharge is then determined. From each weight increment associated with one of the multiple streams, is added to provide a total count corresponding to weight and associated with each, one of the individual streams of the multiple streams of material. In this way, separate count totals are maintained and continuously updated for a plurality of different corresponding deliveries but using a common scale and associated storage bin or container.

Description

3L210/700 ~;38'-~
DMD:md METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING MATERIAL

Background of the Invention The present invention relates very generally to a method and apparatus for weighing material, and pertains, more particularly, to a method and associated apparatus for separately weighing contributions of material from multiple streams thereof and carrying out this separate weighing usinq a common scale.
In the printing process, and in other production processes, particularly where a continuous supply of material, such as paper from a roll is fed through a printing press, it is desired to maintain an accurate count of the products from the production process. As long as all of the products from the process are usable, in the case of the printing process, the count is equal to the number of revolutions of the printing press. However, it typically happens that in the course of carrying out the process, some of the products or materials are spoiled for one reason or the other and must be discarded.
Thus, the total count of press impressions is no longer a measure of the total count o~ good Product Produced. It is and has been thus necessary either to count the good Product independently, or to maintain an accurate accountinq of the number of products discarded, so that this number can be subtracted from the known total count to obtain an accurate figure for the net "good" count.
A common method for counting "qood" products or materials from a printing press is with the use of two counters. One of these is a gross counter which counts every revolution of the press whether a "good" product is produced or whether the product is to be discarded. The other counter is a net counter. The net counter can be turned on and off by the press operator, in accordance with whether he thinks the copies heinq made are acceptable or not. The problem with this technique is that it is subject to error as the operator may he unaware that the press has started to produce copies that should be discarded and therefore the operator may fail to set the

-2 1~33~2 counter. It is typical that when the de~ect is discovered, that the operator may es~irnate the number in order to prevent the necessity of restarting the net counter when good co2ies are again produced.
~ o overcome the aforementioned problem, ratio scales have been employed to measure the number of signatures (impressions or sheets in the case of paper) discarded. The number so determined is subtracted from the gross count to obtain a more accurate net count. Alternatively, when the number of signatures discarded is determined from the ratio scale, this may be added to the required number of "good" counts in order to determine the gross counter readina at which the press is to be stopped. Although this technique is somewhat of an improvement, it is still subject to human errsr because of the bookkeeping involved. Also, because one printina press typically produces up to four different products at one time, the bookkeeping becomes particularly complicated. Also, the bookkeeping or record keepinq is complicated by virtue of the fact that usually only one scale is used to measure the waste paper from several deliveries of the same press.
Another technique that is employed involves the use of separate scales for each product. Ho~ever, this techni~ue requires substantial floor space and is also very expensive to implement. Still another common technique is to employ one scale but with multiple operator buttons such as four oPerator buttons to allow the press man to enter which printin~ stream the last weight came from. This technique require too much~
operator involvement and slows the process since several people may be depositing sheets at one time. A variation of these techniques uses a small scale or scales to weight the individua] bundles before they are deposited in the central bin. This variation has all the above-mentioned problems and further requires an extra step.
Accordingly, it is an o~ject of the present invention to provide a method and associated apparatus for separately weighing contributions of material, typically in sheet form from a printing press, from multiple streams thereof, and providing this weiqhing with a common scale.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apParatus for registering accurate "good" counts from each of multiple

- 3 ~ 3~
press deliveries using a common scale.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for weighing material in accordance with the preceding objects and in which the method is carried out the need for manual record keeping or manual entry of data.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and associated apparatus for weighing materials from multiple streams with a common scale and wherein the apparatus is safe to operate, jam proof, accurate in operation, and easy to maintain.
To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this invention, there is provided in accordance with one aspect thereof, apparatus for weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, which apparatus comprises a plurality of separate means, each for temporary storage of a quantity of said material that is to be weighed. Common weighing means are provided and means for sequentially releasing the material from the respective separate means for storing to the common scale means. Means responsive to the weighing means are provided for sensing increments in weight for each respective release of material. Means are provided for totaling the respectively sensed weight incre-ments to provide a plurality of separate counts corresponding to weight and associated with each respective separate means for storage.
In a more specific embodiment described herein, the material may be in the form of paper used in a printing process and the weighing is of spoiled product. The appara-tus of the present invention is for use with a single commonscale and yet provides for a total count of waste material for each of the plurality of storage means. In addition to the plurality of separate means for this temporary storage of the material and the common scale means, the apparatus also comprises means for sequentially releasing the material from the respective separate means for storing so as to enable delivery thereof to the common scale means. This is typically carried out with the use of a common storage bin associated with the scale means. Electronic means is used for control and includes means responsive to the scale read-ing for sensing increments in scale weight for each respective release of material. The electronic circuitry ~ 3a _ 1~3~
has to determine with whi.ch of -the deliveries the weight increment corresponds. I'hus, there is provided a means for totaling the respectively sensed weight increments to pro-vide a plurality of separate counts corresponding to weight and associated with each of the respective means for storage.
In accordance with the invention, the storaye means may com-prise a hopper and the means for releasing may be constructed in combination with the storage means in one of two pre-ferred forms described herein. This may ;3~

comprise either a metered discharge which may be in the form of a gate cover or moving aperture arranged to open at the time of discharge and to be closed at all other times. The delayed transport technique may comprise a conveyor used to carry the material towards the discharge opening. ~hen the conveyor is operated it will discharge the material upon it into the waste bin below. When it is stopped, it will store material for the next discharge cycle. The means for sensing increments in scale weight may comprise a difference means or a difference circuit having an output count or magnitude corresponding to the difference in weight between a present scale weight and the next scale weight after operation of the means for releasing.
Preferably, means are provided for converting the weight factor sensed to a count that corresponds to the number of pieces of material released in a batch. The means for totalling substantially adds counts corresponding to weight and displays a count indicatinq total pieces weighed per stream.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of weighinq material from multiple streams with a common scale. This method comprises the steps of separately and temporarily storing a guantity of the material that is to be weighed from each respective stream and sequentially and mutually exclusively releasinq the material from its temporary storage to the scale. The next step is that of sequentially sensing increments in scale weight for each respective release of material. Finally, each of these increments corresponding to a predetermined stream is added so as to accumulate sensed weight increments associated with each respective stream.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the invention should now become apparent upon a readina of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of the present invention showing the separate storage hoppers, the waste bin, and associated scale;

1~33~

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the apparatus illustrating the meter discharge technique;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the apparatus illustratinq a delayed transport technique FIG. 4 is a block diaqram associated with the present invention showing the discharge or release devices which total four in associated controller for these devices;
FIG. 5 is a waveform associated with ~he electronics of the invention in FIGS. 4 and 6; and FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the scale weight sensing techniaue and associated display.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the control console, scale electronics, and associated scale with scale bin in connection with the preferred embodiment described herein in which deliveries to the common bin occur along predetermined routes, Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the use of floor mats with switches for providing an indication of passage by an operator worker along a route, Fig. 9 is a schematic plan view of an alternate embodiment employing photodetectors in place of the floor mats shown in Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is a block diagram associated with the invention showing the electronics involved in providing total weight displays, and Fig. 11 is a simplified block diagram showing the manner in which the pushbutton technique couples with the circuitry of Fig. 10.
Detailed Description Referring now to the drawinq, there is shown in FIG. 1, a perspective view of a part of the apparatus of the present invention including framework 10 including a base 12, legs 14, and a top section 16 which comprises means defining a plurality of fGur hoppers 18. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 there are four such hoppers that are employed. The f{amework 10 is disposed about the waste bin 20 which is adaPted to contain waste paper discarged in a printinq press operation.
The waste bin 20 rests upon a scale 22 only a portion of which is actually shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1. The scale 22 may be of conventional desi~n adapted to have some type of a digital readout such as in binary form indicative of weiqht.

-- 5A ~ 4X

The apparatus disclosed in FIG. 1 may be used with a printing press which typically has four conveyors upon which four different products may be delivered. The good products are allowed to go to stackers or bundlers not s~ecifically described herein and are ultimately stacked on skids for future use or processing. The rejected products are lifted off of the delivery conveyors and placed in the ap~aratus depicted in FIG.
1. The apparatus in FIG. 1 as indicated previously, has four entry points or hoppers. There is an operator assiqned to each delivery of the press and thus each operator is in turn assigned a hopper into which is deposited any waste that occurs at the assigned delivery point.

The apparatus depicted in FIG. 1 may be refered to as a channelizer in that the waste material or waste product is channeled into the waste bin 20 by means of the separate and discreet hoppers. ~owever, the hoppers are not direct conduits into the waste bin but rather, each is furnished with a temporary storage means capable of holding a limited ~uantity of waste paper such as one or two armfuls.
FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically illustrate two different apparatus for causing the product or material release or discharqe. ~IG. 2 shows what may be referred to as a metered discharge technique while FI~. 3 illustrates a delayed transport technique. Thus, there is illustrated in FIG. 2 the waste bin 20 and one of the hoppers 18. It is noted that the hopper 18 has associated therewith, a gate 24 which has attached thereto, a piston 26 which may be selectively operated from actuating device 28. The piston and actuatinq device may be of conventional design. Alternatively, the gate 24 may be substituted by some type of a moving apertured plate arranqed to open at the time of discharge and to be closed at all other times.
The metered discharge type of apparatus illustrated in FIG.
2 is quite compact but requires attention as ~o safety and jamming. In this technique, the hopper may also be provided in an alternate embodiment with a pair of pivoting hopper doors in place of the qate 24. When these doors are closed, they serve as the bottom of the receptacle and hold the mterial that is beinq stored. They can be opened by use of electric motors, cylinders as illustrated in FIG. 2 or by other means. When they are open, this allows the material to drop into the waste bin therebelow. The reclosure may be accomplished in a way that would not injure a person nor trap material. For example, the actuating means for the doors may have two levels of operating force. When the doors are closed from a wide open position, a low level of actuating force is employed so that if a hand is introduced, the doors stop moving without applyinq sufficient force to injure the hand. Sensors determine whether the doors have closed all the way and if the doors fail to close all the way with the low actuatinq force level, they are reopened to release the trapped material or object. They are then reclosed with the low actuating force. Once the sensor 38~2 signals that the doors have closed all the way, then a high level of operating force is applied to hold them shut so that material deposited upon them does not force them open.
To provide this dual force level of operation, there may be provided a powering of the shutters or doors with an electric motor that is operated at reduced voltaqe for closinc and full voltage for locking. Alternatively there could be ~rovided a mechanism having a low mechanical advantage that shifts to higher mechanical advantage when it has passed a certain point.
In FIG. 3 there is illustrated the other alternate embodiment wherein there is provided as the delayed transPOrt a conveyor mechanism 30 having associated therewith a control drive 32 schematically depicted in FIG. 3. In the delayed transport technique of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 3, a conveyor is used, such as the conveyor 30, to carry the material towards the discharqe opening or hoPper 18 illustrated in FIG. 3. ~hen the conveyor is operated, it discharges the material that is on it into the waste bin below. When it is stopped under control of the drive 32, the conveyor functions as a means ~or storinq material for the next discharqe cycle.
If the stopping of the conveyor is followed by a brief period of reverse motion, as preferred, then any material near the drop off point that might otherwise fall into the waste bin at the wronq time; is moved back by this reverse action, to a stable storage position. Also, the conveyor technique of this invention is readily adapted to be combined with the use of conveyors for long distance transport so that waste discard points may be placed conveniently close to the respective press deliveries with the same conveyor serving also to move the material to the waste bin and to perform the sequential metering function described herein. The press can be controlled to transfer waste to the conveyors automatical~y in response to signals such as a roll change. This greatly reduces operator involvement.
In selectinq the apparatus described in either FIGS. 2 or 3, there are some criteria that should be met such as the fact that the apparatus should be safe to operate with no injury to anyone inserting a hand into the receptacle at any time. The aforementioned dual force operation provides this safety.
Also, the apparatus is jam proof and must not be subject to ~ ;~3~

jamming from caught Pieces of paper. Also, the operation is such that only one hopper is discharging at a time. At no point during the release and weighing of waste from one receptacle should waste from another receptacle be released.
Also, the storage mechanism must be capable of readily receiving waste thrown in durins the closure of the receptacle. It is important that papers not be left 4anglng from the receptacle opening where they could be knocked off during the removal or replacement of the waste bin. It is also desired that the waste bin replacement be accomplished relatively simply. The control for the release is primarily electronic, althouqh it could also be hydraulic and with electronic control it is relatively easy to assure that the operation is mutually exclusive; that is, that only one release occurs at any one time.
FIG. 4 is a simple illustration of the discharge devices identified in FIG. 4 as devices Dl, D2, D3 and D4. It is noted that these all couple to a controller C which may include a microprocessor or the like. FI~. 4 simply illustrates that the controller C is adapted to send release siqnals on the intercoupling lines to the respective devices Dl-D4. FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which these signals are sent. In FIG. 5 there is a clock signal and also four timing signals referred to therein as si~nals Tl, T2, T3, and T4. It is noted that the signals Tl-T4 are sequentially spaced. This means that only one of the discharge devices is oDerated at a time and in accordance with the respective signals. Thus, the timing signal Tl is sent from the controller C to the device Dl to operate it during its time slot Tl which in the illustrative example of FIG. 5, is when the signal is at its pulsed hiqh level form. Thereafter, the device D2 is oPerated for discharging or releasing under control of the signal T2 and the other two devices are operated sequentially in the same order by the subsequent timing signals.
Now, FIG. 6 shows further control electronics in accordance with the invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the scale 40 which has an output on line 41 representative of the weight on the scale. Digital scales are well known and the output signal on line 41 may in fact be a multi-line signal representative of a count correspondins to weight. This si~nal is coupled to the ~23~8~;~
g difference device 42 which aqain may be a conventional device in the form of a subtractor or the like device havinq a clock input and also storage capability. The different device 42 simply stores an indication of the present count and then compares that with a subsequent count under control of the clock. This thus provides an output at the output line 43 from the device 42 that is representative of the increment in weight in the form of an increment count corresponding to the weight added each time that a discharge or release of product occurs from the hopper into the waste bin. In the embodiment o~ FIG.
6 the device 42 does not distinguish as to the origin of the release, but simply provides a ~ifferencesignal that is coupled by way of line 42 through a magnitude converter 44. The magnitude converter 44 simply provides for any neces~ary conversion from weight to a count representative of the number of signatures (impressions or sheets or paper). The output signal from the converter 44 couples by way of line 45 to a series of qates Gl, G2, G3, and G4. These are represented in FIG. 6 as ~ND gates that also receive the respective ~ime signals Tl, T2, T3 and T4. Thus, the demarcation of weiqht increment is carried out by the gates which are mutually exclusively enabled by the respective timing signals. The output of the gates Gl-G4 couple to the adders Al-A4 for providing total respective counts to total signatures per stream or separate hopper. The four adders Al-A4 then are shown coupling to the four display devices Dl-D4.
In operation, under the control of the microcomputer, the contents of the several receptacles are sequentially released into the waste bin below under control of the signals Tl-T4 and the increase in weight associated with each discharge is determined by the circuitry of FIG. 6. These weiqht increases are each converted by the magnitude converter 44 as mentioned previously to the corresponding number of signatures and the additional timing associated with gates Gl-G4 provide for cumulative adding to provide respective waste count totals.
Thus, separate waste count totals may be maintained for a plurality of deliveries using a common scale and associated waste container.
By further way of example, during the time Tl when the discharge device Dl is ~eing released, it is noted that the -1 o- 12~3384~
gate Gl is also enabled. Assuming that no race problems exist, then it is only gate Gl that is enabled durinq that time period and thus any weiqht increment sensed by the circuitry of FIG. 6 is only added to the adder Al associated with that time slot.
When this addition takes place, the ~otal waste count for that first stream is displayed on the display device Dl. In the sequencing, the other totals are al~o cumulatively added in the sAme manner.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the recording of which stream the material comes from is determined by the person delivering the material. The embodiment of FIG.
7 shows the use of pushbuttons for activating the circuitry.
FIG. 7 shows the general components of the system including a console 50, scale electronics 52, scale 54, and common storage bin 56. Also illustrated in FIG. 7 are the three routes A, B, and C, showing the different approaches that an operator may take to the storage bin 56. In the example of FIG. 7 the registering of the weight increment is controlled by a series cf pushbuttons such as the pushbutton 58 shown in FIG. 7.
There are also similar pushbuttons associated with routes A and B not specifically depicted in FIG. 7. Thus, the operator as he approaches along say route C will substantially concurrently deposit the waste material in the bin 56 and operate the pushbutton 58. There is provided hereinafter, a further discussion of the operation of the pushbutton 58 particularly with regard to the operation of the circuitry of FIGS. 10 and 11 .
Alternate means that are worker initiated to provide an enabling signal, are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in a schematic fashion illustrating the bin 56 and similar routes A, B, and C. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 t there are provided floor mats 60, one associated with each of the routes. These floor mats can be of conventional design and may be similar to those used in internal burglary systems, including some type of a responsive switch, so that as soon as the operator stands on the floor mat associated with his particular route, then an enabling signal is generated. These enabling signals are illustrated in FIG. 10 and discussed hereinafter as signals El, E2 and E3, associated with three respective routes.

- Ll ~
Now, in FIG. 9, there is shown a simila. schematic diagram as depicted in FIG. 8, but including, in place of the floor mats 60, photodetector units 62 which also may be of conventional design. With this arrangement, as soon as the operator or worker passes across the beam of the photodetector, then a circuit is set off to provide an enabling signal which once again are the signals El-E3 shown in FIG. 10.
With respect to FIG. 10, there is shown control electronics used in carrying out the system of this invention. It is understood that some of the control may be provided by computer. However, in FIG. 10 it is the intention to show the basic circuitry that is usable in practicing the concepts of the invention. Thus, in FIG. 10 there is illustrated the scale 70 which has an output on line 71 representative of the weight on the scale. Digital scales are well known and the output signal on line 71 may in fact be a multi-line signal representative of a count corresponding to weight. This may be a binary signal. This signal is coupled to the difference device 72 which again may be a conventional device in the form of a subtractor or the like device which may have a clock input and also has storage capability. The difference device 72 simply stores an indication of the present count and then compares that with a subsequent count under control, perhaps of a system clock. This thus provides an output at the line 73 from the device 72 that is representative of the increment in weight in the form of an increment count corresponding to the weight added each time that an operator discharges or delivers material into the waste bin. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the device 72 does not distinguish as to the origin of the waste delivery, but simply provides a difference signal that is coupled by way of line 73 to a magnitude converter 74. The magnitude converter 74 provides for any necessary conversion from weight to a count representative of the number of signatures ~impressions or sheets of paper). The output signal from the converter 74 couples by way of line 75 to a series of gates Gl, G2, and G3. These are represented in FIG. 10 as AND
gates that also receive the respective enabling signals El, E2, and E3. Thus, the demarcation of weight increment is carried out by the gates which are mutually exclusively enabled by respective signals El-E3. The output of 3~
the ~ates Gl-G3 ~o~ple to the adders Al-A3 ~or providi~g total respective counts of total signatures per stream. The three adders Al-A3 then are shown coupling to the three display devices Dl-D3. The gates, adders and display devices, correspond in number to the number of routes that are employed. Because in the illustrated embodiment, three routes A, B, and C have been used, then there are three of each of these devices. It should also be understood that the signals El-E3 are enabling signals. The other inputs to the gates may actually be multiple inputs, there being provided a multi-line parallel input to the adders. In an alternate embodiment, the gates may be enabled to provide a series of counts to be coupled thereby into the adders for providing incrementing thereof. In either case, the adding of the adders is enabled only by each of the respective signals, El, E2, and E3.
FIG. 11 shows one simple embodiment showing a switch Sl which may be one of the switches of one of the floor mats 60 or may be one of the pushbuttons 58 shown in FIG. 7. This switch is shown coupling on one side to a voltage supply and on the other side to the multivibrator 80. This may be a monostable multivibrator or possibly a bistable multivibrator. It is noted that the output of the multivibrator 80 is identified as the signal El which is an enabling signalO Thus, when the switch Sl associated with say, route A, is operated by the operator and assuming that the waste material is now in the bin, there is an increment signal coupled to all three of the gates. However, because only the switch Sl has been actuated, only the enable signal El is generated and thus the totaling of counts only occurs by way of the first adder Al and associated display device Dl. Similar switch and multivibrator ~ircuits are used also in connection with the generation of the signals E2 and E3 and any additional enable signals that are provided as the number of paths or routes may increase.
Having described one embodiment of the present invention, it should now be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous other embodiments are contemplated as falling within the scope of this invention.

Claims (27)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, comprising;
a plurality of separate means for the temporary storage of a quantity of said material that is to be weighed, common weighing means, means for sequentially releasing said material from said respective separate means for storing to said common scale means, means responsive to said weighing means for sensing increments in weight for each respective release of material, and means for totaling the respectively sensed weight increments to provide a plurality of separate counts corresponding to weight and associated with each respective means for storage.
I

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of separate means comprises hoppers.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of separate means comprises conveyor means.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for releasing comprises means for controlling the conveyor means to advance material to the weighing means.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for controlling the conveyor means provides for advancement to deliver material to the weighing means followed by reversal to assure that no material mistakenly falls to the weighing means.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a common storage bin over said weighing means.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for releasing includes a release gate for opening said means for temporary storage.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said release gate means comprises a dual force gate operated at partial capacity for closing and full capacity for locking.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for sensing increments in weighing weight comprises a difference means having an output count or magnitude corresponding to the difference in weight between a present weighing weight and the next weighing weight after operation of said means for releasing.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 including means for converting the weight factor sensed to a count that may correspond to the number of pieces of material released in a batch.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 werein said means for totaling adds counts corresponding to weight and displays a count indicating total pieces weighed per stream.

12. A method of weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, comprising;
separately and temporarily storing a quantity of said material that is to be weighed from each respective stream, sequentially and mutually exclusively releasing said material from said temporary storage to said scale, sequentially sensing increments in scale weight for each respective release of material, and adding respectively sensed weight increments associated with each respective stream.

13. A method of weighing material as set forth in claim 12 further comprising comparing the sensed weight to the weight of a known sample to determine a piece count.

14. A method of weighing material as set forth in claim 13 further comprising subtracting the piece count from a gross count to yield an accurate net count.

15. A method of weighing material as set forth in claim 12 wherein the material weighed is waste material.

16. A method of weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, comprising;
delivering a quantity of said material that is to be weighed from each respective stream, sensing increments in scale weight from each respective delivery, and adding sensed weight increments associated with each respective stream to provide separate counts corresponding to weight from each stream.

17. Apparatus for weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, and delivered by workers along multiple respective routes to the common scale bin, comprising;
common scale means, means responsive to said scale means for sensing increments in scale weight associated with each respective stream, means for providing enabling signals each associated with a respective route, and means responsive to said means for sensing increments and to said enabling signals for providing a plurality of separate counts corresponding to weight and associated with each respective route.

18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means for sensing increments in scale weight comprises a difference means having an output count or magnitude corresponding to the difference in weight between a present scale weight and the next scale weight.

19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 18 including means for converting the weight factor sensed to a count that may correspond to the number of pieces of material delivered in a batch.

20. Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said means for totaling adds counts corresponding to weight and displays a count indicating total pieces weighed per stream.

21. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means to provide enabling signals comprises manual switch means.

22. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means to provide enabling signals comprises photoelectric detector mans.

23. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means to provide enabling signals comprises floor mat means.

24. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said multiple routes are each separate distinct routes to the waste bin.

25. A method of weighing material from multiple streams with a common scale, comprising;
delivering a quantity of said material that is to be weighed from each respective stream, sensing increments in scale weight from each respective delivery, adding sensed weight increments associated with each respective stream to provide separate counts corresponding to weight from each stream, and comparing the sensed weight to the weight of a known sample to determine a piece count.

26. A method of weighing material as set forth in claim 25 further comprising subtracting the piece count from a gross count to yield an accurate net count.

27. A method of weighing material as set forth in claim 25 wherein the material weighed is waste material.