GB1379479A - Variable balance point counting device - Google Patents

Abstract

1379479 Weighing apparatus used for counting JOHN CHAILLON & SONS Inc 13 March 1972 11701/72 Heading G1N and G1W In a balance for counting uniform manufactured articles, a balance beam supported at a pivot 18 comprises a generally vertical arm 20 which supports a known number of said articles, and a generally horizontal arm 21 which supports a quantity of said articles to be counted, the vertical component of downward deflection of a point on the arm 21 at equilibrium being directly proportional to the ratio of the weights supported by the two arms, and hence to the ratio of the numbers of articles. With the scale pans 22, 23 empty, the beam is balanced so that its centre of gravity lies at the pivot 18, using counter-balancing weights 26, 27, the arms 20, 21 being respectively vertical and horizontal at the datum position. The end of arm 21 forms a pointer moving over a fixed vertical scale 30. Alternatively, the induction coupling core (60), Fig. 6, (not shown), of a differential transformer may be suspended from the arm 21, to obtain an electrical output signal. Another readout arrangement Fig. 7, (not shown), uses an opaque mark (71) on the arm 21 movable between a vertical light slit and a photo-detector. In Fig. 5, the articles to be counted are put in a pan 40 on a tape 41 round a pulley 42 rigid with the arms 45, 46 of the beam. The scale 50 suspended from the horizontal arm 46 moves against a fixed pointer 51. Alternatively the scale may be on a transparent strip for use with an optical projection system. A further readout system uses a vertically movable follower engageable with the horizontal arm 21, a rack on the follower engaging a pinion on a pointer shaft to move the pointer over an arcuate scale.