GB2100483A - Predetermined counting - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for collecting articles into groups including a predetermined total number of articles, comprises means (2-8) receiving a plurality of sub-groups of articles and providing signals indicative of the number of articles in each sub-group, supplying the signals through respective switches (101-10n) to the inputs of an adder circuit (12) which adds the inputs and produces a corresponding output, a combination generator (14) for closing the switches in accordance with a predetermined series of combinations, means, such as comparator (18) and desired total number memory (20), to produce an output signal when the output from the adder (12) corresponds to an acceptable total number of articles, and a combination memory (22) responsive to said output to store that combination of article receiving means responsible for producing the adder circuit output, so that the corresponding article sub-groups can be collected together either manually or automatically. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for grouping articles by combination selection so as to have the predetermined number This invention relates to a device for collecting articles into a group comprising a predetermined total number of articles. Such devices are especially useful in packing articles, such as cakes and candies, in bags or the like, so that each bag contains a predetermined numberofthe articles.

Many types of article counting devices and machines have been designed and used for the purposes as mentioned above. However, most of these prior art systems count the articles one by one and, as a result, they were timeconsuming and inefficient. This disadvantage becomes more and more pronounced as the number of articles to be counted increases. In United States Patent No. 4,267,894 there is disclosed a combination weighing device for collecting articles into groups having a predetermined total weight. In the present invention the basic principle of the device disclosed in the U.S.

patent is extended and expanded to overcome the abovementioned disadvantage of the prior art counting machines.

According to the invention there is provided a device for collecting articles into a group including a predetermined number of articles, comprising a plurality of containers each for receiving a plurality of articles, means for sensing the number of articles received by each container and producing an electric output signal indicative of said number, means for selecting the output signals from the sensing means in accordance with a predetermined series of combinations of said signals, adder and comparator means for summing the signals of each selected combination and producing an output when the sum produced by a combination corresponds to a total number of articles within a predetermined range, and memory means responsive to the output of said adder and comparator means for storing said combination.

A complete understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a modification to the embodiment of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a device which includes a plurality of weighing balances, each equipped with respective weighing cradles 21, 22,... 2n, for weighing articles received by the cra- dles. The weighing balances include weight sensors 41,42,... 4n such as load cells, for sensing the weight of the articles received in each oftheweigh- ing cradles 21, 22,... 2n to produce respective weight indicating signals. These signals are respectively supplied to first inputs of dividers 61, 62,... 6n, the second inputs of which are supplied from a common reference weight memory 8.The memory 8 has an input device such as a conventional digital keyboard (not shown) and stores a signal indicative of a predetermined reference weight which is substantially equal to the weight of each article. Each divider 6 has a function of dividing the weight indicating signal from the corresponding weight sensor by the reference weight indicating signal from the memory8 and rounding the result into an integer to provide a signal indicative of the number of articles in the corresponding weighing cradle. In this connection, it will be understood that this embodiment can be used only when the articles are substantially uniform in weight.

The number indicating output signals from the dividers 61, 62,... 6n are coupled respectively through normally-open switches 101, 102,... 10n, each having a control terminal, to an adder circuit 12 which sums the inputs to produce an output signal indicative of the total number of articles received on the weighing balances from which the input signals supplied to the adder circuit are derived.

The control terminals of the normallyopen switches lOi, 102,... 10n are coupled torespec- tive output terminals of a combination generator 14.

The combination generator 14 is driven by a series of clock pulses from a clock pulse generator 16 to produce a predetermined set of combinations of output signals from its selected output terminals in clocked fashion. For example, if the predetermined set of combinations are complete mathematical combinations of the n-number of outputs, the combination generator 14 may be an n-bit binary counter having a control input coupled to the clock pulse generator 16 and n-number of parallel outputs coupled respectively to the output terminals. In this case, the logic "high" level or binary "1" serves as the "output signal" from the each output terminal of the combination generator 14.As widely known by those skilled in the art, the total number of such combinations is 2n - 1 and the combination generator 14 produces (2n - ) sets of output signals successively in synchronism with the applied clock pulses to close the corresponding ones of normally-open switches 10.

The total number indicating output signal from the adder circuit 12 is applied to a comparator 18 having another input cou pled to a reference number memory 20 which is similar in structure to the reference weight memory 8 and stores previously a predetermined intended total number of articles to be packed in each bag. The comparator 18 compares the both inputs and produces an "acceptance" output when the both coincide with each other. This output is coupled to a control terminal of a combination memory 22.

The combination memory 22 has a plurality (nnumber) of input terminals coupled respectively to the corresponding output terminals of the combination generator 14, and same number of corresponding output terminals. The combination memory serves to store a set of incoming signals in response to the "acceptance" signal applied to its control input from the comparator 18 and, at the same time, discharge them from the corresponding output terminals, at the end of each combination cycle. The combination memory can be designed easily by those skilled in the art and will not be described further. When the packing operation is effected manually, the output signals of the combination memory 22 may be used for actuating lamps for indicating the selecting weighing balances.When the device is used with an automatic packing device, the output signals of the combination memory 22 may be used for actuating the unloading and loading gates of the corresponding weighing cradles 2.

Figure 2 shows a modification which may be substituted for the comparator 18 and reference number memory 20 of Figure 1. In Figure 2, the output signal of the adder circuit 12 is applied to a pair of comparators 24 and 26 having second inputs coupled to upper limit (UL) and lower limit (LL) memories 28 and 30, respectively. The memories 28 and 30 are similar in structure to the memory 20 of Figure 1 and store signals indicative of the upper and lower limits of a predetermined allowable range forthe total number of articles to be placed in each package.The comparator 24 compares both inputs and produces an output when the first input is not greater than the second input, while the comparator 26 compares both inputs and produces an output when the first input is not less than the second input Thus, if the total number supplied from the adder circuit 12 falls within the allowable range for the total number, the outputs of both comparators are supplied at the same time to an AND cirçuit 32 to cause it to produce an "acceptance" output which is applied to the control input of the combination memory 22.

Another alternative comprises means of calculat ing deviation of the output signal of the adder circuit from a reference value and means for storing this deviation and replacing it with a succeeding lower deviation to provide the combination corresponding to the lowest deviation from the reference number during each cycle of combination.

It will be self-evident from the above description that the outputs of the combination memory 22 can effectively point out specific weighing balances carrying the articles whose total number coincides with a predetermined value or falls within a predetermined range.

In the above embodiment, the number of each sub-group of articles is obtained by weighing the articles and dividing the weight of articles by the unit weight of article. However, the number of articles need not be obtained by weighing and dividing, but may be obtained also by direct means such as mechanical, optical, electrical or electromagnetic counters which are well-known in the art. It should be noted that these and other modifications and changes can be made within the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. A device for collecting articles into a group including a predetermined number of articles, com prising a plurality of containers each for receiving a plurality of articles, means for sensing the number of articles received by each container and producing an electric output signal indicative of said number, means for selecting the output signals from the sens ing means in accordance with a predetermined series of combinations of said signals, adder and comparator means for humming the signals of each selected combination and producing an output when the sum produced by a combination corresponds to a total number of articles within a predetermined range, and memory means responsive to the output of said adder and comparator means for storing said combination.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises a plurality of weighing devices on which said containers are respectively mounted, each weighing device including a weight sensor for producing an electric signal dependent upon the weight of the articles received by the container mounted thereon, and dividing means for dividing said electric signals from said weight sensors by a signal corresponding to a predetermined weight substantially equal to the weight of each articlue to produce said signals indicative of the number of articles received by the respective containers.

3. A device for collecting articles into a group including a predetermined number of articles, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.