GB302366A - An improved method and apparatus for weighing a number of similar articles - Google Patents

Abstract

302,366. Denis, L. L. B., and Soc. Anon. de la Raffinerie A. Sommier. Dec. 16, 1927, [Convention date]. Automatic-feed weighers.-In a method of automatically completing, within a given tolerance, the weight of approximately-filled similar articles such as boxes, cartons, bags or other packages containing commodities in pieces, grains or powder, the initial approximate quantity of the commodity and a separate quantity of the same are moved together successively to a number of weighing stations and at some or all of these stations, a fixed quantity appertaining to the station is transferred from the separate quantity and forms or is added to a cumulative balance to complete the required weight, and the approximate quantity and balance are weighed together at the next weighing station. In dealing with boxes which have been completely filled with bars of sugar, each previously divided by breakage into, say fifteen pieces, one entire bar is removed from each box thus leaving the approximately-filled boxes. The abstracted bars are placed successively on the portion I<3>, Fig. 2, of a supply channel 3, and the boxes are placed on a support at a station I. A toothed feeding- device 4 - - 8, Fig. 5, which is operated so as to slide horizontally and intermittently in a rectangular path, moves the boxes and the pieces of sugar by successive steps to stations II to VI. At the stations II to V the boxes rest upon the platforms 10, of weighing devices. Between the weighing devices and the supply channel 3 is a channel 2 divided into sections 11<2> to VI<2>, the sections III<2> to V<2> being attached to the corresponding weighing platforms so that any pieces of sugar thereon are weighed with the boxes. The supply channel 3 is also divided into sections, of which the sections 15' - - 15<4>, one opposite each weighing device, are of such a size as to accommodate 8, 4, 2 and 1 pieces of sugar respectively, the transfer or otherwise of these groups of pieces to the channel 2 being determined by the weighing devices. The remaining adjacent sections of the supply channel are timed to move slightly away from the sections 15<1> - - 15<4> to free the broken ends of the groups of sugar before their transfer to the channel 2. The sections 15<1> - - 15<4> are each carried by an arm 14, Fig. 5, suspended from a tension spring 25. At the end of a weighing operation a shaft 26 rotates through a small angle thereby raising a finger 27 holding down the arm 14. If the weight of the box and contents is so deficient as to require the addition of the opposed group of pieces the spring 25 raises the arm 14 and lifts the isolated group of pieces into the path of the feeding-device which then pushes the pieces on to the corresponding channel section II<2> and III<2> &c. If, however, the weight is sufficient an arm 18<1> is intercepted by an abutment 24 moving with the weighing platform 10 and the rise of the arm 14 is prevented and consequently the feeding-device passes over the isolated pieces of sugar without removing them. The transferred pieces of sugar accumulated in the channel 2 are ultimately pushed by the feeding-device, to the section VI <2>where they are added to the contents of the box bv suitable means. The surplus pieces in the supply channel 3 are collected at the section 21. If, instead of dealing with irregular pieces of sugar, articles of regular shape and of equal volume, for example, lozenges, are to be dealt with, the channel 2 is dispensed with and the supply channel may be replaced by other known arrangements. When the material is in the form of a powder, or is in grains, the different weighing stations are provided with volumetric means for feeding the material in quantities that are whole multiples of the tolerance allowed. Specification 301,469 is referred to.