US325282A - Automatic weighing-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 325,282. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

INVENTOR Jbhn Stew-ens.

WITNESSES By his Attorneys @ma N. PETERS. Phofin-Lilhogmphur, Washington, D Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STEVENS, OF NEENAH, WVISOONSIN.

AUTOMATIC'WEIGHING-MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,282, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed August 29, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STEVENS, of Neenah, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic \Veighing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patent of the United States were granted me on the 22d day of May, 1883, numbered, respectively, 278,193 and 278,194, for improvements in automatic weighing machines, in which, among other novel features described and claimed, the unlatching of the discharge-gate was accomplished by means of a spring pressed headed trip-bolt passing through a slot in the lower end of the pivoted trip-latch and resting against a stop upon the scale-rod, so that whenever the weight upon the platform caused the rod to descend the bolt would be released and impelled toward the rod by the force of the spring coiled about it striking the latch a blow with its head and disengaging it from a catch-arm rigid with and on the other side of the pivot of the dischargegate. A roller near the end of this catch-arm struck and traveled along a curved track-extension of the trip-latch as said arm, was swung up with the depression of the gate, forcing the latch and tripbolt backinto position and re-; setting the trip mechanism to receive and lock the catch-arm for the next weighing operation the gate. In such construction the trip-latch was of considerable weight, and consequently inert in its response to the blow from the bolt, or in snapping over the end of the catch-arm..

The blow was also given through the instru-'v In my present improvement I propose to employ a very light and sensitive trip-latch, and, preferably, to disengage it by a dead blow, the constancy of which can always be depended upon. For this purpose the spring-pressed trip-bolt is dispensed with. A light pendent trip-latch is pivoted to a bracket from the frame of the weighing-receptacle or of the dis charge-spout, in position to engage with the catch-arm, and a triphammer, as I shall hereinafter term it, having a curved trackway similar to and in practically the same relations as the trackway of my former triplatch, is pivoted alongside said pendent latch, with its heel-extension first passing behind a lateral car from the latch and then outwardly bent into position to engage with the triplatch on the scale-rod. Thus so long as the triphammer is checked by the trip-stop the latch will remain engaged; but when the tripstop'sinks and releases the hammer the latter, swinging upon its pivot, will strike a sharp blow against the latch and disengage it from the catch-arm. The roller on the catch-arm will then immediately reset the hammer for engagement with the trip-stop, and the independently-pivoted latch will be ready to snap over the catch-arm as soon as the latter returns.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of an automatic weighing attachment for platform-scales embodying my invention asis necessary to an understanding thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the parts shown in the preceding figure and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details of the tripping devices. upon its return after the entire load had quit l A is the casing of an eduction or sub spout, B, such as described in my former patents, and intended to be set upon the base of an or dinary platform-scale, with the spout passing between the scale bars or levers and discharging into any suitable conveyer or conduit.

0 is the main gate closing the primary spout c, and D is the secondary valve or gate carrying upon its pivot-shaft a curved or camshaped locking-arm, d, which takes over a roller on the end of an arm, 61, from the pivotshaft of the main gate,to hold the latter open while the load is passing off. Both gates when relieved from the load are returned to a closed position by means of counterbalancing weights, as shown, and the main gate, asheretofore, is provided with a catch-arm, E, projecting toward the scale-rod F, and carrying a lateral roller, f, which roller, however, itis now preferred to mount upon a sleeve, f, ad-

justable longitudinally of the arm, so that perfect action may be secured, instead of having its position unchangeable, as formerly.

From the frame or casing A projects a bracket, G, bearing a pivot-pin, upon which is mounted the pendent trip-latch II, shouldered near its pivot to engage with the catch-arm or gate-arm, and then bending downwardly and outwardly toward the scale-rod, and having a lateral lug, h, at its end. This outward bend serves two purposes. It shifts the center of gravity of the latch, so that it will more certainly tend to snap over the catch-arm by its own weight, and it removes the lug through which the blow from the trip-hammer is received farther from said hammer, as will directly appear, so that the latter may have a longer sweep and greater force when it delivers the blow. The trip-latch may,how ever, be straight, or otherwise considerably vary from the form here shown,provided it is sufficiently spring-pressed to catch the gatearm, and provided, also, the arrangement and outline of the hammer are suitably modified to deal the requisite disengaging-blow. Even in its present shape I prefer to employ a spring, 9, to press it toward the gate-arm to insure certain engagement therewith.

Pivoted to the bracket,for convenience,upon the same pin that affords the pivot for the trip-latch, but not necessarily so, and alongside such latch, is the trip-hammer K, curved inward above the point, as shown, to form a trackway, k, similar to the one upon my old trip-latch, for the action of the roller on the gate-arm, and beneath the pivot, having first an inwardly and downwardly projecting shank, 7a, which passes behind the lug from the trip latch and in the same plane therewith, and then an outward heel-extension, 7c", resting at its tip against the trip-stop L on the scalerod. The track portion of the trip-hammer considerably overbalances the shank and heel part, so that whenever released from the tripstop the hammer will swing upon its pivot in such direction as to throw the shank outward against the lug from the trip-latch, striking said lug with such momentum as to disengage the latch.

Now, the operation may be briefly described as follows: \Vhen the predetermined charge has accumulated in the weighing-receptacle, the scale-rod is caused to descend, removing the stop from contact with the trip-hammer and permitting the latter to fall and strike its blow, thus disengaging the trip-latch from the gate-arni or catch-arm. The main gate is then free to open beneath the pressure of the charge, and the latter flows through the spout, and as soon as the weight is partially relieved the scalerod rises, bringing the trip stop again in advance of the trip-hammer, which has been swung back slightly beyond its normal position by the action of the roller on the gate-arm traveling up its trackway as the gate opened over the secondary gate. The

entire charge having passed off of the main gate and nearly off of the secondary gate, the former, being released by said secondary gate, is closed by its counterbalance weight or weights, carrying its catch-arm down past the trip-latch, which promptly snaps over it and locks the gate. The triphammer, as the roller descends the trackway in this reverse movement of the catch-arm or gate-arm, sinks until its heel rests against the trip-stop, checking it in position for the next weighing operation.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise form of the trip-hammer as herein described, or to engaging it directly with the trip-stop, considering that I am the first to disengage the trip-latch by a blow given by the dead weight of a hammer released at the proper moment by suitable tripping agencies.

I claim 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an automatic weighingmachine, of the discharge-gate, its catch-arm, the trip-latch, and a trip-hammer adapted to disengage said latch by a blow with its dead weight, and provided with a trackway along which a roller on the catch-arm runs to reset said latch as the discharge-gate opens.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an automatic weighingmachine, of the dischargegate, its catch-arm, the trip-latch, a trip-hammer adapted to dis engage said latch by a blow with its dead weight, and a stop on the scale-rod, whereby said trip-hammer is held out of action until the scale-rod sinks with the weight accumulated in the receptacle.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an automatic weighingmachine, of the discharge-gate, its catch-arm, thetrip-lat0h, a trip-hammer adapted to disengage said latch by a blow with its dead weight, a stop on the scale-rod, whereby the hammer is held out of action until said rod sinks, and a projection on the catch-arm, whereby the hammer is thrown back as the gate opens into position to be reset for action when the scale-rod has risen.

4. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, in an automatic weighingmachine, of the dischargegate, its catch-arm, the trip-latch, apivoted trip-hammer adapted to disengage the trip-latch by a blow with its dead weight, a stop on the scale-rod against which the heel of said hammer rests, and whereby it is held out of action until the rod sinks, and a lateral projection or roller on the catcharm,whereby, as the gate opens, the hammer is returned to position to be reset on the rise of the scale-rod.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an automatic weighingmachine, of the discharge-gate, its catch-arm and roller, the pivoted pendent trip-latch with its lateral lug, the pivoted trip-hammer having a trackway above the pivot, and a shank and heel extension beneath, and the scale-rod inbefore set forth, of the discharge-gate, its catch-arm and lateral roller, the pendent triplatch with lateral projection, the spring which I 5 presses said latch toward the catch-arm, the trip-hammer having curved trackway, shank, and heel extension, and the trip-stop on the scalerod.

JOHN STEVENS.

Witnesses R0131. SHIELLs, DAVID BRODIE.

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