WO1999026045A1

WO1999026045A1 - Apparatus and method for processing articles

Info

Publication number: WO1999026045A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/003364
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sean Nigel Lock
Original assignee: Autosystems Limited
Priority date: 1997-11-14
Filing date: 1998-11-10
Publication date: 1999-05-27
Also published as: AU1044199A; GB9723951D0

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for weighing articles (10) which are moving in succession along a path, the apparatus comprising a plurality of weighing devices (22), each weighing device being movable with the article (10) which it is weighing along the path, thus providing a significant period of time during which the article can be weighed. Normally when articles moving at high speed have been weighed, the period of time during which each article can be weighed by a weighing device is very limited and this reduces the accuracy of weighing since during the limited period, the article may be accelerating, decelerating, swinging or moving in some other undesirable way. With the invention, each article has time to settle down into a steady motion along the path and if necessary a succession of weighing signs may be generated and averaged.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING ARTICLES

Our PCT application number PCT/GB97/02682 describes and claims apparatus for processing articles moving in succession along a path, the apparatus comprising conveyor means arranged to convey a succession of articles along the path, means to split the succession of articles into at least two streams and means to weigh each article while the articles are split into the two streams. A method is also disclosed and claimed.

We have now developed a very accurate apparatus and method for weighing the articles.

Accordingly, this invention comprises apparatus for weighing articles which are moving in succession along a path, the apparatus comprising a plurality of weighing devices, one for each article to be weighed, each weighing device being movable with the article which it is weighing along the path thus providing a significant period of time during which the article can be weighed.

Normally, when articles moving at high speed are being weighed, the period of time during which each article can be weighed by a weighing device is very limited, and this reduces the accuracy of weighing since during the limited period, the article may be accelerating, decelerating, swinging or moving in some other undesirable way. With the invention, each article has time to settle down into a steady motion along the path and if necessary a succession of weighing signals may be generated and averaged. The weighing devices may be mounted on a carrier which receives a succession of articles from a reception point on the path, weighs the articles, and then returns the articles to a return point on the path. This has the effect that the weighing devices are free from articles when they are moving between the return point and the delivery point.

Preferably, the apparatus has means to calibrate or tare the weighing devices during the period when they are free of articles.

The weighing devices may each comprise a load cell arranged to receive the load of an article.

The articles may comprise poultry carcasses and the load cell may comprise part of a poultry carcass carrying shackle.

The invention includes a method of weighing articles which are moving in succession along a path, the method comprising providing a plurality of weighing devices, one for each article to be weighed, and moving each weighing device along the path with the article which it is weighing thus providing a significant period of time during which the article can be weighed.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an embodiment of apparatus according to the invention; and

Figure 2 is a side view of a weighing device of the apparatus. Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a plurality of poultry carcasses 10 travelling in succession along a path 11. The carcasses can be conveyed using any desired poultry conveying equipment and the carcasses are conveyed for the purpose of weighing them, possibly grading them according to quality, and then processing the carcasses in a poultry processing plant according to weight and possibly quality. This invention is concerned with the weighing part of this process.

In order to facilitate weighing, the carcasses are split into two streams in accordance with the apparatus and method disclosed and claimed in our PCT application number PCT/GB97/02682. As the carcasses are guided around a guide wheel 12 alternate carcasses are transferred to a first weighing wheel 13. The remaining carcasses are then transferred to a second weighing wheel 14. After weighing, the carcasses are returned to a second path 15 by conveyor means travelling around guide wheels 16, 17, 18 and 19. The path 15 may comprise a completely separate conveyor or it may comprise a different run of the conveyor which travels along path 11.

Each of the weighing wheels 13 and 14 is provided with eight equally spaced apart shackles for receiving and conveying the carcasses. Figure 2 illustrates one of these shackles extending cantilever fashion from weighing wheel 13. The shackle has a mounting 20 and a poultry carcass carrying portion 21 interconnected by a load cell 22. The load cell 22 produces an electronic signal which is related to the weight of a carcass carried by the portion 21 and this signal is transmitted to control apparatus (not shown) via slip rings (not shown) on the weighing wheel 13. Because each poultry carrying shackle has its own associated load cell, an extended period is provided during which weighing can take place, compared with existing equipment. Looking again at Figure 1 , weighing can take place while a carcass travels from reception point 23 on wheel 13 to return point 24. This means that a number of different signals can be taken and averaged, or a continuous signal can be taken and processed to give the most accurate reading. Weighing can for example take place after the carcass has settled down to steady movement around the weighing wheel. Any initial swinging or any other undesirable movement of a carcass as it is transferred to the weighing wheel need not affect weighing accuracy.

A further important advantage of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 is that while the empty shackles 25 are moving between the point 24 and the point 23, the load cells can be recallibrated or retared. Similar considerations apply to weighing wheel 14.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLATMS

1. Apparatus for weighing articles which are moving in succession along a path, the apparatus comprising a plurality of weighing devices, one for each article to be weighed, each weighing device being movable with the article which it is weighing along the path thus providing a significant period of time during which the article can be weighed.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the weighing devices are mounted on a carrier which receives a succession of articles from a reception point on the path, weighs the articles, and then returns the articles to a return point on the path.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, having means to calibrate or tare the weighing devices during the period when they are free of articles.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the weighing devices each comprise a load cell arranged to receive the load of an article.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, in which the articles comprise poultry carcasses and the load cell comprises part of a poultry carcass carrying shackle.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the articles are guided around a plurality of wheels.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, in which there are at least two weighing wheels, and means for splitting the articles into at least two streams, and to be weighed on a first weighing wheel and the second to be weighed on another weighing wheel.

8. Apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of weighing articles which are moving in succession along a path, the method comprising providing a plurality of weighing devices, one for each article to be weighed, and moving each weighing device along the path with the article which it is weighing thus providing a significant period of time during which the article can be weighed.

10. A method of weighing articles substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.