EP0099433A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Weighing apparatus and method
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1982-07-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-07-21
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for providing indicia on articles or packages, which indicia is an indication of such variables as identification, destination, weight, cost, postage or a combination of such variables. An article or container is disposed on a weighing device, and the weight of the article which is indicated when the scale balances, is automatically applied as a bar code, numerical indication or other form of indicia to a select portion of the surface of the article. The indicia may be printed by means of selectively operated printing wheels, an ink jet, a laser or electron beam marking device or other means which operate through an opening in the platform of the scale or from a location at the side of the scale. Xerographic or electrostatic printing means may also be employed, which is located within an opening in the scale platform or at the side of the scale and which is projected or propels particles to print indicia against a select portion of the article or container in accordance with information which was derived from a computer, manual keyboard input, speech synthesized electronic circuitry or other means.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerome Hal Lemelson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:53
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G23/00; G01G23/18; G01G23/38; G01G23/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
230 words
A weighing and marking apparatus comprising in combination with a support including a platform adapted to receive an article, means supported by said support responsive to the weight of an article disposed on said platform for generating an electrical signal which is representative of the article's weight, means for printing a plurality of indicia directly against the surface of an article disposed on said platform, control means for said printing means for varying the operation thereof to cause said printing means to vary the indicia it applies to the - surface of an article, said control means being operatively connected to said means responsive to the weight of an article so as to predeterminately vary the operation of said printing means while an article is disposed on said platform and means operable after said printing means has been predeterminately varied to permit said printing means to print indicia on the surface of an article located on said platform which indicia is indicative of the article's weight, said printing means including means for variably forming printing ink into the configuration of selected characters and means for moving said variably formed ink configurations from a first location away from the surface of an article disposed on said scale through space to a selected portion of said article's surface to dispose said ink in the configuration of said-characters on the surface of.said article.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
230 words
A weighing and marking apparatus comprising in combination with a support including a platform adapted to receive an article, means supported by said support responsive to the weight of an article disposed on said platform for generating an electrical signal which is representative of the article's weight, means for printing a plurality of indicia directly against the surface of an article disposed on said platform, control means for said printing means for varying the operation thereof to cause said printing means to vary the indicia it applies to the - surface of an article, said control means being operatively connected to said means responsive to the weight of an article so as to predeterminately vary the operation of said printing means while an article is disposed on said platform and means operable after said printing means has been predeterminately varied to permit said printing means to print indicia on the surface of an article located on said platform which indicia is indicative of the article's weight, said printing means including means for variably forming printing ink into the configuration of selected characters and means for moving said variably formed ink configurations from a first location away from the surface of an article disposed on said scale through space to a selected portion of said article's surface to dispose said ink in the configuration of said-characters on the surface of.said article.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said printing means comprises an electro-mechanical variable printing device operable to impression print characters on a surface, an opening in said platform aligned with a portion of the surface of an article disposed on said platform for weighing, said electro-mechanical printing device being operable to move at least part thereof through said opening into engagement with the surface of an article disposed on said platform and upon becoming activated, to effect the printing of characters indicative of the weight of the article on the surface thereof aligned with said opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said platform contains an opening therein across which opening a portion of the surface of an article being weighed on said platform extends, said printing means comprising means for generating a stream of particles and directing said particles through said opening against a surface of an article disposed across said opening in a manner so as to deposit said particles on the surface of the article in a configuration representative of the weight of the article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
92 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said platform contains an opening therein across which opening a portion of the surface of an article being weighed on said platform extends, said printing means comprising means for generating and directing an intense radiation beam through said opening so as to intersect the surface of an article disposed on said platform and means for variably operating said beam to cause said beam to burn the surface of an article it intersects in a configuration which is representative of the weight of the article.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
152 words
A weighing and printing apparatus comprising: a support for an article to be weighed, transducing means sensitive to the weight of an article disposed on said support and operable to generate signals which vary with variations in the weight sensed thereby and which signals are representative of the weight of a particular article disposed on said support, printing means for providing indicia which is indicative of the output of said transducing means, first control means for variably operating said printing means to preset same to print a particular weight indication, servo means for causing said printing means to deposit printing material on the surface of an article disposed on said support and to effect the printing thereon of characters, and means for operating said first control means and said servo means in sequence after disposing an article on said support to effect the printing of indicia on a surface of said article.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
152 words
A weighing and printing apparatus comprising: a support for an article to be weighed, transducing means sensitive to the weight of an article disposed on said support and operable to generate signals which vary with variations in the weight sensed thereby and which signals are representative of the weight of a particular article disposed on said support, printing means for providing indicia which is indicative of the output of said transducing means, first control means for variably operating said printing means to preset same to print a particular weight indication, servo means for causing said printing means to deposit printing material on the surface of an article disposed on said support and to effect the printing thereon of characters, and means for operating said first control means and said servo means in sequence after disposing an article on said support to effect the printing of indicia on a surface of said article.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 5 wherein said support contains an upper surface on which articles to be weighed are disposed, an opening in said upper surface, said printing means being disposed within said opening beneath said upper surface, said servo means being operable to move said printing means upwardly through said opening to engage the bottom surface of an article disposed on said upper surface across the opening herein.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 5 including means for supporting an article on said support with a surface of said article aligned with said printing means whereby operation of said servo means will bring said printing means into engagement with said surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 5 wherein said printing means comprises particle dispensing means and means for controlling dispensed particles to deposit indicia on said article.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of marking articles such as product containers with recorded information which varies in accordance with the weight of the articles comprising: (a) disposing an article to be marked on the platform of a scale with at least a portion of the surface of the article predeterminately located on said scale platform and said article exerting its full weight against the scale platform, (b) sensing said article on said scale and variably controlling a marking means for said article in accordance with the weight of said article to operatively deposit a marking material against a select portion of the surface of said article in a pattern defining an indicia which may be visual read and an indication of the article's weight.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of marking articles such as product containers with recorded information which varies in accordance with the weight of the articles comprising: (a) disposing an article to be marked on the platform of a scale with at least a portion of the surface of the article predeterminately located on said scale platform and said article exerting its full weight against the scale platform, (b) sensing said article on said scale and variably controlling a marking means for said article in accordance with the weight of said article to operatively deposit a marking material against a select portion of the surface of said article in a pattern defining an indicia which may be visual read and an indication of the article's weight.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method in accordance with Claim 9 wherein said marking means is operable to propel said marking material through space therefrom against the surface of said article disposed on said platform in a predetermined pattern thereon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method in accordance with Claim 9 wherein said marking means is operable to engage and print said indicia against a select portion of the surface of said article.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
102 words
A method in accordance with Claim 11 wherein said marking means comprises a support and plurality of separately driveable printing wheels each containing a plurality of indicia and means for predeterminately controlling said printing wheels in accordance with the weight of the article to align respective indicia by printing location, further comprising controlling relative movement between said plurality of printing wheels and a surface of said article when said printing wheels are properly aligned to effect the printing engagement of select portions of said wheels against a select portion of the surface of said article for printing indicia of predetermined configuration thereon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method in accordance with Claim 9 wherein said printing means is located beneath the platform of the scale used. to weigh said article and is operatively moveable upward into engagement with a surface of said article, said method including engaging said printing means against select portion of the surface of said article when all of said wheels of said printing means are properly aligned for printing an indication of the weight of said article on the surface thereof.
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