Feed control of batch weighing apparatus

Claim 1

IN A BATCH WEIGHING APPARATUS HAVING MATERIAL WEIGHING MEANS; FEED MEANS FOR SUPPLYING MATERIAL TO SAID WEIGHING MEANS; A BRIDGE CIRCUIT INCORPORATING IN ONE PAIR OF LEGS THEREOF A WEIGHT RESPONSIVE POTENTIOMETER HAVING ITS MOVABLE CONTACT CONTROLLED BY THE WEIGHT OF MATERIAL IN SAID WEIGHING MEANS; A MULTI-STAGE POTENTIOMETER SYSTEM IN THE OTHER PAIR OF LEGS OF SAID BRIDGE CIRCUIT AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF RESISTANCE STAGES; AND SENSING MEANS CONNECTED IN SAID BRIDGE CIRCUIT TO DETECT A BALANCED CONDITION OF SAID BRIDGE CIRCUIT, SAID MULTI-STAGE POTENTIOMETER SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRO-MAGNETICALLY OPERATED MULTI-BANK SELECTOR SWITCHES IDENTIFIED ONE WITH EACH OF SAID POTENTIOMETER STAGES AND EACH PROVIDING FIRST AND SECOND FIXED CONTACT BANKS, SAID FIRST CONTACT BANK BEING CONNECTED ACROSS RESPECTIVE POTENTIOMETER RESISTANCES IN SAID POTENTIOMETER SYSTEM, A MULTI-STAGE CONTROL DEVICE HAVING ITS STAGES RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO THE FIXED CONTACTS OF THE SECOND BANKS ON SAID SELECTOR SWITCHES TO ENERGIZE A SELECTED FIXED CONTACT IN EACH BANK ACCORDING TO A DIGITAL MANIFESTATION OF A DESIRED WEIGHMENT SET UP ON SAID CONTROL DEVICE, AND A GOVERNING SELECTOR SWITCH OPERABLE TO EFFECT, IN SEQUENCE, THE TRAVERSE OF THE MOVING CONTACTS OF SAID SECOND BANKS TO THE SELECTED ENERGIZED CONTACTS TO THEREBY TRAVERSE IN SEQUENCE THE MOVING CONTACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POTENTIOMETER FIXED CONTACTS AND ESTABLISH A SETTING OF THE POTENTIOMETER REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REQUIRED WEIGHMENT, SAID GOVERNING SELECTOR SWITCH BEING FURTHER OPERABLE UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAID SENSING MEANS TO OPERATE THE FEED MEANS TO ARREST THE FEED OF MATERIAL TO SAID WEIGHING MEANS WHEN THE WEIGHT RESPONSIVE POTENTIOMETER BALANCES THE SELECTED SETTING OF THE MULTI-STAGE POTENTIOMETER.