Automatic filling and weighing device for successive containers

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC DISPENSING AND WEIGHING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A WEIGHING PLATE, A SUPPLY RECEPTACLE HAVING A DISCHARGE SPOUT POSITIONED ABOVE SAID WEIGHING PLATE, A GATE VALVE IN SAID SPOUT, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID GATE VALVE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST DOUBLE-ACTING AIR CYLINDER, A STATIONARY SUPPORT FOR SAID CYLINDER MOUNTED ON SAID SPOUT, A SECOND DOUBLE-ACTING AIR CYLINDER CARRIED ON THE PISTON ROD OF SAID FIRST AIR CYLINDER, SAID GATE VALVE CONNECTED TO THE PISTON ROD OF SAID SECOND AIR CYLINDER, SAID CYLINDERS SO ARRANGED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON ROD OF SAID FIRST CYLINDER TO FULLY EXTENDED POSITION WHILE THE PISTON ROD OF SAID SECOND CYLINDER REMAINS IN RETRACTED POSITION WILL MOVE SAID GATE VALVE INTO NEARLY CLOSED POSITION, WHEREUPON THE SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON ROD OF SAID SECOND CYLINDER INTO EXTENDED POSITION WILL COMPLETE THE CLOSING OF SAID GATE VALVE, AND WHEREBY THE RETRACTION OF THE PISTON RODS OF BOTH CYLINDERS SIMULTANEOUSLY WILL MOVE SAID GATE VALVE INTO FULLY OPENED POSITION, AN AIR PRESSURE LINE CONNECTED TO BOTH OF SAID CYLINDERS FOR MOVING BOTH PISTON RODS INTO RETRACTED POSITION, A CONTROL VALVE IN SAID AIR PRESSURE LINE, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR OPENING SAID LATTER MENTIONED VALVE, A SWITCH ELEMENT IN SAID LATTER MENTIONED MEANS LOCATED ON SAID WEIGHING PLATE AND SO ARRANGED THAT THE MOVING OF A CONTAINER INTO RECEIVING POSITION ON SAID WEIGHING PLATE WILL CONTACT SAID SWITCH ELEMENT AND CAUSE SAID LATTER MENTIONED VALVE TO BE OPENED AND RESULT IN SAID GATE VALVE IN SAID SPOUT BEING MOVED TO FULLY OPENED POSITION, A SECOND AIR PRESSURE LINE CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CYLINDER FOR MOVING SAID FIRST CYLINDER PISTON ROD INTO FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID SECOND AIR PRESSURE LINE, A SECOND SWITCH ELEMENT FOR SAID LAST MENTIONED ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS, AN ADJUSTABLE BALANCE ASSEMBLY CONNECTED WITH SAID WEIGHING PLATE, SAID SECOND SWITCH ELEMENT CONNECTED WITH SAID BALANCE ASSEMBLY AND SO ARRANGED AS TO BE MOMENTARILY ACTUATED WHEN THE LOAD ON SAID WEIGHING PLATE HAS NEARLY REACHED A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, THE ACTUATION OF SAID SECOND SWITCH ELEMENT CAUSING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO PASS INTO SAID SECOND AIR PRESSURE LINE AND CAUSING THE CIRCUIT THROUGH SAID FIRST SWITCH ELEMENT TO BE INTERRUPTED, A THIRD AIR PRESSURE LINE CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND CYLINDER FOR MOVING SAID SECOND CYLINDER PISTON ROD INTO EXTENDED POSITION, AND A THIRD SWITCH ELEMENT IN SAID BALANCE ASSEMBLY SO ARRANGED AS TO BE ACTUATED MOMENTARILY WHEN THE LOAD ON SAID WEIGHING PLATE REACHES SAID DESIRED PREDETERMINED AMOUNT.