Weighing machine for stranded products

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY HANDLING AND WEIGHING STRANDED PRODUCTS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, FEED MEANS FOR SUPPLY STRANDS TO BE WEIGHTED; A SCALE BELOW AND ADJACENT SAID FEED MEANS HAVING A BUCKET FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SAID STRANDS; BULK PRE-WEIGH MEANS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID BUCKET AND ADJACENT SAID FEED MEANS FOR VOLUMETRICALLY SEGREGATING A BULK OF SAID STRANDS FROM SAID FEED MEANS INTO SAID BUCKET, SAID BULK BEING THE MAJOR PART OF THE DESIRED FINAL WEIGHT; SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL VIBRATORY FLEXURE PLATE MEANS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID BUCKET AND ADJACENT SAID FEED MEANS TO RECEIVE SAID STRAND; MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID FLEXURE PLATE MEANS; AND MEANS ADJACENT SAID FLEXURE PLATE MEANS FOR SEGREGATING STRANDS FROM SAID FEED MEANS ONTO SAID PLATE MEANS COMPRISING, SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL OSCILLATORY GATE MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FEED MEANS AND SAID FLEXURE PLATE MEANS, ROTARY PICK-UP MEANS ADJACENT BOTH SAID FLEXURE PLATE MEANS AND SAID GATE MEANS, AND MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID GATE MEANS AND ROTATING SAID PICK-UP MEANS WHEREBY STRANDS ARE SEGREGATED AND CONVEYED BY SAID PICK-UP MEANS FROM SAID FEED MEANS PAST SAID GATE MEANS TO SAID FLEXURE PLATE MEANS ACTUATING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SCALE TO CAUSE SAID DRIBBLE MEANS TO DRIBBLE SAID STRANDS INTO SAID BUCKET UNTIL THE DESIRED WEIGHT IS HELD THEREIN WHEREUPON SAID ACTUATING MEANS STOPS SAID DRIBBLE AND UNLOADS SAID BUCKET; AND RECEIVING MEANS POSITIONED BELOW SAID BUCKET FOR RECEIVING SAID STRANDS FROM SAID BUCKET.