Apparatus for weighing out commodities of stick form, such as macaroni

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING OUT MATERIAL IN STICK FORM, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A CHARGING DEVICE, A MAIN DISPENSING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID CHARGING DEVICE, INTERMITTENTLY-OPERABLE MEANS TO CONTROL DELIVERY FROM SAID MAIN DISPENSING DEVICE, WEIGHER MEANS INCLUDING A HOLDER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE MATERIAL FROM SAID MAIN DISPENSING DEVICE FOR WEIGHING THE SAME, A FINE DISPENSING DEVICE ALSO COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHARGING DEVICE TO RECEIVE MATERIAL THEREFROM, SAID FINE DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS TO LINE UP STICKS OF MATERIAL IN A SINGLE ROW, SELECTIVELY-OPERABLE RETAINING MEMBERS TO RETAIN VARIABLE NUMBERS OF SAID STICKS AND A TRAPPER DEVICE; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE WEIGHT MEASUREMENT OF SAID WEIGHER MEANS TO SELECT CORRESPONDING RETAINING MEMBERS AND TO OPERATE SAID TRAPPER DEVICE, TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE A SELECTED PART OF SAID ROW OF STICKS FOR ADDITION TO THE MATERIAL DISPENSED FROM THE MAIN DISPENSING DEVICE.