US3593813A — Automatic weighing apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 191 words

Apparatus for automatically weighing out material, comprising in combination: a. means for automatically feeding and roughly weighing out a portion of the material approximating a predetermined weight, and for then discharging said portion; b. gauging means positioned to receive the roughly weighed out portion of material discharged by the means (a) and comprising b1. means for signalling the weight relation of said portion to the predetermined weight, and b2. means for then discharging said portion; c. excess weight reduction means positioned to receive the discharged portion from means (b) and comprising c1. means put into operation by the signal from (b) when said signal designates an overweight relation for removing from said portion an amount of material predetermined to adjust said portion to a nonoverweight relation, and c2. means for discharging the portion when of nonoverweight relation, and d. deficiency-correcting means positioned to receive the nonoverweight portion discharged from means (c) and comprising d1. means controlled by an underweight condition thereof for slowly adding material to said underweight portion until said portion attains said predetermined weight, and d2. means responsive to a nonunderweight condition of said portion for discharging the same.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 191 words

Apparatus for automatically weighing out material, comprising in combination: a. means for automatically feeding and roughly weighing out a portion of the material approximating a predetermined weight, and for then discharging said portion; b. gauging means positioned to receive the roughly weighed out portion of material discharged by the means (a) and comprising b1. means for signalling the weight relation of said portion to the predetermined weight, and b2. means for then discharging said portion; c. excess weight reduction means positioned to receive the discharged portion from means (b) and comprising c1. means put into operation by the signal from (b) when said signal designates an overweight relation for removing from said portion an amount of material predetermined to adjust said portion to a nonoverweight relation, and c2. means for discharging the portion when of nonoverweight relation, and d. deficiency-correcting means positioned to receive the nonoverweight portion discharged from means (c) and comprising d1. means controlled by an underweight condition thereof for slowly adding material to said underweight portion until said portion attains said predetermined weight, and d2. means responsive to a nonunderweight condition of said portion for discharging the same.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means (a) comprises a hopper having an openable bottom through which it discharges said portion, and wherein the gauging means (b) comprises a hopper which receives and gauges the entire portion discharged by the means (a) and which has an openable bottom through which it discharges the so gauged entire portion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising, in the combination: e. vertical multistep gravity feed material supply means positioned to deliver material to be weighed to the means (a) and the means (d1).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 150 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, particularly adapted for weighing material in the form of barlike pieces of a given maximum length, wherein said means (a) comprises a1. a rough-weighing hopper of a width to accommodate the length of said pieces; a2. vibratory feed trough means having a material supply passage of substantially the same width as said hopper (a1) and positioned to deliver such barlike pieces to said hopper (a1); a3. means connected to said feed trough means (a2) for selectively strongly or weakly vibrating the same for selectively supplying a large quantity or a small quantity supply of the barlike pieces therethrough; and a4. means responsive to the weight of material in said hopper means (a1) for operating said means (a3) for strongly vibrating said trough means (a2) until such weight attains a given value and for thereafter operating said means (a3) for weakly vibrating said trough.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 62 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said vibratory feed trough means (a2) comprises upper and lower troughs each having a supply passage of said width, the lower trough being under the upper trough and secured thereto, and the upper trough having an opening in the bottom of its supply passage positioned to deliver barlike pieces therethrough to said lower trough.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 133 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the excess weight reduction means (c) comprises: c3. a hopper which receives the portion discharged by the means (b) and which has a fixed side and an openable side and which has a notched window in its fixed side, and c4. a rotary drum journaled outside the hopper (c3) which has bucKets equispaced on its outer periphery that have inlets facing in a single direction, and which is located so that the path of rotation of said buckets extends into said hopper (c3) by way of said notched window so that a bucket on rotation through said window to a pickup position in said hopper (c3) can pick up a part of said portion therein for removal from said hopper (c3) to a discharge location.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 97 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, particularly adapted for handling barlike material lying parallel to the fixed side of said hopper (c3), wherein the means (c) further comprises: c5. a control plate tiltably mounted inside said window and tiltable outside of the path of rotation of said buckets to an upwardly sloping position or a downwardly sloping position, said plate (c5) having an extension from the lower side of its free end which swings through said window and prevents the barlike material from entering the path of rotation of said buckets below said control plate (c5).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said apparatus comprises: c6. a fixed cam in said means said (c4) adjacent c7. slits in the outer periphery of said drum (c4) adjacent to the inlets to said buckets, c8. pawls positioned inwardly of said drum (c4) at said slits (c7), and c9. levers operatively connected to said pawls (c8) and to said cam (c6); said levers (c9) and cam (c6) being formed to advance said pawls (c8) through said slits (c7) to close the inlets to said buckets for retaining therein material picked up thereby during rotation of said buckets to said discharge location, and to hold said pawls (c8) retracted when said buckets are at said discharge location and said pickup location.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, said control plate (c5) being provided with an actuating means comprising an attraction magnet outside said hopper (c3) which is actuated to tilt said control plate upwardly during the time of rotation of said rotary drum.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 172 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said deficiency correcting means (d) comprises: d3. a weighing hopper positioned to receive the barlike pieces in parallel arrangement as discharged from the means (c) and of the width to accommodate the lengths of said pieces, and in which said means (d1) comprises: d4. a second vibratory feed trough having a material supply passage of a width to accommodate the lengths of said pieces, and d5. a rotary drum mounted between the front end of said vibratory feed trough (d4) and the upper part of said weighing hopper (d3) in a position such that the barlike pieces fed to the front end of said second trough (d4) are caught by the outer peripheral surface of said rotary drum (d5), and having d6. equispaced barlike piece-receiving recesses positioned to present mouths opening upwardly at said pickup location and downwardly after rotation to said discharge location, thus to deliver such pieces to the weighing hopper (d3) in small successive quantities as said drum (d5) is rotated.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said apparatus comprises: d7. a fixed cam in said means (d), d8. slits in the outer periphery of said drum (d5) adjacent to the mouths of the recesses (d6) therein, d9. pawls positioned inwardly of said drum (d5) at said slits (d8), and d10. levers operatively connected to said pawls (d8) and said fixed cam (d7), said levers (d10) and cam (d7) being formed to advance said pawls (d9) through said slits (d8) to close the mouths of said recesses (d6for retaining therein material picked up thereby during rotation of said recesses to said discharge location, and to hold said pawls (d9) retracTed when said recesses are at said discharge location and said pickup location.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 150 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, and further comprising in the combination: e. vertical multistep gravity feed material supply means comprising: e1. a first supply hopper having a bottom opening delivering to a rearward portion of said vibratory feed trough means (a2), and e2. a second supply hopper having a bottom opening delivering to a rearward portion of said second trough (d4) said second supply hopper (e2) having an upper receiving end proximate to the lower rear portion of said first supply hopper (e1), said first trough means (a2) being provided with a delivery slot at the rear part of its receiving position through which the material in barlike pieces may be delivered, and which communicates with the upper receiving end of said second supply hopper (e2), and an angularly disposed resistance plate positioned at the lower portion of said first hopper in opposed relation to said delivery slot.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-07-19	1975-01-18	1975-07-20	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-07-19	1979-01-18	1979-07-20	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-07-19	1983-01-18	1983-07-20	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic weighing apparatus

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