Wheel load scale

Claim 2

In a scale for measuring loads carried by the wheels of vehicles, a base adapted to rest on a planar surface, said base being formed to include end, side and bottom walls defining a cavity, a pair of levers disposed within said cavity, each of said levers having a pivot head portion and spaced apart arms extending therefrom, fulcrum flexure plates mounting the pivot head portions of said levers to the side walls of said base, a horizontally disposed platform adapted for receiving the wheel of a vehicle on its upper surface, means including load flexure plates connecting said platform to the pivot head portions of said levers, said load flexure plates being spaced apart from and generally parallel to said fulcrum plates, load cell means disposed in said cavity, and means connecting the lever arms to said load cell means in such manner that said load cell means produces an output signal corresponding to the load applied to the platform by the wheel of the vehicle.

Claim 3

A scale as in claim 1 wherein said load cell means includes a hydraulic cylinder, said cylinder being formed as an integral part of the bottom wall means of said base.

Claim 4

A scale as in claim 2 wherein the means connecting the lever arms to said load cell means includes a load plate having a piston portion movably disposed relative to said hydraulic cylinder and flexible cable means connecting said load plate to the lever arms.

Claim 5

A scale as in claim 1 wherein said base consists of a single member including said end, side and bottom walls.

Claim 6

A scale as in claim 4 wherein the base member is formed to include an inclined ramp serving to facilitate rolling movement of said wheel to and from the upper surface of said platform.

Claim 7

A scale as in claim 1 further including means responsive to said output signal for displaying the load applied to the platform by the wheel.

Claim 8

A scale as in claim 6 wherein the means for displaying the load is located remotely of the base of the scale.

Claim 9

A scale as in claim 6 wherein the means for displaying the load is mounted in the base of the scale.

Claim 10

A scale as in claim 1 wherein the means connecting the lever arms to the load cell means includes flexible cables.

Claim 11

In a scale for weighing loads carried by the wheels of vehicles, a base having end, side and bottom walls defining a cavity, a platform surmounting said base, said base having an inclined ramp portion to facilitate rolling movement of a wheel onto said platform, a pair of levers disposed in said cavity, each of said levers having a pivot head portion and spaced apart arms extending therefrom, vertically extending fulcrum flexure plates connecting the pivot head portions to the side walls of said base, rigid load bridge members disposed for receiving loads applied to said platform, said members extending between the pivot head portions of said levers, vertically extending load flexure plates connecting the end portions of said bridge members to said pivot head portions, said load flexure plates being spaced apart from and generally parallel to said fulcrum flexure plates, output transducer means disposed in said cavity for producing an output signal corresponding to the force applied thereto, and means for transferring forces from the lever arms to said transducer means, the points at which the forces are transferred from the arms of each lever being equidistant from the point at which the forces are applied to said transducer means.

Claim 12

In a scale for weighing loads carried by the wheels of vehicles, a base having end, side and bottom walls defining a cavity, a platform surmounting said base, said base having an inclined ramp portion to facilitate rolling movement of a wheel onto said platform, a pair of levers disposed in said cavity, each of said levers having a pivot head portion and spaced apart arms extending therefrom, vertically extending fulcrum flexure plates connecting the pivot head portions to the side walls of said base, rigid load bridge members disposed for receiving loads applied to said platform, said members extending between the pivot head portions of said levers, vertically extending load flexure plates connecting the end portions of said bridge members to said pivot head portions, said load flexure plates being spaced apart from and generally parallel to said fulcrum flexure plates, output transducer means disposed in said cavity for producing an output signal corresponding to the force applied thereto, and means for transferring forces from the lever arms to said transducer means, the points at which the forces are transferred from the arms of each lever being equidistant from the point at which the forces are applied to said transducer means.