US3794815A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Totalizer for weighing systems
Assignee: HOWE RICHARDSON Co
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Filing: 1971-10-14
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Granted: 1974-02-26
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Expires: 1991-10-14
Abstract
Abstract A weighing system totalizer wherein a pulse generator produces pulses at a constant repetition frequency to be counted in by a counting device, wherein a digital-to-analog converter cumulatively converts the generator-produced pulses into a feedback d.c. signal, and wherein a signal comparing circuit is responsive to the feedback d.c. signal and to a weightrepresenting d.c. signal to start and stop operation of the pulse generator for providing a generator-produced pulse train in which the number of pulses is representive of the magnitude of the weight-representing d.c. signal.
Inventors
- 👤 G Godwin
- 👤 A Aiguesvives
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:19
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G23/00; G01G23/18; G01G23/36; G01G23/37; H; H03; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/12; H03M1/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
342 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a first circuit for serially supplying pulses, said first circuit comprising pulse generator means that produce said pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a second circuit connected to said first circuit for cumulatively converting said pulses into a second d.c. signal, a third circuit responsive to at least said first and second d.c. signals for limiting the pulses supplied by said first circuit to a number that is substantially proportional to the weightindicating change in the magnitude of said first signal, a pulse counter connected to receive the pulses supplied by said first circuit to cumulatively count the number of pulses supplied by said first circuit, said third circuit comprising polarity detecting means, and said first and second signals being applied to the input of said detecting means with opposite polarities, said detecting means being operative to produce an output signal that is controlled by the polarity of the algebraic summation of at least said first and second signals, circuit connection means for applying said output signal to condition said first circuit for starting and stopping the supply of said pulses, further circuit connection means for connecting said second circuit to said first circuit independently of said pulse counter, said pulse generator means comprising an oscillator that is responsive to different predetermined magnitudes of said output signal for starting and stopping oscillation, and means for stopping oscillation of said oscillator regardless of the magnitude of said output signal, said oscillator being a relaxation oscillator having a capacitor and a charging and discharging network for said capacitor for cyclically producing impulses at the output of said oscillator, said means for stopping oscillation of said oscillator regardless of the magnitude of said output signal comprising resistance means and means for selectively connecting said resistance means in shunting relation to said capacitor to prevent said capactior from being charged.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
342 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a first circuit for serially supplying pulses, said first circuit comprising pulse generator means that produce said pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a second circuit connected to said first circuit for cumulatively converting said pulses into a second d.c. signal, a third circuit responsive to at least said first and second d.c. signals for limiting the pulses supplied by said first circuit to a number that is substantially proportional to the weightindicating change in the magnitude of said first signal, a pulse counter connected to receive the pulses supplied by said first circuit to cumulatively count the number of pulses supplied by said first circuit, said third circuit comprising polarity detecting means, and said first and second signals being applied to the input of said detecting means with opposite polarities, said detecting means being operative to produce an output signal that is controlled by the polarity of the algebraic summation of at least said first and second signals, circuit connection means for applying said output signal to condition said first circuit for starting and stopping the supply of said pulses, further circuit connection means for connecting said second circuit to said first circuit independently of said pulse counter, said pulse generator means comprising an oscillator that is responsive to different predetermined magnitudes of said output signal for starting and stopping oscillation, and means for stopping oscillation of said oscillator regardless of the magnitude of said output signal, said oscillator being a relaxation oscillator having a capacitor and a charging and discharging network for said capacitor for cyclically producing impulses at the output of said oscillator, said means for stopping oscillation of said oscillator regardless of the magnitude of said output signal comprising resistance means and means for selectively connecting said resistance means in shunting relation to said capacitor to prevent said capactior from being charged.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a pulse generator for supplying pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a First circuit electrically connected to said pulse generator for cumulatively converting the pulses supplied by said pulse generator into a second d.c. signal to provide said second d.c. signal with an absolute magnitude that increases incrementally as pulses are supplied by said gererator, a second circuit responsive to at least said first and second d.c. signals for conditioning said pulse generator to supply said pulses and to stop the supply of said pulses to provide a pulse generator-produced pulse train in which the number of pulses is substantially proportional to the weight-indicating change in the magnitude of said first signal, and a pulse counter for counting the number of pulses in each of the pulse trains that is provided by said pulse generator, said pulse counter and said first circuit each being connected to said pulse generator to receive said pulses independently of each other for rendering said pulse counter effective to totalize the generator-produced pulses for successively weighed loads.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a pulse generator for supplying pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a First circuit electrically connected to said pulse generator for cumulatively converting the pulses supplied by said pulse generator into a second d.c. signal to provide said second d.c. signal with an absolute magnitude that increases incrementally as pulses are supplied by said gererator, a second circuit responsive to at least said first and second d.c. signals for conditioning said pulse generator to supply said pulses and to stop the supply of said pulses to provide a pulse generator-produced pulse train in which the number of pulses is substantially proportional to the weight-indicating change in the magnitude of said first signal, and a pulse counter for counting the number of pulses in each of the pulse trains that is provided by said pulse generator, said pulse counter and said first circuit each being connected to said pulse generator to receive said pulses independently of each other for rendering said pulse counter effective to totalize the generator-produced pulses for successively weighed loads.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
The weighing system defined in claim 2 wherein said first circuit comprises a ditital-to-analog converter, pulse mutltiplying means connected to the output of said pulse generator to supply a pulse train in which the number of pulses is a pre-selected multiple of the number of pulses produced by said pulse generator, and counter means for counting in the number of pulses in the train supplied by said pulse multiplying means and for applying a digital signal representing the number of counted pulses to the input of said converter for conversion into said second d.c. signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
The weighing system defined in claim 2 wherein said second signal is provided with a polarity opposite to that of said first signal, and wherein said second circuit comprises a signal comparator that is responsive to the algebraic summation of at least said first and second d.c. signals for starting and stopping operation of said pulse generator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
103 words
The weighing system defined in claim 4 comprising means for providing a third d.c. signal and for applying said third d.c. signal to the input of said comparator along with said first and second signals and with a polarity that is opposite to said first signal, said comparator providing an output signal that is responsive to the polarity of the algebraic summation of said first, second, and third signals to start and stop the operation of said pulse generator, said third signal being selectively pre-set to a magnitude that offsets any overshoot of said first signal relative to a steady state, weight-representing value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
139 words
The weighing system defined in claim 2 wherein said second signal is provided with a polarity opposite to that of said first signal, wherein said second circuit comprises a signal comparator, wherein circuit connection means are provided for applying at least said first and second signals to the input of said comparator, wherein said comparator is responsive to the algebraic summation of at least said first and second signals to supply a d.c. output signal that has first and second different, predetermined logic levels when said algebraic summation is respectively positive and negative, and wherein further circuit connection means are provided for applying said d.c. output signal to said pulse generator said pulse generator means being responsive to one of said logic levels to start generating pulses and to the other of said logic levels to stop generating pulses.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
The weighing system defined in claim 6 wherein said signal comparator comprises an operational amplifier a signal summing junction for receiving said first and second signals and connected to the input of said amplifier, and a feedback connected between said summing junction and the output of said amplifier and having a zener diode for maintaining the output of said amplifier at the logic level that is determined by the polarity of the algebraic summation of signals applied to said summing junction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The weighing system defined in claim 6 comprising Means controlled by said second circuit for providing an indication when said d.c. output signal is at the logic level for stopping operation of said pulse generator.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The weighing system defined in claim 6 wherein said pulse generator comprises a relaxation oscillator that is responsive to said one of said logic levels to start oscillating and to said other of said logic levels to stop oscillating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The weighing system defined in claim 9 comprising means for selectively preventing said oscillator from oscillating regardless of the logic level of said d.c. output signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
284 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a pulse generator for supplying pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a first circuit connected to said pulse generator for cumulatively converting said pulses into a second d.c. signal, said second d.c. signal having a polarity that is opposite to that of said first d.c. signal, a second circuit including pulse detecting means for receiving said first and second d.c. signals, means for selectively applying a third d.c. signal to said detecting means, said third d.c. signal having a polarity opposite to that of said first d.c. signal and a selectively preset magnitude that cancels any overshoot of said first d.c. signal relative to a steady state weight-representing value thereof, said detecting means being responsive to said first, second and thrid d.c. signals to produce an output signal that is controlled by the polarity of the algebraic summation of said first, second and third d.c. signals, said pulse generator being conditioned by said output signal for starting and stopping the supply of said pulses to provide a pulse train in which the number of pulses is substantially proportional to the weight-indicating change in the magnitude of said first d.c. signal, and a pulse counter for counting the number of pulses in each pulse train that is provided by said pulse generator, said pulse counter and said first circuit each being connected to said pulse generator to receive said pulses independently of each other for rendering said pulse counter effective to totalize the generator-produced pulses for successively weighed loads.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
284 words
In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means providing a first d.c. signal whose change in magnitude is indicative of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, a pulse generator for supplying pulses at a substantially constant repetition frequency, a first circuit connected to said pulse generator for cumulatively converting said pulses into a second d.c. signal, said second d.c. signal having a polarity that is opposite to that of said first d.c. signal, a second circuit including pulse detecting means for receiving said first and second d.c. signals, means for selectively applying a third d.c. signal to said detecting means, said third d.c. signal having a polarity opposite to that of said first d.c. signal and a selectively preset magnitude that cancels any overshoot of said first d.c. signal relative to a steady state weight-representing value thereof, said detecting means being responsive to said first, second and thrid d.c. signals to produce an output signal that is controlled by the polarity of the algebraic summation of said first, second and third d.c. signals, said pulse generator being conditioned by said output signal for starting and stopping the supply of said pulses to provide a pulse train in which the number of pulses is substantially proportional to the weight-indicating change in the magnitude of said first d.c. signal, and a pulse counter for counting the number of pulses in each pulse train that is provided by said pulse generator, said pulse counter and said first circuit each being connected to said pulse generator to receive said pulses independently of each other for rendering said pulse counter effective to totalize the generator-produced pulses for successively weighed loads.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-25 | 1977-08-27 | 1978-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-25 | 1981-08-27 | 1982-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-25 | 1985-08-27 | 1986-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |