Heavy duty industrial scale

Claim 2

In combination with a heavy duty industrial scale of the type having a weighbridge supported by a plurality of load indicating mounts, and means responsive to signals from all the mounts to indicate the weight of an object, an improvement in each of the mounts which comprises: a. a tension indicating transducer having a vertical tensile axis; b. a girder chair for supporting the weighbridge and depending therefrom; c. a cross pin nontranslationally and horizontally secured to the girder chair below the tension indicating transducer; d. a link having a hole therethrough, the link being received by the cross pin for bearing engagement between the two between a surface of the periphery of the hole of the link and a surface of the cross pin, the bearing engagement yielding to horizontal forces transverse to the tensile axis; e. a clevis; f. a clevis pin horizontally secured to the clevis, the link being captively suspended by the clevis pin below the pin and being in bearing engagement therewith with a surface on the periphery of the hole of the link bearing on a surface of the pin, the bearing engagement freely to all horizontal forces transverse to the tensile axis; g. the tension indicating transducer being above the clevis and beinG secured to the clevis along the tensile axis; and h. means mechanically coupling the transducer in series force relationship to ground, such means yielding to horizontal forces transverse to the tensile axis and being operable to load the transducer only in tension.

Claim 3

The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein: the cross pin has an annular, external groove in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof, the surface of the link in bearing with the cross pin bearing on the surface of the groove; and the clevis pin has an annular groove perpendicular to the axis thereof, the surface of the link in bearing with the pin being in the annular groove of the pin and bearing on the surface thereof.

Claim 4

The improvement claimed in claim 2 wherein the girder chair has a pair of spaced apart and vertical legs, the cross pin being secured to the legs between them.

Claim 5

The improvement claimed in claim 3 wherein the clevis has a pair of spaced apart arms, the clevis pin being secured to the clevis between the arms.

Claim 6

An improved heavy duty industrial scale comprising: a. a weighbridge for receiving an object to be weighed; b. a plurality of mounts supporting the weighbridge, each mount comprising: i. a base on the ground; ii. a pair of spaced-apart uprights secured to and extending vertically from the base, each upright having a half-moon cutout horizontally and axially aligned with the cutout of the other upright; iii. a first cross pin nontranslationally cradled in the half-moon cutouts, the first pin having an annular groove between the uprights in a vertical plane; iv. a first link captively suspended on the first cross pin and having an upper bearing surface in the groove of the first cross pin, the upper bearing surface being radiused and curved concave downwardly to cooperate with the groove and permit rotation of the link in yaw, pitch and roll with respect to the axis of the pin and align the link along a predetermined vertical axis of repose, the first link also having a lower bearing surface symmetrical with the first bearing surface about an imaginary horizontal line midway between the bearing surfaces; v. a clevis having a pair of vertical, upwardly extending and spaced-apart arms, vi. a horizontal clevis pin secured in the clevis arms and captively suspended by the first link, the clevis pin having a vertical annular groove between the clevis arms in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the clevis pin and in receipt of the lower bearing surface to permit yaw, pitch and roll of the link with respect to the axis of the clevis pin and align the link along the predetermined vertical axis of repose, vii. a transducer suspended by the clevis and being capable of generating a signal proportional to elastic tensile strain thereon, viii. a second clevis suspended from the transducer and having a pair of vertical, downwardly extending and spaced-apart arms, ix. a second horizontal clevis pin secured in the second clevis arms and having an annular groove between the clevis arms in a vertical plane, x. a second link captively suspended by the second clevis pin and having a radiused and concave downwardly upper bearing surface in the groove of the second clevis pin to cooperate with such groove and permit yaw, pitch and roll of the link with respect to the axis of the second clevis pin and align the link along the predetermined vertical axis of repose, the second link also having a lower bearing surface symmetrical with its first bearing surface about an imaginary horizontal line midway between the bearing surfaces of the second link, xi. a girder chair supporting the weighbridge; xii. a pair of spaced-apart vertical legs attached to and depending from the girder chair, each leg having a half-moon cutout horizontally and axially aligned with the cutout of the other leg, xiii. a second cross pin nontranslationally received in the half-moon cutouts of the legs, the second cross pin having an Annular groove between the legs in a vertical plane, and xiv. the lower bearing surface of the second link being received in the annular groove of the second cross pin and cooperating with such groove to permit rotation of the second link in roll, yaw and pitch with respect to the axis of the second cross pin and align the second link along the predetermined axis of repose, and c. means responsive to the total of all signals from the transducers to indicate weight.

Claim 7

An improved heavy duty industrial scale comprising: a. a weighbridge for receiving an object to be weighed; b. a plurality of mounts supporting the weighbridge, each mount comprising: i. a base on the ground; ii. a pair of spaced-apart uprights secured to and extending vertically from the base, each upright having a half-moon cutout horizontally and axially aligned with the cutout of the other upright; iii. a first cross pin nontranslationally cradled in the half-moon cutouts, the first pin having an annular groove between the uprights in a vertical plane; iv. a first link captively suspended on the first cross pin and having an upper bearing surface in the groove of the first cross pin, the upper bearing surface being radiused and curved concave downwardly to cooperate with the groove and permit rotation of the link in yaw, pitch and roll with respect to the axis of the pin and align the link along a predetermined vertical axis of repose, the first link also having a lower bearing surface symmetrical with the first bearing surface about an imaginary horizontal line midway between the bearing surfaces; v. a clevis having a pair of vertical, upwardly extending and spaced-apart arms, vi. a horizontal clevis pin secured in the clevis arms and captively suspended by the first link, the clevis pin having a vertical annular groove between the clevis arms in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the clevis pin and in receipt of the lower bearing surface to permit yaw, pitch and roll of the link with respect to the axis of the clevis pin and align the link along the predetermined vertical axis of repose, vii. a transducer suspended by the clevis and being capable of generating a signal proportional to elastic tensile strain thereon, viii. a second clevis suspended from the transducer and having a pair of vertical, downwardly extending and spaced-apart arms, ix. a second horizontal clevis pin secured in the second clevis arms and having an annular groove between the clevis arms in a vertical plane, x. a second link captively suspended by the second clevis pin and having a radiused and concave downwardly upper bearing surface in the groove of the second clevis pin to cooperate with such groove and permit yaw, pitch and roll of the link with respect to the axis of the second clevis pin and align the link along the predetermined vertical axis of repose, the second link also having a lower bearing surface symmetrical with its first bearing surface about an imaginary horizontal line midway between the bearing surfaces of the second link, xi. a girder chair supporting the weighbridge; xii. a pair of spaced-apart vertical legs attached to and depending from the girder chair, each leg having a half-moon cutout horizontally and axially aligned with the cutout of the other leg, xiii. a second cross pin nontranslationally received in the half-moon cutouts of the legs, the second cross pin having an Annular groove between the legs in a vertical plane, and xiv. the lower bearing surface of the second link being received in the annular groove of the second cross pin and cooperating with such groove to permit rotation of the second link in roll, yaw and pitch with respect to the axis of the second cross pin and align the second link along the predetermined axis of repose, and c. means responsive to the total of all signals from the transducers to indicate weight.

Claim 8

In combination with a heavy duty industrial scale of the type having a weighbridge supported by a plurality of load indicating mounts, and means responsive to signals from all the mounts to indicate the weight of an object, an improvement in each of the mounts which comprises: a. a base on the ground; b. an upright secured to and extending vertically from the base; c. a first cross pin horizontally secured to the upright; d. a first link captively suspended by the first cross pin and having a hollow interior, an upper bearing surface on a portion of the periphery bounding the hollow interior, and a lower bearing surface on a portion of the periphery bounding the hollow interior, the upper bearing surface being in bearing engagement with a surface of the first cross pin to yield to forces on the link; e. a first clevis; f. a first clevis pin horizontally and captively secured to the clevis, the lower bearing surface of the link being in bearing engagement with a surface of the clevis pin to yield to horizontal forces, the first link being captively retained by the first clevis and first clevis pin; g. a tension indicating transducer having a tensile axis and being capable of generating a signal proportional to the elastic tensile stress thereon, the transducer being secured to the clevis below the clevis such that force applied by the clevis on the transducer is only along the tensile axis; h. a second clevis secured to the transducer to apply a force thereon only along the tensile axis; i. a second clevis pin horizontally and captively secured to the second clevis; j. a second link having a hollow interior, a lower bearing surface on a portion of the periphery of the hollow interior, and an upper bearing surface on a portion of the periphery of the hollow interior, the lower bearing surface being in bearing engagement with a surface of the second clevis pin to yield to horizontal forces on the link, the second link being captively retained by the second clevis and second clevis pin; k. a second cross pin having a horizontal axis, the second link being captively secured to the second cross pin with the upper bearing surface of the link in bearing engagement with a surface of the cross pin to yield to horizontal forces on the link; and

Claim 9

In combination with a heavy duty industrial scale of the type having a weighbridge supported by a plurality of load indicating mounts, and means responsive to signals from all the mounts to indicate the weight of an object, an improvement in each of the mounts which comprises: a. a base on the ground; b. an upright secured to and extending vertically from the base; c. a first cross pin horizontally secured to the upright; d. a first link captively suspended by the first cross pin and having a hollow interior, an upper bearing surface on a portion of the periphery bounding the hollow interior, and a lower bearing surface on a portion of the periphery bounding the hollow interior, the upper bearing surface being in bearing engagement with a surface of the first cross pin to yield to forces on the link; e. a first clevis; f. a first clevis pin horizontally and captively secured to the clevis, the lower bearing surface of the link being in bearing engagement with a surface of the clevis pin to yield to horizontal forces, the first link being captively retained by the first clevis and first clevis pin; g. a tension indicating transducer having a tensile axis and being capable of generating a signal proportional to the elastic tensile stress thereon, the transducer being secured to the clevis below the clevis such that force applied by the clevis on the transducer is only along the tensile axis; h. a second clevis secured to the transducer to apply a force thereon only along the tensile axis; i. a second clevis pin horizontally and captively secured to the second clevis; j. a second link having a hollow interior, a lower bearing surface on a portion of the periphery of the hollow interior, and an upper bearing surface on a portion of the periphery of the hollow interior, the lower bearing surface being in bearing engagement with a surface of the second clevis pin to yield to horizontal forces on the link, the second link being captively retained by the second clevis and second clevis pin; k. a second cross pin having a horizontal axis, the second link being captively secured to the second cross pin with the upper bearing surface of the link in bearing engagement with a surface of the cross pin to yield to horizontal forces on the link; and

Claim 10

The improvement claimed in claim 6 wherein: the first clevis and the second clevis each has a pair of spaced apart arms, the first and second clevis pins being secured to the arms of the first clevis and second clevis, respectively; a second upright spaced from the first upright is included, the first cross pin being secured to both uprights between them; and the girder chair has a pair of spaced apart vertical legs, the second cross pin being secured to both vertical legs between them.

Claim 11

The improvement claimed in claim 7 wherein the axes of the first and second cross pins are disposed orthogonally with respect to each other.

Claim 12

The improvement claimed in claim 8 wherein: the bearing surfaces of the links are convex in a direction transverse to the plane of the links; the clevis pins and cross pins each has an annular groove in a plane perpendicular to its axis, each of the bearing surfaces of the links being received in the annular groove of the pin with which it is in bearing relation.

Claim 13

The improvement claimEd in claim 9 wherein each of the bearing surfaces of the links in the plane of its link is concave facing the interior of the link.