← Back to Patent Explorer
US3869004A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of fine adjusting balances and balance for performing this method

Assignee: K Tron Patent AG
•
Filing: 1972-08-22
•
Granted: 1975-03-04
•
Expires: 1992-08-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to a method of automatically fine adjusting balances comprising a computing instrument and digital display means, wherein the load is determined throughout the measuring range in terms of measuring units that are smaller than the units used for the indication. The object contemplated by the present invention resides in providing automatic zero adjustment in the zero range, which will permit a uniform degree of resolution for all values and identical load ranges for each value throughout the entire weighing range to be obtained. The automatic adjustment in the zero range relieves the operator of the necessity of doing more than infrequently resetting the coarse adjustment. At the same time manipulations in favour of the operator are practically impossible to carry out. The proposed method comprises first in each weighing ascertaining whether the measured value determined by the computing instrument is within the zero range and if so deducting 5 measuring units from the measured value, the result replacing a previously stored adjusting factor as a fresh adjusting factor, whereas in the alternative case the stored adjusting factor is deducted from the measured value determined by the computing instrument and the result indicated in multiples of indicating units. The invention also relates to a balance for performing this method comprising a computing instrument, digital display means, manually operable coarse adjusting means and an automatic fine adjusting means, wherein the measured load is determined by the computing instrument throughout the measuring range in measuring units that are smaller than the units in which the indication is made, characterized in that the smalles digit of the final decimal of the digital display means represents one unit of the indication, that in each measurement an adjusting factor stored in measuring units in a storage device is deducted in a first arithmetic unit preceding the computing instrument and connected to the computing instrument, from the measured value determined in the computing instrument, and that the result is indicated by the digital display means, that the value stored in said storage unit is determined by a second arithmetic unit connected through an AND-gate to the computing instrument and to a zero range circuit in such manner that whenever the measured value is within the zero range five measuring units are deducted from this measured value in said second arithmetic unit and the result used to replace the adjusting factor previously stored in the storage device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mario Gallo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 17:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G3/00; G01G3/12; G01G3/16; G01G23/00; G01G23/14; G01G23/16; G01G23/163

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 141 words
A method of automatically fine adjusting balances comprising a computing instrument and digital display means, in which the load is determined throughout the measuring range in terms of m measuring units that are smaller than the units d of the digital display means, comprising, for each weighing, the steps of determining whether a measured value by the computing is within a predetermined zero range, if so deducting as many measuring units m from the measured value as correspond to half the multiple of measuring units m as are equal to one display unit d, and replacing a previously stored adjusting factor with the result of said deducting step as a fresh adjusting factor, and if not deducting the previously stored adjusting factor from the measured value determined by the computing instrument and indicating the result in multiples of display units d.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 141 words
A method of automatically fine adjusting balances comprising a computing instrument and digital display means, in which the load is determined throughout the measuring range in terms of m measuring units that are smaller than the units d of the digital display means, comprising, for each weighing, the steps of determining whether a measured value by the computing is within a predetermined zero range, if so deducting as many measuring units m from the measured value as correspond to half the multiple of measuring units m as are equal to one display unit d, and replacing a previously stored adjusting factor with the result of said deducting step as a fresh adjusting factor, and if not deducting the previously stored adjusting factor from the measured value determined by the computing instrument and indicating the result in multiples of display units d.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein each said display unit d equals ten measuring units m.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 534 words
An automatically fine adjusting digitally indicating balance, measuring and computing in measuring units m and indicating in display units d where d is a multiple of m, comprising in combination: a vibrating string balance with two transversely vibrating strings coupled to a weighing platform and forming a Vee pretensioned by the weight of a mass, where the respective frequencies of said vibrating strings are a function of a load to be measured on the weighing platform; two sensors, one coupled to each of said vibrating strings, each providing an electrical A.C. signal, the frequency of which corresponds to the frequency of the associated vibrating string; a computing means electrically connected to said sensors for determining in digital form in said measuring units m the load on said weighing platform using the transmitted frequencies of said two vibrating strings as input information to perform said determination; a zero range circuit coupled to the output of said computing means to detect whether the number of output pulse falls within a predetermined zero range of measuring units m, which zero range consists of as many measuring units less one as are equal to one display unit d; a standstill control unit for checking whether the load is steady, comprising two counters and coincidence circuitry, the steadiness of the load being ascertained by the comparison of the number of pulses generated by one of said vibrating strings during two consecutive measuring periods, wherein said standstill control circuit generates a signal when the number of pulses measured during each of said consecutive measuring periods are found to coincide; a first AND gate, connected to the outputs of said zero range circuit and said standstill control circuit, respectively; a second AND gate, connected to the outputs of the computing means and said first AND gate, respectively, wherein said computing means transmits the number of pulses corresponding to an empty weighing platform upon the simultaneous positive findings of said zero range circuit and said standstill control circuit; a first arithmetic unit, connected to the output of the second AND gate, for deducting a preDetermined number of counts from the number of counts transmitted by said computing means, said predetermined number of counts being equal to half the multiple of measuring units m corresponding to one display unit d; a storage device, connected to the output of said arithmetic unit, for storing the result of the deduction performed in said first arithmetic unit; a second arithmetic unit, connected to the outputs of the computing means and the storage device, respectively, for deducting said result stored in said storage device from the number of counts transmitted by the computing means, corresponding to the load on the weighing platform; digital display means connected to the output of said second arithmetic unit, said display means displaying the number of counts divided by the number of measuring units m corresponding to one display unit d, transmitted by said second arithmetic unit; and a manually operated coarse adjustment means comprising a tare weight shiftable in discrete steps to provide additional coarse adjusting capability when said predetermined range of counts is outside the range of said zero range control circuit when no load is on the weighing platform.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 534 words
An automatically fine adjusting digitally indicating balance, measuring and computing in measuring units m and indicating in display units d where d is a multiple of m, comprising in combination: a vibrating string balance with two transversely vibrating strings coupled to a weighing platform and forming a Vee pretensioned by the weight of a mass, where the respective frequencies of said vibrating strings are a function of a load to be measured on the weighing platform; two sensors, one coupled to each of said vibrating strings, each providing an electrical A.C. signal, the frequency of which corresponds to the frequency of the associated vibrating string; a computing means electrically connected to said sensors for determining in digital form in said measuring units m the load on said weighing platform using the transmitted frequencies of said two vibrating strings as input information to perform said determination; a zero range circuit coupled to the output of said computing means to detect whether the number of output pulse falls within a predetermined zero range of measuring units m, which zero range consists of as many measuring units less one as are equal to one display unit d; a standstill control unit for checking whether the load is steady, comprising two counters and coincidence circuitry, the steadiness of the load being ascertained by the comparison of the number of pulses generated by one of said vibrating strings during two consecutive measuring periods, wherein said standstill control circuit generates a signal when the number of pulses measured during each of said consecutive measuring periods are found to coincide; a first AND gate, connected to the outputs of said zero range circuit and said standstill control circuit, respectively; a second AND gate, connected to the outputs of the computing means and said first AND gate, respectively, wherein said computing means transmits the number of pulses corresponding to an empty weighing platform upon the simultaneous positive findings of said zero range circuit and said standstill control circuit; a first arithmetic unit, connected to the output of the second AND gate, for deducting a preDetermined number of counts from the number of counts transmitted by said computing means, said predetermined number of counts being equal to half the multiple of measuring units m corresponding to one display unit d; a storage device, connected to the output of said arithmetic unit, for storing the result of the deduction performed in said first arithmetic unit; a second arithmetic unit, connected to the outputs of the computing means and the storage device, respectively, for deducting said result stored in said storage device from the number of counts transmitted by the computing means, corresponding to the load on the weighing platform; digital display means connected to the output of said second arithmetic unit, said display means displaying the number of counts divided by the number of measuring units m corresponding to one display unit d, transmitted by said second arithmetic unit; and a manually operated coarse adjustment means comprising a tare weight shiftable in discrete steps to provide additional coarse adjusting capability when said predetermined range of counts is outside the range of said zero range control circuit when no load is on the weighing platform.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
A balance according to claim 3, wherein the manually operated coarse adjustment means are adjusted in steps of half as many measuring units m as are equal to one display unit d.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
A balance according to claim 3, wherein one display unit d equals ten measuring units m.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3528518A Cited
US3665169A Cited
US3709309A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-03-03 1978-09-02 1979-03-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-03-03 1982-09-02 1983-03-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-03-03 1986-09-02 1987-03-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag