Weighing apparatus

Claim 2

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of weighing bins formed therein, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; and a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins to thereby cause the material to be discharged from said one weighing bin by gravity.

Claim 3

Weighing apparatus according to claim 1 in which said releasable stop means is comprised of a stationary stop lip mounted on said support frame and a stop member mounted on said drum member, said stop lip and stop member adapted when said balance beam is pivoted in said one direction to engage each other and prevent rotation of said drum, said stop lip and stop member further adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to disengage from each other to thereby allow said drum to rotate about its axis of rotation.

Claim 4

Weighing apparatus according to claim 1 in which said weighing apparatus further includes a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins.

Claim 5

Weighing apparatus according to claim 1 in which a counter mechanism is provided to count the number of times said drum is rotated subsequent to its release by said releasable stop means.

Claim 6

Weighing apparatus according to claim 1 in which said releasable stop means is further adapted to stop the drum from rotating after it has rotated a sufficient distance to cause the contents of the weighing bin to be discharged by gravity from said weighing bin.

Claim 7

Weighing apparatus accordiNg to claim 1 in which said weighing bins of said drum member are equally angularly spaced about the axis of rotation of said drum member and said stop means includes a plurality of stop members mounted on said drum member with the number of stop members corresponding to the number of weighing bins.

Claim 8

Weighing apparatus according to claim 6 in which there are five weighing bins in said drum member and five stop members mounted thereon.

Claim 9

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of equally angularly spaced weighing bins formed around the periphery thereof, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed when positioned in an upwardly opening material receiving position, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; and a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins, said stop means further adapted to stop the rotation of said drum when the next adjacent weighing bin moves up to its material receiving position, said rotation of said drum being sufficient to cause the quantity of weighed material in the bin to be discharged therefrom by gravity.

Claim 10

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of equally angularly spaced weighing bins formed around the periphery thereof, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed when positioned in an upwardly opening material receiving position, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; and a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins, said stop means further adapted to stop the rotation of said drum when the next adjacent weighing bin moves up to its material receiving position, said rotation of said drum being sufficient to cause the quantity of weighed material in the bin to be discharged therefrom by gravity.

Claim 11

Weighing apparatus according to claim 8 in which said weighing apparatus further includes a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins.

Claim 12

Weighing apparatus according to claim 8 in which a counter mechanism is provided to count the number of times said drum is rotated to cause the quantity of weighed material in the bin to be discharged therefrom.

Claim 13

Weighing apparatus according to claim 8 in which said releasable stop means is comprised of a stationary stop lip mounted on said support frame and a plurality of stop members mounted on said drum member, there being one stop member for each of said weighing bins, said stop lip and one of said stop members adapted when said balance beam is pivoted in said one direction to engage each other and prevent rotation of said drum, said stop lip and stop member further adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to disengage from each other to thereby allow said drum to rotate about its axis of rotation.

Claim 14

Weighing apparatus according to claim 11 in which there are five weighing bins in said drum member and five stop members mounted thereon.

Claim 15

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of weighing bins formed therein, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins to thereby cause the material to be discharged from said one weighing bin by gravity; and a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins, said braking mechanism including an hydraulic motor unit drivingly connected to said drum and an hydraulic loop circuit connected to said motor unit, said hydraulic loop circuit having a restriction means therein to restrict the output of said motor unit and thereby apply a braking action to said drum member.

Claim 16

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of weighing bins formed therein, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins to thereby cause the material to be discharged from said one weighing bin by gravity; and a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins, said braking mechanism including an hydraulic motor unit drivingly connected to said drum and an hydraulic loop circuit connected to said motor unit, said hydraulic loop circuit having a restriction means therein to restrict the output of said motor unit and thereby apply a braking action to said drum member.

Claim 17

Weighing apparatus according to claim 13 in which said braking mechanism further includes a second hydraulic loop circuit which bypasses said restriction means and a control valve in said second hydraulic loop circuit, said control valve being operatively connected to said drum member so that when said drum is rotated in said one direction said control valve will be closed after a given amount of unrestricted rotation of the drum occurs.

Claim 18

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of equally angularly spaced weighing bins formed around the periphery thereof, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed when positioned in an upwardly opening material receiving position, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins, said stop means further adapted to stop the rotation of said drum when the next adjacent weighing bin moves up to its material receiving position, said rotation of said drum being sufficient to cause the quantity of weighed material in the bin to be discharged therefrom by gravity; and a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins, said braking mechanism including an hydraulic motor unit drivingly connected to said drum and an hydraulic loop circuit connected to said motor unit, said hydraulic loop circuit having a restriction means therein to restrict the output of said motor unit and thereby apply a braking action to said drum member.

Claim 19

Weighing apparatus comprising: a support frame; a balance beam support member pivotally mounted on said support frame, said member having a counterweight mounted on one end thereof tending to cause said balance beam support member to pivot in one direction; a drum member having a plurality of equally angularly spaced weighing bins formed around the periphery thereof, each bin adapted to receive a quantity of material to be weighed when positioned in an upwardly opening material receiving position, said drum member rotatably mounted on said balance beam support member with the axis of rotation of said drum member located on the opposite side of the pivot point of said balance beam support member from said counterweight whereby the weight of said drum and the contents of one of said weighing bins will tend to pivot said balance beam support member in the opposite direction, said drum member adapted when rotated in said one direction to discharge material from said weighing bins; a releasable stop means for said drum adapted when said balance beam support member is pivoted in said opposite direction to release said drum and allow it to rotate about its axis of rotation in said one direction due to the weight of the material to be weighed in one of said weighing bins, said stop means further adapted to stop the rotation of said drum when the next adjacent weighing bin moves up to its material receiving position, said rotation of said drum being sufficient to cause the quantity of weighed material in the bin to be discharged therefrom by gravity; and a braking mechanism for said drum member to resist the rotation of said drum when the drum is rotated due to the weight of material in one of said weighing bins, said braking mechanism including an hydraulic motor unit drivingly connected to said drum and an hydraulic loop circuit connected to said motor unit, said hydraulic loop circuit having a restriction means therein to restrict the output of said motor unit and thereby apply a braking action to said drum member.

Claim 20

Weighing apparatus according to claim 15 in which said braking mechanism further includes a second hydraulic loop circuit which bypasses said restriction means and a control valve in said second hydraulic loop circuit, said control valve being operatively connected to said drum member so that when said drum is rotated in said one direction said control valve will be closed after a given amount of unrestricted rotation of the drum occurs.