Gob weighing system

Claim 2

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising: means for gradually changing the direction of movement of said object; force measuring means for measuring the force of said object normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; acceleration measuring means for measuring the acceleration of said object normal to said direction of movement; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said acceleration measuring means so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said direction changing means comprises a channeling means for routing said object to a proper location.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said force measuring means is a load cell placed in said direction changing means so that said object passes over said load cell, and the surface of said load cell is coplanar with the surface of said direction changing means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising: means for altering the path of said object; force measuring means for measuring the force of said object normal to said path while said path is being altered; first and second position indicating means located in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means, said second position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; third and fourth position indicating means located in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means, said third position indicating means being nearer said force measuring measuring means than said first position indicating means; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second position indicating means and said third and fourth position indicating means, for computing the velocity of said object on either side of said force measuring means, for determining the time taken by said object to move between said second and third position indicating means, and for computing a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 6

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising: means for altering the path of said object; force measuring means for measuring the force of said object normal to said path while said path is being altered; first and second position indicating means located in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means, said second position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; third and fourth position indicating means located in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means, said third position indicating means being nearer said force measuring measuring means than said first position indicating means; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second position indicating means and said third and fourth position indicating means, for computing the velocity of said object on either side of said force measuring means, for determining the time taken by said object to move between said second and third position indicating means, and for computing a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said first, second, third and fourth position indicating means are each photocells for producing a signal when said object enters the receptive field of said photocell.

Claim 8

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for gradually changing the direction of movement of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; acceleration measuring means for measuring the acceleration of said gob normal to said direction of movement; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said acceleration measuring means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 9

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for gradually changing the direction of movement of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; acceleration measuring means for measuring the acceleration of said gob normal to said direction of movement; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said acceleration measuring means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 10

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for altering the path of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; first and second position indicating means located in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means, said second position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; third and fourth position indicating means located in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means, said third position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second position indicating means and said third and fourth position indicating means, for computing the velocity of said object on either side of said force measuring means, for determining the time taken by said object to move between said second and third position indicating means, and for computing a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportioned to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 11

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for altering the path of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; first and second position indicating means located in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means, said second position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; third and fourth position indicating means located in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means, said third position indicating means being nearer said force measuring means than said first position indicating means; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second position indicating means and said third and fourth position indicating means, for computing the velocity of said object on either side of said force measuring means, for determining the time taken by said object to move between said second and third position indicating means, and for computing a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportioned to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 12

Method for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising the steps of: gradually changing the direction of movement of said object; measuring the force of said object normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; measuring the acceleration of said object normal to said direction of movement; and interrelating said acceleration and force measurements so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 13

Method for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising the steps of: gradually changing the direction of movement of said object; measuring the force of said object normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; measuring the acceleration of said object normal to said direction of movement; and interrelating said acceleration and force measurements so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 14

Method for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising the steps of: altering the path of said object; measuring the force of said object normal to said path while said path is being altered; measuring the velocity of said object before and after said force measurement; measuring the time between said velocity measurements; calculating a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and interrelating said acceleration and force measurements so as to determine the mass of said objects.

Claim 15

Method for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising the steps of: altering the path of said object; measuring the force of said object normal to said path while said path is being altered; measuring the velocity of said object before and after said force measurement; measuring the time between said velocity measurements; calculating a value of acceleration of said object substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and interrelating said acceleration and force measurements so as to determine the mass of said objects.

Claim 16

Method for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising the steps of: altering the path of said gob; measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; measuring the velocity of said gob both before and after said force measurement; measuring the time between velocity measurements; computing a value of acceleration of said gob from said velocity and time measurements substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and interrelating said acceleration value and said force measurement so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 17

Method for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising the steps of: altering the path of said gob; measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; measuring the velocity of said gob both before and after said force measurement; measuring the time between velocity measurements; computing a value of acceleration of said gob from said velocity and time measurements substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and interrelating said acceleration value and said force measurement so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for forming glassware wherein gobs of molten glass are directed at least partially by means of a curved channel from a source of molten glass to a glassware forming machine, the improvement being apparatus for measuring the mass of said gobs comprising: force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to the path of said gob while said gob is moving in said curved channel; means for measuring the velocity of said gob on both sides of said force measuring means; means for measuring the time it takes said gob to travel between said means for measuring velocity; and computing means for calculating a value of acceleration of said gob from the output of said velocity measuring means and time measuring means substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path and for interrelating said acceleration value and the output of said force measuring means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for forming glassware wherein gobs of molten glass are directed at least partially by means of a curved channel from a source of molten glass to a glassware forming machine, the improvement being apparatus for measuring the mass of said gobs comprising: force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to the path of said gob while said gob is moving in said curved channel; means for measuring the velocity of said gob on both sides of said force measuring means; means for measuring the time it takes said gob to travel between said means for measuring velocity; and computing means for calculating a value of acceleration of said gob from the output of said velocity measuring means and time measuring means substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path and for interrelating said acceleration value and the output of said force measuring means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 20

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising: means for gradually changing the direction of movement of said object; force measuring means for measuring the force of said object normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; first velocity measuring means disposed in said direction changing means on one side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said object normal to said direction of movement; second velocity measuring means disposed in said direction changing means on the other side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said object normal to said direction of movement; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second velocity measuring means, for determining a value of acceleration of said objects substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said direction of movement; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 21

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving object comprising: means for gradually changing the direction of movement of said object; force measuring means for measuring the force of said object normal to said direction of movement while said direction of movement is being changed; first velocity measuring means disposed in said direction changing means on one side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said object normal to said direction of movement; second velocity measuring means disposed in said direction changing means on the other side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said object normal to said direction of movement; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second velocity measuring means, for determining a value of acceleration of said objects substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said direction of movement; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said object.

Claim 22

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for altering the path of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; first velocity measuring means disposed in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said gob normal to said path; second velocity measuring means disposed in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said gob normal to said direction of movement; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second velocity measuring means for determining a value of acceleration of said objects substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said gob.

Claim 23

Apparatus for measuring the mass of a moving gob of molten glass comprising: gob directing means for altering the path of said gob; force measuring means for measuring the force of said gob normal to said path while said path is being altered; first velocity measuring means disposed in said path altering means on one side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said gob normal to said path; second velocity measuring means disposed in said path altering means on the other side of said force measuring means for measuring the velocity of said gob normal to said direction of movement; computing means for determining the time taken by said object to move between said first and second velocity measuring means for determining a value of acceleration of said objects substantially proportional to the component of acceleration normal to said path; and means for interrelating the output of said force measuring means and said computing means so as to determine the mass of said gob.