US4397364A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combination weighing machine
Assignee: Yamato Scale Co Ltd
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Filing: 1981-06-26
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Granted: 1983-08-09
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Expires: 2001-06-26
Abstract
Abstract An automatically controlled combination weighing machine, which is generally used for packing a plurality of articles in each bag or the like so that each bag contains a predetermined weight of articles, comprising a plurality of weighing balances for weighing a plurality of articles each at the same time, arithmetic means for selecting some of these weighing balances so that the total weight of the articles on the selected balances fall within a predetermined range, and means for unloading and loading the weighing balances with articles automatically; an improvement of which is a provision of automatic drive control device for the loading means for controlling the feeding rate of the articles to the weighing balances so that an optimum number of articles are fed to each balance in order to obtain a maximum approximation of the total weight.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Hirano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:17
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G19/00; G01G19/387; G01G19/393; G01G13/00; G01G13/24; G01G13/28; G01G19/22; G01G19/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
299 words
A combination weighing machine comprising a plurality of weighing units each having a weighing cradle for carrying articles to be weighed and a weight sensor for sensing the weight of said articles to produce a weight indicating signal; an adder circuit having a plurality of input terminals for summing incoming signals to produce a sum signal; a plurality of normally-open switches coupled respectively between said weight sensors and the input terminals of said adder circuit and provided each with a control terminal; a judging circuit for comparing said sum signal with a specific range of weight to produce an output signal when said sum falls within said range; a switch control circuit having a plurality of output terminals coupled respectively to the control terminals of said normally-open switches for selecting said output terminals successively in accordance with a predetermined set of combinations and producing output signals therefrom to close corresponding ones of said normally-open switches; a combination memory having a plurality of input terminals coupled to the outputs of said switch control circuit and corresponding output terminals for storing the inputs in response to the output of said judging circuit; and loading means controlled in response to the outputs of said combination memory for feeding articles into said cradles; said machine further comprising counting means for counting the number of outputs produced from said combination memory each time to provide a count of said number, comparator means for comparing said count with one half of the number of said weighing units to produce a control signal relating the difference therebetween, and loading control means responsive to said control signal for controlling the amount of articles fed by said loading means to each cradle thereby maintaining said count substantially equal to one half of the number of said weighing units.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
299 words
A combination weighing machine comprising a plurality of weighing units each having a weighing cradle for carrying articles to be weighed and a weight sensor for sensing the weight of said articles to produce a weight indicating signal; an adder circuit having a plurality of input terminals for summing incoming signals to produce a sum signal; a plurality of normally-open switches coupled respectively between said weight sensors and the input terminals of said adder circuit and provided each with a control terminal; a judging circuit for comparing said sum signal with a specific range of weight to produce an output signal when said sum falls within said range; a switch control circuit having a plurality of output terminals coupled respectively to the control terminals of said normally-open switches for selecting said output terminals successively in accordance with a predetermined set of combinations and producing output signals therefrom to close corresponding ones of said normally-open switches; a combination memory having a plurality of input terminals coupled to the outputs of said switch control circuit and corresponding output terminals for storing the inputs in response to the output of said judging circuit; and loading means controlled in response to the outputs of said combination memory for feeding articles into said cradles; said machine further comprising counting means for counting the number of outputs produced from said combination memory each time to provide a count of said number, comparator means for comparing said count with one half of the number of said weighing units to produce a control signal relating the difference therebetween, and loading control means responsive to said control signal for controlling the amount of articles fed by said loading means to each cradle thereby maintaining said count substantially equal to one half of the number of said weighing units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A combination weighing machine, according to claim 1, wherein said counting means include a shift register having the outputs of said combination memory as its parallel bit inputs, respectively, and a counter coupled to the output of said register for counting one level of the output of said shift register.
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) | 1986-08-08 | 1987-02-07 | 1987-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-08-08 | 1991-02-07 | 1991-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-08-08 | 1995-02-07 | 1995-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |