US4832140A — Platform weighing apparatus and method for produc…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 87 words

A heavy duty weighing apparatus for trucks, equipment and the like including a platform mountable in a ground pit on force measuring elements resting on a concrete support, the platform comprising: a lost self-supporting essentially unitary shuttering prefabricated of polymeric concrete at a manufacturing site, said shuttering having an outer contour exactly defining the whole lower circumferential outer contour of said platform and provided with a cavity therein, said shuttering being directly supported by said force measuring elements and filled, at an operational site, with cement concrete.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 87 words

A heavy duty weighing apparatus for trucks, equipment and the like including a platform mountable in a ground pit on force measuring elements resting on a concrete support, the platform comprising: a lost self-supporting essentially unitary shuttering prefabricated of polymeric concrete at a manufacturing site, said shuttering having an outer contour exactly defining the whole lower circumferential outer contour of said platform and provided with a cavity therein, said shuttering being directly supported by said force measuring elements and filled, at an operational site, with cement concrete.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shuttering includes a ceiling wall made of polymeric concrete a top side thereof constituting a load receiving surface of said platform.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said ceiling wall is prefabricated unitary with said shuttering.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said ceiling wall is provided with at least one opening for filling-in said cement concrete.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said ceiling wall is provided with at least one hole arranged in spaced relationship to said at least on opening for permitting escape of air contained in said shuttering and observation of said filling-in of said cement concrete.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 61 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a supporting base frame pre-fabricated of polymeric concrete and insertable in said ground pit for accommodating said platform therein, a load receiving surface of said platform essentially flushing with an essentially horizontal top face surface of said base frame, said base frame having lower horizontal sections extending inwards for supporting said force measuring elements.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said lower horizontal sections have inner edges bent downwards.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said base frame opens in upward direction by having sidewalls inclined to the horizontal, said platform having side walls essentially correspondingly inclined to the horizontal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 17 words

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said polymeric concrete of said base frame has reinforcement means embedded.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said base frame is concreted into said ground pit.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a bottom of said ground pit is covered by a thin smooth layer of cement concrete.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shuttering has formed therein vertical centrally hollow columns extending to a top surface of said platform, said columns having fixedly embedded receptacles for housing said force measuring elements insertable to said receptacles from said top surface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said receptacles are made of steel and have an essentially cylindrical form, and have extended rings at their upper ends for receiving supporting plates for said force measuring elements.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said receptacles are made of steel and have a frustro-conical form narrowing upwards, top ends of said receptacles being formed as extended rings for receiving supporting plates for said force measuring elements.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 78 words

The apparatus of calim 6, wherein a peripheral upper edge of said platform is firmly connected to said horizontal face surface of said base frame by a cover strip made of elastomeric material and bridging a gap formed between said platform and said base frame, said cover strip acting as a means for limiting lateral movements of said platform relative to said base frame and for transmitting any lateral forces introduced to said platform to said base frame.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 78 words

The apparatus of calim 6, wherein a peripheral upper edge of said platform is firmly connected to said horizontal face surface of said base frame by a cover strip made of elastomeric material and bridging a gap formed between said platform and said base frame, said cover strip acting as a means for limiting lateral movements of said platform relative to said base frame and for transmitting any lateral forces introduced to said platform to said base frame.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for extraordinary long platforms said shuttering is divided into a plurality of modules having steplike face edges for putting said modules together, elastomeric material being interposed between opposing face edges.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 79 words

A heavy duty weighing apparatus comprising a platform mountable in a groupd pit and a base frame place on said ground pit for loosely accommodating said platform therein, said base frame being a frame of polymeric concrete prefabricated at a manufacturing site and having an essentially horizontal top face surface flushing with a force receiving surface of said platform and lower horizontal sections extending inward in said ground pit for supporting force measuring elements on which said platform rests.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 79 words

A heavy duty weighing apparatus comprising a platform mountable in a groupd pit and a base frame place on said ground pit for loosely accommodating said platform therein, said base frame being a frame of polymeric concrete prefabricated at a manufacturing site and having an essentially horizontal top face surface flushing with a force receiving surface of said platform and lower horizontal sections extending inward in said ground pit for supporting force measuring elements on which said platform rests.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 91 words

A method of manufacturing a heavy duty platform weighing apparatus comprising the steps: pre-fabricating a shuttering having a cavity therein for said platform by molding polymeric concrete material at a manufacturing site, wherein said shuttering has an outer contour exactly defining the whole lower circumferential outer contour of said platform; transporting said shuttering to an operational site where a ground pit is located; and placing said shuttering within said ground pit, with force measuring elements therebetween, wherein said cavity of said shuttering is filled with cement concrete at an operational site.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 91 words

A method of manufacturing a heavy duty platform weighing apparatus comprising the steps: pre-fabricating a shuttering having a cavity therein for said platform by molding polymeric concrete material at a manufacturing site, wherein said shuttering has an outer contour exactly defining the whole lower circumferential outer contour of said platform; transporting said shuttering to an operational site where a ground pit is located; and placing said shuttering within said ground pit, with force measuring elements therebetween, wherein said cavity of said shuttering is filled with cement concrete at an operational site.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 18 further comprising: the step of placing said shuttering into said ground pit before filling-in of cement concrete into said shuttering.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 48 words

The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of pre-fabricating a base frame by moulding thereof of polymeric concrete at a manufacturing site; transporting said pre-fabricated base frame to said operational site; and securing said base frame in said ground pit by concreting said base frame therein.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 28 words

Method of claim 20 wherein said shuttering is placed into said base frame and secured thereto at said manufacturing site before transporting thereof together to said operational site.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 21 wherein said shuttering is secured to said base frame by fixing a cover strip of elastomeric material circumferentially both to said base frame and said shuttering.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of inserting force measuring cells into receptacles formed in said shuttering from a top side of said platform after producing thereof.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 84 words

A platform weighing apparatus comprising: a platform prefabricated of polymeric concrete by moulding at a manufacturing site, said platform having a substantially rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the surface of said platform and provided with honeycomb-liike cavities therein and open cavities substantially at the circumferential periphery thereof; a substantially flat base means for receiving said platform thereon; and force measuring elements arranged within said open cavities leaving a substantially linear clearance between said platform and said base means, said force measuring elements supporting said platform.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 84 words

A platform weighing apparatus comprising: a platform prefabricated of polymeric concrete by moulding at a manufacturing site, said platform having a substantially rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the surface of said platform and provided with honeycomb-liike cavities therein and open cavities substantially at the circumferential periphery thereof; a substantially flat base means for receiving said platform thereon; and force measuring elements arranged within said open cavities leaving a substantially linear clearance between said platform and said base means, said force measuring elements supporting said platform.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said base means is pre-fabricated of polymeric concrete by moulding.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 29 words

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said force measuring elements are housed in open cavities provided in said platform said open cavities being open at least in downward direction

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said recesses are accessible through openings provided at a top surface of said platform.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said open cavities are separated from said openings by annular plates embedded in said platform, said plates having apertures adapted for inserting said force measuring elements, said apertures being closed by inserts adapted to be placed into said openings and fixed to said steel plates, the top surfaces of said inserts essentially flushing with a top surface of said platform.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 47 words

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least part of a circumferential lower edge of said platform and of a peripheral edge of said base means are provided with complementary opposing spaced surfaces for limiting any lateral movement of said platform in respect of said base means.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said platform has a downward circumferential edge and said base means has an upward circumferential edge, said two circumferential edges having opposite slats facing each other.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein a metal plate is provided in at least one of spaces between said force measuring element and said platform and said force measuring element and said base frame.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 98 words

A platform weighing apparatus comprising: a platform prefabricated of polymeric concrete by molding at a manufacturing site, said platform having a recess therein, a base means for receiving said platform thereon, a force measuring element arranged between said platform and said base means, wherein said platform and said base means are formed by an integral unit of polymeric concrete having a gap at central portion thereof and having a circumferential connecting portion at the edges thereof, said platform further has a central rigid vertical support portion and a lever portion between said support portion and said connecting portion.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 98 words

A platform weighing apparatus comprising: a platform prefabricated of polymeric concrete by molding at a manufacturing site, said platform having a recess therein, a base means for receiving said platform thereon, a force measuring element arranged between said platform and said base means, wherein said platform and said base means are formed by an integral unit of polymeric concrete having a gap at central portion thereof and having a circumferential connecting portion at the edges thereof, said platform further has a central rigid vertical support portion and a lever portion between said support portion and said connecting portion.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 30 wherein only one said force measuring element is arranged in a center of said platform.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 25 words

The arrangement of claim 32, wherein at least two said force measuring elements are arranged in spaced relationship along a symmetry axis of said platform.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said platform has a circular shape and said lever portion is a pair of parallel levers.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said platform has a downward circumferential edge and said base means has an upward circumferential edge, said two circumferential edges having opposite slats facing each other.

Claim 43

Independent Claim 65 words

A method for manufacturing a platform weighing apparatus comprising the steps: preparing a mould according to the outer contours of a platform at a manufacturing site; placing form bodies into said mould corresponding to cavities to be formed in said platform; moulding said platform by filling-in of polymeric concrete into said mould; and removing said platform after solidification of said polymeric concrete from said mould.

Claim 44

Independent Claim 65 words

A method for manufacturing a platform weighing apparatus comprising the steps: preparing a mould according to the outer contours of a platform at a manufacturing site; placing form bodies into said mould corresponding to cavities to be formed in said platform; moulding said platform by filling-in of polymeric concrete into said mould; and removing said platform after solidification of said polymeric concrete from said mould.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 37, wherein said form bodies are at least formed as lost shuttering elements.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 37, wherein said form bodies are made of synthetic foam material.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 37, wherein said form bodies are made of removable material which is removed from said finished platform.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 37, wherein a base means for supporting said platform is moulded of polymeric concrete.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 41, wherein said base means is moulded integrally with said platform.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method of claim 37, wherein form bodies are placed into said mould for forming recesses for accommodating force measuring elements, said recesses opening downwards and having openings at a top surface of said platform and further comprising the steps of inserting said force measuring cells from said top surface of said platform into said recesses and closing said openings.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of placing reinforcement means into said mould before filling-in polymeric concrete.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-05-22	1992-11-21	1993-05-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-05-22	1996-11-21	1997-05-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-05-22	2000-11-21	2001-05-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Platform weighing apparatus and method for producing thereof

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