System to determine if vehicle correctly positioned during weighting, scale ticket data system and methods for using same

• US 20130015002A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: SASSER, CALVIN S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/02 for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/025 wheel-load scales
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/027 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/42 electrically operated

Abstract

A vehicle weighing system for counting the number of vehicle axles before and after weighing of an unloaded vehicle to determine if the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned during weighing, as well as method for generating a scale ticket to record vehicle axle count data from the vehicle weighing system. Also, a scale ticket data system with a plurality of such scale tickets and a scale ticket electronic database which collects the scale tickets and identifies those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing, as well as a method for querying the scale ticket electronic database to identify those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle weighing scale having a vehicle weighing area for weighing an unloaded vehicle having a plurality of vehicle axles, wherein the vehicle weighing area has a vehicle entry edge and a vehicle exit edge;

a first vehicle axle counter unit which is activated to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle entry edge before weighing of the unloaded vehicle; and

a second vehicle axle counter unit which is activated to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle exit edge after weighing of the unloaded vehicle;

wherein the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units are recorded by a scale ticket such that;

(i) when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units are same, the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area; and

(ii) when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units is different, the unloaded vehicle is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle weighing area comprises a weighing platform.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the weighing platform is generally rectangular.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle weighing scale comprises a platform scale

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle weighing scale comprises a pit scale.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the front edge of the weighing platform corresponds to the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the rearward edge of the weighing platform corresponds to the vehicle exit edge

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are optical counter units.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units generate an optical beam, wherein the optical beam of the first vehicle axle counter unit is at least parallel with the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the optical beam of the second vehicle axle counter unit is at least parallel with the vehicle exit edge.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the optical beam of the first vehicle axle counter unit is aligned with the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the optical beam of the second vehicle axle counter unit is aligned with the vehicle exit edge.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are mechanical counter units which are positioned to detect the wheels on one or both sides of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mechanical counter units of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are positioned to detect wheels on both sides of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mechanical counter units of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are positioned to detect wheels along one side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first axle counter unit comprises one mechanical counter unit positioned to detect wheels on one side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles passing completely over the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the second vehicle axle counter unit comprises one mechanical counter unit positioned to detect wheels on the other side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles passing completely over the vehicle exit edge.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second axle counter units count axles of an unloaded truck.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the unloaded truck comprises a tractor having a plurality of axles and a semi-trailer having a plurality of axles.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the second axle counter unit is activated after the first axle counter unit is deactivated.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second axle counter unit is activated before weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second axle counter unit is activated during or after weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

19. A method comprising the following steps:

a. providing a vehicle weighing scale having;

a vehicle weighing area for weighing an unloaded vehicle having a plurality of vehicle axles, wherein the vehicle weighing area has a vehicle entry edge and a vehicle exit edge;

a first vehicle axle counter unit which is positioned to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle entry edge; and

a second vehicle axle counter unit which is positioned to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle exit edge; and

b. activating the first vehicle axle counter unit to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle entry edge before weighing of the unloaded vehicle;

c. activating the second vehicle axle counter unit to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle exit edge after weighing of the unloaded vehicle; and

d. generating a scale ticket which records the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units in the vehicle weighing system such that;

(i) when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units are same, the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area; and

(ii) when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units is different, the unloaded vehicle is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the scale ticket generated by step (d) records the number of truck axles counted by the first and second counter units for an unloaded truck.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the scale ticket generated by step (d) also records:

a scale ticket number;

one or more unique identifiers for the unloaded vehicle; and

the tare weight measured for the unloaded vehicle by the vehicle weighing scale.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein step (c) is carried out by activating the second axle counter unit after step (b) is carried out and after deactivating the first axle counter unit of step (b).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein step (c) is carried out by activating the second vehicle axle counter unit before weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein step (c) is carried out by activating the second vehicle axle counter unit during or after weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the number of vehicle axles counted by the first counter unit during step (b) is carried out before the scale ticket is generated during step (d), and wherein the number of vehicle axles counted by the second counter unit during step (s) is carried out after the scale ticket is generated during step (d).

26. A system comprising:

a plurality of scale tickets, each scale ticket comprising vehicle axle count data for an unloaded and weighed vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle count data contains;

a first number of vehicle axles counted before weighing of the unloaded vehicle which pass completely over a vehicle entry edge of a weighing vehicle area; and

a second number of vehicle axles counted after weighing of the unloaded vehicle which pass completely over a vehicle exit edge of the vehicle weighing area; and

a scale ticket electronic database which contains the plurality of the scale tickets and which identifies;

those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area wherein the first and second numbers are the same; and

those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area wherein the first and second numbers are different.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each of the scale tickets also contain:

a scale ticket number;

one or more unique identifiers for the unloaded vehicle; and

the tare weight measured for the unloaded vehicle by the vehicle weighing scale.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the scale ticket electronic database is remotely accessible from a user computer.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the user computer has software for securely accessing the scale ticket electronic database and for querying the scale ticket electronic database to obtain electronic data which identifies:

those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area; and

/or those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the software of the user computer also provides reports of the electronic data obtained by querying the scale ticket electronic database.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the scale ticket electronic database contains a plurality of scale tickets from unloaded and weighed trucks.

32. A method comprising the following steps:

a. providing a scale ticket electronic database comprising a plurality of scale tickets, each scale ticket comprising vehicle axle count data for an unloaded and weighed vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle count data contains;

a first number of vehicle axles counted before weighing of the unloaded vehicle which pass completely over a vehicle entry edge of a weighing vehicle area; and

a second number of vehicle axles counted after weighing of the unloaded vehicle which pass completely over a vehicle exit edge of the vehicle weighing area; and

b. querying the scale ticket electronic database to identify;

those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area wherein the first and second numbers are the same; and

/or

those scale tickets corresponding to an unloaded and weighed vehicle which is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area wherein the first and second numbers are different.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein step (b) is carried out to identify:

those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area; and

those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein step (b) is carried out to identify:

only those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly positioned in the vehicle weighing area;

or only those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are incorrectly positioned in the vehicle weighing area.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein those scale tickets identified by step (b) are provided in a report.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the report of step (b) is a crystal report.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the scale ticket electronic database of step (a) comprises a plurality of scale tickets obtained from unloaded and weighed trucks.