ELECTRICAL COUNTING SCALE

• US 3,557,891 A
• Filed: 09/11/1968
• Issued: 01/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John R. Klopfenstein
• Original Assignee: John R. Klopfenstein
• Inventors: Klopfenstein, John R.
• Application Number:
  US04/759,011
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• US Class Current: 177/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/145 involving comparison with a reference value G01G3/147 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrical counting scale comprising a single transducer for both weighing a known number of sample pieces of like weight and an unknown number of said pieces to be counted. Load indicating means electrically connected to the transducer indicates load upon the scale in terms of the number of said pieces to be counted. Calibrating means are provided for so calibrating the load indicating means in accordance with the number of sample pieces and a ratio factor that the single transducer performs both of the foregoing weighing functions.

Claims

1. An electrical counting scale comprising, in combination, a commodity receiver for an unknown number of pieces of like weight to be counted, a sample pan for a known number of said pieces, lever means connecting the pan in a fixed ratio to the commodity receiver, transducer means connected to the lever means, load indicating means electrically connected to the transducer means, and electrical calibrating means in circuit between the transducer means and the load indicating means and including span adjustment means for setting the load indicating means in an initial adjustment to said fixed ratio multiplied by the number of said pieces in the sample pan and further including zero adjustment means for maintaining the load indicating means at zero when the span adjustment means is varied with no load upon the scale, whereby the load indicating means indicates zero when said pieces are removed from the pan and when there is no load upon the commodity receiver and thereafter indicates load upon the commodity receiver in terms of the number of said pieces to be counted.

2. An electrical counting scale according to claim 1 wherein the span adjustment means includes an infinitely adjustable voltage generator.

3. An electrical counting scale according to claim 1 wherein the span adjustment means includes an adjustable voltage generator comprising adjustabLe means movable to predetermined voltage supplying positions corresponding to several types of pieces to be counted.

4. An electrical counting scale according to claim 1 wherein the span adjustment means includes an adjustable voltage source comprising adjustable means movable stepwise to voltage supplying positions providing a coarse adjustment and infinitely adjustable means movable to voltage supplying positions providing a fine adjustment.

5. An electrical counting scale comprising, in combination, a commodity receiver for an unknown number of pieces of like weight to be counted, a sample pan for a known number of said pieces, lever means connecting the pan in a fixed ratio to the commodity receiver, transducer means connected to the lever means having an output voltage which is a function of load upon the scale, an adjustable voltage source that supplies a balancing voltage in opposition to the output voltage, load indicating means for indicating the balancing voltage in terms of the number of said unknown number of pieces, servo means for automatically adjusting the voltage source and the load indicating means in a balancing direction in response to differences between the voltages, energizing means for adjustably energizing the voltage source for setting the load indicating means in an initial adjustment to said fixed ratio times the number of said pieces in the sample pan and a zero potentiometer in circuit with the transducer means and with the voltage source and which is energized by said energizing means and which is settable when no load is upon the scale to a position wherein a change in the energizing means produces no change in indication provided by the load indicating means, whereby the load indicating means indicates zero when said pieces are removed from the pan and when there is no load upon the commodity receiver and thereafter indicates load upon the commodity receiver in terms of the number of said pieces to be counted.

6. An electrical counting scale according to claim 5 wherein the energizing means includes an adjustable voltage generator comprising adjustable means movable to predetermined voltage supplying positions corresponding to several types of pieces to be counted.