DIGITAL BATCHING

• US 3,708,026 A
• Filed: 07/01/1971
• Issued: 01/02/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald A. Senour
• Original Assignee: Donald A. Senour
• Inventors: Senour, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, Jr., Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US05/158,688
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 177/60,70,81,122,123
• US Class Current: 177/60
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/244 of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/28 for measuring, controlling or regulating, e.g. viscosity control B29B7/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/28 involving variation of an electrical variable which is used to control loading or discharge of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/2912 involving dribble-feed means controlled by the weighing mechanism to top up the receptacle to the target weight
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/37 involving digital counting

Abstract

Automatic precision control of high-speed filling and emptying operations, such as those in which a liquid is admitted into or discharged from a batch, is provided by a combination of a weighing system and associated electronic digital circuitry which regulates these operations in accordance with changes in instantaneous batch weight relative to stored information concerning initial weight and which further both reduces or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dribbles'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' the rate at which these operations proceed just prior to their completions and anticipates and accounts for socalled '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'in-flight'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' amounts of material remaining temporarily in transit.

Claims

1. Batching apparatus for controlling the weight of a fluent material batched in relation to a container therefor, comprising means for electrically storing data representing initial weight of material and its container at the outset of a batching operation, adjustable means for electrically characterizing a weight of the material to be batched, means for comparing data stored by said storing means with data characterizing instantaneous weight of the material and its container, means responsive to said comparing means for electrically characterizing differences between said initial and instantaneous weights, means for comparing the electrical characterizations of said differences and said weight to be batched and producing an output signalling occurrence of coincidence therebetween, electrical means for actuating controller means for controlling the flow of the material in relation to the container, starting means for first initiating storage of said data by said storage means and then operating said electrical means to actuate the controller means to an open condition passing the flow of material, and means applying said output to said electrical means to operate said electrical means to actuate the controller means to a closed condition restricting the flOw of material.

2. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means characterizes weight to be batched into the container, and wherein said means electrically characterizing said differences produces electrical characterizations only of instantaneous weight-characterizations in excess of the weight representation by said stored data.

3. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means characterizes weight to be batched out of the container, and wherein said means electrically characterizing said differences produces electrical characterizations of weight which are in excess of said instantaneous weight characterization and which when added to said instantaneous weight characterization totals the representation of initial weight by said stored data.

4. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including means for producing at least one offset in one of said weight characterizations and representation, equal to a characterization of a number of pounds of the material, and wherein said means comparing said data compares the data including said offset in one of them, whereby said apparatus effects closure of the controller means at a predetermined time in the batching operation short of the time when closure would be effected in absence of said offset.

5. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said offset-producing means produces said offset in characterizations of said instantaneous weight.

6. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including means producing a positive offset in characterizations of said instantaneous weight, said positive offset causing said characterizations of instantaneous weight to be higher by a predetermined number of pounds than is actually the case.

7. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including means producing a negative offset in characterizations of said instantaneous weight, said negative offset causing said characterizations of instantaneous weight to be lower by a predetermined number of pounds than is actually the case.

8. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the controller means includes means for controlling the flow of material at relatively high and relatively low first and second rates respectively, wherein said offset-producing means produces first and second offsets in characterizations of said instantaneous weight and further includes means for sequentially producing said first offset during the open condition of said first-rate controlling means and producing said second offset upon occurence of the closed condition of said first-rate controlling means.

9. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first-and second-rate controlling means comprise electrically-actuated fluid valves.

10. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for storing said data representing initial weight comprises digital storage means, wherein said adjustable means characterizes the weight of material to be batched in digital encoding, wherein said means for comparing comprise digital comparators, means digitally encoding said data characterizing the instantaneous weight, wherein said means producing said output comprises digital coincidence circuitry producing an output pulse characterizing said coincidence, and wherein said means comparing data includes digital coincidence circuitry producing a coincidence pulse upon occurrence of coincidence between digital data characterizing instantaneous and stored initial weights.

11. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means digitally encoding said data characterizing the instantaneous weight repeatedly performs said encoding periodically and at a high repetition rate relative to expected significant changes in the instantaneous weight.

12. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 10 further including an instrument responsive to weight-related analog electrical input signals and periodically producing a digital characterization Of instantaneous weight, said storing means being responsive to digital characterizations by said instrument, and said digital encoding means being responsive to said digital characterizations.

13. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said instrument comprises a dual-slope integrator periodically integrating said input signals and periodically producing weight-related trains of clock pulses while each integrated signal is discharged to a regerence level and further producing crossover pulses each time the discharged signals reach the reference level.

14. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 13 further including a container for the material, weighing means supporting said container and producing analog electrical output signals representing weight of the container and material therein, and means applying said analog output signals to said instrument as input thereto.

15. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 14 further comprising conduit means coupled with said container for conducting flow of the material in relation to said container, and wherein said controller means controls flow of the material through said conduit means.

16. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further comprising means for producing at least one analog offset signal, and means for applying said offset signal as input to said instrument together with said weight-related analog input signals.

17. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said said means for producing said analog offset signal comprises adjustable potentiometer means.

18. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said potentiometer means comprises two potentiometers each producing a different analog offset signal, and wherein said means applying said offset signal as input applies the offset signal from one of said potentiometers as said input and applies the offset signal from the other of said potentiometers as said input upon occurrence of said output pulse characterizing said coincidence.

19. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the controller means includes means for controlling the flow of material at relatively high and relatively low first and second rates respectively, wherein said offset-producing means produces first and second analog offset signals and further includes means for sequentially producing said first offset signal during the open condition of said first-rate controlling means and producing said second offset signal upon occurrence of the closed condition of said first-rate controlling means.

20. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said means digitally encoding said data characterizing the instantaneous weight comprises a digital counter responsive to said periodic digital characterization of instantaneous weight by said instrument.

21. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 20 including means resetting said digital counter upon occurrence of each said coincidence pulse, and means gating the counted data in said digital counter to said digital comparator in said means for comparing data in response to each said coincidence pulse.

22. Batching apparatus as set forth in claim 20 including a pulse-generating clock, means triggering said clock to commence production of pulses upon occurrence of each of said crossover pulses and to cease production of pulses upon occurrence of each said coincidence pulse.