Compensated load cell
First Claim
1. An improved method of compensating a weighing mechanism having a single beam load cell member, comprising the steps of mounting a first strain gage on one side of the beam member near an end thereof, mounting a second strain gage on the other side of the beam near the same end, positioning said first and second strain gages at opposite angles to the longitudinal axis of the beam to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of the beam, mounting third and fourth strain gages near the other end of the beam, arranging the gages in an electrical bridge circuit, and connecting a resistor network to one or more of the gages to make the output of the bridge circuit substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one direction of the weighing mechanism.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to new and improved single beam load cells which are compensated for both longitudinal and lateral displacement of the load; to new and improved scale arrangements incorporating such load cells; and to methods of compensating such single beam load cells. In one embodiment of the invention strain gages are attached to only one side of the beam and the beam is honed or filed to compensate for both longitudinal and lateral displacement of the load. In another embodiment of the invention strain gages are placed on both sides of the single beam and the strain gages are placed on the beam at a slight angle from the longitudinal axis of the beam. In this embodiment the beam may be honed to compensate for both lateral and longitudinal displacement of the load. In addition, with the strain gages displaced at a small angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the beam, the load cell may be compensated for both longitudinal and transverse displacement of the load by placing resistors in parallel with two or more of the strain gages.
The single beam is mounted or supported at one end thereof and the other end supports the platter or platform of the scale arrangement. The platter or platform mounting arrangements may be arranged to provide moment insensitive arrangements, and in one exemplary embodiment the platform or platter is supported by one end of the single beam load cell at or near an edge thereof.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An improved method of compensating a weighing mechanism having a single beam load cell member, comprising the steps of mounting a first strain gage on one side of the beam member near an end thereof, mounting a second strain gage on the other side of the beam near the same end, positioning said first and second strain gages at opposite angles to the longitudinal axis of the beam to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of the beam, mounting third and fourth strain gages near the other end of the beam, arranging the gages in an electrical bridge circuit, and connecting a resistor network to one or more of the gages to make the output of the bridge circuit substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one direction of the weighing mechanism.
- 2. An improved weighing mechanism comprising, in combination, a single beam member, first and second strain gages mounted on the beam member at angles to the longitudinal axis of the beam member to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of the beam member, and a resistor network connected in circuit with at least one of said strain gages to make the output of the weighing mechanism substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one of two mutually perpendicular directions on the weighing mechanism.
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17. A method of compensating a weighing mechanism having a single beam load cell member with longitudinal and lateral axes, comprising the steps of mounting first and second strain gages on the beam member at opposite angles to the longitudinal axis of the beam to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of the beam, mounting third and fourth strain gages on the beam, arranging the gages in an electrical bridge circuit, and connecting a resistor network to one or more of the gages to make the output of the bridge circuit substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one of said axes.
- 18. A weighing mechanism comprising a single beam member having longitudinal and lateral axes, first and second strain gages mounted on said beam at opposite angles to the longitudinal axis to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of said beam, third and fourth strain gages mounted on said beam, said strain gages being arranged in an electrical bridge circuit, and a resistor network connected to one or more of the gages to make the output of the bridge circuit substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one of said axes.
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20. An improved weighing mechanism comprising, in combination, a single bending beam member for producing bending strain in response to loads applied thereto, first and second strain gages mounted on opposite sides of said beam near the same end thereof, said gages being rotated at opposite angles relative to the longitudinal axis of said beam to increase the sensitivity of said gages to off-center loading of said beam, third and fourth strain gages mounted on the other end of said beam, said gages being arranged in an electrical bridge circuit, and a resistor network connected to one or more of said gages to make the output of the bridge circuit substantially independent of the position of a weight along at least one direction of the weighing mechanism.
Specification