Automatic weighing method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for weighing material, including:
- a first gated bin for receiving and accumulating portions of the material, and including a means for releasing the material accumulated therein;
a first weighing hopper, positioned for receiving and accumulating the material released from the first gated bin, and including a means for releasing the material accumulated therein;
a first weight sensor coupled to the first hopper, for generating a weight signal indicative of the weight of material in the first hopper; and
a first reversible conveyor, positioned for receiving the material released from the first hopper.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for accumulating a load having a desired weight, and then transferring the load to a reversible conveyor. The reversible conveyor extends between a pair of unloading stations, and is capable of delivering the load to either one of the unloading stations, depending upon the direction in which it is driven. In one class of preferred embodiments, the inventive apparatus is portable, and is capable of weighing out selected amounts of any of a variety of products (for example, frozen fish or other foods). In one such embodiment, the invention includes a single gated bin which feeds a single weighing hopper, and a vibrating conveyor mounted on a vibration-absorbing frame assembly for feeding the gated bin. The weighing hopper (which does not vibrate) feeds as reversible conveyor, and the reversible conveyor in turn feeds two unloading stations. In another such preferred embodiment, the invention includes two gated bins (each mounted on a vibration absorbing frame assembly), two weighing hoppers, two reversible conveyors, and four unloading stations. Material from the vibrating conveyor is separated into two streams, and each stream is fed to one of the gated bins. Each gated bin is independently controllable, and each feeds a different weighing hopper. Each hopper feeds a different reversible conveyor, and each reversible conveyor in turn feeds two unloading stations. Means are provided for directing the material selectively to one or the other of the gated bins.
43 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for weighing material, including:
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a first gated bin for receiving and accumulating portions of the material, and including a means for releasing the material accumulated therein; a first weighing hopper, positioned for receiving and accumulating the material released from the first gated bin, and including a means for releasing the material accumulated therein; a first weight sensor coupled to the first hopper, for generating a weight signal indicative of the weight of material in the first hopper; and a first reversible conveyor, positioned for receiving the material released from the first hopper. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of weighing material, including the steps of:
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(a) periodically releasing material from a bin into a weighing hopper; (b) monitoring the weight of the material in the hopper as the material accumulates in the hopper; (c) while rotating a reversible conveyor, releasing the material from the hopper onto the reversible conveyor upon determining that a predetermined weight of material has accumulated in the hopper; (d) after step (c), reversing the rotational direction of the conveyor; and (e) while rotating the conveyor in the reversed direction, repeating steps (a), (b), and (c). - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification