Procedure and apparatus for the weighing of a load

• US 5,366,033 A
• Filed: 12/10/1992
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Savcor Group Limited (Fluence Corp. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Vesa Koivisto
• Inventors: Koivisto, Vesa
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/956,879
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 177/136, 177/211
• US Class Current: 177/136
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices

Abstract

The invention concerns a procedure for the weighing of a load. In this procedure a load support having supporters (23), e.g. a vehicle or container, is provided with transducers (1a, 1b, 2) whose output signals are used to determine the weight of the load (K). According to the invention, the transducers are mounted on the rigid frame (4) of the load support near the fixing points (6; 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) of the supporters (23; 27) and used to measure the deformations and/or stresses caused by the load, the weight of the load being determined on the basis of these.

Claims

1. A method for weighing a load in a vehicle such as a truck, a trailer or the like, in which method at least one strain gauge is mounted on a rigid frame, such as a frame girder, of the vehicle, wherein the strain gauge is used to measure deformation and stress of the rigid frame caused by the load, a weight of the load being determined on a basis of the measured deformation and stress, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting the strain gauge on the rigid frame, such as the frame girder, in a vicinity of a supporting point of an axle assembly in the frame girder;

mounting a second strain gauge in the vicinity of the supporting point, so that at least two strain gauges are placed in the vicinity of each supporting point;

applying the load on the truck; and

measuring the deformation and stress of the rigid frame by the strain gauges.

2. An apparatus used for weighing a load in a vehicle such as a truck, a trailer or the like, the apparatus comprising:

at least one strain gauge being attached to a rigid frame, such as a frame girder, of the vehicle, the strain gauge being arranged to measure deformation and stress produced in the rigid frame by the load;

processing means, connected to the strain gauge, for processing a signal obtained from the strain gauge to indicate a weight of the load;

the strain gauge being attached to the rigid frame, such as the frame girder in the vicinity of a supporting point of an axle assembly in the frame girder; and

a second strain gauge being attached to the rigid frame in the vicinity of the supporting point, so that at least two strain gauges are placed in the vicinity of each supporting point.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the strain gauges are attached tightly, such as by gluing, to a measuring point.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for compensating temperature of the strain gauges.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for compensating temperature of the strain gauges.