Patent ID: 8698012
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: G01G,G07B

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a dynamic scale, comprising: automatically moving successive cargo pieces on a transport mechanism without stoppage onto a weighing cell of a weighing unit in a transport direction, said cargo pieces exhibiting respective lengths along said transport direction in a range between a shortest length and a longest length; from a first sensor located at a beginning of said weighing unit, emitting a first sensor signal upon being passed by one of said cargo pieces in said transport direction; from a second sensor located in said weighing unit following said first sensor in said transport direction, emitting a second sensor signal indicating that a next-successive cargo piece, immediately following said one of said cargo pieces, can be supplied to said weighing unit; from a computerized control unit, operating said weighing cell to implement an individual dynamic weighing procedure for each of said cargo pieces without stoppage of the respective cargo pieces on said weighing cell; providing said control unit with said first sensor signal and, upon receiving said first sensor signal, said control unit starting said individual dynamic weighing procedure for said one of said cargo pieces that has passed the first sensor; said weighing unit having an effective length in said transport direction that reduces an interval between successive ones of said cargo pieces to be weighed, said effective length being less than said longest length and thereby resulting in some of said cargo pieces being unable to be weighed without stoppage on said weighing cell in said dynamic weighing procedure; from a third sensor located at a distance in said transport direction following an outlet of said weighing unit, emitting a third sensor signal when a leading edge of a cargo piece passes said third sensor; supplying said control unit with said second sensor signal and said third sensor signal and, from said second sensor signal and said third sensor signal, said control unit detecting a cargo piece, as a detected cargo piece, that due to the length of said detected cargo piece, has reached said third sensor without said second sensor signal being emitted, thereby indicating that said detected cargo piece has not been able to be dynamically weighed on said weighing cell; in an extraction device following said weighing unit and said third sensor in said transport direction, providing an extraction mechanism operated by an extraction device motor and an actuator for actuating said extraction mechanism via said extraction device motor, said extraction device mechanism being normally unactuated to allow free movement of said cargo pieces through said extraction device by operation of said transport mechanism, and said actuator, when actuated, operating said extraction mechanism to engage and hold a cargo piece; and placing said control unit in communication with said actuator and, upon detecting said detected cargo piece, actuating said actuator from said control device to cause said detected cargo piece to be engaged and held by said extraction device while, from said control unit, operating said weighing unit to statically weigh the engaged and held identified cargo piece, and thereafter, from said control unit, de-actuating said actuator to release said identified cargo piece and then further transporting, the released identified piece through said extraction device by operation of said transport mechanism.