Abstract:
A depletion indicating mechanism allows for visual inspection of the quantity of components contained in a storage bin. The storage bin is mounted on a fixed frame structure, such as a wall, and the bin is held in a tilted position in opposition to the gravitational force acting on the bin. A mechanism is responsive to the change of weight of the bin as the quantity of components is reduced so that angular displacement of the bin occurs. The mechanism amplifies the angular displacement of the bin into corresponding depletion measurements on a mechanical gauge which allows for visual inspection of an indicator to quickly determine the degree of bin depletion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to storage bins and deals more particularly with an improved storage bin which includes a mechanism for indicating depletion of the contents of the bin. 
     It is known to inventory the quantity of components left in a storage bin either by counting the components or weighing the bin with its contents and comparing that weight to the weight of a filled bin. When the number of components, or the weight differential drops to a predetermined value, it is time to reorder components and/or to refill the bin. Such inventory methods require a great deal of time with incipient personnel costs. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a depletion indicating mechanism with a storage bin so attached to a wall or the like to provide for easy inspection of the quantity of components to determine when reordering or refilling is necessary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention resides in an apparatus for indicating the depletion of the contents of a bin for storage of industrial components or the like. One embodiment of the invention includes a mechanism for attachment between a pivioted storage bin and a fixed frame structure, such as a wall, the bin being supported in a tilted position in opposition to the gravitational force acting on the bin. The support force varies in magnitude directly with the change in weight of the bin as the quantity of the contents within the bin changes. The support force allows the bin to tilt to a lower position upon an increase in weight, and raises the bin to a higher position of tilt upon a decrease in weight. The mechanism amplifies the angular displacement of the bin between the lower and higher positions of tilt into corresponding depletion measurements on a gauge. The mechanism includes a mechanical gauge which causes an indicator to move relative to a reference mark as the bin moves from one position to another. The displacement of the indicator reflects the change in the quantity of bin contents. 
     One feature of the invention is that the mechanism is adjustable to provide for predetermined bin &#34;full&#34; and bin &#34;reload&#34; positions. Adjustment of the support force of the mechanism is provided for in the indicating mechanism. When the support force is provided by a compression spring, either a change of spring length or replacement of the spring is all that is required for the mechanism to be adaptable to accommodate heavy or light parts. 
     Another feature of the invention is that the mechanism provides a visual method of quickly inventorying the quantity of contents within the bin. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a depletion indicating mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view as seen from the lower side of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view as seen from the right of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the depletion indicating mechanism in the embodiment of FIG. 1 holding the bin in one position. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of a depletion indicating mechanism in the embodiment of FIG. 1 holding the bin in another position. 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of a depletion indicating mechanism in an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     (FIGS. 1-5) 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention generally designated as unit 10, adapted for attachment to a storage bin which is pivotally supported above its center of gravity in a fixed frame structure. The unit 10, when attached to a storage bin, acts between the storage bin and the fixed frame structure and supports the bin in a tilted position in opposition to the gravitational force acting on the bin. As shown in FIG. 2, unit 10 includes an elongated member 12, a mounting base 18, a spring 16, and an indicator wheel 24. The elongated member 12 is preferably made of metal, such as steel, which is rigid enough to be self-supportive and is capable of withstanding a compression force along its longitudinal axis equivalent to the gravitational force acting on the bin. A portion of the elongated member 12 near one of its ends has a camming surface 28 for pivoting the indicator wheel 24 about its center. An outwardly extending flange 14 is mounted on the elongated member 12 near its end opposite the end having the camming surface. A sleeve or bushing fixed upon the elongated member 12 provides the annular flange 14 against which one end of the spring 16 acts while supporting the bin in a tilted position. It is preferred that the sleeve be adjustable to various locations along the elongated member 12 for varying the force of the spring 16. 
     A portion of the mounting base 18 is in the form of a broad flat plate. The plate portion is preferably made of metal and lays flush against the bin when attached to it. The plate portion of the mounting base 18 may be suitably attached to a bin by bolts 31, 31 or screws. The plate portion includes a plurality of holes (not shown) to aid in the attachment of the unit 10 to a bin. The mounting base has collars 20, 21 attached to the same side of the base 18 and define co-aligned openings to loosely receive the elongated member 12. The defined openings in the collars 20, 21 are large enough to allow the elongated member 12 to slide therewithin in a longitudinal direction; that is, along the longitudinal axis of the elongated member 12. Since the inside surfaces of the collars 20, 21 will make sliding contact with the elongated member 12, it is preferable that the surfaces in contact be as smooth as possible to minimize friction during the sliding action. 
     The indicator wheel 24 is in the form of a circular disc rotatably secured adjacent the mounting base 18. The wheel 24 is mounted by a pivot pin at its center to the bin 30 and the circular disc is generally parallel to the plate portion of the mounting base 18. A gear element, having a camming surface 26 in the form of teeth is defined on the wheel 24 and is located at the center of, and on the side of the wheel 24 opposite the bin 30. The camming surface 26 is coaxial to the wheel 24 and engages a complementary camming surface portion 28 of the elongated member 12. Thus, these camming surfaces are in rolling contact so that a linear movement of the elongated member 12, as the driver, causes the wheel 24, as the follower, to rotate about its pivot. The camming surface 26 of the wheel 24 is toothed, as shown in FIG. 3, while the camming surface portion of the elongated member 12 has annular flanges forming an interlocking arrangement as the camming surfaces engage. It is preferred that the diameter of the camming surface 26 on the wheel element is small compared to the overall diameter of the wheel 24 so that an incremental linear movement of the elongated member 12 causes an amplified displacement of the periphery of the wheel 24. The wheel 24 has markings upon its periphery, as shown in FIG. 3, so that rotational movement of the wheel 24 is readily observed. 
     A spring 16 is located about the elongated member 12 and acts between the flange 14 of the elongated member 12 and the collar 20 of the mounting base 18. When the unit 10 is mounted to a pivoted storage bin, so that the end of the elongated member 12 opposite the end having the camming surface engages the fixed frame 32, the spring 16 acts between the flange 14 and the collar 20 to support the bin in a tilted position in opposition to the gravitational force acting on the bin. When the bin is filled to capacity, the spring 16 is designed to support the bin at a lower or &#34;full&#34; position of tilt. At a predetermined amount of bin depletion, the spring 16 will have moved the bin about its pivotal axis to a higher or &#34;reload&#34; position of tilt. The spring 16 must be at least strong enough to accomplish this result. Since the weight of a filled bin with certain contents may be different than the weight of a filled bin with different contents, the spring force will need to be changed to produce the desired angular displacement of the bin upon a depletion of contents. The spring 16 may be replaced to provide a spring of suitable strength, but preferably the flange 14 is confined by an adjustable sleeve which may be suitably positioned to the right or left as shown in FIGS. 1 or 2 to alter the strength of the existing spring 16. 
     The storage bin 30 is suitable for storage of a variable quantity of contents, such as industrial components or the like, and is pivotally supported in a fixed frame structure 32. The axis of pivot of the bin 30 comprises a horizontal line, and permits substantial angular displacement of the center of gravity of the bin relative to the fixed frame structure 32. The storage bin 30, as shown in FIG. 1, has a bottom wall which is preferably inclined away from the fixed structure 32 so that the center of gravity of the bin 30 with components is spaced away from the fixed structure 32. This geometry provides greater bin movement as the quantity of components is depleted. The fixed frame structure 32 may be provided by a fixture such as a storage rack or a warehouse wall. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the unit 10 and the bin 30 in combination as seen from the right of FIG. 1. The bin 30 has a corresponding reference gauge marking 34 adjacent to the markings on the periphery of the wheel 24 so that an angular movement of the wheel 24 may be observed by the displacement of the wheel marking relative to the bin marking 34. 
     To summarize the operation of the unit 10 when attached in the foredescribed arrangement to the bin 30 and engaging the fixed frame structure 32, the unit 10 holds the bin 30 filled with contents at a low elevation of tilt, as demonstrated in FIG. 4, and forces the bin to a higher position of tilt upon a depletion of bin contents, as demonstrated in FIG. 5. As the spring 16 causes the bin to move to a higher position of tilt, the spring 16 effectively causes the flange 14 and collar 20 to move farther apart. Since the flange 14 is fixed to the elongated member 12 and the collar 20 is fixed to the bin 30, the elongated member 12 must slide within collars 20, 21 as the bin 30 is moved angularly upward. The movement of the bin 30 relative to the elongated member 12 causes the camming surface of the elongated member 12 to rotate the wheel 24 in cooperation with the camming surface 26 of the wheel element. Effectively, the angular displacement of the bin 30 is amplified into angular displacement of the wheel 24, and since the angular displacement of the bin 30 reflects the weight of contents within the bin 30 then the weight of the contents, or more appropriately the quantity of the contents, within the bin 30 is reflected by the angular displacement of the wheel 24. This result will allow for visual observation of the angular displacement of the wheel 24 to quickly determine the bin depletion. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT 
     (FIG. 6) 
     Instead of fixing the unit 10 to the underside of a pivoted bin 30, the unit 10 may be attached to the side of a bin 30 as demonstrated in FIG. 6. It is only important that the line of force applied by the spring 16 be spaced from the axis of pivot of bin 30, and FIG. 6 is like the previous embodiment in this regard. 
     The aforementioned descriptions of this invention are mentioned as illustrations and not as limitations.