Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a weighing station that comprises a positioning apparatus, a drive mechanism, and a scale apparatus. In one embodiment, the positioning apparatus includes a plurality of partitions that define a plurality of product compartments. The positioning apparatus further includes a guide wall located beyond the exterior end of the partitions, with the guide wall defining a loading aperture where product may be loaded into the weighing station and a discharge aperture where product is weighed and then exits the station. The drive mechanism is coupled to the positioning apparatus and is operable to move the partitions and thereby move the product compartments so that the product compartments pass the guide wall apertures. The scale apparatus is positioned at the leading edge of the discharge aperture in the guide wall and is operable to weigh product.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/615,231 entitled “Weighing Station,” filed Oct. 1, 2004. Priority is claimed thereto pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e). 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     None.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is directed to a weighing station, and, more specifically, to a weighing station that may be incorporated into an automated production line.  
         [0004]     There are many processing applications in which a product must be weighed. For example, in a fish processing application, only fish within a specific weight range are processed together. Thus, it is necessary to separate the fish by weight before the fish may be processed. Typically, this separation occurs at a weighing station when the fish are unloaded. After weighing, the fish are placed on a conveyor belt reserved for fish within a pre-determined weight range.  
         [0005]     The act of weighing a product typically includes placing the product in a weighing station, waiting for weighing station to provide the weight, and then moving the product to its next position. This process is time-consuming, especially if the weighing station is shared among a number of workers or if the next positions are physically distant. Consequently, workers often will simply estimate the weight of the product. Although potentially faster, this estimation practice introduces the potential for inaccuracy and does not address the inefficiency introduced by having to move products to different locations, for example to different conveyor belts, for further processing.  
         [0006]     Thus, an automated system that efficiently and accurately weighs products in a production line is needed.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     To overcome the above-described disadvantages, the present invention is directed to a weighing station that comprises a positioning apparatus, a drive mechanism, and a scale apparatus. In one embodiment, the positioning apparatus includes a plurality of partitions that define a plurality of product compartments. The positioning apparatus further includes a guide wall located beyond the exterior end of the partitions, with the guide wall defining a loading aperture and a discharge aperture. The drive mechanism is coupled to the positioning apparatus and is operable to move the partitions and thereby move the product compartments so that the product compartments pass the apertures in the guide wall. The scale apparatus is positioned at the leading edge of the discharge aperture in the guide wall.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment, the positioning apparatus includes a rotatable shaft with the partitions extending outwardly from the shaft.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, the drive mechanism includes a motor that is coupled to a cam-follower system. The cam-follower system includes a cam coupled to a rotatable drive shaft and a cam follower is coupled to a rotatable shaft. In this embodiment, the motor rotates the drive shaft thereby causing the cam to rotate. The rotation of the cam, in turn, forces the cam follower, and the shaft coupled thereto, to rotate.  
         [0010]     In operation, the drive mechanism causes the partitions to move. An individual product is placed through the loading aperture and into a product compartment. Next, the drive mechanism moves the partitions until the product is positioned on the scale apparatus. The scale apparatus then weighs the product. Thereafter, the drive mechanism advances the partitions causing the product to move off of the scale apparatus whereupon the product exits the weighing station through the discharge aperture.  
         [0011]     In one embodiment, the drive mechanism includes a motor that is coupled to a cam-follower system configured to cause the partitions to move in a stepping fashion with a delay.  
         [0012]     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     Further features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a weighing station constructed according to one embodiment of the present invention and having the cover plate of the cam housing partially removed;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the weighing station of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the weighing station of  FIG. 2  with the cam and cam follower shown in dashed lines;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the weighing station of  FIG. 2  taken along the reference line  3 - 3 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  with a product in the initial position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  with a product in the second position;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  with a product in the third position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  with a product in the fourth position;  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  in operation with product in three positions;  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  shows the weighing station of  FIG. 4  after further rotation; and 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     The present invention includes an automated weighing station for a processing line that is efficient, reliable, and accurate. The weighting station automatically and accurately weighs a product and then uses that weight to assist in directing the product along its appropriate path. The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the figures.  
         [0025]     A weighing station  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The weighing station  10  is contained within a frame that includes a first side wall  20  and a second side wall  30 . It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular side wall shapes shown in the figures. Two rods  40 ,  50  extend between and separate the two side walls  20 ,  30 . The two rods  40 ,  50  are positioned at the upper corners of the side walls  20 ,  30 . A plate  60  also extends between and separates the side walls  20 ,  30 . The plate  60  is located near the lower edge of the side walls  20 ,  30 . The weighing station  10  also includes a guide wall comprised of a back guide wall element  70  and a front guide wall element  80 . The guide wall elements  70 ,  80  also extend between the side walls  20 ,  30 .  
         [0026]     A cam housing is coupled to the outside of the first side wall  20  and includes a housing body  90  covered by a face plate  100 . A cam  110  is located inside of the housing body  90 . The cam  100  is coupled to a drive shaft  130  that extends through the face plate  100 . It should be understood that a motor or other drive source which are not shown explicitly in the drawings is coupled to the drive shaft  130 . Operation of the motor or other drive source causes the drive shaft  130  to rotate.  
         [0027]     A cam follower  120  is also located inside of the housing body  90 . The cam follower  120  is coupled to a shaft  140 . The shaft  140  extends through the cam housing  90  and through the first side wall  20 . The shaft  140  continues through a bearing housing  240  and across to a second bearing housing  240  located on the second side wall  30 .  
         [0028]     A first plate  170  extends radially outward from the shaft  140  from a position near the bearing housing  240  on the first side plate  20  and a second plate  150  extends radially outward from the shaft  140  from a position near the bearing housing  240  on the second side plate  30 . A number of partitions  160  extend from the shaft  140  and extend between the two plates  150 ,  170 . The partitions define a plurality of product compartments. The product compartments are also bounded in part by the guide wall elements  70 ,  80  and the plates  150 ,  170 . In this embodiment, the shaft  140 , the partitions  160 , the guide wall elements  70 ,  80 , and the plates  150 ,  170  together comprise a positioning apparatus.  
         [0029]     A scale apparatus is positioned below the positioning apparatus and is generally operable to weigh a product. Additionally, the scale apparatus may store and/or record the product weight and communicate this information to some other device such as a computer, controller, or other processing component (not shown). The scale apparatus includes a load plate  180  that is supported by two support elements  190 ,  200 . A base plate  210  extends between the support elements  190 ,  200  and is coupled to a load cell  220 . A connector  230  extends out of the load cell  220  to provide a route for the load cell to communicate with the computer, controller, or other processing component (not shown). In some embodiments, as should be understood by those in the art, the scale apparatus may include a proximity detector or an infrared light source and detector to trigger its operation.  
         [0030]     As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the guide wall elements  70 ,  80  define two apertures. Specifically, at the top of this embodiment of the present invention, the guide wall elements  70 ,  80  define a loading aperture through which a product may enter the weighing station  10 . A discharge aperture is defined by the guide wall elements  70 ,  80  at bottom and to one side of the weighing station. The load plate  180  is positioned so that it extends from one edge and then partially across the discharge aperture.  
         [0031]     The specific shapes of the cam  110  and the cam follower  120  for this embodiment of the present invention may be seen in  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the cam  110  has a generally circular shape except that a segment is removed. The cam follower  120  has four curved sections that generally form an “X” shape. Four partitions  160 A-D ( FIG. 4 ) are coupled to the cam follower  120  between the curved sections. The curved sections of the cam follower  120  correspond to the arc of the cam  110 . The cam  110  and cam follower  120  are positioned so that the outer circumference of the cam  110  will be in contact with the outer surface of the cam follower  120  sections as the two rotate. It shall be understood, of course, that rotation of the cam  110  will cause the cam follower  120  to rotate in the opposite direction.  
         [0032]     It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific shapes shown for the cam and cam follower and that other shapes will suffice. For example, in one embodiment, the cam follower includes more than four curved sections.  
         [0033]     Additionally, it should be understood that the drive mechanism is not limited to a motor coupled to a cam-follower system although this configuration provides for accurate, repeatable, and well-defined movement. For example, in one embodiment, the drive mechanism includes a stepping motor that couples directly to the shaft  140 .  
         [0034]     In operation, the motor or other drive source causes shaft  130  to rotate. The rotation of drive shaft  130  causes the cam  110  and consequently the cam follower  120  to rotate. As should be understood by those in the field, the particular shapes of the cam  110  and the cam follower  120  in the specific embodiment of the present invention shown in the figures cause a stepping action. That is, as the cam  110  rotates through a full revolution, it moves one of the curved sections of the cam follower  120  to move 90 degrees. The cam follower  120  will not move, that is there will be a delay period, when the missing section of the cam  110  rotates past the cam follower  120 . The rotation of the cam follower  120  causes the shaft  140  and the components coupled to the shaft  140 , that is the side plates  150 ,  170  and the partitions  160 A-D, to rotate.  
         [0035]     With reference to  FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the motor or other drive source rotate drive shaft  130  in a clockwise direction, which causes the shaft  140  and the components coupled to the shaft  140  to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. A product  250  (such as a fish) is placed through the loading aperture and into a product compartment defined by two partitions  160 A and  160 D. With the first full rotation of the cam  110 , the product compartment rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise as shown in  FIG. 6  and the product  250  falls toward the bottom of the product compartment due to gravity. Upon the next full rotation of the cam  110 , the product compartment will rotate another 90 degrees and the product  250  will come to rest on the load plate  180 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . At this point, the product&#39;s weight is measured by the scale apparatus which then communicates that weight to the computer, controller or other processing component coupled to the scale apparatus. With the next full rotation of the cam  110 , the product compartment will rotate another 90 degrees and the product  250  will be moved into a position where it will fall from the weighing station as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0036]      FIGS. 9 and 10  show the operation of this embodiment of the present invention with a product  250 A-C in three of the product compartments. More particularly, in  FIG. 9 , a first product  250 A has recently entered the weighing station and is positioned in a first product compartment; a second product  250 B is positioned in a second product compartment (due to gravity, this product  250 B has fallen into contact with the guide wall  70 ); and a third product  250 C is positioned on the load plate  180 . As seen in  FIG. 10 , when the cam  110  rotates causing the cam follower  120  to rotate the shaft  140  and the components coupled to the shaft  140 , the front side of partition  160 B will impact the product  250 C on the load plate  180  and force that product  250 C off of the load plate  180 . Thereafter, the product  250 B following in the second product compartment, which is positioned against the back side of partition  160 B, will fall forward until it is located on the load plate  180 . In due course, the product  250 C will fall through the discharge aperture to a conveyor apparatus or another processing device.  
         [0037]     Having described the invention, it should be apparent that the invention is both efficient and reliable. Moreover, the weighing station described above includes novel features and/or capabilities not present in the currently available systems. From the above description of preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.