ENCLOSED MOMENT-INSENSITIVE LOAD CELL

Abstract: A dual beam moment-insensitive load cell (10) is hermetically sealed in a bellows (15) or partial-bellows enclosure. The enclosure may have convolutions (20) over substantially its entire length which permits it to flex easily in the direction of load cell bending. The enclosure (15) is made resistant to elastic buckling under torsional forces produced by off-center loading of the load cell (10) by one or more rods (23) spaced circumferentially about the enclosure (15) and connecting together a number of the convolutions (20) after the convolutions are aligned. The alignment and torsional stiffening resist elastic buckling of the enclosure (15) and resulting error in the output of the load cell (10). Another form of enclosure has one or more convolutions at each end and joined by a relatively straight, non-convoluted wall which itself is resistant to torsional elastic buckling. The resistance of the wall to torsional elastic buckling can be increased by increasing its thickness uniformly or by applying stiffener rods thereto.

Description: This invention relates to a load cell comprising at least one beam having a central longitudinal axis and a force transducer mounted on the beam, said load cell being compensated for the effects of torsional forces produced by off-center applications of the load, and to a method of hermetically sealing such load cell. It is known to compensate a single or multiple beam load cell of this type for the effects of torsional forces produced by off-center applications of load by, for example, the methods taught in U.S. Patent Numbers 4,380,175 and 4,453,609 issued to Neil C. Griffen and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. A load cell compensated for such off-center loading effects is known as a "Moment-Intensitive Load Cell" (hereinafter MILC). The methods of compensation taught by Griffen makes it desirable that the errors due to off-center loading be linear as the point of off-center load application is moved transversely from one to the other side of the load cell. Recently it has become desirable for some applications to hermetically seal the central portions of the MILC bearing the strain gages or other force transducers. In load cells of the non-compensated type where off-center loading effects have not been taken into account either since the load is only centrally applied to the beam by means of a string-like coupling member (GB-A-1,237,745) or since the load cell is built into a strong tubular structural element receiving the load (DE-A-1,574,533), a bellows has already been found suitable for the purpose, enclosing the load cell so that its convolutions encircle the longitudinal axis of the load cell beam or beams. A narrower neck portion at each end of the bellows is welded to the load cell. With this orientation, the bellows because of the convolutions is weak in the direction of load cell bending or flecture and has no significant effect on the load cell output. However, it has been discovered that the application of a bellows as known in these load cells of the non-compensated type for the purpose of hermetically sealing a MILC cell renders this cell very difficult to compensate for transverse off-center loading. It is an object of the present invention to hermetically seal a load cell of the above-referenced type without degrading its ability to be compensated for transverse off-center loading. According to the present invention, this object is attained in a load cell of the above-referenced type by providing enclosure means enclosing the portion of said beam bearing the force transducer, said enclosure means having a first end and a second end rigidly attached to said beam, said enclosure means being flexible to loads applied along said longitudinal axis, and said enclosure means having its resistance to torsional deformation under loads applied transversely to said longitudinal axis increased to thereby linearize the error due to the off-center loading. According to the present invention, it has been discovered that the source of the problem in compensating a bellows-enclosed load cell is deformation in the form of elastic buckling of the bellows under application of a torsional load. Such deformation produces a force vector perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the enclosure/load cell assembly. This force vector is transmitted to the load cell and interpreted thereby as part of the force to be measured. A solution has been found involving increasing the resistance of the bellows to torsional deformation such as buckling under torsional loads while maintaining its flexibility as to pure bending loads. According to one embodiment of the invention, the enclosure means has one or more convolutions adjacent each and joined by a continuous non-convoluted wall portion. The non-convoluted wall portion is resistant to torsional deformation while the end convolutions provide flexibility to forces applied along the longitudinal axis of the beam. According to another embodiment of the invention the enclosure means is a conventional bellows having a series of convolutions throughout its length. Means are provided to connect the radial ends of a number of adjacent convolutions rigidly together at one or more points on the circumference of the enclosure. The connecting means may take the form of a relatively rigid rod soldered or otherwise suitably attached to the convolutions. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an enclosed load cell embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the load cell in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a developed view of the interior of the load cell enclosure in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of an alternate form of enclosure embodying the present invention; and Figure 5 is a side elevational view of another alternate form of enclosure. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring initially to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a dual beam load cell 10 having strain gages 12 mounted on its upper and lower beam surfaces in a known manner. Load cell 10 has a central longitudinal axis 13. A hermetically sealing enclosure in the form of a conventional bellows 15 encloses the portion of load cell 10 on which strain gages 12 are mounted. Bellows 15 has a neck 17, 18 at respective ends thereof welded to radial flanges 19 on load cell 10. Bellows 15 is provided with a sequence of convolutions 20 throughout its length. In accordance with the present invention, stiffening rods 23, 24 are soldered or otherwise suitably fastened to the radially inner periphery of each of a series of adjacent convolutions to strengthen bellows 15 against torsional deformation. In use, load cell 10 is fixed rigidly at one end and a load to be measured applied at the other end through a scale platter or similar device (not shown). The applied load causes load cell 10 to flex or bend in a known manner and strain gages 12 to produce an electrical signal indicative of the load applied. The convolutions 20 of the bellows enclosure 15 permit the bellows to flex easily in the direction of load cell bending without affecting such bending. Loads applied other than vertically through central axis 13 such as indicated by the arrow F in Figure 2, produce moments which affect the output of strain gages 12 causing the gages to produce different readings when the same weight is placed at different positions on a scale platter. Load cell 10 is compensated to overcome such load position errors by, for example, the method described in Griffen U. S. Patent No. 4,380,175 as mentioned above. It has been found that off-center loads such as indicated by the arrow F in Figure 2 can produce in bellows enclosure 15 torsional stresses and deformation in the form of elastic buckling which produce a force vector at the ends of the bellows. The direction of this force vector is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bellows. This force is transmitted to the load cell and affects the output thereof in a non-linear fashion such that linear load position compensation methods are rendered difficult and/or less effective. Stiffening rods 23, 24 are provided to make bellows 15 torsionally resistant to elastic buckling by attaching together a number of the convolutions. Rods 23, 24 enable the bellows to resist elastic buckling and other torsional deformation under torsional loading and are positioned circumferentially in the bending plane of the load cell so as not to inhibit flexing of the bellows in the vertical direction. Rods 23, 24 are attached after first aligning all the convolutions of the bellows, then soldering the rods thereto at the selected circumferential locations. Alignment of the convolutions prior to attaching rods 23, 24 thereto assists in causing the various individual bellows to behave uniformly and reduces any predisposition to buckling in a given direction. While two stiffening rods are shown, a single rod or more than two rods may be used. The rods also may be attached to the outer instead of the inner periphery of the convolutions. Further, while rods are preferred, any means by which a sequence of convolutions can be connected together at one or more circumferential locations on the bellows for the purpose of making it more resistant to torsional deformation is sufficient. The rods are believed to make the bellows resistant to buckling for two reasons. First, since the convolutions are aligned to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bellows prior to attaching the rods, that alignment is maintained. Any misalignment of the convolutions could give the convolution faces a predisposed direction in which to buckle, and thus buckling could occur more readily than if the convolutions were aligned. The second reason is that, if at least two rods are used, the free span of each convolution face is shortened and, therefore, the resistance to buckling is increased. Figures 4 and 5 show modified enclosures provided with only one or two convolutions at each end thereof. Enclosure 46 of Figure 4 has only a single convolution 42 at each end thereof separated by a relatively straight non-convoluted wall portion 45. The absence of convolutions in wall portion 45 makes the enclosure sufficiently torsionally stiff in many cases to prevent torsional elastic buckling while convolutions 42 provide adequate flexibility for the enclosure to bend vertically. Further, wall portion 45 can be made slightly greater in thickness than the wall of convolutions 42 if desired for greater resistance to torsional buckling. Another alternative is to attach stiffener rods similar to rods 23, 24 (Figures 1 to 3) to wall 45 at one or more circumferentially spaced locations thereon. The enclosure 50 of Figure 5 is similar to enclosure 40 of Figure 4 but has two convolutions 52 at each end thereof rather than one as in Figure 4. The additional convolutions provide increased flexibility of the enclosure in the vertical direction. Convolutions 52 are separated by relatively straight non-convoluted wall portion 55 as in the enclosure of Figure 4. It will be apparent that additional convolutions 52 can be provided if desired and the torsional stiffness of wall 55 modified by increasing its thickness uniformly or by attachment of stiffening rods or members as desired. While this invention has been described above in connection with a dual beam load cell employing strain gages, it will be appreciated that it is applicable to essentially any load cell having one or more beams and may employ force transducers other than strain gages.

Claims: A load cell comprising at least one beam having a central longitudinal axis (13) and a force transducer (12) mounted on the beam, said load cell being compensated for the effects of torsional forces produced by off-center applications of the load, characterized by enclosure means (15; 46; 50) enclosing the portion of said beam bearing the force transducer (12), said enclosure means having a first end (17) and a second end (18) rigidly attached to said beam, said enclosure means being flexible to loads applied along said longitudinal axis (13), and said enclosure means (15; 46; 50) having its resistance to torsional deformation under loads applied transversely to said longitudinal axis (13) increased to thereby linearize the error due to the off-center loading. A load cell as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said enclosure means (15; 46; 50) includes at least one convolution (20; 42; 52) adjacent each end and relatively rigid means (23, 24; 45; 55) connecting said convolutions (20; 42; 52), whereby said convolutions (20; 42; 52) render said enclosure (15; 46; 50) relatively flexible to loads applied along said longitudinal axis (13) and said connecting means (23, 24; 45; 55) renders said enclosure (15; 46; 50) relatively resistant to torsional deformation by loads applied transversely of said longitudinal axis (13). A load cell as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said connecting means includes a relatively straight, non-convoluted wall portion (45; 55). A load cell as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the thickness of said wall portion (45; 55) is greater than that of the wall of said convolutions (42; 52). A load cell as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said connecting means includes a stiffening rod (23, 24) at one or more points on the circumference of said enclosure means (15). A load cell as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said enclosure means (15) includes convolutions (20) throughout its length, and said connecting means includes first means (23) rigidly connecting adjacent ones of said convolutions (20) together at a point on the circumference of said enclosure means (15), whereby said enclosure means (15) is rendered relatively resistant to torsional deformation under loads applied transversely of said longitudinal axis (13). A load cell as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said first rigid connecting means (23) is positioned in the bending plane of said beam, whereby it does not materially decrease the flexibility of the enclosure means (15) to loads applied along the longitudinal axis (13) of the beam. A load cell as claimed in Claim 6, including a second rigid connecting means (24) connecting said convolutions (20) together at a second point on the circumference of said enclosure means (15) spaced diametrically opposite said first rigid connecting means (23). A load cell as claimed in Claims 6, 7 or 8, wherein said rigid connecting means (23, 24) includes a stiffener rod attached to the periphery of said convolutions (20). A method of hermetically sealing a load cell (10), said load cell comprising at least one beam having a central longitudinal axis (13) and a force transducer (12) mounted on the beam, said load cell being compensated for the effects of torsional forces produced by off-center applications of the load, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of providing enclosure means (15; 46; 50) for enclosing the portion of said beam bearing the force transducer (12), said enclosure means (15; 46; 50) having a first end (17) and a second end (18) rigidly attaching said first and second ends to said beam and forming said enclosure means to be flexible to loads applied along said longitudinal axis (13) while having its resistance to torsional deformation under loads applied transversely to said longitudinal axis (13) increased to thereby linearize the error due to the off-center loading. A method according to Claim 10, wherein said enclosure means (15; 46; 50) is formed with at least one convolution (20; 42; 52), whereby said convolution(s) (20; 42; 52) render(s) said enclosure (15; 46; 50) relatively flexible to loads applied along said longitudinal axis (13) and said connecting means (23, 24; 45; 55) renders said enclosure (15; 46; 50) relatively resistant to torsional deformation by loads applied transversely of said longitudinal axis (13). A method as claimed in Claim 11, including the step of aligning the convolutions (20) prior to the load cell (10). A method as claimed in Claim 11, including the step of attaching stiffening means (23, 24) to the periphery of each convolution (20) in the sequence to connect them together.

Inventors: HAMILTON, MICHAEL N., STOLZ, EDWIN J.
Applicants: METTLER-TOLEDO, INC.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G01G3
IPC codes: G01G21, G01G3, G01L1