Patent GB-663170-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic weighing machines
IPC: G01G1/38
Filed: 1948-04-12
Abstract: 663,170. Weighing apparatus. MANUFACTURE D'HORLOGERIE DE BETHUNE. April 12, 1948 [May 12, 1947], No. 10110/48. Class 143. An automatic steelyard more particularly of the kind referred to in Specifications 608,602 and 22218/12, [Class 143], is characterised in that after loading the steelyard, the poise drive and setting mechanisms of the indicators and type drums are triggered off by depressing a single control key, and that the driven shaft which rewinds the poise return ribbon on to a development wheel can be de-clutched from said wheel and clutched into a mechanism which effects both the printing and indicating movements. Depression of a key M disengages a lever 29 from a member 28 and allows a spring - loaded shaft 27 to rotate and disengage a pawl 31 from a clutch plate 32 thus allowing the self propelled poise (not shown) to run along the weigh beam 1. This movement of the poise is transmitted through a tape 7 to a wheel 8 the initial rotation of which frees a lever 43 to rotate clockwise about an axis 44 so disengaging a roller 45 from a fork 46. Movement of the beam 1 is transmitted to a lever 53 which, after a predetermined beam movement, adjustable by a screw 56, allows a lever 61 to drop so rotating a shaft 62 and engaging an arresting pawl 63 with the clutch plate 32 thus locking the poise on the beam 1 in its load balancing position. Simultaneously a projection 64 engages a projection 65 on a lever 66 and rocks a shaft 67 which, through a lever 41<SP>1</SP>, rocks a shaft 49 and lifts the fork 46. A member 69 secured to the shaft 49 carries a roller 50 which pushes the sliding element 70 of a dog clutch to the left and engages teeth 75 and 76, said engagement being maintained by a catch member 78 controlled by a cam 80 on a cam shaft 82. A secondary cam shaft driven from the development wheel 8 rotates a series of toothed cams 85 Fig. 8 which co-operate with spring- loaded levers 86 and adjust both a series of number flap baskets 88-91 and the weight printing rollers 93-96. The main cam shaft 82 is driven through a sector 83 by the winding shaft 71 and carries a plurality of cams which effect the following sequence of operations: First a face cam 101 and follower 102 rotate the fork 46 downwards where it.is held by the arm 108 of the lever 43, but since the catch .78 still engages the dogs 75, 76 the. roller 50 does not follow this movement and a spring 105 is stressed. This rotation of shaft 49 serves to return the lever 61 to its original position and also to disengage pawl 63 from the clutch disc 32. Next a cam 116 and roller 114 operate a locking plate 123, Figs. 1a and 8, which locks rollers 93-96 and 125- 131 in their set position and also, through a link 132, Fig. 1a, operates a locking plate 133, which locks the flap carrying sections 134-137. Then a cam 139 and a follower 138 lift a frame 144, 145, carrying a rack 97 which lifts the selected number flaps from the baskets and allows them to be seen, and, in addition a catch 146 on the base of a rod 147 lifts the member 28 into its original position where it is again locked by the lever 29. A further cam 110 and roller 109 then lifts hammer 113 which forces the printing strip against the line of type drums 150-151. Further rotation of cam 139 lowers the rack 97 together with the number flaps, and then releases locking plates 133 and 123. Next a cam 154 and roller 153 cause a lever 155 to press on the tail ends of levers 86 so releasing the toothed cams 85 and returning the printing rollers and flap baskets to their zero position. Further rotation of the cam 80 lifts catch 78 and allows the spring 105 to slide the movable clutch element 70 so disengaging teeth 75, 76 and engaging said element with teeth 161 on a clutch element 162 the wheel 163 of which drives the wheel 164 to return the poise to its initial position; the beam now rises and the lever 53 once again engages the lever 61. At the end of rewinding the lever 43 pivots upwards and allows the fork 46 to return to its middle position due to a weight 165 operating on lever 41'. The consequent movement of shaft 49 returns the sliding gear element to a neutral position between gears 176 and 161 where it is locked due to re-engagement of the roller 45 with the fork 46. The line of type 150-151 also includes hand set date rollers 166-170 and reference numbers 125-131 which latter are hand set by levers 172 coupled with a visual indicator 173-179. A toothed segment 187 carried by each lever 86 rotates a selector arm (not shown) over a series of contacts which are electrically connected with a remote lamp indicator. The shaft 71 may be driven by an electric motor in which case a series of mercury switches are connected in circuit with a timing mechanism, and operated by trip members in the winding mechanism to interrupt the motor circuit at the end of each cycle of operations, and also during each cycle for a brief period when the number flaps are on view. The motor is started at the commencement of each cycle by a switch (not shown) actuated on movement of the lever 29. An indicating device, Fig. 4 (not shown) driven by the wheel 164 has dials located at the front and rear of the machine, each comprising a pair of concentric discs which co-operate with a fixed pointer and indicate units and fractions of units respectively. One of these indicators may be adapted to read volumes instead of weights.