Patent GB-190501674-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Weighing-machines
Inventor: ALLEN FREDERIC VAN
Filed: 1905-01-27
Granted: 1905-07-20
Abstract: 1674. Allen, F. van. Jan. 27. Automatic-feed weighers; feeding-devices.-The apparatus is made with a revolving plate 154, Fig. 2, carrying a shaft 164, around which telescopic receptacles 0, P revolve. This "planetary motion" is obtained by means of a fixed toothed wheel 170 gearing with pinions, one 172 of which is loose on the shaft 164. The gearing is so arranged that the receptacles make half a revolution round the shaft 164, when the clutch sleeves 173, 174 engage, while the disk makes one-quarter of a revolution in the opposite direction, thus changing the receptacle above the opening 155 in the disk. The tea or like material falls from a reservoir by a central overflow to the underlying receptacle, and when the shaft 164 makes a half-turn it drops into the balance 147. In the arrangement shown, there are four balances and four lateral overflows. The remaining portion of the weight is made up from the lateral overflow by a shoot 195, whence the material falls in a fine stream into the balance receptacle 147, until the latter counterbalances an adjustable weight. When this happens, the receptacle 147 falls, and the inclined plane 198, which is fixed to it, falls with it into line with the part 195<x> and directs the stream of material into the trench 199 on the disk 154, from which it is automatically picked up and placed on the disk 165 so as to be received by the receptacles 0, P. These receptacles are made up of two pairs of tubes 167, 168, capable of sliding in one another and of being adjusted by the nut 169, so as to contain a predetermined quantity of material. The tubes 167 are carried by the disk 165 and the tubes 168 by an 8-shaped cross-piece 166, both disk and cross-piece being mounted on the shaft 164. To put the clutch sleeves 173, 174 into and out of operation, the bifurcated end 175 of a four-armed lever, Figs. 5 and 6, is connected with a rod 180 sliding in a recess in the shaft 164. The rod has a pin 181 with its ends fitting into a a circular groove 182 of the sleeve 173. One or other of the inclined planes 183, forming the end of the arm 176 of the lever, abuts against a slide 187 having a spring inside it to keep the lever rigid in both of its positions. The arm 177 engages successively with four cams, so as to reverse the position of the lever during every quarter of a revolution of the disk 154. Two inclined shutters 208, Fig. 7, closed by a spring, form the base of the balance receptacle 147, and carry pins 211, which are forced outwards by the ends of two sliding pieces 217, 218, one of which forms a sheath to guide the other. The sliding pieces have their inner ends 220 turued upwards, and, when the balance receptacle is in its uppermost position, sliding of the pieces cannot take place until the buffers on the receptacle are removed from the path of the turned-up portion of the pieces, which happens, when the receptacle moves down under a weight. The outer ends of the sliding pieces are connected to bent levers 213, 214, which are pivoted at 215 to the box 212 and have their ends 216 toothed to engage with one another. A roller 227 is intermittently raised against the rod 222, kept in position at one end by a strong spring 224 and having a weaker spring 225 acting on its middle portion. The roller forces the end 236 of the rod upwards, and, by means of the levers 223, 213, the spurs 220 on the sliding pieces move towards one another and the pins 211 are forced outwards, thus opening the shutters of the balance receptacle. Should the receptacle not move down as the roller moves up, the buffers prevent the spurs from moving towards one another, thus fixing the end 236 of the rod 222, and the shutters remain closed. The other end of the rod is then forced up against the action of the spring, the key 190 operates an end of the four-armed lever, and the sleeves 173, 174, Figs. 2 and 5, are put out of engagement, thus suspending the movement of the receptacles O, P.