Abstract:
A counter for counting elongate objects having a separating section which vibrates groups of elongate objects in order to separate such elongate objects and move them to a weighing device that determines the average weight of an elongate object in the lot to which this group belongs. Such average weight is then utilized to determine the number of elongate objects that are subsequently placed in a counting basked to be weighed. Optionally, a storage section retains groups of elongate objects and moves them to the separating section. Also optionally, the counting section, which contains the weighing device, is constructed with the capability of moving elongate objects to a delivery section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to devices for counting elongate objects, especially rebar. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The only instrument known to the inventors for counting elongate objects such as rebar is the rebar separator and optical counter of U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,995. The counting of rebar is, however, usually done manually. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,721 does cover the counting of elongate objects; but it seems to be directed to a handheld counter. In any event, according to lines through 43 of column 3 in the patent, a “length of tube [into which capsules, primarily those for containing pharmaceutical or therapeutic agents, proceed] will ideally be some exact multiple of one capsule, so that an exact number of capsules may be contained in a full tube.” 
         [0006]    And co-pending patent application serial no.  10 / 459 , 938 , which has been published as United States patent publication no. 2004/0253090, covers a device which vibrates rebar in order to separate them. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present Counter can, in fact, be used to count any elongate objects, such as—but not limited to—rebar, that can be separated and moved through vibration. 
         [0008]    The rebar or other elongate objects are placed upon a separator section. Vibration of one or more crossbars in the separator section causes the elongate objects to separate and move toward and, eventually, into a counting basket. 
         [0009]    In a preferred embodiment, in order to calibrate the counter, initially the number of elongate objects are counted by a user, this number is entered by the user into a computerized control unit, and the computerized control unit divides the weight determined by an electronic weighing device associated with the counting basket by the entered number in order to establish the average weight for an elongate object of the batch being weighed. The computerized control unit retains this average weight in its memory and, when an additional group of elongate objects from the same batch has been moved into the counting basket, subsequently utilizes the average weight for an elongate object to divide into the weight provided by the weighing device for the new group and thereby determine the number of elongate objects in the counting basket. 
         [0010]    Preferably, a storage section precedes the separator section; and a delivery section follows the counting section, which comprises the weighing device and the counting basket. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a lateral view of a first side of an embodiment of the Counter for Counting Elongate Objects in which the storage section does not overlap the crossbars and in which a vibrational motor is connected to a substantially rigid torsion bar. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a lateral view of a second side of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a plan view from above the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a lateral view of a first side of an embodiment of the Counter for Counting Elongate Objects in which the storage section does not overlap the crossbars and in which a vibrational motor is directly connected to at least one crossbar. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a lateral view of a second side of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a plan view from above the embodiment of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a lateral view of a first side of an embodiment of the Counter for Counting Elongate Objects in which the storage section overlaps the crossbars and in which a vibrational motor is connected to a substantially rigid torsion bar. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a lateral view of a second side of the embodiment of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a plan view from above the embodiment of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a lateral view of a first side of an embodiment of the Counter for Counting Elongate Objects in which the storage section overlaps the crossbars and in which a vibrational motor is directly connected to at least one crossbar. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a lateral view of a second side of the embodiment of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a plan view from above the embodiment of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a plan view from above a Counter for Counting Elongate Objects comprised of two aligned counter units. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 13 , two basic sections and two optional sections comprise the Counter for Counting Elongate Objects. 
         [0025]    In an embodiment having an optional storage section  1 , a forklift is utilized to place bundles of rebar or other elongate objects on the optional storage section  1 . Support beams  2  of the storage section  1  are mounted on a base  100  and slope downward, with a stop  3  being located near the front  4  of at least one of the support beams  2  and, consequently, the front  4  of the storage section  1 . The slope causes the bundles of rebar or other elongate objects, which are placed in a single layer on the storage section  1  with a forklift or the like, to move toward the stop(s)  3 . 
         [0026]    A lifting mechanism  200 , preferably, comprising (a) a blade  5 , located near the front  4  and also near (inside or outside but, preferably, inside) the first side  6  of the storage section  1 , and (b) a blade  7 , located near the front  4  and also near (inside or outside but, preferably, inside) the second side  8  of the storage section  1 . 
         [0027]    When it is desired to separate and count rebar or other elongate objects, the blades  5 ,  7  are raised (preferably, with pneumatic cylinders  9 , although any elevating mechanism known in the art, such as an hydraulic cylinder or a screw, may be utilized) to elevate the bundle that is nearest to the stop(s)  3 . The top  10  of each blade  5 ,  7  has an uppermost point  11  near the rear  12  of the blade  5 ,  7  and slopes from such uppermost point  11  both to the rear  12  and to the front  13  of the blade  5 ,  7 . Consequently, as the blades  5 ,  7  are raised above the support beams  2 , the forward facing-slope  14  of each blade  5 ,  7  acts to direct the bundle to the separator section  15  while the rearwardly facing slope  16  of each blade  5 ,  7  tends to retard further bundles from being elevated. 
         [0028]    The separator section  15  comprises two or more crossbars  17 . Preferably, as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 through 12 , the front  5  of the storage section  1 , i.e., the fronts  4  of the support beams  2 , extends past the rears  22  of the crossbars  17 . Each crossbar  17  is mounted on a support structure  18 ; and where the storage section  1  and the separator section  15  are adjacent or overlap, a portion of the base  100  of the storage section  1  may also serve as a portion of the support structure  18  for the separator section  15 . Preferably, one or more vibrational insulators  19  are located between each crossbar  17  and the support structure  18 . A vibrational motor  20  may be attached to at least one crossbar  17 . This may be a direct connection, as portrayed in  FIGS. 4 through 6  and  10  through  12 . Preferably, however, a vibrational motor  20  is directly connected to a substantially rigid torsion bar  21 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3  and  7  through  9 ; and the substantially rigid torsion bar  21  is connected to two or more crossbars  17 . There may be more than one vibrational motor  20 ; and, preferably, again as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3  and  7  through  9 , each crossbar  17  is connected to a substantially rigid torsion bar  21  that is attached to a vibrational motor  20 . Also preferably, each crossbar  17  slants downward from the rear  22  of the crossbar  17  to the front  23  of the crossbar  17 . 
         [0029]    Once a bundle of rebar or other elongate objects has been moved to the separator section  15 , the straps holding the bundle together are removed. (If there is no storage section, the rebar or other elongate objects are placed by a forklift directly on the crossbars  17 .) Activation of the vibrational motors  20  then separates the rebar or other elongate objects and causes them to move toward the front  23  of the crossbars  17 . Vibration, as the adjective of that term is used herein, consequently, means rapid oscillatory motion of sufficient speed to separate and move the rebar or other elongate objects. 
         [0030]    Continued operation of the vibrational motors  20  causes rebar or other elongate objects to drop, one at a time, into the counting basket  24  of the counting section  25 . 
         [0031]    The counting section  25  further comprises a weighing device  26 . A desired number of rebar or other elongate objects are allowed to drop into the counting basket  24 . Then the vibrational motors  20  are stopped, and the rebar or other elongate objects are visually counted. Dividing the total weight by the number of rebar or other elongate objects gives the weight for an average rebar or other elongate object of that lot. 
         [0032]    When rebar or other elongate objects are subsequently dropped into the counting basket  24  through operation of the vibrational motors  20 , the number of rebar or other elongate objects in the counting basket  24  is determined by dividing the weight determined with the weighing device  26  by the weight for an average rebar or other elongate object in the lot. 
         [0033]    Preferably, the weighing device  26  is electronic and is electrically connected to a computerized control unit (not illustrated) that is well known in the industry. The number of rebar or other elongate objects in the counting basket  24  used to determine the weight for an average rebar or other elongate object in the lot is entered, using any technology that is well known in the art, by an operator into the computerized control unit which then automatically does the division to determine the weight for an average rebar or other elongate object in the lot. This weight is retained in the memory of the computerized control unit—until the computer removes such information either as a result of an instruction by a user, as a result of the passage of a specified amount of time, or the computerized control unit has been disconnected from a source of power (The preceding shall mean that computerized control unit can be one that is programmed to remove the information on the happening of only one of the preceding events, on the happening of any one of two of the preceding events, or on the happening of any one of three of the preceding events.)—and used subsequently by the computerized control unit for division into the total weight in the counting basket  24  to determine the number of rebar or other elongate objects in the counting basket  24 . 
         [0034]    Also preferably, the counting section  25  comprises a lifting device  300 , preferably comprising (a) a blade  27  similar to blade  5 , located outward from the first side  28  of the counting basket  24 , and (b) a blade  29  similar to blade  7 , located outward from the second side  30  of the counting basket  24 . (Preferably, the weighing device  26  comprises an electronic scale under and near each side  28 ,  30  of the counting basket  24 . Also, preferably the counting basket  24  has a bottom  500  between the first side  28  and the second side  30  but, if the counting basket  24  lacks a bottom  500 , the blades  27 ,  29  can be located between the sides  28 ,  30 .) 
         [0035]    After the number of rebar or other elongate objects in the counting basket  24  has been determined (or the weight for an average rebar or other elongate object in the lot has been established), the lifting device is operated. In the preferred embodiment blades  27 ,  29 , designated the counting basket blades  27 ,  29 , are raised. 
         [0036]    As the top  10  of each counting basket blade  27 ,  29  is raised above the top  31  of the front  32  of the counting basket  24  and also above the top  33  of the sloping ramp  34  of the delivery section  35 , the forward-facing slope  14  of each counting basket blade  27 ,  29  acts to direct the rebar or other elongate objects to the delivery section  35  while the rearwardly facing slope  16  of each counting basket blade  27 ,  29  tends to retard additional rebar or other elongate objects from being elevated. (If there is no lifting device, a forklift or other device can remove the rebar or other elongate objects from the counting basket  24 .) 
         [0037]    A sloping ramp  34  of the delivery section  35  has a first side  36  and a second side  37 ; each of such sides  36 ,  37  contains apertures  38  in which removable stops  39  are located. (Of course, the delivery section  35  can optionally have one or more intermediate members  400  having an upper surface  401  parallel to the upper surface  402  of the first side  36  and the upper surface  403  of the second side  37  of the sloping ramp  34 ; or the sloping ramp  34  can be a unitary structure. The apertures  38  can then be in the intermediate members  400  only; in the sides  36 ,  37  only; in both the intermediate member  400  and the sides  36 ,  37 ; or at any location in the unitary structure.) 
         [0038]    The rebar or other elongate objects move down the sloping ramp  34  until they reach the first removable stops  39  that have not been removed to permit the passage of rebar or other elongate objects. Then the next stops  39  up the sloping ramp  34  are reinserted into the apertures  38  in order to contain the next counted group of rebar or other elongate objects. This process is subsequently continued, as desired, for the remaining stops  39 . 
         [0039]    A forklift or the like can then remove any counted bundle. 
         [0040]    Optionally, the sloping ramp  34  can be replaced with any other delivery equipment that is known in the art, such as rollers with a short ramp adjacent to the counting basket  24  and leading to the rollers or a longer ramp containing the apertures  38 ; or a forklift or the like can simply take the rebar or other elongate objects from the counting basket  24  to any desired location. 
         [0041]    Finally, if desired, two or more Counters can be utilized together by being aligned with one another, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , (so that a rebar or other elongate object can simultaneously move along the aligned Counters) and having all weighing devices  26  electrically connected to one computerized control unit (not illustrated). When two or more Counters are so utilized, each is referred to as a counter unit  40 ; and the overall device is designated the Counter. Although each counter unit could be any of the embodiments discussed herein, it is, of course, preferable that all counter units that are utilized together are identical. 
         [0042]    As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.