Automatic Weighing Machine for Granular or Pulverulent Material.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb.. 1895-4ccepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Weighing Machine for Granular or Pulverulent Material.
We, ANTON MICHEL Mechanical Engineer of III Hainburgerstrasse 30 and
ALBERT SCHEMBER, and KARL AUGUST SCHEMBER Manufacturers of
I Akademiestrasse 4 all of Vienna, Austria, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an automatic weighing machine for granular or
pulverulent material operating on the principle of a weigh-bridge, in which the
weighing platform carries a receptacle for the material, or is replaced thereby, and
the levers that transmit the weight of the load to the scale beam have the knife
edges forming the fulcra thereof carried in vertically moveable bearings such that
the bearings are situated in a higher position when the machine is not loaded and
are brought down into the proper position for weighing when the machine is
charged with a certain amount of material.
By means of this vertical motion of the lever bearings, a counter weight is
raised which, after the emptying of the weighing receptacle, effects the opening of
the supply and the return of the moving parts into their original position; this
arrangement has the particular advantage that those parts which effect the weighing
do not directly effect the automatic functions of the machine, and that consequently
the accuracy of the machine is increased and this is made more durable.
The weighing mechanism can be of any known construction such as used in
weigh-bridges and may be arranged to weigh according to the decimal or any
other system.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn a weighing machine according to the
present invention arranged for the decimal system.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation partly in section, Fig. 2 shews a front view, Fig. 3
a plan, with omission of the supply hopper, Fig. 4 is a diagram view at the moment
when the weighing vessel is being emptied; Fig. 5 is a diagram view at the
commencement of the filling operation. A is the frame of the machine, B is
the weighing vessel, C the supply hopper, D the forked weighing lever under the
platform E; F is the scale beam, G the weighted lever which is fixed upon a shaft
having two arms 9 and 9' that carry the bearings d d of the knife edges of the
forked lever D. His a connecting rod connecting the forked lever D with the
weigh beam F, h h are connecting rods connecting the platform directly with
the weigh beam F, as is usual with decimal weighing machines. K is the weight
scale. The rod H has an extension H' which is coupled with the arm L in such
manner that this is moved up or down according to the motion of the rod H. The
arm L is fixed on the shaft M which also carries two spring fingers m m².
On the frame A are pivotted two levers n n' which are respectively connected
with the cut off flaps e c¹ by means of the arms c³ ³ and the rods n² n³.
The weighing vessel B is closed at bottom by the flap b with the balance
weights b' and b and the lever r operating as catch; the rod t serves to release
the lever r.
The action of this weighing machine is as follows:-
When the machine is adjusted and the required weights have been placed upon
the coole K the mashing will be in the mondition shown at Fio 5

page_text: The material to be weighed falls from the hopper C through the opened
flaps into the vessel B. The ends of the levers n n' then rest upon the
fingers m m³.
As soon as a certain quantity of material has passed into the vessel B, the
arms g g sink owing to the downward pressure on lever D and consequently the
bearings of this lever also sink while at the same time the weighted lever G rises
into the position shewn at Fig. 4. When the approximate quantity of material for
the complete charge has entered the vessel B and the action of the load commences
to raise the weigh beam F on the scale side, the rod II sinks, and, by means of the
extension H, carries the arm L, downwards with it, whereupon the finger m slides
from under the lever n, so that the latter, losing its support, yields to the action of
the weight which is connected to the flap c, in consequence of which, the latter
closes. At this moment the filling of the vessel B is not quite finished, and as the
flap c has small notches, material will still flow in small quantities into B until
eventually the position of equilibrium is obtained, at which moment the second
tappet will slide from under the lever n¹ in consequence of the farther sinking
of rod H, so that the lever a, being moved downward by the weight on the
flap c', the latter will close also, so as to completely cut off the supply.
The weighing action is thus completed; for effecting the discharge of the
vessel B there is provided at the upper part of the latter a shafts with arms t t¹,
and the rod n³ has a stud n which in the last stage of the closing of the flap c',
carries the arm with it, and this motion is followed by the arm t¹ and connecting
rod 2, these parts being connected as shewn.
The rod has at its lower end a tooth which, by the described upward motion is
made to seize a stud on the lever r, and thus causes this lever, which holds down
with its other end, the balance weight of the discharge flap b, to release the
weight, so that the flap can be forced open by the weight of the material in b, and,
owing to the position if the balance weight 2, it will keep open until the vessel is
completely emptied.
Underneath the tooth of the rod 2, the end of the latter is bent downward in a
curve and is so fitted against a guide that the connection between 2 and is severed
as soon as the weight has been released from the lever r, so that the tooth of t²,
on the return motion can again pass under the stud on the lever r.
This is necessary because the rod t² can only return when the flap c¹ is opened
again, while the engagement of the lever with the balance weight 6' must take
place sooner. The upper surface of the balance weight has, at the point of
engagement with the lever, a sliding piece which is pushed back by the engage-
ment of the lever, but pushed forward again on the release of the lever r, by
means of a lever at the side of the counterweight 6', the lower end of which
lever is weighted.
The position of the lever 63 with the slide is such that when the flap closes,
and the lever engages with the counterweight, the slide is pushed back upon b',
whereupon the lever strikes against the arm u on the shaft U, and consequently
disengages the catch u² from lever G through the connections Uu¹ and u³.
When the flap is opened and the counterweight rises, the lever 63 leaves the
arm u so that the catch u² engages with the weighted lever G and prevents it from
descending. This lever G (which, were it not for the catch u², would fall already
during the emptying of the vessel B) consequently remains in the raised position
until, after the closing of the flap b, the slide on is pressed back by the engage-
ment of lever r, thereby causing the lower end of lever 3 to press against the arm u
so as to cause catch u² to release lever G.
As already above stated, the weighted lever G has the object of opening the
flaps cc of the supply hopper again after the closing of the discharge flap b, for
which purpose there is provided between lever G and the arm o of flap c a flexible
connection (here shewn as a jointed rod o with very free hinge joint). As soon as
the lever G falls, the connection o straightens out and the arm ol yields to the pull
of the lever G and opens the flap c. The flap c' is so arranged that by the opening

page_text: of flap c it is also opened thereby and owing to the pull of the arm of the arms n nº
are again brought into the position shewn at Fig. 5 by means of the arms c² c³, n² n³.
When the contents of the weighing vessel B have been discharged, the
preponderance of the weights K will effect the upward .motion of the inner end
of the scale beam, thereby raising the rod H and the lever D, which in turning
on its fulcra at d will in its turn raise the weighing vessel B into its original
position for receiving a fresh charge. At the same time, lever G having
descended as described will also raise the fulcra of lever D into their original
position, and will pull open the flaps e c¹ by means of rol O, so as to admit a fresh
charge.
At the same time also H¹ in rising with H, will turn arm L and fingers m m' so
as to bring them under the arms nn and thus hold the flaps open during the filling.
The several parts of the machine will now again be in the position described with
reference to Fig. 5, and the weighing operation will will be repeated as above
described.
To the lever G is attached a connecting rod z connecting it to a lever on the
counter Z whereby the consecutive weighing operations are registered. a is a
shoot through which the material discharged from the vessel B is led to wherever
required.
Below the weigh beam F is a spring w carried by a fixed support which spring
acts as buffer on the descent of the beam and scale K.
If it is desired to ascertain during the working whether the action of the
machine is correct, the arm which is for this purpose formed of two parts con-
nected by a hinge joint, is turned out of the path of the stud n', by pushing to one
side the spring
Fig. 3, (which holds the arin straight) and then bending the
upper part of t to one side.
When the filling of the vessel B is completed and the flap c¹ closes, the lever r
will in this case not be released; it will then be seen by the oscillations of the
tongue of the beam F, relatively to the fixed tongue whether the vessel B contains
the correct quantity, and if not, the parts can then be adjusted so as to increase or
decrease the supply to the required amount.
If the charge is then to be emptied out of B, and the apparatus is to continue to
operate, the arm is moved towards the stud nt, i.e. straightened out, and the
spring is replaced in position.
In order that the extension H' of the rod H may operate together with the
arm L and shaft M with the least amount of friction, all the fulcra and articulated
parts are provided with knife edges situated in the centre line of the pivots,
whereby all sliding friction is avoided. The fingers m m³ are formed with spring
action in order that the levers n n can pass them when, after the emptying of the
vessel B they return to their original position above m m¹. The spring action
instead of being in the fingers m m themselves, may be provided in the shaft M or
in the arm L or in the levers n n'.
The above described construction of the machine is that which is deemed most
suitable; it may however be variously modified.
Thus a decimal weighing machine with simple pillar frame, or a centimal or
sliding weight machine may be employed. With the latter, where several levers
are provided under the platform for receiving and transmitting the weight of the
load, the bearings of all these several levers or only those of one of them be
arranged vertically moveable for raising the balance weight of the lever G; the
latter can also be variously arranged; it can be situated below instead of above
the platform levers, or it can be dispensed with altogether by arranging the
balance weight thereof or any equivalent therefor in connection with chains, bands,
or other flexible devices connected directly to the bearings of the platform levers.
Also, the rod t might be moveably connected with the lever r, and the relative
motion between r and above described, be provided between and t¹. Also, the
parts H¹ L and M, could be made without the knife edges, because the omission

page_text: hereof would only render the action slightly less sensitive, and would not otherwise
affect it. Also, in place of the pivotted flaps c c¹ might be used slides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An automatic weighing machine of the weigh-bridge kind for weighing
granular or pulverulent materials, having a weighing receptacle, and so arranged
that by means of weighing levers mounted in vertically moveable bearings, a
balance weight is raised by the weight of the charge of material entering the
vessel, which balance weight is so arranged that after the emptying of the vessel,
it is released on the closing of the discharge flap, and thereby effects the opening
of the supply flaps or equivalent supply device, substantially as described.
2. In the construction of automatic weighing machine referred to in the first
claim, effecting the starting of the cutting off of the supply by the disengagement
of fingers that hold the flaps or equivalent devices in the open position, which
fingers receive their motion from the rods that serve to transmit to the weigh beam
the motion of the weighing levers under the weighing platform due to the sinking
of the load, substantially as described.
3. In the construction of automatic weighing machine referred to in the first
claim, the use of a counterweight for opening the supply closing device, so
arranged as to be released after the closing of the discharge flap, by the action
of the locking device of the latter, substantially as described.
4. In the construction of automatic weighing machine referred to in the first
claim, the arrangement of a tooth or catch operating in combination with the
locking device of the discharge flap, and with the supply flaps or devices, in such
manner that at the moment of the complete closing of the latter, the looth is
caused to actuate the locking device so as to release the discharge flap, thereby
allowing this to open, the said tooth being then made to release the locking device
so as to allow the latter to return into its original position substantially as
described.
5. The construction of automatic weighing machines, combined and operating
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of February 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicants.