An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Weighing Granulated Sugar, Tea, Grain, or other suitable substances or materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1892
TRUVIDIONAL MITIGATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Weighing
Granulated Sugar, Tea, Grain, or other suitable substances or
materials.
We, WILLIAM VALENTINE HUNT, of St. Martins Villa, Billing Road
Northampton, no occupation, and FREDERICK BROWN of 57 Bridge Street
Walsall in the County of Stafford Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
Our invention consists of a magnetic or electro-magnetic combination for
automatically working shutters or valves, in pipes, shoots, or hoppers; by means of
which the supply or feed, to scales, spring balances, steel-yards or other weighing
or measuring machines, may be automatically cut off at any desired quantity. The
method by which we carry this into effect is as follows:-
We employ two valves in the supply channel, whatever it may be, fitted, with
springs in any convenient manner, whereby the valve farthest from the supply tends
always to open and the one nearest the supply tends always to shut. These valves
are in connection with any suitable mechanical arrangement for opening and closing
them as described, the one opening at the same time the other closes the same
mechanical motion raises the armature or keeper of an electro-magnet, which is
weighted, sufficiently heavily to open the valve nearest the source of supply, and at
the same time, to shut the valve farthest from the source of supply, by its weight
when it is released from the electro-magnet. The electro-magnet is excited by
the current from an electric battery or other suitable source of electricity.
In circuit with the electro-magnet and the source of electricity before mentioned,
we arrange a contact or contacts which can be actuated by any suitable part or
parts of the weighing or measuring machine.
We further arrange another contact for putting on the battery to the electro-
magnet, which is broken by the weighted armature in its fall. By this means all
waste of electric current is obviated, if, by negligence on the part of the operator,
the weight is left in the scale or the scale-pan or scoop left off.
The distance between the two valves in the supply pipe, shoot, or hopper, is
such that it will contain about three quarters of the amount of the material to be
weighed. The method of working these several parts is as follows:-First the
weighing machine being ready to receive the material to be weighed, the mechanical
device before mentioned for closing and opening the valves, and raising the armature
or keeper to the electro-magnet, is actuated by hand in any of the various con-
venient ways which will at once suggest themselves as applicable to the various
different sorts of weighing or measuring machines; the valve farthest from the
supply is thereby opened and the one nearest the source of supply is thereby closed;
thus allowing three-quarters of the material to fall or run into the weighing or
measuring machine. The current being now put on, by virtue of the contact or
the contacts on the weighing or measuring machine, to the electro-magnet, the
weighted armature is held up by the electro-magnet, and the weighing or measuring
machine is fed slowly by means of a small orifice or bye path communicating
between the source of supply and the space between the two valves; when this
fine supply has made up the remaining quarter of the material that it is desired to
be weighed or measured, the contact or contacts in the electrical circuit are arranged
to be broken by the weighing machine; thus releasing the weighted armature
which by its fall closes the valve farthest from the supply and opens the one nearest
the supply; thus allowing the space between the two valves to be quickly filled
ready for the next weighing or measuring operation.

page_text: Instead of the electro-magnet, before mentioned, being employed, a permanent
magnet surrounded by a coil of wire, or, a permanently magnetized electro-magnet
might be used. The contacts in that case being so arranged that the coil of wire
would demagnetize the magnet or electro magnet when the scale, spring balance
or other weighing machine employed had received the amount of material that was
to be weighed or measured, and so cause the weighted armature to fall and cut off
the supply to scale, spring balance or other weighing or measuring machines.
When a substance like leaf tea is to be weighed, we employ three valves in the
supply channel, in order to avoid the packing or binding of the material, in the
supply channel, by the weight of the material which is above it. These valves are
fitted with springs in any convenient manner whereby the first and third valves
tend always to open and the second or centre valve tends always to close. After
the first three quarters of the amount to be weighed or measured, has fallen into
the scale, spring balance, or other weighing or measuring machine, the machine is
fed slowly by means of a small orifice communicating between, the space between
the first and second valves, and the space between the second and third valves.
The valves are closed or opened by the weighted armature of a magnet or an
electro magnet as before described.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form of valve or shutter as that
would vary according to the nature of the material to be weighed or measured.
Dated this 16th day of November 1891
WM. VALENTINE HUNT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Weighing
Granulated Sugar, Tea, Grain, or other suitable substances or
materials.
We, WILLIAM VALENTINE HUNT of 43 Billing Road, Northampton, in the
County of Northamptonshire, Electrical Engineer, and FREDERICK BROWN of
57 Bridge Street, Walsall in the County of Stafford, Electrical Engineer; 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 a weighing machine, or an automatic electrical weighing
machine, as hereinafter described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents partly in elevation and partly
in vertical section, an automatic electrical, or an electrically fitted, weighing
machine, constructed, arranged, provided, and fitted according to our invention.
The said view represents a portion of the material to be weighed being slowly
delivered or fed to the scale pan, through a bye-path aperture or orifice, located
within the path of the division of an upper slide valve, and communicating between
the source of supply, and a space comprehended between the said upper slide valve,
and a lower one, disposed at the outlet to a pipe or supply channel, depending from
a funnel or hopper, containing the supply, and the said space disposed between the
said slide valves, is of a cubical capacity sufficient to contain material, whose
weight is approximate to the amount to be weighed, and which amount is further
made up by the fine supply, passing through the constantly open bye-path as shown,
and as a recession of the weight-pan of the scale takes place, by the rocking of the
scale beam, the electric wires become in circuit with an electro-armature-magnet,
as hereinafter fully described, by a lower contact being closed, by virtue of the
resilience of one of the limb members of the same, on the said weight-pan being
elevated beyond its path.
The electro-armature-magnet, in the position as now represented, becomes a
simple armature, and is held to the opposed faces of a permanent magnet by the
attraction of the latter.

page_text: Figure 2 represents a like sectional view, with parts in elevation, as Figure 1, but
with the lower slide valve of the cut-off of the supply channel closed, and the
upper slide valve, adjacent to the supply, open, and which slide valves, as will be
hereinafter described, have collateral movements, and work in unison in opposite
directions, on a rocking lever or beam, to the ends of which the said slide valves
are connected, being turned, either through the instrumentality of a pulling cord
or other medium, or through the falling of the electro-armature-magnet, assisted
by a spring.
The electro-armature-magnet is shown, in the said view, resting upon the lower
or spring member of an upper contact, thereby breaking circuit, and preventing the
waste of electrical energy, as would otherwise occur, if, by negligence on the part
of the operator, a weight or weights were left in the scale, or the scale pan or
scoop removed.
Thus, by the electro-armature-magnet having been released from the permanent
magnet, consequent upon the repulsion created between them, (on circuit with the
said electro-armature-magnet with electrical source of supply being made) waste of
electrical energy is prevented.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section upon the dotted lines A. B. Figure 1,
looking downwards.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal section upon the dotted lines C. D. Figure 1,
looking downwards.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a is a hopper, containing material to be weighed, and constitutes the source of
supply, and is a supply channel, or truncated lower part or open-ended shoot,
tapering towards its lower end, and fitted or provided with upper and lower slide
valves d and e, and having a measuring capacity sufficient to hold an amount
approximate to a given weight, or an amount to be weighed.
Located within the division of the guides of the upper slide valve d, is a bye-
path or auxilliary orifice f, by means of which, a fine supply is delivered, for the
making-up of the exact weight to be weighed, and which, at the proper time, by
electrical connections as hereinafter described, is cut off by the working of a rock
lever g, pivoted at g², and working within the bearings of a bracket 9³, disposed
between an upper platform ', and an intermediate one h², of the general framing h.
Connection between the slide valves, which comprehend a space from the bottom to
nearly the top of the shoot or supply channel b, is made by jointed link-rod con-
nections d², e², connected and jointed respectively to the upper and lower ends of
the rock lever g, at d³, e³, and at the terminations d, e, of sliding stalks d', e', of
the said slide valves, which are alike unto drawn shutters.
Connected to the inner part of the lower end of the rock lever, and to the fixed
partition, of the framing is a coiled spring i, and connected to the extreme upper
end of the said rock lever is a cord j, passing over guide pulleys j, j³, supported by
suitable brackets connected to the framings, and terminating at its extreme end,
by a pull weight, which is operated by hand, and the pulling of which opens the
lower slide valve, and closes the upper one, through the intervention of the rock
lever, and puts the parts into the respective positions, as represented in Figure 1.
Situated immediately under the mouth e, of the supply channel or shoot e, and
resting or carried upon one end of a beam k, fulcrumed at k³, is the stalk 12, of a
scale pan or scoop l, which when empty, balances a weight pan m, carried by a
stalk m², connected to the other end of the beam k, as of ordinary scales.
On a weight being placed upon the pan m, the same is depressed, and by virtue
of which, the lower contact n, of an electric circuit o, o', is opened or broken by the
resilient spring member n², which has an insulated tip n³, being depressed from
contact with the hooked end n', of the other contact member n', which, like the
other member, is carried upon a block n', connected to an adjustable slide n',
terminated by circuit wire clamping screws n', n.

page_text: .
Assuming the parts to be in the positions as represented in Figure 2 :-
Then by removing the scale pan 1, and replacing the same, after the weighed
contents have been removed, the weight pan m, becomes lowered, and by its weight,
its underside is made to impinge upon the insulated tip n³, of the spring lip n², of
the contact n, depress the same from contact with the limb n', hence the opening
of the contact, and the breaking of the electrical circuit.
The pulling by hand of the weighted terminal end j, turns the rock lever g,
upon its pivot or centre, and by the said turning of the rock lever, closes the upper
slide valve d, and opens the lower slide valve e, extends the spring i, and takes the
electro-armature-magnet q, up to the poles of a permanent magnet r, when the said
armature is attracted and held, until released.
The opening of the lower valve and the closing of the upper one, allows the
material contained within the supply channel or shoot, below the upper valve, to
bodily fall or run into the receiving scale pan or scoop 1, below the open mouth e³.
-The attenuated or fine supply continues the feed slowly, and when the exact
quantity has fallen into the scale pan, then the weight is counterbalanced, and
the weight pan is lifted by the rocking of the beam.
The scale pan now being without the range of the contact n, the same becomes
closed, and as the contact p, is also closed from the lifting of the electro-armature-
magnet by the pull, the said armature-magnet becomes excited, by being in circuit
with the source of electricity, through the intervention of the connecting wires,
hence repulsion, by like polarities of the branches of the permanent magnet, and
the soft iron cores q', of the electro-armature-magnet 7, being opposed, and by
virtue of which, the said armature-magnet falls, and rests upon and breaks the
contact p. By the said falling and turning of the rock lever, which is assisted in

page_text: its motion by the spring i, the bottom slide valve is closed, and the upper slide
valve is opened, and the space vacated by the previous weighing is again rapidly
filled, by the falling of the material through the bottom of the supply hopper.
Thus, instantly the scale pan 1, has received its exact weight, the lower and only
open contact is closed circuit with the electrical source of supply made, the electro-
armature-magnet excited, and then released, and the lower valve made to close up
the outlet of the supply measuring chamber and the upper one opened. The
contact may be arranged to come under the scale pan l, or in connection with the
beam, so that by the depression or lowering of the said scale pan or beam, the
electric contact is closed by the applied pressure.
Instead of employing a permanent magnet, and a field electro-armature-magnet,
an electro magnet with armature may be employed, or any other electrical means
whereby an auxilliary means is released, which operates a rock or like lever, on
a contact which completely closes an electrical circuit, being made, and further,
the application of my invention to other scales, spring balances and weighing
machines generally, differs in no essentially respect from its application to an
electrically fitted weighing machine or partly weighing by measure machine, as
described and set forth.
Our invention is applicable to the weighing of granulated and moist sugars, rice,
tea, coffee, cocoa, drugs and other like powdered and granulated substances, and
also liquid and semi-liquid substances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
First: In a weighing machine, or an automatic and electrical weighing machine,
employing in connection with the supply channel, shoot or depending pipe or
measuring chamber of a hopper, upper and lower slide valves or cut-offs, in
combination with a fine or attenuated passage, orifice or bye path, substantially as
and for the purpose described and set forth.
Secondly: In a weighing machine, or an automatic and electric weighing
machine, employing or fitting within the interior of a supply channel or measuring
chamber, or approximate measuring chamber of a weighing machine, or an electrical
weighing machine, an attenuated or fine supply, orifice passage or opening, whereby
a measured and delivered quantity of material, approximate in weight to that to
be weighed, is made up to the exact amount by a continued and limited delivery
through the said orifice, substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Thirdly-In an automatic and electrical weighing machine, opening and closing
the contact, or breaking and making the circuit of electrical wires leading from the
electrical source of supply, by a scale pan or parts of the weighing apparatus being
raised or otherwise moved from out of the range of, or brought within the range of,
the said contact, substantially as described and set forth.
Fourthly-In automatic and electrical weighing machines, providing the same
with a second or other contacts, which takes off, or puts on, the electro magnet,
with the electrical source of supply, by the means and in the way as described and
set forth, whereby all waste of electrical energy is prevented in case of negligence
by the operator or attendant.
Fifthly In an automatic electrical weighing machine, the combination with
the scale part of the said apparatus, of an adjustable contact, as described and set
forth.
Sixthly-In an automatic electrical weighing machine, operating the slide
valves or cut offs by electrical intervention or repulsion, with or without the aid of
an auxilliary weight, spring or equivalent, substantially as described and set forth.
Seventhly-In an automatic electrical weighing machine, the combination with
the scale part, of electrical fittings, with contacts, adjustments, magnets and
armatures, substantially as described and set forth.

page_text: Eighthly In electrical weighing machines, the general construction, arrange
iment, combination and fitting of parts, as described and set forth, and which parts
work, operate and co-operate in ways for the purpose as described and set forth.
Dated this 16th day of September 1892.
WILLIAM VALENTINE HUNT,...
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.