Improvements in Grain Weighing Machinery.
Year: 1891

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-Gonoral, of the 21st day of October 1895, allowed,
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of this
Specification.
Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grain Weighing Machinery.
HARRY RICHARDSON of The City Flour Mills in the City of Lichfield
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
My invention relates to improvements in automatic grain weighing machines and
its object is to construct a simpler and more reliable grain weighing apparatus than
has hitherto been produced.
My invention comprises -A simplified shutter gear for reducing the rate of
flow of grain into the weighing hopper; a simplified cut off gear for closing the
gran side or shutter when the charge of grain has been weighed in and simple
arrangements for controlling the opening and closing of a door or doors in the
bottom of the weighing hopper to discharge the grain when weighed and to prevent
the further action of the machine when the grain ceases to discharge below the
weighing hopper.
In one construction of machine made in accordance with my invention 1 arrange
a weighing beam with a weighing hopper at one end and weights in a scale pan or
a poise at the other. Above the weighing hopper I place a shatter or slide
controlling the flow of grain from a large hopper containing the grain to be
weighed this shutter or slide may be constructed in any well known manner but
I prefer it as a curved plate swinging from a centre from which the curve is struck
and sliding over an oblong aperture fitted with brushes. The shutter or slide is
controlled by the movement of the weighing beam in the following manner when
the weighing hopper is empty and is in its upper position the shutter is full open
and remains full open until the larger part of the grain charge pass into the
hopper when the hopper end talls through a certain distance Ly the action of a
weighted lever, which is allowed to press against that end of the beam directly or
by an open ended link. The weighted lever partly closes the shutter or slile and
reduces the How of grain to a trickle in order to accurately discharge the weight
necessary to sightly overbalance them. The weighted lever now rests against
removable stop in or attached to the frame and the beam is free to weigh a
chirge accurately. Immediately the wegbing hopper falls by overbalneing the
weights or pole the movement of the Team by means of a projecting pin or other
contrivance, knocks away the stop macer the weighted lever and the whole weight
of the lever is thus brought to bear upon the grain shutter or slide and at once
close it. At the same time the movement of the grain shuter or the weighted
lever knuchs over a toggle gear which is attached to the door or doors at the
bottom of the hopper and permits the weight of the grain to open the door or door.
and discharge it into any convenient receptacle or receiving hopper. Although
one discharge door may be adopted in the weighing hopper I prefer two doors

page_text: closing towards the middle and hinged or pivoted at the sides. Both doors close
automatically by the action of weights preferably mounted on prolongations of the
doors and so placed that as the doors open the action of the weights diminish by
moving more and more vertically over the hinges or pivots. One door is made
longer than the other and the shorter is arranged to close first, partly by the fact
that the grain remains in contact with the other door longest and partly to its
shortness causing it to oscillate more rapidly and so naturally tend to close sooner
than the longer door. The longer door closing last fits partly over the other and
so renders the weighing hopper grain tight. A toggle linkage is attachel to one
side of the weighing hopper and to the longer door and one of the links is weighted
so that when the door closes, the links swing over the pivoting centre in the side
of the hopper and press against a stop. The weight of the grain in the weighing
bopper is then powerless to open the doors until the toggle links are pushed or
knocked over and this is done by the movement of the weighted lever herein
referred to or by the movement of the grain shutter or slide.
When the hopper discharges its charge the beam at once raises it and lifts the
weighted lever while also placing or permitting the movable stop to take up its
position again. The rise of the hopper however does not open the grain slide as this
depends upon the closing of the hopper doors or door. When the doors close the
end of one of the toggle links strikes a projection from another toggle linkage which
is arranged to hold the grain slide or shutter closed against the action of a weight.
When the projection from the door toggles strikes the grain shutter or slide toggle
then the links are moved off the dead entre and the weight is free to open the grain
shutter or slide. The grain then flows into the weighing hopper and the machine
again makes another weighing and continues to weigh and discharge grain into the
receiving hopper or receptacle until the grain no longer flows away from the weighing
hopper by accumulating below. When this occurs although the hopper may rise on
discharging yet the door or doors or one of the doors is prevented from closing by
the heap of grain and thus the toggle link holding the grain shutter or slide closel
is not knocked over its centre and so the shutter remains closed till the doors are
permitted to close again by the removal of the grain preventing their action. When
the doors close the toggle links are knocked over the dead centre and the weight at
once opens the grain slide or shutter.
N
"
Instead of toggle gear hereinbefore described, catch gear may be used and other
mechanical equivalents may be adopted, springs may be applied to close the doors
for example and springs may be used to bring about the reduced opening of the grain
slide or shutter. To reduce the time of the action of the triel:le graduated
friction may be applied to the weighted lever to cause it to act more suddenly.
The machine may be applied to weigh substances other than grain divided like
grain if desired.
Dated this 11th day of Anril 1891
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
TAM 'LET. SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Grain Weighing Machinery.
1. HARRY RICHARDSON, of The City Flour Mill Lich, in the Chanty of
Stanord, Miller, by declare the ire of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performel, to be particular y descrisel and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in automatic grain weighing machines.
and its object is to construct a simpler and more reliable grain weighing apparatus
tban has hitherto been produced.

page_text: My invention comprises: A simplified butter gear for relueing the rate of
flow of grain into the weighing hopper: a simplified cut off gear for closing the
grain slide or shutter, when the charge of grain has been weighed in; and simple
arrangements for controlling the opening and closing of a door or doors in the
bottom of the weighing hopper, to discharge the grain when weighed and to
prevent the further action of the machine when the grain ceases to discharge below
the weighing hopper.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings, Figures 1 to 8 illustrate
the application of my invention to a grain weighing machine
Figure is a side elevation partly in section. and it shows the machine in
position ready to receive the grain, the frame is omitted to enable the general
action to be more easily distinguishe 1.
Figure 2 is a part side elevation of the grain end of the machine showing the
positions of the several parts of the machine when the first grain cut off has taken
plac. The frame is here indicated.
Figure 3 is another partial side elevation showing the positions when the grain
supply is cut off, and the door or doors of the weighing hopper is held open by the
discharged grain.
Figure is a back view of the weighing hopper showing the door closed and the
toggle links locking it.
Figure 5 shows the same view as Figure 4, but the door is open and is held open
by the grain heap.
Figure 6 shows a modifiel toggle arrangement.
Figure 7 is a separate elevation of the parts of the door lock.
Figure 8 shows the trickle or dribble holes through which the grain passes to
the cut off slide.
Throughout the drawings the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or
similar letters.
In the construction of the machine nude in accordance with my invention as
shown in the drawings, 1 arrange a weighing beam A with a weighing hopper Bat
one end and weights in a scale pan or a poise at the other. The weight Cis
preferably suspended from the beam A to balance the hopper B and its attachments.
The weight equals the grain to be weighed into the hopper and it is made
preferably in conical form externally so as to avoid the accumulation of dust and
dispense with the sheet metal cover commonly employed in such machines to prevent
dust falling on the weights. Above the weighing hopper BI place a swinging or
hinging shutter, slide or sluice D controlling the flow of grain from a large hopper
or shoot B' containing or passing the grain to be weighed; this shatter or slide D
may be constructed in any well known manner, but I prefer it as a curved plate
swinging from a centre from which the curve is struck as shown in the drawings
and sliding over an oblong aperture B³ fitted with brushes. The shutter or sile D
is controlled by the movement of the weighing beam A in the following manner-
when the weighing hopper B is empty and is in its upper position as shown in
Figure 1, the shutter D'is full open and remains full open until the larger part of
the grain charge passes into the hopper when the hopper end fall through a
certain distance, by the action of weights or a weighted lever or levers, which are
allowed to press against that end of the beam directly or by an open en led link.
Although a separate weighted lever may be applied I prefer to arrange the
winging slide or sluice D together with a link D2 to act on the beam as a weighted
lever, and to this end I weight the end d of the slide 1. This causes the link D,
attached to at 13. to thrust downwards against the piu E which pin is either
attached directly to the beam A or is attached indirectly by way of the spring
piece E. So long as the hopper B is empty or contains a charge of grain weighing
considerably less than the weight C, the the unbalanced weight of the suice D, d
and the link D is insufficient to overbalance the ham A. bu when a certain
amount of grain enters B the free weight of D and d and D overbalances the
bean, and the hopper B fall till the movement of the toggle links F, F caused

page_text: The
by the motion of D brings the end of the lever F, F, F in contact with the
catch K which holds the free weight of D, d and D and prevents it from acting
further on the beam A. The weighted lever d together with the link D' partly
closos the swinging shutter or slide D and reduces the flow of grain to a trickle in
order to accurately discharge the weight necessary to slightly overbalance the
beam. The position of the various parts when the trickle is taking place is clearly
shown at Figure 2. The weight of the lever and link D is now supported
against a removable stop or catch K hereinbefore referred to in or attached to the
frame and the beam A is free to weigh a charge accurately. Immediately the
weighing hopper falls by overbalancing the weights or poise C. C, the movement
of the beam A by means of a projecting pin or other contrivance as A* knocks
away the stop or catch K under the weighted lever F, F and the whole weight of
the lever d and link D is thus brought to bear upon the grain shutter or slide D
together with the free weight of the weight F and at once closes it. It is to be
noted that as the pin E' falls from under the end of the link for some distance,
when the hopper B is fully charged and the pin A does not strike the end K' of
the catch lever K till it has travelled some distance, the lever K, K is struck with
some force and the link D2 and sluice D, d acquires some velocity causing a
considerable amount of energy to be accumulated in the weight attached to the
lever F, F, F. The link G attached between the toggle links F, F therefore
moves up sharply and carries with it the lever G' pivoted to the frame.
movement of the grain shutter and the weighted lever or levers thus causes the
end of the lever G 10 knock over a toggle gear which is attached to the door or
doors 13 at the bottom of the hopper and permits the weight of the grain to open
the door or doors and discharge into any convenient receptacle or receiving hopper.
The closed position of the sluice D is shown at Figure 3 where the toggle
links F, F closing D are shown in their straightened position, the link pressing
against the stop D in the sluice D. In this position although the grain be
discharged from the hopper B so that the hopper rises and with it the hopper end
of the beam A yet the pressure of the pin E against the end of the link D' and
the pin D which connects it to the sluice D does not open the sluice because the
toggle links FF1 and the stop I take the thrust and prevent motion. The use
of the spring E attached to A is here apparent, as by its intervention the sluice
pins and toggle links and pins are prevented from being unduly strained by the
action of the whole of the weight C. Although one discharge door B is shown
in the drawings, yet I may adopt two doors closing towards the middle and hinged
or pivoted at the sides. Both doors may close automatically by the action of
weights preferably mounted on prolongations of the doors and so placed that as
the doors open the action of the weights diminish by moving more and more
vertically over the hinges or pivots. One door is nude longer than the other and
the shorter door is a ranged to close first, partly by the fact that the grain remains
in contact with the other door longest and partly to its shortness causing it to
oscillate more rapidly and so naturally tend to close sooner than the longer door.
The longer door closing last fits partly over the other and so renders the weighing
hopper grain tight.
As shown fully at Figures 4 and 5 a toggle linkage is attached to one side of
the weighing hopper and one door is provided, and a prolongation M of one of
the toggle links M is weighted by a weight M5 so that when the door 15 cioses, the
links H³, swing over the pixiting core H in the side of the hopper B and
press against a stop H² and also the centre 11. The weight of the grain in the
weighing hopper is then powerless to open the door until the toggle Inks and L
are pushed or knocked over and this is done by the movement of the weighted
lever herein referred to or by the movement of the grain shutter or slide
communicated through the link G and lever G, the lever being arranged to
strike the end of the lever I connected to H'.
As shown in the drawings the door B is swung on an axis at or near right angles
to the line of the knife edges A'. A' upon which the weighing hopper B is suspended

page_text: and this gives a substantial advantage in preventing the vibration of the hopper 13
on the knife edges due to the swinging of the door B and the discharge of the
grain.
In Figure 4 the door B in the bottom of the hopper B is shown closed, its edge
is covered by the lever 34 but it is indicated in dotted lines.
In Figure 5 the door is shown as open and at Figure 7 the separate toggle links
are shown on a larger scale. The bell crank lever H, H³ pivots at the pin H
fixed to the side of the hopper B and the end H³ connects to the link L while the
link connects to the lever M pivoting with the door B from M'.
The lever M
extends back to M' and from M² depends the weight M. The weight is so
arranged that when the door B' is open as shown in Figure 5 its leverage is small,
but when the door is closed as in Figure 4 its leverage is at its maximum.
When the hopper B discharges its charge the beam A at once raises it and
presses up the weighted lever d and link D while also placing or permitting the
movable stop K to take up its position again. The rise of the hopper, however,
does not open the grain slide as this depends upon the closing of the hopper doors
or door. The toggle linkage F. F prevents the sluice 1 from being opened titl
the linkage is pulled down past the centre. When the door B closes, the end of
one of the toggle links H³, 1. that is the end H, strikes a projection from the
toggle linkage F, F which as hereinbefore described is arranged to hold the grain
slide or shutter closed against the action of a weight which weight as shown in
the drawings is the weight C. When the projection of lever I from the door
toggles strikes the grain shutter or slide toggle connection (then the links F, F
are moved off the dead centre being pulled down by the link which is connected
to G, and the weight is free to open the grain shutter or slide through the
intervention of the spring piece E. The grain then flows into the weighing
hopper B and the machine again makes another weighing and continues to weigh
and discharge grain into the receiving hopper until the grain no longer flows away
from the weighing hopper by accumulating below. When this occurs although the
hopper B may rise on discharging, yet the door B2 or doors or one of the doors is
prevented from closing by the heap of gramm as shown in Figures 3 and 5 and thus
the toggle links holding the grain shutter or slide D closed are not knocked over
their centre and so the shutter remains closed till the door or doors is or are
permitted to close again by the removal of the grain preventing their action.
When the door B closes the toggle links F, F are knocked over the dead centre
and the weight at once opens the grain slide or shutter.
At Figure 6 I have shown a modification of the hereinbefore described arrange-
ment in which the toggle links F, F open the sluice D by rising above instead of
falling under the centre, as shown the sluice is in the position to give a trickle.
The ink and the lever d falls with the falling beam till the projection G
strikes the end K of the catch or stop tumbler lever K'. When by the trickle
sufficient grain has been added to overbalanes the beam A then the pin H strikes
the end Kand by knocking away K from under the stop G³ allows the link G to
fall and close the slide D by straightening the toggle links F, F. The bell crank
lever G. G7 attached to the end of G and pivoting from the frame is thus moved
and the end G strikes the lever 0, 0 pivoted to the hopper and operates the
lever opening the toggle or dead centre lock of the door B and allowing the
discharge of the grain.
Instead of tounge gear bereinbefore described, est h gear may be used, and other
mechanical equivalents may be a fopted, springs may be applied to close the doors
for example and springs may be used to bring about the resince opening of the
grain slide or shutter. To reince the time of the action of the "trickle raduated
friction may be applied to the weighted lever to cause it to act more suddenly.
The position of the weight on the lever is capable of adjustment and it
may be moved to change the time occupied in the weighings as it determin the
rate of movement of the slide D.
-
Brush S may be applied to the hopper door to keep it grain tight,

page_text: Figure 1 shows on a larger senle the toggle links F, F' at the point of junction
with the link G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In a weighing machine, a toggle linkage arranged to hold a sleeve or door
closed till the desired moment, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
IL
(2) In a weighing machine, mechanism for controlling the grain supply to
weighing hopper and the discharge from it, comprising in combination; a grain
sluice controlled by a toggle linkage; a discharge door or doors in the said weighing
hopper also controlled by a toggle or dead centre linkage; an arrangement of links
and levers so connected and weighted as to cause the movement of the weighing
beam, as the weighing hopper tills with grain, to first partly close the grain sluice,
and then completely close it, and subsequently to open the discharge door or doors
in the hopper, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(3) In a weighing machine, the combination of a sluice as D with toggle links
as F, Farranged to allow the sluice to close as the hopper end of the beam falls,
and to hold the sluice closed by the straightening of the toggle links, not withstanding
the rise of the beam on the discharge of the grain, the sail sluice being held closed
until the closing of the hopper door as B2 or doors, so acts through links as to put
the toggle links F, F off their centre, and allow weight or spring action to open
the sluice to admit another charge of grain, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(4) -n-weighing-machine,-the-combination of a doorP-R--B³-or-doors-with-a
toggle-linkage to hold the-door-firmly-closed-against-a-weight of grain within-n
hopper-till-the-said-toggle-linkage-is-moved-off-its-centres-by-the nation-of-an
external lever rejection and a balance--weight-op-spring-to-clure the rail
door-when-the-grain-is-discharged, substantially-as-herein before described and
illustrated-in-the-necompanying drawings:
(5) In a weighing machine, the arrangement of a hopper door in such manner
that any accumulation of grain in the hopper or vessel into which the grain
discharges prevents the closing of the door, and so delays the opening of the sluice
and the weighing out of another charge until the accumulation has run away,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(6) In a weighing machine, a hopper discharge door with balancing weight or
weights so arranged that when completely closed the weight exercises its foll
leverage, but when the door is fully open the weight exercises the minimum
leverage, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(7) The particular weighing machine herein before described with reference to
Figure 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
(8) The particular weighing machine hereinhetore described with reference to
Figure of the accompanying drawings.
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MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the App Hent.