Improved Weighing Machine for Automatically Weighing Granular or Pulverulent Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept.. 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1894-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Weighing Machine for Automatically Weighing Granular
or Pulverulent Materials.
I, ALFONS CASTENHOLZ, of 76 Westendstrasse, Carlsruhe, Baden, retired
Colonel and General Manager of The Deutsche Metallpatronen Fabrik, of
Carlsruhe, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved weighing machine for automatically
weighing granular or pulverulent materials wherein such materials are taken in
separate quantities from a store thereof, by means of scooping devices which take
up the quantities accurately of the required uniform weight and deliver them into
a corresponding number of weighing balances, from which they are delivered into
receptacles situated below. From these receptacles the material is caused to pass
seriatim through passages by means of a controlling slide having an aperture
which controls them all, into a shoot from which the separate quantities are
delivered into separate vessels, these being presented consecutively to the shoot in
a corresponding inanner to the action of the slidė.
By this weighing machine a large number of weighings, for example 60, in a
minute can be effected, as each balance enters into operation after the preceding
one and each balance is afforded, in the case of 60 weighings in the minute, not
merely one second, but about as much time as is taken by the slide to supply
the material from all the other receptacles to the several vessels to be filled.
The length of time thus allowed for the weighing operation allows of the use of
balances of a very sensitive nature, and that consequently effect the weighing with
the greatest possible accuracy.
Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings shew diagrammatically the
construction of a weighing machine according to my invention.
A series of
balances, a¹ a² a³, of which six are shewn by way of example, are arranged by
preference in a circle as shewn, and below the pan 61 62 &c. of each balance is
an intermediate receptacle 1, 2, 3 &c. into which the weighed quantity of granular
or pulverulent material is delivered from the balance pan.
These intermediate receptacles are open at bottom, but are closed by a revolving
slide d having a single opening e which, on the rotation of the slide, is brought
consecutively underneath each receptacle, so that the material contained therein
can then fall into the hopper f below.
The vessels g which are to receive these charges of material, are brought
consecutively (either by hand or mechanically) below the mouth of the hopper,
and after this has been done, the slide is moved one step farther, until its opening
comes below the lower end of the next following intermediate receptacle, so as to
effect the discharge of its contents into the said vessel.
Above the balances is a receptacle containing a store of the granular or
pulverulent material, into side openings of which receptacle enter a number of
feeding devices i corresponding to the number of balances, and which feed the
latter with the requisite quantity of material.
At the moment when a feeding device begins to supply its balance pan with
material, the balance is put into operation, and it is put out of action as soon as
the supply of material ceases. For this purpose the movements of the feeding
devices and of the slide d are made dependent upon each other by suitable means
in such manner that the delivery of material to a balance, and consequently the
putting in action hereof, only begins when the slide has closed the opening of the
i

page_text: corresponding intermediate receptacle again, and the action of a balance ceases as
soon as the weighed quantity of material has been discharged into the intermediate
receptacle. By this arrangement each intermediate receptacle only contains a
single weighed quantity of material when the opening of the slide is brought
beneath it. As, on the other hand, the movement of the slide takes place imme-
diately after a new vessel g has been brought under the hopper, each vessel will
also only receive an accurately weighed, and consequently uniformly equal quantity
of material.
The periodical movements of the feeding devices are effected as follows. On
the axes thereof are fixed friction discs that are periodically set in motion by
the alternate bringing in and out of contact therewith of friction rollers l. These
rollers are on an axis m that is rotated continuously with an uniform speed either
by gearing from the axis of the revolving slide, as shewn at Fig. 2, or by other
means. The axis m is capable of moving to and from the disc k, and carries an
armature that is actuated by an electro magnet o. When the armature is attracted,
the friction roller is pressed against the friction disc k, whereby this and the
feeding device are rotated as long as the armature remains attracted, that is,
as long as a current passes through the electromagnet. The attraction of the
armature n is effected when the slide has closed the corresponding receptacle again
and has arrived with its opening below the next following receptacle; the armature
is released again as soon as the correct weight of material has been delivered into
the corresponding balance pan. The correct closing and breaking of the electric
circuit for this purpose is effected by the following arrangement, reference being
had to Figs. 2 and 4.
For each balance bean a¹ a² &c. and its intermediate receptacle 1, 2, 3 &c. there
is provided an insulated contact p' p² &c.; these contacts are fixed on the periphery
of the fixed plate in openings of which the lower ends of the receptacles 1, 2, 3 &c.
are fixed. The revolving slide carries a sliding contact which is situated at a
certain angle behind the opening e, in the direction of travel of the slide and is
electrically connected with the axis of the slide. Thus, as shewn on the
drawing, the circuit is only closed at p', and consequently the armature of the
balance a is only attracted, when the opening e of the slide is situated below
the receptacle 2.
On the further motion of the slide the contact p is uninterrupted, but the
current is still maintained through the corresponding electro magnet, because on the
attraction of the armature n it can pass through the axis m hereof and through
the friction roller and disc k. The rotation of the feeding device will conse-
quently not be stopped by the interruption of the contact po, so that the filling of
the balance pan will continue during the further motion of the slide.
When the balance pan has received its full charge, it descends, causing a
contact g, made by the beam a, to be broken, by which means the current through
the electro-magnet is made to cease and the armature n being liberated, the
axis m will rise, being drawn up by a spring, and the motion of the feeding device
will stop.
The circuit will remain broken after the balance pan has been emptied and the
beam has resumed its original position, making contact at 9, as the contacts at p°
and at the roller / and disc will then both be broken.
The balance will therefore remain at rest until the slide d again makes contact
at po when the above described action will be repeated.
The rotation of the disc k by the roller is preferably so arranged that the
former, and consequently also the feeding device, are made to rotate with a
gradually retarded motion, in order that towards the end of the filling, as small a
quantity as possible is supplied to the balance pan, in order to insure a very accurate
adjustment of the weight.
This is effected in the arrangement shewn, by making the roller free to slide
along its axis, which is placed obliquely to the axis of the disc k, whereby the
roller will be made to assume an oblique position on the latter, causing it to describe

page_text: a spiral curve thereon, as shewn in dotted lines thereon, so that in shifting in the
direction from the centre outwards, it will impart a gradually retarded motion to k.
This retarded motion could of course be effected in various other ways.
The feeding device, which as shewn at Figs. 2 and 3, consists of a plate m¹ with
ribs n which revolves in a fixed casing o¹, takes at each revolution a certain
quantity of material from the store in hand conveys it over the balance At
pan.
this point there is a fixed scraper which dips into the material and, by the
rotation of the plate m¹ causes a portion of the material to travel along it, thus
leading it to the pan.
U, SO
The delivery of the material from the pan into the receptacle below can be
effected in various ways; thus for example the pan, in descending can be raised
off the beam by forks s Fig. 5, and by causing its spout to strike against stops t, it
is made to tumble over so as to deliver its charge. For this purpose the forks
may have an up and down motion imparted to them by a crank motion as at
as to lift up the pan during the upward motion of the forks as soon as the pan
begins to descend, the crank motion being locked by any suitable electrical device
while the weighing is being effected. On the downward motion of the forks, they
again deposit the emptied pan on its beam and are then again locked in the lowered
position until the next weighing has been completed.
Instead of effecting the retarded feed of the material by a retarded motion of
the feeding plate, as described, the bulk of the charge may be delivered into the
pan by a comparatively quick uniform motion of a slide, while the small further
quantity required is supplied in the described manner by a scraper acting in
combination with a revolving plate.
Such an arrangement of the feed and weighing mechanism is shewn diagram-
matically at Fig. 7. It only differs from that previously described in the arrange-
ment of the feed plate, and a slightly modified electrical arrangement to suit this.
Fig. 8 shews the modified feed plate in section and plan.
The periodically revolving plate m² is made at the same time to serve as revolving
slide, for which purpose it is provided with a rim n². A part m² of the plate is
open at the bottom. The contents of this sector corresponds to a body of the
material which is slightly less than the full charge. The plate revolves on a fixed
disc of which has an opening corresponding to that of m². The plate performs
exactly one revolution for each weighing operation. Before the commencement
hereof the opening of the plate is situated just to one side of the opening of the
disc. On the rotation of the plate, the quantity of material contained in the
sector falls through the opening of the disc o into the balance pan situated below.
The periodical rotation of the plate is effected by an electromagnet o as will be
presently described.
At the same time the scraper is drawn by the electro magnet oº down into the
material, so that on the farther motion of the plate such material is scraped off
thereby, the scraper being kept in the lowered position until the correct weight of
material has been deposited. At this moment the balance pan sinks, the circuit is
broken at g, the scraper rises rapidly, and the supply of material ceases, although
the plate m² completes its revolution.
On the axis w of the plate m2 is a loose pinion a¹, which can slide longitudinally
on the axis and which gears with a wheel x on the main shaft, so as to be continuously
rotated thereby.
When the pinion is moved slightly downwards from the position shewn, it is
geared with the axis w by a suitable clutch device, not shewn, so as to carry the
same round with it. Such downward motion of the pinion is effected by the
attraction of an electromagnet o on the closing of the before described electric
circuit.
2',
to
wheel
spur
The pinion is made of sufficiently greater width than the
remain in gear therewith when in the depressed position. When the circuit is
broken, the pinion is moved up again by a suitable spring so as to become
disengaged from the axis w, which consequently then remains stationary.

page_text: Thus at the moment when the contact p° closes the circuit by contact
with p, p, &c. the current passing in the direction of the arrows, puts the pinion.al
in gear with spindle w, so as to rotate the feeding plate m³ and at the same time
depresses the scraper and closes the second contact at v³, so that even after the
contact has been broken at p p again, the circuit will remain closed as indicated
by the dotted arrows until the contact 9 is broken by the sinking of the balance
beam.
At this moment the circuit being broken, the pinion will be released by the
electromagnet o and in rising will stop the rotation of spindle w and plate m².
The balance will then remain at rest until the revolving slide d again makes
contact with the circuit of this balance, whereupon the described operation will be
repeated. The same takes place consecutively with all the other balances, when
their respective contents are closed.
Dated this 29th day of September 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.
Improved Weighing Machine for Automatically Weighing Granular
or Pulverulent Materials.
I, ALFONS CASTENHOLZ, of 76 Westendstrasse Carlsruhe, Baden, retired
Colonel and General Manager of The Deutsche Metallpatronen Fabrik of Carlsruhe,
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 improved weighing machine for automatically
weighing granular or pulverulent materials wherein such materials are taken in
separate quantities from a store thereof, by means of scooping devices which take
up the quantities accurately of the required uniform weight and deliver them into
a corresponding number of weighing balances, from which they are delivered into
receptacles situated below. From these receptacles the material is caused to pass
seriatim through passages by means of a controlling slide having an aperture,
which controls them all, into a shoot from which the separate quantities are
delivered into separate vessels, these being presented consecutively to the shoot in
a corresponding manner to the action of the slide.
By this weighing machine a large number of weighings, for example 60 in
a minute, can be effected, as each balance enters into operation after the preceding
one and each balance is afforded, in the case of 60 weighings in the minute, not
merely one second, but about as much time as is taken by the slide to supply the
material from all the other receptacles to the several vessels to be filled.
The length of time thus allowed for the weighing operation allows of the use of
balances of a very sensitive nature, and that consequently effect the weighing with
the greatest possible accuracy.
Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification shew
diagrammatically the construction of a weighing machine according to my invention.
A series of balances, a¹ a² a³, of which six are shewn by way of example, are
arranged by preference in a circle as shewn, and below the pan b¹² &c. of each
balance is an intermediate receptacle 1, 2, 3, &c. into which the weighed quantity
of granular or pulverulent material is delivered from the balance pan.
These intermediate receptacles are open at bottom, but are closed by a revolving
slide d having a single opening e which on the rotation of the slide is brought
consecutively underneath each receptacle, so that the material contained therein
can then fall into the hopper f below.

page_text: The vessels which are to receive these charges of material, are brought
consecutively (either by hand or mechanically) below the mouth of the hopper, and
after this has been done, the slide is moved one step farther, until its opening comes
below the lower end of the next following intermediate receptacle, so as to effect
the discharge of its contents into the said vessel.
Above the balances is a receptacle h containing a store of the granular or
pulverulent material, into side openings of which receptacle enter a number of
feeding devices i corresponding to the number of balances, and which feed the latter
with the requisite quantity of material.
At the moment when a feeding device begins to supply its balance pan with
material, the balance is put into operation, and it is put out of action as soon as the
supply of material ceases. For this purpose the movements of the feeding devices i
and of the slide d are made dependent upon each other by suitable means in such
manner that the delivery of material to a balance, and consequently the putting in
action hereof only begins when the slide has closed the opening of the corresponding
intermediate receptacle again, and the action of a balance ceases as soon as the
weighed quantity of material has been discharged into the intermediate
receptacle. By this arrangement each intermediate receptacle only contains a
single weighed quantity of material when the opening of the slide is brought
beneath it. As, on the other hand, the movement of the slide takes place
immediately after a new vessel y has been brought under the hopper, each vessel
will also only receive an accurately weighed, and consequently uniformly equal
quantity of material.
The periodical movements of the feeding devices are effected as follows. On
the axes thereof are fixed friction discs k that are periodically set in motion by the
alternate bringing in and out of contact therewith of friction rollers . These
rollers are on an axis m that is rotated continuously with a uniform speed either by
gearing from the axis of the revolving slide, as shewn at Fig. 2, or by other means.
The axis m is capable of moving to and from the disc k, and carries an armature
that is actuated by an electro-magnet o. When the armature is attracted, the
friction roller is pressed against the friction disc k, whereby this and the feeding
device are rotated as long as the armature remains attracted, that is, as long as a
current passes through the electro magnet. The attraction of the arinature n is
effected when the slide has closed the corresponding receptacle again and has
arrived with its opening below the next following receptacle; the armature is
released again as soon as the correct weight of material has been delivered into the
corresponding balance pan. The correct closing and breaking of the electric circuit
for this purpose is effected by the following arrangement, reference being had to
Figs. 2 and 4.
For each balance beam a¹ a² &c. and its intermediate receptacle 1, 2, 3 &c. there
is provided an insulated contact p' p² &c.; these contacts are fixed on the
periphery of the fixed plate in openings of which the lower ends of the
receptacles 1, 2, 3 &c. are fixed. The revolving slide carries a sliding contact po
which is situated at a certain angle behind the opening e, in the direction of travel
of the slide and is electrically connected with the axis of the slide. Thus, as
shewn on the drawing, the circuit is only closed at p', and consequently the
armature of the balance a¹ is only attracted when the opening e of the slide is
situated below the receptacle 2.
On the further motion of the slide the contact pois uninterrupted, but the current
is still maintained through the corresponding electro magnet, because on the
attraction of the armature n it can pass through the axis m hereof and through the
friction roller and disc k. The rotation of the feeding device will consequently
not be stopped by the interruption of the contact p°, so that the filling of the
balance pan will continue during the further motion of the slide.
When the balance pan has received its full charge, it descends, causing a
contact 7 made by the beam a to be broken, by which means the current through
the electromagnet is made to cease and the armaturen being liberated, the axis m

page_text: Tise being urawn
will stop.
Dy a spring and спе motion OI the feeding device
The circuit will remain broken after the balance pan has been emptied and the
beam has resumed its original position, making contact at q, as the contacts at po
and at the roller and disc k will then both be broken.
The balance will therefore remain at rest until the slide d again makes contact
at po when the above described action will be repeated..
The rotation of the disc by the roller is preferable so arranged that the
former and consequently also the feeding device are made to rotate with a
gradually retarded motion, in order that towards the end of the filling, as small a
quantity as possible is supplied to the balance pan, in order to insure a very accurate
adjustment of the weight.
This is effected in the arrangement shewn, by making the roller / free to slide
along its axis, which is placed obliquely to the axis of the disc k, whereby the
roller will be made to assume an oblique position on the latter causing it to describe
a spiral curve thereon, as shewn in dotted lines thereon, so that in shifting in the
direction from the centre outwards, it will impart a gradually retarded motion to k.
This retarded motion could of course be effected in various other ways.
The feeding device, which as shewn at Figs. 2 and 3, consists of a plate m' with
ribs n which revolve in a fixed casing o', takes at each revolution a certain
quantity of material from the store in and conveys it over the balance pan.
At this point there is a fixed scraper which dips into the material and, by the
rotation of the plate m¹ causes a portion of the material to travel along it, thus
leading it to the pan.
The delivery of the material from the pan into the receptacle below can be
effected in various ways; thus for example the pan, in descending can be raised off
the beam by ports & Fig. 5 and by causing its spout to strike against stops t, it is
.made to tumble over so as to deliver its charge. For this purpose the forks may
have an up and down motion imparted to them by a crank motion as at u, so as to
lift up the pan during the upward motion of the forks as soon as the pan begins to
descend, the crank motion being locked by any suitable electrical device while the
weighing is being effected. On the downward motion of the forks, they again
deposit the empty pan on its beam and are then again locked in the lowered position
again until the next weighing has been completed.
Instead of effecting the retarded feed of the material by a retarded motion of the
feeding plate, as described the bulk of the charge may be delivered into the pan by
a comparatively quick uniform motion of a slide while the small further quantity
required is supplied in the described manner by.a scraper acting in combination
with a revolving plate.
Such an arrangement of the feed and weighing mechanism is shewn diagramma-
tically at Fig. 7 on the accompanying drawing, filed in substitution for Fig. 7 of
the original drawing which is hereby cancelled. It only differs from that previously
described in the arrangement of the feed plate, and a slightly modified electrical
arrangement to suit this. Fig 8 of the originally filed drawings shews the modified
feed plate in section and plan.
The periodically revolving plate m² is made at the same time to serve as
revolving slide, for which purpose it is provided with a rim n². A part m² of the
plate is open at bottom. The contents of this sector corresponds to a body of the
material which is slightly less than the full charge. The plate revolves on a fixed
disc o which has an opening corresponding to that of m². The plate performs
exactly one revolution for each weighing operation. Before the commencement
hereof the opening of the plate is situated just to one side of the opening of the
disc. On the rotation of the plate, the quantity of material contained in the sector
falls through the opening of the disc o into the balance pan situated below.
The periodical rotation of the plate is effected by an electromagnet o as will
.be presently described.
At the same time the scraper 2 is drawn by the electromagnet o" down into the

page_text: material, so that on the farther motion of the plate such material is scraped off
thereby, the scraper being kept in the lowered position until the correct weight of
material has been deposited. At this moment the balance pan sinks, the circuit is
broken at q, the scraper rises rapidly, and the supply of material ceases, although
the plate m² completes its revolution.
On the axis w of the plate m² is a loose pinion a, which can slide longitudinally
on the axis and which gears with a wheel a on the main shaft, so as to be
continuously rotated thereby.
When the pinion x is moved slightly downwards from the position shewn, it is
geared with the axis w by a suitable clutch device, not shewn, so as to carry the
same round with it. Such downward motion of the pinion is effected by the
attraction of an electromagnet o on the closing of the before described electric
circuit.
The pinion is made of sufficiently greater width than the spur wheel, to
remain in gear therewith when in the depressed position. When the circuit is
broken, the pinion is moved up again by a suitable spring so as to become.
disengaged from the axis we, which consequently then remains stationary.
Thus at the moment when the contact p closes the circuit by contact
with p, p, &c. the current passing in the direction of the arrows, puts the pinion r¹
in gear with spindle we, so as to rotate the feeding plate m² and at the same time
depresses the scraper 2 and closes the second contact at v³, so that even after the
contact has been broken at p° pl again, the circuit will remain closed as indicated
by the dotted arrows (the current then passing from the battery through contact q
and the balance beam and its bearings, to electromagnet o, contact and electro-
magnet o to the battery until the contact is broken by the sinking of the balance
beam.
q
At this moment the circuit being broken, the pinion will be released by the
electromagnet o and in rising will stop the rotation of spindle w and plate m². The
balance will then remain at rest until the revolving slide d again makes contact
with the circuit of this balance whereupon the described operation will be repeated.
The same takes place consecutively with all the other balances, when their respective
contacts are closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A weighing machine for weighing granular or pulverulent materials by means
of a series of balances operated by electric currents, wherein the receptacles of
several balances are supplied consecutively with material from a common storage
receptacle and discharge their contents into a corresponding number of intermediate
receptacles, whose discharge openings are closed by a slide common to all and
having a single discharge opening, by means of which the charge of each receptacle
is emptied in succession into a common hopper, conveying each charge successively
into a separate receiver, the supply of material to each balance beam being
effected automaticall by electrical agency as soon as the said slide has closed the
discharge of the corresponding intermediate receptacle, while the supply is stopped
automatically when the balance has received the correct charge, substantially as
described.
2. In a weighing machine of the kind referred to in the first claim, a device for
supplying material to the several balances, consisting of a revolving tray or disc
which partly projects into the main receptacle of the material to be weighed, and
carries a certain quantity thereof round to the balance, at which point a scraper
discharges the material from the tray into the pan of the balance, the rotation of
the tray being started by the closing of an electrical circuit by means of the
aforesaid slide, while on the balance having received its full charge the sinking
thereof is made to break the electric circuit and thus to stop the motion of the
tray, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a feeding device to a weighing machine of the kind referred to in the
second claim, the modified construction whereby the greater part of the charge
taken up by the revolving tray is discharged directly into the balance, and only a
small remainder is supplied by a scraper, this being effected by causing the tray to
perform a complete revolution for every filling upon a fixed disc having an opening
at one point through which the discharge into the balance pan takes place, when a
corresponding opening of the tray passes over it while at the same time the scraper
is caused by the closing of an electric circuit to descend into the material and
scrape the last portion thereof into the balance, the circuit being broken by the
sinking of the balance when this has received its full charge, thus raising the
scraper again and allowing the tray to complete its rotation, substantially as
described.
4. In a weighing machine of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, the
combination with the electric circuit operating the moving parts of a second
electric circuit which is closed by an electromagnet operated as a relay by the main
circuit, in order that the current flowing through the same may continue after the
aforesaid slide contact is broken and until a second contact is broken by the sinking
of the filled balance, substantially as described.
5. In the feeding device referred to in the second claim, an arrangement for
rotating the feed tray with decreasing speed, consisting of a moveable frictional
driving wheel operating on the surface of a frictional disc on the spindle of the
tray, the driving wheel being made to move in an outward direction upon the disc,
at the same time that it drives it, substantially as described.
6. A device for discharging. the contents of the pan of a balance, consisting of a
fork raising the pan off its supports operating in combination with a fixed device
for tilting the pan over, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of June 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.