Improvements connected with Weighing Machines for Granular Material.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Weighing Machines for Granular
Material.
I, RICHARD SIMON, of Zulla Road, Carrington, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements connected with weighing machines for
granular material.
For the purpose of my invention, I construct a grain scale preferably with a
fixed bottom sloping downwards, so that the angle it forms with the sides of the
receiver are acute and obtuse respectively, which scale is arranged to rock on its
points of suspension, which are so placed with reference to the distribution of the
contents of the scale and the shape of the latter that when the latter is full, its
centre of gravity is in front of them, so that the scale by the return of gravity
tends to fall forward, the main object being to obtain the discharge of the grain
scale more quickly, with greater certainty and in less space than is the case in
other machines for weighing granular substances, wheat &c. automatically.
When, by means of levers arranged to be actuated by the downward motion of
the grain scale while filling and balancing, the inlet has been completely closed,
the catch which prevents such forward motion is automatically lifted, and the grain
scale falls forward, it in so doing uncovers the opening which I form by cutting off
its front bottom angle, and allows the weighed contents to run out. Before the
scale has moved many inches, a suitably-placed counter balance brings it back and
the whole motion may aptly be described as a slight rocking motion. While the
scale is refilling, the discharge opening is kept closed by a swinging flap, which
rests in position by its own weight, but, when the scale falls or rocks forwards and
inwards, suitably placed stops hold it back until the scale returning takes it up
again.
The machine consists of an equal armed double scale-beam carrying at one end
the receiver or grain scale and at the other, the weight scale, which balance one
another, and of the mechanism, hereinafter described, for performing the required
movements automatically, that is to say, without any driving force except that of
gravity.
Wheat, or other material to be weighed enters the machine by means of a
funnel shaped opening and a passage, which latter is closed at the required
moment by flaps or valves.
The united weights of the inflowing wheat and of levers, which levers press on
the receiver side of the scale-beam by means of a stud attached thereto, cause the
receiver to descend gradually until another lever is no longer supported by its stud,
the flap then falls which cuts off the inflow of wheat, except for so much as can pass
through small openings left in the flap for that purpose. At the same time, the
first named stud ceases to support its lever which then rests on a stop on the frame
of the machine, and no longer weights the beam. The lever continues to press on
the beam, thus aiding the descent of the receiver. The amount of its pressure is
regulated by means of a sliding weight to compensate for the weight of wheat in
suspension, at the moment of balancing between the cut-off and the level of wheat
already in the receiver.
As the receiver continues its descent and the weight scale consequently rises, the
stop on the frame of the latter strikes and throws over the weight which in its fall
lifts the rear end of a lever and causes its hooked end to descend, thus releasing an
angle lever attached to the flap, which is thus closed, completely cutting off the

page_text: inflow of wheat. In its progress, the flap by means of the stop on it, which
strikes an angle lever, releases a catch that has so far held the receiver in a
vertical position. As the receiver is so shaped that when sufficiently filled the
preponderance of wheat lies to its front, so that its centre of gravity is in front of
the points of suspension, it now being released, tilts forward.
The front bottom angle of the receiver is chamfered off to form an opening for
the discharge of the weighed wheat. Until the proper moment for discharge
arrives, this opening is closed by a flap, which swings on pivots attached to the
receiver, but when the receiver tilts forwards and inwards, as above described,
taking at first, the flap with it certain projections come to stop on stays, rest
thereon, holding the flap and allowing the continued inward movement of the
receiver to uncover the discharge opening until all the wheat has run out.
While the receiver is emptying and is consequently getting lighter, the weight
scalo being now the heavier, ascends, raising the receiver, the counter balance
bringing it slowly back to its original vertical position in which it is held by a stop
and locking lever. On its way, it takes up the flap which thus again completely
closes the discharge-opening.
Meanwhile, in bringing back the receiver, the counter weight has brought the
stud into contact with the lever, thus opening the inlet flap, which by means of a
stud on its inner side, also opens the flap, so that the full inflow of wheat has
recommenced. The stop on the frame has raised the weight, which sets free the
lever to return, by means of the over-balancing weight of its longer arin, until the
hooked end or notch has again locked the lever which holds the inlet flap open.
When it is required to test the even balance of the beam when both sides are
empty, a weight on a lever is thrown over to the left, so as to shift the centre of
gravity of the receiver, that it may swing free from friction of its stays in the
guides in which they hang.
Another lover serves to check the working of the machine when required by
arresting the forward fall of the flap before the stop can strike the angle lever.
Dated this 30th day of August. 1800
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Simon.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Weighing Machines for Granular
Material.
1, RICHARD SIMON, of Zulla Road, Carrington, Nottingham, 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 improvements connected with weighing machines for
granular material.
For the purpose of my invention, I construct a grain scale preferably with a
fixed bottom sloping downwards, so that the angles it forms with the sides of the
receiver are neute and obtuse respectively, which scale is arranged to rock on its
points of suspension, so placed with reference to the distribution of the contents of
the scale and the shape of the latter, that when the latter is full, its centre of
gravity is in front of them, so that the scale by the action of gravity tends to fall
forward, the main object being to obtain the discharge of the grain scale more
quickly, with greater certainty and in less space than is the case in other machines
for weighing granular substances, whent &c. automatically.
When, by means of levers arranged to be actuated by the downward motion of
the grain scale while filling and balancing, the inlet has been completely closed, the
catch which prevents such forward motion is automatically lifted, and the grain
scale falls forward, it in so doing uncovers the opening which I form by cutting

page_text: off its front bottom angle, and allows the weighed contents to run out. Before the
scale has moved many inches a suitably placed counter balance brings it back and
the whole motion may aptly be described as a slight rocking motion.
While the scale is refilling, the discharge opening is kept closed by a swinging
flap which rests in position by its own weight but when the scale falls or rocks
forwards and inwards, suitably placed stops hold it back until the scale returning
takes it up again.
Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings are side elevations of the machine,
Figure 1 showing the mechanism in its position when filling, and Figure 2 its position
when discharging.
The machine consists of an equal-armed double scale beam carrying at one end
the receiver or grain scale R and at the other the weight scale W, which balance
one another, and of the mechanism, hereinafter described, for performing the
required movements automatically, that is to say, without any driving force except
that of gravity.
Wheat or other material to be weighed enters the machine by means of a funnel
shaped opening A and a passage B, which latter is closed at the required moment
by Haps or valves C and D which are shown open in Figure 1 and closed in
Figure 2.
The united weights of the inflowing wheat and of levers E and F, which levers
press on the receiver side of the scale beam by means of a stud e attached thereto,
cause the receiver R to descend gradually until another lever G is no longer
supported by its stud 7 which is fixed on R, the flap C then falls which cuts off
the inflow of wheat, except for so much as can pass through small openings left in
the flap C for that purpose. At the same time, the first named stud e ceases to
support its lever which then rests on a stop on the frame of the machine and
no longer weights the beam. By shifting a sliding weight E on the lever E, the
fall of the lever G and flap C inay be timed at will and the speed of the machine's
working thus accelerated or retarded.
The lever F continues to press on the beam, thus aiding the descent of the
receiver. The amount of its pressure is regulated by means of a sliding weight f
to compensate for the weight of wheat in suspension at the moment of balancing
between the cut-off and the level of wheat already in the receiver.
As the receiver R continues its descent, and the weight scale W consequently
rises, the stop & on the frame of the latter strikes and throws over the weight K,
which in its fall lifts the near end of a lever L and causes its hooked end / to
descend, thus releasing an angle lever M attached to the flap D, which is thus
closed, completely cutting off the inflow of wheat. In its progress, the flap D by
means of the stop m on it, which strikes an angle-lever N, releases a catch n that
has so far held the receiver in a vertical position. As the receiver R is so shaped
that when sufficiently filled, the preponderance of wheat lies to its front, so that
its centre of gravity is in front of the points of suspension it now being released,
tilts forwards.
The front bottom angle of the receiver R is chamfered off to form an opening
for the discharge of the weighed wheat. Until the proper moment for discharge
arrives, this opening is closed by a flap P, which swings on pivots attached to the
receiver R but when the receiver tilts forwards and inwards, as before described,
taking at first the flap P with it certain projections on P come to stops p on stays r,
rest thereon, holding the flap P and allowing the continued inward movement of the
receiver R to uncover the discharge opening until all the wheat has run out.
While the receiver R is emptying, and is consequently getting lighter, the weight
scale W being now the heavier, descends, raising the receiver R, the counter-
balance S bringing it slowly back to its original vertical position in which it is
held by a stop n and locking lever N.
On its way, it takes up the flap P which thus again completely closes the
discharge-opening. In bringing back the receiver R, the counter weight S has

page_text: brought the stud into contact with the lever (, thus opening the inlet flap C,
which by means of a stud on its inner side, also opens the flap D, so that the full
inflow of whent has recommenced. The stop on the frame of W has raised the
weight K, which sets free the lever L to return, by means of the over-balancing
weight of its longer arm until the hooked end or notch has again locked the
lever M, which holds the inlet flap D open.
When it is required to test the oven balance of the beam when both sides are
empty, the weight T on a lever is thrown over to the left, so as to shift the centre
of gravity of the receiver R, that it may swing free from friction of its stays ♬ in
the guides in which they hang.
Another lever serves to check the working of the machine when required
by arresting the forward fall of the flap D before the stop menu strike the angle
lever N.
Figure 3 shows an alternative method of effecting the fall of the lever (and
the closing of the first flap (by means of the unequalled armed lever 4 5, which by
means of the knife edge 3, is pivotted on a fixed point on the fruine.
The longer arm (which in order to permit the necessary play is made of spring
steel) moves through a larger are than does the shorter arm J. When, the
receiver R being empty, the weight scale W has descended, the stop 7 on its frame
will press the short: r arm downwards, so that the end of the longer arm 4 will be
pressed against the stop 6 on the frame of the receiver R tending to lift it upwards
(inasmuch as this end of the long lever travels a greater distance than the end of
the shorter lever) but, owing to its being made of spring steel, only pressing against
it with the force of its elasticity.
In consequence of the dillerence between the lengths of the levers, a smaller
weight of wheat in the receiver R than the dead weight on the weight scale W,
will cause the receiver R to descend until the lever is no longer supported by
the study and falls, allowing the flap C to close. This effect is obtained because
as the wheat fills into the receiver R, its weight causes an increasing pressure, by
means of the stud on the longer arm of the lever, downwards and thus tends to
lift up the weight scale W by means of the shorter arm ♬ pressing against the stud 7.
As the weight scale W rises, the arm 4 moves down away from and out of contact
with the stop 6, so that the equilibrium of the two scales is no longer affected
by it.
By proportioning in the construction, or by means of a sliding adjustment, the
relative lengths of the arms 4 and 5 suitably or by means of a sliding weight on the
arm 4, the flap C may be caused to close at any moment desired, so that in this
manner, the machine may be arbitrarily set to work at any speed required within
its capacity.
Figure 4 shows another method of effecting the fall of the lever G, permitting
the first flap C to close, to that described in commoction with the lever E, and at
the same time diminishing vibration. In this arrangement 8 is a forked lever
pivotted on a stud 9 in the frame of the machine. Its branch 10 has a curved
surface working in rolling contact with the correspondingly curved surface of the
plate 12 attached to the beam.
When the grain scale R is empty, the outer point 13 of the plate on the beam,
supports the weight of the lever 8 but as this weight and that of the inflowing
wheat press the grain scale R downwards, the point of contact passes gradually and
evenly to the inner point 14 of the plate 12, and as this is so much nearer the
centre, the amount by which the lever & presses on the beam is gradually and evenly
diminished until the scale R having descended sufliciently to allow the lever ( to
fall and the flap C' to close, the lever 8 rests on the support 15 on the frame and is
out of action until the next cycle.
The weight 16 on the long branch of the lever 8 is made to slide, so that the
moment at which the flap C shall close and consequently the speed of the working
of the machine may be regulated at pleasure,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The grain weighing machine shown on the annexed drawings and acting
automatically for a complete cycle of operations riz.: filling, weighing, discharging,
and replacing the several parts for a fresh filling all in succession, as hereinbefore
described.
2. In an automatic weighing machine, such as above described, a swinging flap
resting on the scale to close the discharge opening by its own weight, combined with
fixed stops to hold it back when the discharge is to take place, while the scale con-
tinues its motion, as set forth.
3. The combination of levers F, F, G, L, M, N, and K arranged and acting in
the manner and for the purposes above referred to.
4. Forming the receiver of an automatic weighing machine for wheat &c. with a
fixed sloping bottom shaped as described and chamfering off the acute bottom angle
to form an opening for the discharge of the weighed grain.
5. In an automatic weighing machine a lever, such as shown in Figure 3,
with or without a sliding weight or adjustment, as described for the purpose or
purposes set forth.
6. In an automatic weighing machine, a forked lover, such as 8, 10, in
Figure 4 with or without a sliding weight, for the purpose or purposes
described.
7. In an automatic weighing machine having two inlet valves or flaps using a
sliding weight on a lever to close the first valve or flap (and thus diminishing the
rate of feed) at any moment desired, for the purpose of retarding or accelerating
the working of the machine.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Simon.
The 30th day or May 1891.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Simon.