A New and Improved Automatic Weighing and Discharging Machine for Powdered and Granular Material, Cocoa, Flour, Rice, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1896--Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Automatic Weighing and Discharging
Machine for Powdered and Granular Material, Cocoa, Flour,
Rice, and the like.
We, EDWARD COLSTON LOVELL, Engineer and HENRY BRECKNELL,
Engineer, both of 64 Lawrence Hill, in the City and County of Bristol, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention is for a new and improved automatic weighing and discharging
machine to be worked by hand or by power and for the purpose of weighing any
class of powdered or granular material such as cocoa, flour, sugar, rice, and the
like.
It consists of a suitable frame in cast iron, wrought iron or other suitable
material and the said frame is fitted with a hopper for the reception in bulk of
the material to be weighed.
The said hopper is fitted with a regulating feed mechanism and agitator,
suitably; but preferably of roller form, and the said rollers are fluted or plain as
desired.
The hopper is fitted also with a main spindle, journalled suitably in the main
frame; and the said spindle is provided with gearing for the purpose of
communicating motion to a counter spindle, and the said counter spindle carries
the rotating agitator in the hopper.
The main spindle is provided with pulleys, or gearing, or a handle; for receiving
motion for driving the machine.
The material, when discharged from the hopper, by a suitable orifice at the
under side; is received by a suitably shaped chute, adjustably fitted beneath the
before mentioned orifice, and an extension of the said chute delivers the material
into a pan or scoop, which is fitted upon the beam of the weighing mechanism.
The before mentioned chute is fitted with an automatic shutter, upon the said
extension; and the purpose of the said shutter is to stop the delivery of the
material at proper intervals as desired.
The shutter is suitably operated by a lever and a connecting rod, and the said
lever and connecting rod are brought into action by the oscillation of the beam
before mentioned.
A small counter balance is fitted upon the said shutter to ensure the closing
of the same.
The material is liberated at intervals by the shutter, and discharges into the pan
or scoop which is fitted upon the weighing beam.
The pan is pivotted horizontally at the end of the beam, and when the
predetermined amount or weight of material has fallen into the pan, the depression
of the beam operates the before mentioned lever, and connecting rod, and shutter;
and stops further delivery.
At the same time the underside of the pan is brought into contact with a stop,
rigidly fixed to the base of, or frame of, the machine. This said stop has the
effect of tipping and discharging the pan.
The pan is provided with a catch, and the said catch is brought into contact
with the said rigid stop on the return of the beam to the horizontal position. This
action restores the pan to its original position and at the same time the connecting

page_text: rod and lever again operate to open the shutter in the before mentioned chute,
and these operations are repeated while the machine is in motion.
The beam of the weighing apparatus is fitted at the centre of its length with a
bob, or counter weight, adjustable horizontally for the purpose of regulating the
exact weight desired, and for the further purpose of providing inertia in the
descending end of the beam, whereby the pan is more readily tipped by coming
into contact with the rigid stop described.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of December 1895.
A New and Improved Automatic Weighing and Discharging
Machine for Powdered and Granular Material, Cocoa, Flour,
Rice, and the like.
We EDWARD COLSTON LOVELL, Engineer, and HENRY BRECKNELL
Engineer, both of 64 Lawrence Hill in the City and County of Bristol, 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:-
Our invention is for an improved automatic weighing and discharging machine;
and is arranged to be driven by pulleys and belting, or by hand power.
This machine is designed to weigh and discharge any kind of granular or
powdered material with perfect accuracy, and continues to do so without attention
when charged with material in bulk and put in motion.
The general features of the machine are a frame of cast or wrought iron, or
steel, to the upper part of which is fitted a hopper of suitable form; a weighing
beam with pan or scoop, and a fixed weight; or a tray with loose weights
alternatively. The hopper is provided and fitted with a regulating roll of any
suitable form in cross section, and the said roll is rigidly fitted upon the main
spindle of the machine. To the said main spindle, motion is first communicated
by means of pulleys and belting, by toothed gearing, or by hand.
The main spindle is journalled rotatively on the frame, and communicates
motion by means of toothed gearing to a counter spindle, the said counter spindle
is rigidly fitted with an agitator interior to the hopper for the purpose of stirring
the material to be weighed. A chute is provided and fitted to the underside of
the hopper, and the said chute receives material passing from the hopper by way
of the regulating roll and an orifice provided in the bottom of the hopper for the
purpose.
The said chute is extended forward from the hopper at an angle, and upon the
extended part is fitted a hinged shutter which is hereinafter shown and described.
The purpose of the said shutter is to effect the opening and closing of the chute at
the point of delivery, automatically and at predetermined intervals depending upon
the amount of material required at each weighing.
The said shutter is operated by the weighing beam of the scale through a
slotted connecting rod, and a lever; and the combination of connecting rod, lever,
and shutter is automatically operated by the oscillating weighing beam as the
latter falls or is restored.
A counterweight is fitted to the said shutter to ensure the closing of the same.
A pan, or scoop, is hinged horizontally upon one end of the weighing beam,
and immediately below the point of discharge from the chute. The said pan is
fitted with a catch, and the said catch engages intermittently with a rigid stop, or

page_text: stud, upon the base of the machine, and for the express purpose hereinafter
described and shown.
The weighing beam is fitted at the fulcrum with an adjustable weight for the
purpose of regulating the exact amount of material it is desired to weigh, and for
the further purpose of providing additional inertia in that end of the beam to
which the pan is attached. The inertia of the filled pan and weighted beam is.
utilised for the purpose of tipping the pan, and the lifting is effected by the before-
mentioned rigid stud upon the base, as the pan is brought into contact with the
said stud by the oscillation of the beam.
When the pan has been discharged by the tipping action described, the said pan
is restored to its normal position by means of the catch beforementioned. The
catch upon the pan engages with the rigid stud as the weighing beam returns to
the horizontal position, and the pan is thus righted.
Having reference to the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing the frame a,.the hopper b, b,
main spindle c, jourualled at c¹, with pulleys or gearing at c². The agitator d upon
the counter spindle d' and toothed gearing d. The chute e, with hinged shutter f,
and small counterbalance weight f', the lever g and connecting rod h. The
connecting rod is jointed movably to the weighing beam at h¹. The weighing
heam i, is shown with panj hinged at j¹, and in position to receive the material
delivered from the chute; the catch k, and rigid stop or stud l, and the adjustable
weight m. A fixed weight as may be required is shown at n upon the back end of
the weighing beam, or a tray with loose weights may be substituted.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the said machine, and shows the main spindle c,
journalled at cc with the feed roll at c³ shown dotted. The chute e is clearly
shown with hinged shutter f. counterweight f¹, lever g, and connecting rod h. The
counterweight may be in one piece with the lever, or separate therefrom, either
being upon the hinge pin of the shutter.
1
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in each figure.
Figure 3 is a side elevation-enlarged-of the chute and its connections, and
the mechanism upon the beam. The position of the pan when tipped by the
stud 1, is shown dotted. The catch k also is shown in the lower position, and the
shutter as correspondingly closing the delivery.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 3, the same parts being lettered similarly.
The hinged shutter is shown between centres at o, o, the lever g, and counter-
weight, rigidly fitted upon the hinge pin p.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the chute delivery, with the shutter hinged in plain
journals alternatively to the centres shown in Fig. 4 at o, o.
Fig. 6 is a view of the pan as seen from the weighted end of the weighing beam,
and shows the catch k on the pan engaging with the stud 1, for the purpose
mentioned.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the agitator d, in the hopper and upon the
counterspindle.
The operating of this machine is very simple. The weighing and discharging
is automatic and continuous, provided the hopper is kept charged with the
material to be weighed. The material is regulated and passed from the hopper
to the chute by the roll described, and is checked at the delivery by the
action of the shutter. The said shutter is opened and closed at proper
intervals by the motion of the beam acting through the connecting rod, and
lever described. When the desired quantity has fallen into the pan, the beam
descends and the shutter is closed, while the bottom of the pan is sharply brought
into contact with the rigid stop or stud, and the pan is thereby tipped and emptied.
The pan is restored to its position below the chute, by the returning bean
influenced by the fixed weight, and the action of the catch and stud as described
and shown. This operation is repeated and continuous while the machine is kept
in motion, and the hopper charged with material to be weighed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we do declare that what
we claim is.
1. In an automatic weighing and discharging machine, the combination of a
hopper and an attached chute, the said chute fitted with a controlled shutter
operated from a weighing beam substantially as shown and described.
2. In an automatic weighing and discharging machine, the combination with a
hopper, a chute, and a controlled shutter; of a connecting rod, a lever, and a
counterweight to ensure the closing of the shutter substantially as described.
3. In an automatic weighing and discharging machine, the combination with
a hopper, a chute, and a shutter operated by a connecting rod, and a lever; of a
weighing beam, an adjustable weight, a hinged pan, a catch fitted to the said pan,
and a rigid stud substantially as described and for the purpose named.
4. In an automatic weighing and discharging machine, the combination with a
hopper, a chute, a controlled and hinged shutter operated from a weighing beam
as shown, substantially, and the weighing beam fitted with a hinged pan, and an
adjustable weight; of a fixed weight, also upon the weighing beam, substantially
as described.