Improvements in Grain Weighing or Measuring Devices.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grain Weighing or Measuring Devices.
HARRY WILSON MOSHER, residing at Geneva, in the County of Fillmore, and
State of Nebraska, U.S.A., Gentleman 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 :-
My invention has relation to improvements to grain weighing or measuring devices
and more particularly to that class in which the grain is automatically weighed or
measured while it is being transferred from one receptacle to another, as from the
elevator to the granary, or from one bin to another, and the object of the invention is
to produce a simple, cheap and convenient device of this class that will be reliablé in
use and automatic in operation. To this end the novelty consists in the construction,
combination and arrangement of the same as will be hereinafter more fully described
and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing the same letters of reference indicate the same parts
of the invention, and for convenience of illustration, I have shown the device as
applied to the discharge chute of a grain elevator shaft.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved grain weighing machine as it
appears in operation ;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and
Figure 3 is a front view of the machine.
2 represents the leg of a grain elevator or chute, and 3 is its delivery or discharge
opening, the mouth 4 of which is rectangular in form, and immediately below it is
suspended a hopper 5, the mouth 6 of which and its discharge opening 7, are of
exactly the size and shape of the mouth 4 of the chute 3, the sides 8-8 of which
hopper 5 are flat and parallel, and its front 9 and back 10 are semicircular in form, as
shown. To the back 10 is secured a bracket 12, in which is pivoted one end of a
pitman 13, the other end of which is similarly pivoted to a bracket 14 secured to the
chute 2, which limits the hopper to a short vertical movement, and prevents any
Oscillating or swaying motion.
The side bars 15-15 are rigidly secured to and support the hopper 5, and their
upper ends are connected by a cross bar 16, the central under section of which
constitutes a knife edge bearing 17 which rests upon a V-shaped bearing 18 in the
shorter end 19 of the scale beam 20, which is fulcrumed on a knife edge bearing 21
on the bracket 22. The free end 23 of said scale beam 20 is graduated in the usual
manner to correspond to bushels and pounds, and it is provided with the usual sliding
weight 24. Its free end 25 is provided with a spring pawl 26, which engages with
the teeth 27 on the register 28, so that every time the hopper is depressed, this end of
the beam rises and registers the amount on the dial of the register.
The side bars 15-15 have a vertical reciprocating movement in the guide
brackets 29 rigidly secured to the sides of the discharge opening 3 of the chute 2; and
said guide brackets and the pitman 13 insure the vertical movement of said hopper.
30 is a flat valve vertically pivoted on a central horizontal shaft 31 mounted in the
sides 8-8 of the hopper 5, so that its lower end is flush with the discharge opening 7,
and its upper end extends a short distance above and outside of the mouth 6 of the
hopper, and when said hopper is empty, and consequently its mouth in close contact
with the mouth 4 of the chute, in this position the valve 30 is locked against any side
movement by the rabbeted recesses 33 or 34 on the side plates 35-35, secured to the
lower end of the sides of the mouth 4 of the hopper.

page_text: Referring to Fig. 2, where the valve 30 is shown in full lines, it will be seen that it
divides the hopper 5 into two equal compartments A and B, the lower end of the valve
closing the bottom or discharge opening 7 of the hopper, while its upper end is held
over to one side by its engagement with the recess 33 on the plates 35. This leaves
the mouth of the compartment B open, and its bottom or exit closed.
The weight 24 having been adjusted to measure or weigh any predetermined
quantity of grain, say, one-half a bushel or a bushel, when exactly that amount is
discharged into the compartment B, the weight of the grain overbalances the weight 24,
and the hopper descends until it is arrested by the set screw 36 secured by the lock
nut in the end 19 of the scale beam, which is so adjusted to allow the hopper to
descend far enough for the end of the valve 30 to clear the recess 33. The side
pressure of the loose grain then forces the lower end of the valve 30 over to the other
side of the discharge opening 7, and consequently the upper end to the opposite side
of the mouth 6 of the hopper, as is clearly shown in dotted lines in the same figure.
As before described, this movement of the hopper and scale beam registers on the
tally dial of the counter.
In this position the bottom of the compartment A is closed and its mouth open, and
as soon as the grain is discharged, the weight 24 overbalances the hopper, and it
returns to its normal position, with the valve in the position shown in dotted lines and
its upper end locked by the recess 34. The grain then falls into the compartment A
until the hopper descends, when the same result takes place as before described.
From this description it will be seen that, in a very simple manner, and without
any additional cost, the grain can be accurately measured while it is being transferred
from one receptacle to another, and the device will also be found very convenient in
filling bags for shipment.
Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement
of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as
such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my
invention, without departing from the spirit thereof.
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. A grain weighing machine, comprising a hopper provided with a centrally
pivoted oscillating valve and suspended to one end of a scale beam, adapted to oscillate
vertically, the upper end of said valve alternately engaging the rigid locking recesses
located in line with and above the mouth of said hopper, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth..
2. The rigid support 3, upon which is mounted an adjustable scale beam from which
is suspended a hopper provided with a centrally pivoted oscillating valve normally
locked in position and adapted to be released by the downward movement of the scale
beam and hopper, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The elevator chute, provided with a discharge opening and side plates having
locking recesses, and having a scale beam mounted thereon, in combination with a
vertically reciprocating hopper suspended from said scale beam, and provided with a
centrally pivoted valve, the upper end of which is adapted to alternately engage the
locking recesses on the side plates of the chute, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a grain weighing machine, comprising an adjustable scale beam adapted to
operate a grain counter, and provided with a suspended hopper open at the top and
bottom, and provided with a centrally pivoted valve, the upper end of which extends
beyond the mouth of the hopper and is adapted to be engaged and locked in position
by a recess in a plate rigidly located above the mouth of said hopper, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
5. A grain weighing machine, comprising a stationary support upon which is
mounted a scale beam adapted to automatically register its movement on a counter,
a vertically reciprocating hopper suspended from said beam and provided with an

page_text: internally pivoted oscillating valve, dividing said hopper into two equal compartments,
which are alternately opened and closed by the automatic action of said valve, the
upper end of which is controlled by engagement with a recess in a rigid plate secured
to the stationary support, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The elevator chute 2, having the discharge opening 3, the sides of which are
provided with the guide brackets 29-29 and the recesses 33-34, the scale beam 20
fulcrumed in a stationary bracket 22 rigidly secured to the top of the chute, and
provided with the adjustable weight 24 and having the central V-shaped bearing 18,
in combination with the hopper 5, the oscillating valve 30, centrally pivoted in said
hopper, the side bars 15-15 rigidly secured at their lower ends to the sides of said
hopper and extending upwardly through said guide brackets 29-29, and the cross
bar 16 connecting the upper ends of said side bars 15-15 and provided with a central
knife edge bearing 17, resting upon the bearing 18 in the scale beam 20, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 92nd dow of Mannh 1907
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.