Improvements in Apparatus for Weighing Milk or other Liquids.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Weighing Milk or other Liquids.
I, PAUL IVERSEN BUAAS, of Aalborg, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Manufac-
turer, 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;-
-
Hitherto milk has generally been weighed in buckets or pails and the net weight
obtained by subtracting the weight of the bucket from the gross-weight.
Besides necessitating calculation another drawback attached to this method is,
that the weight of the bucket is constantly altering on account of wear and tear,
loss of bands or the like, which circumstance again causes inaccuracies in the
calculation of the weight of the milk.
The object of this invention is to obviate the above mentioned drawbacks and
the apparatus constructed for that purpose is shown on the accompanying drawing
in which
Figure 1 shows the weighing apparatus partly in section and
Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5 are details of the same.
On a solid base 1 two plates 2 are arranged vertically at a suitable distance from
each other. Each of these plates is at the top provided with a triangular notch for
receiving two knives 4 carrying the balance of the weighing apparatus.
The balance consists of two long rods 5 suitably connected and attached to two
blocks 6, each of these blocks carrying a knife 4. To one end of these rods 5 is
fixed a tank 14 made of tin or some other suitable material, whilst a weight 7,
placed on a movable link 8, is arranged in such a manner that it can move along
the rods 5 towards the other ends thereof.
The weight 7 is further provided with a rack 9 that gears into a cog-wheel 10
fixed on an axle 11 having its bearings in the blocks 6. The extremity of the
axle 11 projects through the plate 2 and is provided with a hand wheel 12, the
circumference of which is suitably graduated, see Figure 2. A pointer 13 attached
to the block 6 serves for indicating the exact position of the graduated hand-wheel.
By turning the hand-wheel 12 the weight 7 is made to move along the rods 5
and as the centre of gravity of the tank 14 is situated at one side of the knives 4,
whilst the weight 7 is placed on the other side thereof, this combined arrangement
forms a kind of balancing-weight. By turning the hand-wheel 12 the position
of the weight 7 is altered and the scale on the circumference of the hand-wheel
is arranged in such a manner that, when the pointer 13 points to zero the weight
is close up to the knives 4 and equilibrium is established between the weight and
the empty tank. When the pointer points to the highest number on the scale the
weight is moved, as shown in Figure 1, as far as possible to the left and forms in
this position equilibrium with the tank 14 filled with milk or other liquid. The
intermediate numbers of the scale are made to correspond to a certain weight of
liquid thus for instance if the pointer indicates 50, equilibrium will be established
when the tank 14 contains 50 lbs of liquid.

page_text: The weighing apparatus is placed in such a manner that the tank 14 lies under-
neath the mouth of the pipe 15, through which the liquid to be weighed. is con-
ducted as shown in Figure 3 which shows a section through the tank 14 and the
pipe 15. In order to obtain an automatic admission of the liquid the extremity of
the pipe is bent downwards and provided with an ordinary valve the spindle 16 of
which projects downward underneath the mouth of the pipe. On the tank is
arranged a plate 17 which may be moved up and down and fastened in such a
position, that it presses against the valve-spindle 16 and thereby opens the admis-
sion valve, whenever the tank is raised through the weight being moved sufficiently
far to the left on the rods 5.
At the bottom of the tank 14 and in one of its hindmost corners is arranged
an outlet valve 18 to which is attached a chain or string 19. The other end of
this chain is fixed to a lever 20, one end of which is suitably fixed to the edge of
the tank, whilst its free end, that moves in a guide 21, is provided with a roller 22.
Whenever equilibrium is established between the weight 7 and the weight of
the liquid admitted into the tank and the tank thereby moved downward, the
roller 22, in its downward movement with the tank, comes in contact with an
arm 23 fixed to the base 1 of the apparatus, whereby the valve 18 is opened and
opportunity afforded for the liquid to pass out of the tank.
As however the tank as soon as the outlet valve 18 opens, will begin to move
upwards on account, of the equilibrium being disturbed, the weighing apparatus
must be provided with an arrangement for keeping the tank firm in its downward
position until all the liquid has been emptied. To this effect a pin provided with
a small roller 24 is fixed at the end of one of the rods 5. The roller 24 is arranged
so as to be able to move in a slot 25 shaped as shown in Figure 4 and arranged
in a disc 26, which can move round an axle on an arm 27 fixed on the base 1 of
the apparatus. To the disc 26 is attached a counterweight 28 on a lever and the
circumference is provided with a notch 29 corresponding to a pawl 30 that is
movably arranged on the arm 27. The pawl 30 (Figure 5) is further provided
with an arm 31 of such a length and shape that it just touches the roller 24 when
the pawl catches into the notch 29.
The slot 25 is wider at one end than at the other and the smaller end is just
wide enough to form a bearing for the roller 24. The shape of the slot is arranged
in such a manner that the roller 24 at the end of the armi 5, whenever the equili-
brium is disturbed, can roll in the slot, simultaneously with the turning of the
disc 26.
The manner in which the weighing apparatus is operated is as follows:-
The hand-wheel is turned until the pointer is opposite a certain mark say for
instance 50, that corresponds with the weight of milk required. A bucket is
placed underneath the valve 18 and by turning the counterweight 28 the disc 26
is brought into the position shown in Figure 1 the pawl 30 hooking into the
notch 29, whilst the arm 31 on the pawl is just above the roller 24. The end of
the balance carrying the tank is thereby moved upwards, and the plate 17 will
open the admission valve 16, and consequently the milk flow into the tank 14
through the pipe 15. As soon as the tank has been filled to such an extent that
the milk therein weighs 50 lbs., the balance will assume a horizontal position;
in doing so the tank moves downward whilst the roller 24 moves upward pressing
against the arm 31, whereby the pawl 30 becomes disengaged from the notch 29.
When this happens the counterweight 28 will fall and simultaneously turn the
disc 26, whilst the roller 24 moves in the slot 25. The disc will now occupy the
position shown in Figure 4.
When the tank 14 moves downward the admission valve 16 is closed automati-
cally as the plate 17 no longer touches the valve-spindle, and as soon as the balance
reaches the horizontal position the roller 22 is met by the arm 23, whereby the
outlet valve 18 is opened. The liquid will now flow out of the tank, and as the 5
other end of the balance is maintained in its uppermost position by means of the
roller 24, the valve 18 will remain open, until all the liquid has been emptied.

page_text: The counterweight is then lifted by hand and the disc 26 again turned round so
as to assume the position shown in Figure 1 after which the above described
operation is repeated.
The following are the advantages obtained by means of the above described
apparatus.
1) The weighing operation can be effected quicker and more accurately than
hitherto.
2) Less attendance is required on account of the automatic opening and closing
of the valves.
3) Buckets have not to be constantly placed on and removed from the apparatus,
whereby shocks on the knives are avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
-
1) A weighing apparatus for weighing and emptying liquids automatically
characterized by a balance to one arm of which is fixed a tank for the liquid pro-
vided with an outlet valve that opens automatically when the tank moves down-
ward after having passed the position of equilibrium, whilst the other arm carries
an adjustable moveable weight, in combination with a device for tilting the
balance and maintaining the same in the raised position, whereby the outlet valve
is kept open until the said device is disengaged after all the liquid has been
emptied, substantially as described.
2) The form of construction of the adjustable moveable weight indicated in
Claim 1 characterized by a weight 7, which can be moved along the balancing
rod and is provided with a rack 9 engaging into a cog-wheel 10 fixed on axle
arranged moveably in bearings on the balancing-rod, the said axle carrying a
graduated hand-wheel 12 by means of which the weight 7 may be moved along
and adjusted, substantially as described.
3) A form of construction of the device indicated in Claim 1 for tilting and
maintaining the balance in the tilted position characterized by a pin and roller 24
fixed to the balancing lever in combination with a disc 26 arranged moveably on
a firm arm 27, the said disc being provided with a counterweight 28, a suitably
shaped slot 25, in which the roller 24 may move, and a notch 29 for engaging
a pawl 30 carrying an arm 31 of a suitable length and attached to the firm arm 27,
substantially as described.
4) A form of construction of the outlet valve indicated in Claim 1 characterized
by a valve 18 placed at the bottom of the tank 14, which valve opens upwards and
by means of a chain 19 or the like is connected with a one-armed lever 20 fixed
at one end to the tank and the free end carrying a roller 22, that engages a firm
arm 23, as the balance passes through the horizontal position, when the desired
weight of liquid has flowed into the tank, substantially as described.
5) In the weighing apparatus indicated in Claim 1 the arrangement that, be-
fore the establishment of the equilibrium, the pipe, through which the liquid flows
into the tank, is kept automatically open, whilst the admission-pipe is automati-
cally closed at the moment, when the balance passes the position of equilibrium.
6) A form of construction of the device indicated in Claim 6 characterized by
the combination of a plate 17, placed in the tank 14, with a valve arranged in
the admission-pipe and being provided with a valve-spindle 16 of such a length,
that the valve is kept open by means of the plate 17, until the balance has passed
the position of equilibrium, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of April 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.