Improvements in Weighing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weighing Machines.
I, FRANCIS HENRY RICHARDS, of 303 Main Street, Hartford, County of
Hartford and State of Connecticut, United States of America, Mechanician, 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 weighing-machines for automatically weighing
predetermined quantities of material, and it has for its main object to provide
an apparatus of this class especially adapted for weighing a large quantity of
material at each load as, for example, in weighing material in transit from grain-
elevators to cars, and where it is desirable to fill a car at each discharge of the
weighing-machine.
In weighing-machines as heretofore constructed it has been the practice to make
up the load in a suitable receiver or bucket by continuous or successive additions
of material, it being customary to deliver the major portion of the load into the
receiver in a relatively short space of time and to then supply the remaining
portion in the form of a slow-running drip-stream of small volume which will carry
the bucket to the poising-line and overpoise the same without impairing the
accuracy of the load by the impact and momentum of the material, as would be
the case if the whole load were to be supplied by a stream of large volume flowing
at a relatively rapid rate of speed.
Owing to the extreme sensitiveness of action of a weighing-machine of very
large size it has been found impracticable to employ automatic weighing mechanism
in which the exact load is made up by the delivery of successive supplies of
material to the load-receiver or bucket, for the reason that the momentum of the
bucket and the other parts of the poising portion of the weighing mechanism is so
great that it will, even when a very small drip-stream is employed, carry the
bucket and beam mechanism down and overpoise the same before a true load has
been made up.
I have found, however, that large loads of true weight may be made up in an
automatic weighing-machine by first delivering into the bucket an over-load,
considerably in excess of the amount to be weighed by the machine, and then
reducing the over-load by removing the excess or surplus therefrom; and hence it
is the main object of my present invention to provide an automatic weighing-
machine having load-supplying means adapted to deliver material thereto, and load-
reducing means operative during the weighing of a load by the machine; and
I consider as within the scope of my invention any automatic weighing-machine
in which there is provided means for reducing the surplus after overloading the
receiver or bucket and before the completed load is finally discharged.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an ordinary weighing-machine embodying my
present invention, parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate certain
details thereof. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, the section being taken
in dotted line 2-2, Fig. 3.
Figs. 2 and 2 are sectional details of a portion of the bucket showing the load
reducing valve in its closed and open position, respectively; and
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are corresponding end views of the weighing-machine, illustrating

page_text: successive steps in the operation of loading the bucket and discharging material
therefrom, parts of the mechanism being removed.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The framework for supporting the operative parts of the machine may be of
any suitable construction, and it is shown in the drawings consisting of the two
end frames or columns 2 and 4, mounted upon the supporting base 3, into which the
charges of material from the load-receiver are intermittently discharged; and
which end frames 2 and 4 are surmounted by a top plate 5, secured thereto in any
suitable manner.
The load-supplying means for the machine is shown as a hopper H, carried by,
and preferably formed integral with, the top plate 5.
My invention is applicable to weighing-machines of various types, but I prefer
to employ the same in connection with weighing mechanism of the "single-
chamber class-such as shown in the accompanying drawings.
The beam mechanism, which is shown at B, may be supported by knife-edges
upon the base 3 in the well-known manner, while the load-receiver or bucket, which
is designated by G, is correspondingly carried by the poising portion of the scale-
beam 8.
For the purpose of guiding the bucket in its movements, the same is preferably
provided with a guide-arm 21, which is pivotally connected-as by a link 22-
with a suitable fixed portion of the machine-as, for instance, the chute H.
The bucket G has hinged to the lower end thereof-30 as to control the discharge
of the load therefrom-a closer, which is designated in a general way by L, and
which may be of any suitable type, said closer being shown pivoted at 78' and
counterweighted at 79, so as to be held normally in its closed positions.
A valve for controlling the supply of material from the hopper or chute H to the
bucket or load-receiver G is provided. This valve which is designated by 70 is
shown pivotally mounted in the hanger 55', depending from the top plate 5, and is
adapted to have a swinging movement underneath the supply-opening of said
hopper, said valve being also preferably balanced by means of a balance-weight 90,
so as to have no tendency, normally, to either open or close. This valve, which
may be of any suitable construction, is shown of the concaved type, and is so
located with relation to the hopper H that the stream-controlling edge of the front
wall of the hopper tends to deliver the down-flowing stream of material away
from the discharge end of the valve and into the concavity of said valve, whereby
but little power is necessary for effecting a closing movement of said valve.
For the purpose of actuating the valve 70 to close the same, a counterweighte
lever such as shown at 555 in Fig. 1-may be employed, which lever is pivotally
supported on the upright 4 and will usually have at the free end thereof an
antifriction-roller co-operating with the face of a cam 500, depending from the
valve 70.
For the purpose of preventing the discharge of a load from the bucket while
the valve is open, and in order to maintain the valve closed while the closer Lis
open, reciprocally-effective interlocking mechanism is provided, which, in the
preferred form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, comprises two
co-operative stop members 412 and 550, respectively, the former of which is carried
by the main valve 70 and is effective for engaging the latter member 550 for
limiting or preventing the opening movement of the closer; and the latter
member 550 of which is in the nature of a rocker mounted for oscillation at one
side of the bucket, near the receiving end thereof, in position to co-operate with
the stop 412 for preventing the opening movement of the valve when the closer
is in its open position, and has in connection therewith a thrust-rod 596, which is
pivoted at one end thereof to the closer and at the upper end thereof to the
rocker 550.
The valve-opening actuator may be of any preferred forin, but in the present
case the beam mechanism will operate the valve 70 to effect an opening movement
thereof immediately succeeding the complete closing movement of the closer L,

page_text: this taking place after the load has been discharged and the bucket and beam
mechanism have risen to the position shown in Fig. 5. The movement of the
beam mechanism is preferably transmitted to the valve by means of a thrust-rod 558,
pivoted at its upper end to a suitable portion of the valve and having its lower
end normally in position to block the return of the beam mechanism to its normal
position until the rocker 550 is thrown out of engagement with the face of the
stop 412, and which lower end is in position also to be operated by the beam
mechanism at the moment that the rocker 550 is thrown out of engagement with
the stop 412, at which time the thrust-rod 558 will effect an opening movement of
the valve 70, the closer L at this time being in its closed position.
I may employ any suitable form of latch for engaging a detent-such as 5501-
on the rocker 550 for holding the closer in its closed position while the bucket is
being loaded; and, in the present instance, I have provided a counterweighted
latch 82, which is pivoted on the bucket G and normally engages the catch or
detent 550, it being limited in its latching movement by means of a suitable stop 83.
This latch also carries at one end thereof a by-pass stop 84, the purpose of which
will be hereinafter explained.
In the present instance the main stream is controlled by the valve mechanism
hereinbefore described, which valve mechanism is effective for cutting off the supply
to the bucket after a load has been made up, which, in weight, is in excess of the
weight of a true load; and for the purpose of reducing the over-load to bring the
same to the predetermined load weight, I have provided load-reducing mechanian,
which is herein shown as a supplemental valve mechanism, controlling a suitable
outlet or load-reducing opening in the lower portion of the bucket. This opening
(shown at 101) may be formed, for example, at the end of an extension or spout-
such as 100-projecting from the side of the bucket and may be controlled by
means of a valve, which will cover and uncover said opening at the proper points
in the operation of the weighing mechanism. The load-supporting face of the
spout 100 is preferably inclined toward the discharge end of the bucket, so that
when the outlet 101 is closed and the closer L is in its open position said spout
will not obstruct the passage of the material through the main discharge-opening
of the bucket.
The valve for controlling the reduction of the over-load, and hence the surplus
in the bucket, may be of any suitable type, that shown at 75 in the drawings being
counterweighted and supported to have an oscillatory movement across the
opening 101 of the spout 100, said load-reducing valve being preferably pivoted
between arms 102 and 1021, extending outward from the lower end of the bucket G
at one side thereof. The valve 75 is supported in journals in the ends of these arms
by means of trunnions, the trunnion supported by the bracket 102 being extended
through a long bearing 103 and having rigidly secured thereon a counterweight 76.
This counterweight is preferably located at the rear end of an arm 77, which carries
at the inner end thereof an antifriction-roll 78, for a purpose to be hereinafter
stated.
At the extreme left-hand end of the valve-shaft 75 is a forwardly-extending
fixed arm 88, and this constitutes a tripper for releasing the bucket-latch 82 from
engagement with the detent 550' on the rocker 550 when the surplus has been
removed from the bucket during the weighing operation and after the over-load
has in consequence been reduced to an exact load. The tripper is of such length
that its outer end swings in the path of the by-pass stop 84 on the bucket-latch and
passes by the stop 84' on snid by-pass when the load-reducing valve 75 is opened
and the tripper descends from the position shown in Fig. 3; it being obvious that
when the tripper swings upward it will strike the stop 84' and will carry said stop
into engagement with the counterweight 821 of the bucket-latch 82, at which
time the by-pass stop 84 will become practically a fixed abutment on the bucket-
latch, and the latek-tripper will be effective for releasing said latch.
For the purpose of actuating the load-reducing valve to open the same, the
beam 8 preferably has its poising portion extended to form an actuating-arm 8',

page_text: adapted to oscillate in the path of the antifriction-roll 78, secured to the
valve-shaft 75'; and hence it will be obvious that on the descent of the bucket and
the beam mechanism this actuating-arm will carry the valve 75 downward and
will uncover the opening 101 in the side of the bucket and at the same time cause
the bucket-latch tripper to descend until the latter has reached the limit of its
downward movement.
As it is necessary to maintain the load-reducing valve in its open position for a
considerable period while that portion of the material in the bucket in excess is
being discharged therefrom, I prefer to employ a valve-latch-such as that shown
at 182 for engaging the tripper 88 and holding the same until the beam-arm 8¹
bas risen to a determined point. This valve-latch is preferably shown in the form
of a counterweighted lever pivoted on an upright 185, forming part of the
framework and having a stop 96 for limiting the latching movement of the
lever 182. This valve-latch may also have thereon a pair of stops, one of which,
as 182' on the outside thereof, will form a detent for the bucket-latch tripper 88,
while the other, as 182" on the inside thereof, will constitute a releasing-stop
adapted to be engaged by a valve-latch tripper movable with the weighing
mechanism.
This valve-latch tripper (designated herein hy 188) is preferably a counter-
weighted lever pivoted on the beam-arm 81 and is in the nature of a by-pass
actuator effective on the upward stroke of the scale-beam for engaging the
releasing-stop 182" to trip the valve-latch 182, said latch-tripper 188 being limited
in its downward movement by means of a stud 189 on the arm 81, and it having
also a stop member 188', adapted to pass by the stop 182" of the valve-latch when
the arm 81 is descending and engage said stop 182 to thereby release the
valve-latch at a predetermined point in the ascent of the bucket and the beam
mechanism.
The operation of an automatic weighing-machine constructed in accordance with
my present invention as herein set forth is as follows: It being understood that
material will be continuously supplied to the valve 70 by the load-supplying or
overloading means- viz., the chute 11-a stream will be delivered into the bucket G
until the latter is overloaded and descends below the poising-line, whereupon the
valve 70 will be closed by the valve-actuator 555, acting upon the cam 500. As
the bucket descends and passes the poising-line it is overpoised by the over-load
therein, and the beam-arm 8' is carried into engagement with the antifriction:-roll 78,
which beam-arm, descending to the limit of its desired movement, carries the
supplemental or load-reducing valve 75 from the closed position shown in Fig. 3
to the open position shown in Fig. 4, the arm 88, passing the stop 84 on the
by-pass 84 and carrying with it the load-reducing valve until the stop 881 on the
bucket-latch-tripper passes down the sloping face of the stop 1821 and is latched
beneath the same.
It should be understood here that the stop 188' on the valve-latch tripper 188
182 on the valve-latch,
will come into contact with the upper face of the Sig. 4.
and will pass by the same in the position also shown in
As the surplus flows out of the bucket from the upper edge of the load-reducing
valve 75 it may pass into a hopper or receptacle 21, whence it may be conveyed
back to the bopper H or to any other suitable place of deposit.
In Fig. 5, I have shown a means for conveying the surplus material from the
chute or casing 20 to the main hopper or supply apparatus H of the weighing-
machine. This conveyor, which may be of any suitable construction and
organization, is shown in the drawings embodying a casing 21, of which the
chute 20 may constitute an integral part, and which casing has a chute 21' at the
upper end thereof which leads to the main chute H of the weighing apparatus;
and an endless-belt conveyor C is supported on suitable pulleys in the casing 21
and is furnished with buckets adapted for raising the discharged surplus from the
chute 20 at the lower portion of the casing 21, and carrying this surplus upward
to, and discharging the same into, the delivery-chute 211 at the upper end of said

page_text: casing, whence it is re-conveved to the main chute or hopper H and returned to
the load-receiver on the making up of a new load. The conveyor may be driven
with any suitable source of power-as, for example, by means of a band-wheel
(not shown) carried at the end of the driving-shaft D'.
After the major portion of the surplus has been discharged it will be obvious
that the poising mechanism will rise at a predetermined point in the ascent of the
bucket, and that the stop 188' on the valve-latch tripper will engage, by its sloping
face, the corresponding face of the stop 1821 on the valve-latch and will actuate
the same to withdraw the stop 182' from engagement with the stop 88' on the
bucket-latch tripper 88, whereupon the tripper 88 will swing upward, and the
valve 75 will be closed by the force of its counterweight.
When the end of the tripper 88 reaches the stop 84', the superior force of the
counterweight 76 will be effective to raise the forward end of the bucket-latch
slightly in opposition to the force of the counterweight 821 thereof, and the
bucket-latch will be disengaged immediately from the detent 550 of the
rocker 550, whereupon the rocker will swing to the position shown in Fig. 5,
and the closer L will open to discharge the load from the bucket. The rocker 550
will now be in position to prevent the reopening of the main valve 70 until the
closer is shut again, and this will not take place until all of the material, including
that in the outlet-spout 100, has been discharged from the bucket G.
It will be obvious that the thrust-rod 558 will now become practically a rigid
abutment and will prevent the return of the scale-beam from the position shown in
Fig. 5 to that illustrated in Fig. 3, until the closer L is shut; but as soon as the
closer is shut the rocker 550 will be withdrawn from engagement with the stop 412
of the main valve, and thereupon the counterweighted beam mechanism will operate
to reopen the main valve for the making up of a new load. Immediately upon the
ascent of the bucket to its uppermost position the valve-latch tripper 188 will pass
by the stop 182" of the valve-latch and will rise to the position shown in Fig. 3.
The movement of the poising portion of the beam, and also of the bucket G on
the ascent thereof, is practically continuous, as the same will rise slowly from their
lowermost positions until they reach substantially the poising-line of the weighing
mechanism, when the reducing-valve will be unlatched and will close the reducing
opening in the bucket, whereupon the bucket-latch will be released and the load
discharged, when the bucket will continue to rise at a very greatly-accelerated rate
of movement.
It will be seen from the foregoing that in addition to embodying load-reducing
means operative during the weighing of a load, my invention includes any form of
lond-reducing means operative on the poising of the weighing mechanism while the
load is being weighed in the bucket, and especially the provision of means for
uncovering a load-reducing opening in a load-receiver while the load is being
weighed, to thereby reduce an over-load to a true load during a period when no
extraneous force-due to the impact and momentum of a stream delivered on to-
the charge already in the bucket-is acting upon the bucket mechanism to impair
the accuracy of the weighing operation. The overpoising of the bucket is
effected, in the first instance, by suitable overloading means, as hereinbefore stated,
and the reduction of the over-load by proper surplus-discharging or surplus-
reducing means-such as herein before described-for subtracting the surplus from
said over-load on the overpoising of the load-receiver.
As the bucket is not discharged until it has risen from the overpoising position
to the poising position, it will be equally obvious that the employment of any con-
struction and organization of overloading means, load-reducing means, and load-
discharging means operative in that order-the latter preferably being operative
on the ascent of the bucket and at the poising thereof is broadly within the scope
of my invention.
By means of my present invention I am enabled to weigh, in automatic machines
of this class, exact loads in buckets or load-receivers having very great capacities
as compared with those employed in apparatus of this type heretofore known in the

page_text: art; for, owing to the fact that no extraneous force can effect the weighing
operation after the supply has been shut off at the load-supply means, it will be
apparent that there is no load-vitiating factor present during the reduction of the
over-load to a true load.
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. The combination with an automatic weighing mechanism and with load-
supplying means therefor, of load-reducing means operative during the weighing of
a load.
2. The combination with an automatic weighing mechanism, of load-supplying
means and load-reducing means alternately operative during the weighing of a
load.
3. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplying
means; of a load-receiver having a load-reducing opening; and means for
uncovering said opening during the weighing of a load.
4. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplying
means; of a load-receiver; and load-reducing means carried by the load-receiver;
and operative during the weighing of a load.
5. The combination with weighing mechanism, of means for supplying an over-
load of material to the weighing mechanism; and load-reducing devices operable
for reducing the over-load by discharging a portion thereof to thereby bring the
loaded weighing mechanism to a true poise.
6. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a reciprocatory
load-receiver; of overloading means for overpoising said load-receiver; and load-
reducing means operative during the weighing of a load.
7. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket, of supple-
mentary valve mechanism for discharging a part of the bucket-load; and main
load-discharging means operable on the ascent of the bucket.
8. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket and with a
closer therefor; of closer-releasing means automatically operative on the ascent of
the bucket.
9. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket; of the
following instrumentalities operative in the order named-riz., overloading means,
load-reducing micans, and load-discharging means.
10. The combination with a load-receiver; of overloading and load-reducing
mechanisms operative in the order named and effective, respectively, for causing
the descent and ascent of said load-receiver below and to the poising-line during
the weighing of a load; and means for preventing the discharge of the load-
receiver during said descending movement thereof.
11. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a
load-reducing opening and with beam mechanism and load-supplying means; of a
beam-operated load-reducing valve operative for uncovering said opening during
the weighing of a load.
12. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a
load-reducing opening and with beam mechanism and load-supplying means; of a
load-reducing valve operative for uncovering said opening during the weighing of
a load; and a valve-latch for holding said valve open.
13. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having
a load-reducing opening and with beam inechanism and load-supplying means; of
a load-reducing valve operative for uncovering said opening during the weighing
of a load; a valve-latch for holding said valve open; and a valve-latch tripper
operative on the ascent of the bucket.
14. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a
load-reducing opeuing and with a bucket-latch and beam mechanism; of over-
loading means; and a latch-tripping load-reducing valve operative for uncovering

page_text: said opening during the weighing of a load and for releasing the bucket-latch on
the ascent of the bucket.
15. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a
load-reducing opening in one side thereof and between the delivery and discharge
ends of the bucket; of means for covering and uncovering said opening.
16. The combination with automatic weighing mechanism and with load-
supplying means therefor, of load-reducing means operative during the weighing
of a load; and means for receiving material taken from the bucket during such
load-reducing action and reconveying it to the bucket for the make-up of a new
load.
1000
FRANCIS HENRY RICHARDS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.