Improvements in or appertaining to the Weighing out and Filling into Bags or other Receptacles of Successive Regulated Quantities of Flour or other Pulverulent or Granular Material.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Weighing out and Filling
into Bags or other Receptacles of Successive Regulated Quantities
of Flour or other Pulverulent or Granular Material.
I, HENRY RICHARDSON of Station Road, Lichfield, in the County of Stafford,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to weighing apparatus, and it has for its object the
providing of a weighing machine which shall weigh out into parcels from a supply
hopper having a feed device successive regulated quantities of flour or other
pulverulent or granular material, especially such material as is liable to arch in the
said hopper and can, consequently, only be fed with difficulty from the hoppers
ordinarily employed in weighing machines of this description, the method at present
employed for weighing such material being to fill it into the bags or other
receptacles by means of a scoop, the amount being regulated by hand.
Briefly, the invention consists of a feed hopper provided with a special stirring
apparatus, a feed sluice controlling the discharge of the material from the hopper,
and mechanism connected with the feed sluice and adapted to be automatically
operated or released by the movement of the weigh beam, or some part moving
therewith, in such manner that, when the regulated quantity of material has almost
been weighed out, the feed sluice is suddenly closed, with the exception of a small
orifice through which the material continues to trickle until the exact quantity has
been weighed out, when the sluice is again suddenly operated or released, and the
supply entirely cut off.
In carrying the invention into practical effect, I provide a conical feed hopper,
or hopper with a conical bottom, having a smooth interior. The discharge orifice
is situated at the apex of the cone, and is preferably formed of a short cylinder
extending downwards from the hopper bottom. In the interior of the hopper is a
central vertical shaft capable of being rotated by hand or by gearing, and, to the
shaft, there is attached, by one or more arms, in such manner as to revolve there-
with, a stirring blade or blades, each of which is so formed and located that, as the
shaft is rotated, the blade travels round the hopper in close proximity to the conical
portion thereof. The lower end of the blade also extends by preference downwards
and inwards towards the centre of the discharge orifice. The rotation of the blade
keeps the thin conical layer of material in close proximity to the conical portion of
the hopper in constant movement, thus preventing the material from arching in the
hopper.
The feed sluice consists of two plates adapted to be moved one over the other,
and each provided with an orifice. Each orifice is, in the main, circular in shape,
but has, at one point, a small embayment, the embayment in the one plate being
situated in that side of the orifice remote from the embayment in the other plate,
to the end that, when the two plates are moved, simultaneously, one over the other,
the two embayments (which are preferably of a semi-circular shape) shall, together,
form a small trickling orifice located, by preference, concentrically with the main
discharge orifice of the hopper. The plates are placed immediately below the
discharge orifice of the hopper, and the lower end of the stirring blade aforesaid
erminates preferably at a point coincident with the edge of the said trickling
orifice.
These plates are so connected with each other and with a spring actuated lever
hat the movement of the lever causes them to move simultaneously one over the
ther to wholly or partially open or close the hopper discharge orifice.
At the commencement of the weighing operation, the lever is held against the

page_text: action of its spring by a movable stop or trigger, in such position that the feed
sluice is fully open, so that, when the stirring apparatus above it is operated, the
material runs freely into the bag or other receptacle, which has been suspended to,
or otherwise supported upon, the end of the weighbeam below the orifice. When
the regulated amount has almost been weighed out, the weigh beam has moved into
such a position as to cause the aforesaid movable stop or trigger to be withdrawn
from the lever. The latter at once makes a partial revolution about its axis, and
closes the feed sluice with the exception of the trickling orifice aforesaid, its move-
ment being, however, at this point arrested by a second movable trigger or stop,
which holds it immovable until, the bag having received the exact quantity required,
the weigh beam operates to release the said second trigger, and the lever, being
moved still further under the action of its spring, totally closes the feed sluice.
Various mechanisms may be employed for transmitting the movement of the
weigh beam to the two triggers or stops aforesaid.
The following, however, is a convenient arrangement and will serve to illustrate
the invention :-
Two weighted bell crank levers are mounted on a common axis in such manner
that they may turn independently of each other. The first of these levers has a
lateral arm and a depending weighted arm which lies normally at a suitable angle
from the vertical. The lateral arm rests against the underside of a pin moving
with the weight end of the weigh beam, the action of the weighted arm of the lever
being such that, as the weigh beam rises during the weighing operation, the afore-
said lateral arm pressés continuously but with a decreasing force against the said
pin. As the beam rises, as aforesaid, the lateral lever arm, or a second arm moving
therewith, comes in contact with a pin, or other projecting piece, carried by the
first named trigger and it turns it about its axis to such an extent as to cause the
sluice operating lever to be released as aforesaid. At or about the moment of this
release, the movement of the weighted lever is arrested by a suitable stop, it having,
by this time, attained a position more or less vertical.
The second weighted lever aforesaid has a lateral arm and an upwardly projecting
weighted arm, the latter being so counterpoised that a very slight movement of the
lever about its axis will cause it to be overbalanced. The lateral arm of this lever
extends above the pin or projection, which, as aforesaid, moves upwards with the
weight end of the weigh beam. Just as the exact quantity of material has been
weighed out, the pin comes in contact with the lateral arm of the second, weighted
lever and overbalances the same. The lever, in falling, disengages the second
trigger aforesaid from the sluice operating lever, this disengagement being
accomplished either by a direct blow upon said second trigger, or indirectly by a
further movement of the first named trigger-through the medium of a second
lateral arm upon the weighted lever. The second trigger being released as afore-
said, the sluice operating lever makes a further movement against a suitable stop
and the feed sluice is closed entirely.
The weighing operation being now complete, the full bag is removed, an empty
one is put in its place, and the sluice again opened by pulling its operating lever
back to its original position.
As the weigh bean returns to its original position for the commencement of a
second weighing operation, it automatically replaces the triggers and weighted
trigger operating levers in their original positions. The triggers are provided with
sloping surfaces which permit the sluice operating lever to pass them readily on its
return movement.
The trigger releasing mechanism and the weights thereon are provided with
suitable adjusting devices whereby the exact point of the first and second cut-off's
may be regulated to a nicety and correct weighing ensured.
Adjustment devices may also be provided for adjusting the tension of the sluice
operating spring and suitable stops are also provided, where necessary, for controlling
the movement of various levers and triggers.
A suitable arrangement is also provided for preventing the flour or other fine

page_text: material, which is being weighed, from blowing about while it is being fed from the
hopper into the bag or other receptacle.
If desirable, a bell may be sounded when the weight is complete. Also, during
the removal of a full bag and the placing of an empty one in position, the weighbeam
may be held depressed by a catch, which is released by the attendant when the
empty bag has been adjusted.
Dated this 31st day of January 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Weighing out and Filling
into Bags or other Receptacles of Successive Regulated Quantities
of Flour or other Pulverulent or Granular Material.
1, HENRY RICHARDSON, of the City Flour Mills, Lichfield, in the County of
Stafford, Miller, 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 apparatus, and it has for its object the
providing of a weighing machine which shall weigh out into parcels from a supply
hopper, having a feed device, successive regulated quantities of flour or other
pulverulent or granular material, especially such material as is liable to arch in the
said hopper and can, consequently only be fed with difficulty from the hoppers
ordinarily employed in weighing machines of this description, the method at present
employed for weighing such material being to fill it into bags or other receptacles
by means of a scoop, the amount being regulated by hand.
Briefly, the invention consists of a feed hopper provided with special stirring
apparatus, a feed sluice controlling the discharge of the material from the hopper,
and mechanisin connected with the feed sluice and adapted to be automatically
operated or released by the movement of the weigh beam, or some part moving
therewith, in such manner that, when the regulated quantity of material has almost
been weighed out, the feed sluice is suddenly closed, with the exception of a small
orifice through which the material continues to trickle until the exact quantity has
been weighed out, when the sluice is again suddenly operated or released, and the
supply entirely cut off.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, and 7 illustrate the essential points of my new mechanism:-in carrying my
invention into practical effect, I provide a conical feed hopper, or hopper A with a
conical bottom A2, having a smooth interior surface. The discharge orifice A' is
situated at the apex of the cone, and is preferably formed of a short cylinder A¹
(see Figure 1 which is an end elevation part in section) extending downwards from
the said hopper bottom A². In the interior of the hopper A is a central vertical
shaft B, carried in the bearing B1 and capable of being rotated by hand or by
gearing, and, to the shaft, there is attached, by one or more arms, in such manner
as to revolve therewith, a stirring blade C, C, or stirring blades, each of which is
so formed and located that, as the shaft is rotated, the blade travels round the
hopper in close proximity to the conical portion thereof. That is, the rotating
blade C, C travels round the hopper A keeping close to the surface A² of the
conical bottom. The lower end of the blade C, C also extends by preference
downwards and inwards towards the centre of the discharge orifice as indicated at
Figure 1 by the projecting piece C' which travels round close to the surface of the
short discharge cylinder A. The projection C² occurs at about the diameter of the
aperture when the sluice is adjusted to give the trickle or slow feed. The rotation
of the blade C, C keeps the thin conical layer of material in close proximity to the
conical portion of the hopper A in constant movement, thus preventing the material

page_text: from arching in the hopper and causing it to flow regularly through the discharge
aperture A and through the reduced trickle aperture, so long as the shaft B
continues to rotate.
The feed sluice consists of two plates H', H' adapted to be moved one over the
other, and each provided with an orifice as H7. Each orifice is, in the main,
circular in shape but has, at one point, a small embayment as HB, H, the embayment
in the one plate being situated in that side of the orifice remote from the embayment
in-the other plate, to the end that, when the two plates are moved, simultaneously
one over the other, the two embayments which are preferably of a semi-circular
shape shall together form a small trickling orifice located, by preference, concen-
trically with the main discharge orifice of the hopper. In Figures 1 and 2 the
plates are seen on their edges, but in Figure 3, a plan is shown on a larger scale,
viewing them from beneath the machine. The plates H', H, are placed immediately
below the discharge orifice A of the hopper A, and the lower end of the stirring
blade C, C aforesaid terminates preferably at a point coincident with the edge of the
said trickling orifice produced by bringing together the semi-circular notches H8, H9.
This point is shown at C Figure 1.
These plates are so connected with each other, and with a spring actuated lever H®
that the movement of the lever causes them to move simultaneously one over the
other to wholly or partially open or close the hopper discharge orifice A¹. The
plates are pivoted from the pins H³, H, and are connected together by the link H³
which is moved by the lever H. In the position shown in Figure 3 the sluice is
full open, but when the link F' is moved in the direction of the arrow they close.
At the commencement of the weighing operation, the lever He is held against the
action of its spring K by a movable stop or trigger L', in such position that the
feed sluice is fully open, so that, when the stirring apparatus above it is operated,
the material runs freely into the bag or other receptacle, which has been suspended
to, or otherwise supported upon, the end of the weigh beam E below the orifice A¹.
Figure 4 is an end elevation on the same scale as Figure 3, showing the action of
the trigger lever and the lever H. The spring K is shown in Figures 2 and 3, as
of the coiled or watch spring type, but any other form of spring may be applied.
When the regulated amount has almost been weighed out, the weighbeam E
Figures 1 and 2 has moved into such a position as to cause the aforesaid movable
stop or trigger L' to be withdrawn from the lever H. The latter at once makes a
partial revolution about its axis K', and closes the feed sluice with the exception of
the trickling orifice H8, H, aforesaid, its movement being, however, at this point
arrested by a second movable trigger or stop lever L2, (Figure 4) which holds it
immovable until the bag F having received the exact quantity required, the weigh-
beam E operates to release the said second trigger L2, and the lever H, being
moved still further, until the action of its spring K totally closes the feed sluice.
Various mechanisms may be employed for transmitting the movement of the
weigh beam to the two triggers or stops L, L2, aforesaid.
The following, however, is a convenient arrangement, and will serve to illustrate
the invention
Two weighted bell crank or other levers are mounted on a common axis M³,
Figures 5 and 6, in such manner that they may turn independently of each other.
Figures 5 and 6 are side elevations of these weighted levers on the same scale
as Figures 3 and 4, and they have been omitted from Figure 2, which is a similar
side elevation, in order to simplify the drawing. The first of these levers M
Figure 5, has an arm M³ and a weighted arm M weighted with the weight M'.
The arm M³ rests against the underside of a pin P moving with the weight end of
the weigh beam E, the action of the weighted arm M of the lever being such that,
as the weigh beam E rises during the weighing operation, the arm M³ presses
continuously against the said pin P in the beam E. As the weighted end of the
beam E rises, as aforesaid, the lever arm M³, or a second arm moving therewith,
comes in contact with a pin, or other projecting piece, carried by the first named
trigger L'or with the end L³ of the trigger lever L', and it turns L' about its axis to

page_text: such an extent as to cause the sluice operating lever He to be released as aforesaid.
After liberating the lever H the lever M is arrested from further movement by a
stop such as M Figure 5, so as to leave the beam E perfectly free to accurately
weigh the flour or other substance which is fed into the bag.
The second weighted lever N Figure 6 aforesaid, has a lateral arm N' and an
upwardly projecting weighted arm N, the latter being so counterpoised and resting
against a stop as PT that a very slight movement of the lever about its axis M² will
cause it to be overbalanced. One lateral arm N3 of this lever extends above the
pin or projection P in the weigh beam E, which, as aforesaid, moves upwards with
the weight end of the weighbeam. Just as the exact quantity of material has been
weighed out, the pin P comes in contact with one lateral arm N³ of the second
weighted lever, and overbalances the same. The lever, in falling, disengages the
second trigger L aforesaid from the sluice operating lever H, this disengagement
being accomplished-either by a direct blow from N upon said. second trigger, on
the end of the lever L, or indirectly by a further movement of the first named
trigger L'-through the medium of a second lateral arm upon the weighted lever.
The second trigger being released, as aforesaid, the sluice operating lever H
makes a further movement against a suitable stop, and the feed sluice is closed
entirely.
The weighing operation being now complete, the full bag F is removed, an empty
one is put in its place, and the sluice again opened by pulling its operating lever
back to its original position. This may be accomplished by pulling the lever H*
directly or by pulling the knob H attached to one of the sluice plates H¹.
As the weigh beam returns to its original position for the commencement of a
second weighing operation, it automatically replaces the triggers and weighted
trigger operating levers in their original positions. The triggers are provided with
sloping surfaces which permit the sluice operating lever to pass them readily on the
return movement.
The trigger releasing mechanism and the weights thereon are provided with
suitable adjusting devices whereby the exact point of the first and second cut-off's
may be regulated to a nicety and correct weighing ensured.
Adjustment devices may also be provided for adjusting the tension of the sluice
operating spring K, and suitable stops are also provided, where necessary, for
controlling the movement of various levers and triggers.
A suitable arrangement is also provided for preventing the flour or other fine
material, which is being weighed, from blowing about while it is being fed from the
hopper into the bag or other receptacle. This is preferably accomplished by
causing the bag holding contrivance to press closely against the bottom of the
hopper A through which the discharge aperture passes.
If desirable, a bell may be sounded when the weight is complete. Also, during
the removal of a full bag and the placing of an empty one in position, the weigh-
beam may be held depressed by a catch, which is released by the attendant when
the empty bag has been adjusted.
The knife edges of the weighbcam E are indicated in Figures 1 and 2 at E', E'
and in Figure 1 the bag F to contain the weighed material is indicated in dotted
lines.
The bag holder contrivance is shown at D Figures 1 and 2, but it is not claimed
as part of this invention.
Figure 7 is a plan looking into the hopper A and showing A' the full discharge
orifice, and H, H the trickle aperture produced by closing the plates H¹, H2 to
bring together the half circles or embayments H, H. C is the stirrer in plan,
and Cthe extension of the edge of the trickle orifice. At c I have shown in dotted
lines another form of stirring blade. The blade C may be curved or helical or of
wire section, the essential point being that it shall not screw or force the material
down to the aperture A, but merely loosen it from the conical surface A so as to
allow it to fall freely. The cone angle may be varied considerably but in practice
1 find an angle of 30° to answer well.

page_text: 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) In apparatus for portioning out successive regulated quantities of flour or
other pulverulent or granular material, a moving stirrer, arranged to move close to
a conical or other inclined surface in such manner as to continually cut between the
material and the surface so as to cause the material to fall regularly through a
discharge aperture substantially as hereinbefore described, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings.
(2)- In apparatus for portioning out successive regulated quantities of flour cr
other pulverulent or granular material, a cut-off sluice in which the cut-off and
reduction of flow is accomplished by a flat plate or flat plates moving together in
their own plane or over each other, the said plates being actuated by spring,
weight, or by hand or power substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the drawings.
(3) In weighing apparatus for portioning out successive regulated quantities of
flour or other pulverulent or granular material, a falling weight poised slightly
over the balance and actuated by the beam at the desired moment to cause the
closing of the sluice, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
(4) The arrangement of weighing and filling apparatus for portioning out
successive regulated quantities of four or other pulverulent or granular material
into bags or other receptacles substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
reference being had to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of October 1891
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.