Improvements in or relating to Weighing Scales.
Year: 1890

page_text: ate of Application, 27th Sept., 1890--Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Weighing Scales.
A communication from abroad by MARSHALL B. LLOYD, of 805, 24th Avenue, N.E.,
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, Manufacturer, and EDWARD HENRY
HOLBROOK, Jr., of 213 2nd Street, South, Minneapolis, Hennepin County,
Minnesota, Manufacturer, both in the United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 automatic scales adapted for weighing wheat, corn, malt,
fine coal or ore, and other light material, and its object is to provide a scale which
will be absolutely free from any friction of parts which would in any way affect the
accuracy of the device, and which will be at the same time of simple and economical
construction. The invention consists generally in combining, with a suitable
measuring receptacle, that is divided into separate compartments and is arranged to
be tilted to bring one compartment and then the other under a suitable filling spout,
a travelling ball that is arranged to move back and forth in a suitable way arranged
upon said hopper and doors which are alternately opened for the purpose of discharging
the material from the compartiments of the hopper.
The invention consists further in improved means for cutting off the supply of
material from the full side of the hopper when it has received just enough of such
material, and in improved means for automatically locking and unlocking the discharge
doors at the bottom of two compartments of the tilting hopper, and in means for
accurately adjusting the tilting point of the hopper and thereby regulating the
quantity of material which may be loaded into the hopper before the same will turn.
The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic weighing scale embodying this
invention, the same being shown in connection with a suitable supporting frame and
with feed and discharge or receiving hoppers.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detailed elevation taken from Figure 1 and slightly enlarged..
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view showing the door locking and unlocking device.
Figure 5 is a view of the notched bar forming a part of the locking device shown
in Figure 4 and in Figures 1 and 3.
Similar reference numerals are used upon like parts throughout the different figures
of the drawings.
As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the tilting hopper 1 of the machine is divided
into the two equalised compartments 2 and 3 by the middle partition 4, and is
adapted to tilt to one side or the other upon the knife edge bearing 5 as the different
sides or compartments 2 and 3 are alternately filled and emptied.
The compartment which is being filled, so to speak lies uppermost, while the side
from which the grain is being discharged stands in the opposite position. Hence
while the material is first fed into the uppermost part of the hopper which lies
beneath the feed spout, the centre of gravity of the tilting hopper (as shown in
Figure 3) stands upon the left side of the pivot point. and the hopper maintains its
position. As, however, the heavy material rises to a higher level in the compartment,
the centre of gravity passes to the right of the pivot point and the hopper is quickly
tilted over to one side by the weight of the material in the same; the other side

page_text: having meantime been emptied through the open discharge door 9. As the hopper is
tilted over, the door on the full side is opened and that on the empty side closed and
at the same time the stream of grain, which formerly fell into the full compart-
ment, is instantly directed into the empty side. Thus the filling of the measuring
compartments is alternated, one discharging while the other is being filled.
In order that a greater amount of material may be loaded into, and measured off
by, the compartments than would be practicable if the weight of the overlying side
were alone depended upon, the smoothly bored, closed tube, or way 7, containing the
weight ball 8 is arranged transversely upon the hopper by means of which, as the
ball will always roll to the lower end, the weight to be overbalanced by the fine
material in the uppermost compartment, is greatly increased.
The discharge doors 9 and 10 which are hinged by their upper edges to the sides
of the hopper, are adapted to close tightly over the openings in the bottoms of the
_compartments 2 and 3 and are limited in their outward movement by the hooked
stops 11, a pair of which are fixed upon each side of the tilting hopper and adapted
to engage with the lugs 12 upon the respective doors 9 and 10.
The locking device shown in Figures 3 and 4 consists in an arm 13 firmly secured
to the lower end of the partition 4. Pivoted to the outer end of this bar 13, is the
link 14 which, in turn, is pivoted to the second link 15 of the knuckle joint which is
movably secured to the discharge. door as shown. It is preferable to provide the
weights 16 upon the pivot 17 between the links 14 and 15 to the end that any
kicking or rebounding of the knuckle joint from the position which it should assume
may be prevented.
The notched bar 18 is rigidly secured to the supporting frame 19 and extends
downwardly as shown, the ends or shoulders of the notch being adapted to engage
with the link 14 of the knuckle joint when in its extreme positions.
It will be seen that when the tilting hopper is in either of its standing positions
that the links 14 of the two locking levices attached to their respective doors 9 and 10
stand free of and out of engagement with the shoulders or ends 20 of the bars 18,
hence any friction at these points is avoided, the parts of the locking device are so
constructed so that lateral play is prevented, and as the links 14 extend into the
notches in the bars 18, only just far enough to engage with the ends or shoulders,
there will be no engagement with the edge of the bar to cause any friction.
We will say that the hopper stands in the position shown in Figure 3, and that
the grain or other material has been fed into compartment 3 until just the required
number of pounds of material have been loaded thereinto. At this time the centre
of gravity of the whole tilting device will have just passed over the pivot point and
the hopper will consequently quickly tilt over into the position shown by the dotted
lines.
Up to the time that the partition 4 comes into a perpendicular or plumb line, no
practical change in the relation of the several parts of the device to each other will
have taken place, save that the discharge door 9 may naturally close over the discharge
opening in the bottom of the side compartment 2. The door will not, however, be
locked in position until the hopper has so far tilted as to carry the links 14 of the
locking device on that side of the hopper up against the upper shoulder 20 of the
notch in the bar 18, at which time the movement of the hopper through the last few
degrees will bring the link 14 forcibly against said shoulder thereby straightening
out the knuckle joint and crowding the pivot 17 thereof down below the dead centre
line and thereby closing the door 9 firmly over the outlet opening of compartment 2
and locking the door firmly in position.
The links 14 will be left standing some distance below the upper shoulder 20 and
wholly out of engagement with the bar 18. At the same time that the link 12 spoken
of strikes the upper shoulder 20 and while the hopper is being carried over by its own
inertia, the opposite link 14 attached to the other door is brought forcibly down
against the lower shoulder of the other notched bar 18, thereby throwing the knuckle
joint, of which it forms a part, up past the dead centre and into the bent position
shown by the dotted lines, thereby unlocking the door 10 and allowing the same to be

page_text: swung out by the weight of the material above the same. The link 14 after striking
said lower shoulder is moved up and left standing out of engagement with said
shoulder. The material in the compartment 3 will now run out into the receiving
hopper 21 while the material from the spout of the feed hopper 6 will fall directly
into the compartment 2.
At the time when the hopper first tilted, the deflecting plate 22, pivoted as shown
in suitable bearings 23 upon the sides of said hopper, was carried quickly into and
across the stream of falling grain, thereby almost instantly deflecting the same into
the compartment 2, the door of which was just the instant before closed. As the
hopper moved farther over, the upper end of this deflecting plate 22 was carried
against the lug 24 and as the hopper continued in its forward movement was turned
back into the position shown by the dotted lines in readiness to cut off the supply of
material to the compartment 2, when a sufficient weight thereof had been fed into the
same. Upon the return tilt of the hopper the deflecting plate 23 will be turned back
to its original position by engaging with lug on stop 25. The swing or radial move
ment of the deflecting plate 22 is limited in either direction by the sectors 26 and 27
upon either end thereof, the lower edges of which are respectively adapted to engage
with the partition 4 to hold the deflecting plate in position. The width of the feed
spout 6 is governed by the width of the said deflecting plate. The frame 30 to which
the lugs 24 and 25 and the blocks 21 forming the bearings for the knife edge, are
secured also supports the hopper spout 6 and four movable blocks 28 adapted to
engage with the lugs 29 secured to the sides of the hopper and adapted to limit thereby
the pivotal movement of the same. By raising or lowering the blocks 28, the swing
or stroke of the tilting hopper may be increased or decreased. The balance of the
tilting hopper may be accurately adjusted by means of the shifting weight 35, adapted
to be moved back and forth upon the threaded rod 32 secured transversely upon the
side of the hopper.
In order that the tilting point of the hopper may be changeable, the weight 33
movably attached to the graduated bar 34 is provided, placed centrally in respect to
the balance of the hopper; by simply moving this weight up or down, the quantity
of material which may be fed into a compartment before the hopper will tilt may be
readily increased or decreased at will.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in an automatic weighing scale, with a tilting hopper provided
with suitable downwardly swinging discharge doors, of knuckle joint locking devices,
secured upon said tilting hopper and pivoted to said doors and a suitable notched bar
secured upon the frame of said hopper, said knuckle joint devices being adapted to
engage with said bar to lock one of said doors in position and to unlock the other of
said doors alternately, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the tilting hopper adapted to operate in suitable bearings
provided upon a suitable frame, with movable stops provided upon said frame, suitable
lugs upon the sides of said hopper adapted to engage with said stops to limit the
throw of the said hopper and a suitable rod secured vertically and centrally upon said
hopper and a suitable adjustable weight adapted to be moved up or down upon the
said rod whereby the tilting point of the said hopper may be regulated, substantially
as described.
3. The combination with a tilting hopper, of an automatic weighing scale, divided
into adjacent compartments by a suitable partition, of a suitable deflecting plate
pivoted at its lower edge centrally over said partition, a suitable frame in which said
hopper is adapted to tilt, and a suitable feed spout supported above said tilting
hopper through which the material is fed into said hopper, stationary lugs lying in
the path of the upper edge of said deflecting plate adapted to engage with said
upper ends to tilt the same into an angle opposite that at which the hopper is tilted,
.

page_text: and means whereby the radial swing of said deflecting plate is limited, substantially
as described.
4. The combination with a supporting frame, of the tilting hopper divided into the
two compartments by the central partition and provided with openings in the bottom
of said compartments, suitable swinging doors pivoted to said hopper, notched bars
secured upon said supporting frame, knuckle joint locking devices secured upon either side
of the lower end of said partition and pivoted to said doors, respectively, and adapted
to engage with the said notched bars to alternately lock and unlock said doors,
stops upon said hopper adapted to engage with suitable lugs upon said doors to
limit the outward movements of the same, the deflecting plate hinged centrally over
said partition, and provided with the sectors upon its ends, the lower edges of said
sectors being adapted to engage with said partition to limit the radial movement of
said deflecting plate upon its pivot, lngs upon the said frame adapted to engage with
said deflecting plate to tilt the same at an angle opposite to that of the said partition
when the said plate is carried into engagement with said lugs by the movement of
said tilting hopper and means for regulating the tilting point of the said hopper, sub-
stantially as described.
5. The combination in an automatic weighing scale, of the tilting hopper pivoted
to tilt upon suitable knife edge bearings upon the stationary frame 30 of the
machine, and provided with the central partition 4 and with the doors 9 and 10,
suitable stops to limit the outward movement of said doors, brackets or arms 13
projecting laterally from the lower end of said partition 4, the links 14 pivoted to
the ends of said arms, the links 15 pivoted respectively to said links 14 by the weighted
pivots 17, said links 15 being pivotally attached to said doors 9 and 10 respec-
tively, the supporting frame 19 and the notched bars 18 secured thereon and adapted
to engage with the links 14 to open and close said doors alternately, substantially as
described.
6. The combination with a divided tilting hopper provided with the compartments 2
and 3 and with the discharge doors 9 and 10, and stops limiting the downward
movements of said doors, of locking devices attached to said doors, the deflecting
plate 22 pivoted centrally over said hopper and provided with the sectors 26 and 27
adapted to operate as stops to limit the radial movement of said deflecting plate, the
lugs adapted to engage the upper edge of the said deflecting plate to tilt the same, the
upright bar 34 placed centrally upon said hopper, the adjustable weight 33 thereon,
the lugs 29 upon the sides of said hopper, and means for limiting the throw of said
hopper, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the tilting hopper, of an automatic weighing scale, of the
deflecting plate 22 pivoted centrally over said hopper and provided with limiting
stops 26, and the lugs 24 and 25 upon the frame of said tilting hopper, said
deflecting plate being adapted to engage with said lugs, substantially as described.
8. The combination with the tilting hopper, of an automatic weighing scale, of the
bar 34 placed centrally upon the side of said hopper, the adjustable weight thereon,
lugs 29 upon said hopper and the adjustable blocks 28 secured upon the stationary
frame of said hopper whereby the tilting point of said hopper may be regulated, sub-
stantially as described.
9. The combination in an automatic weighing scale, with a tilting hopper provided
with swinging discharge doors, of knuckle joint locking devices connected with said
doors and arranged to lock and unlock said doors alternately as said hopper is tilted,
substantially as described.
10. The combination with the tilting hopper and the stationary inlet spout, of the
tilting deflecting plate secured upon said hopper, and means for removing said plate
after it passes beneath said spout, substantially as described.
11. The combination with the tilting hopper of the transverse tube or way arranged
upon said hopper, the travelling ball arranged within said tube and the vertically
adjustable weight arranged centrally upon said hopper, substantially as described.
12. The combination of the tilting hopper divided into two compartments by a

page_text: central partition and provided also with doors arranged to be automatically opened
as said hopper is tilted, a way extending transversely of said hopper above its pivotal
support, and a ball arranged in said way and adapted to travel therein, substantially
as described.
Dated this 26th day of September 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.