Patent ID: 7952036

Claim:
A combination weigher comprising: a plurality of weighing hoppers which are arranged in a linear shape, are each configured to hold products, and are each provided with a first discharge gate for discharging the products in a first direction and a second discharge gate for discharging the products in a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular to a direction in which the weighing hoppers are arranged, the weighing hoppers being each configured to measure weight of the products which are held therein; a collecting chute which is positioned below the weighing hoppers, the collecting chute being configured to gather the products which have been discharged from the weighing hoppers in the first direction and to discharge the products from a discharge outlet at a bottom part thereof; a recycle conveyor which is positioned below the weighing hoppers so as to extend along all of the weighing hoppers, the recycle conveyor being configured to convey, in a direction parallel to the direction in which the weighing hoppers are arranged, the products which have been discharged from the weighing hopper in the second direction and have been loaded onto the recycle conveyor; a feeding means configured to feed the products to the weighing hoppers; a transport means which is configured to transport the products which have been discharged from the recycle conveyor to feed the products to the feeding means; a combination calculation means which is configured to determine a discharge combination which is a combination of weighing hoppers holding the products whose total weight falls within a predetermined weight range; a recycle hopper determination means configured to determine a weighing hopper whose products should be recycled, based on a predetermined recycle condition; and a control means configured to cause the weighing hoppers selected to form the discharge combination to discharge the products in the first direction, and to cause the weighing hopper determined by the recycle hopper determination means to discharge the products in the second direction, and wherein the transport means is configured to transport the products, which have been loaded in different positions onto the recycle conveyor in a dispersed manner, in a dispersed manner to the feeding means when the products are discharged from the recycle conveyor.