Patent ID: 7057118

Claim:
A method for forming portions of materials having a predetermined weight, comprising: providing the materials, a weighing vessel, a first feeding channel, and a second feeding channel, the weighing vessel having a first weighing bin and a second weighing bin; transporting the materials toward the weighing vessel via the first feeding channel and the second feeding channel; feeding the materials from one of the first feeding channel and the second feeding channel into the first weighing bin; weighing the materials in the first weighing bin to obtain a first weight; feeding the materials from one of the first feeding channel and the second feeding channel into the second weighing bin; and weighing the materials in the second weighing bin to obtain a second weight less than the first weight, wherein the sum of the first weight and the second weight defines a total weight, wherein if the total weight is greater than a predetermined upper weight limit or less than a predetermined lower weight limit, the materials in the second weighing bin are emptied from the second weighing bin and are circulated back to at least one of the first feeding channel and the second feeding channel, whereas if the total weight is substantially equal to one of the predetermined upper weight limit and the predetermined lower weight limit or is between the predetermined upper weight limit and the predetermined lower weight limit, the materials in the weighing vessel are accepted, wherein the first weighing bin is a rough weighing bin and the second weighing bin is a fine weighing bin.