# US 11,440,742 B2 · Conveying and metering device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,742 B2 - Document ID: US11440742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/537,060 - Filed: 2019-08-09 - Published: 2019-11-28 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-09 - Assignees: Schenck Process Europe GmbH - Applicants: Schenck Process Europe GmbH - Inventors: Andreas Schuetz; Stefan Goetz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440742B2 ## CPC - B65G 43/08: Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} - B65G 13/11: Roller frames - B65G 17/067: {the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to more than one traction element} - B65G 21/22: Rails or the like engaging sliding elements or rollers attached to load-carriers or traction elements - B65G 39/16: for aligning belts or chains - B65G 47/22: Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors (during feeding B65G47/14) - G01G 11/04: having electrical weight-sensitive devices - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) ## Abstract A conveying and metering device with an endless apron belt that is movable by rollers on guide rails, wherein sections of the guide rail that are opposite one another are separated from the adjacent sections and, for determining the mass of the conveyed material, are supported on weighing devices that are connected to an electronic analysis device. Provision is made that the sections of the guide rail to be weighed, together with longitudinal members and transverse struts that are perpendicular to the longitudinal members, form a weighing frame, and this weighing frame is supported at each of its four corners on a separate weighing device, wherein an adjustable centering device is provided between the weighing frame and each of the weighing devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conveying and metering device comprising: an endless apron belt that is movable via rollers on guide rails; sections of the guide rails that are opposite one another are separated from adjacent sections and, for determining a mass of conveyed material, are supported on weighing devices, wherein the sections of the guide rail to be weighed, together with longitudinal members and transverse struts that are perpendicular to the longitudinal members, form a weighing frame, wherein each corner of the weighing frame is supported on a separate one of the weighing devices, and wherein an adjustable centering device is provided at each corner of the weighing frame to adjust a position of the weighing frame. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein the weighing frame is designed as a torsionally soft and flexurally soft frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein, for load application of vertical loads to the weighing devices or centering device and/or for adjustment of the weighing frame, cantilever springs are provided thereon in the form of leaf springs with a rectangular cross section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein at least one centering device has three degrees of freedom with respect to the support of the weighing frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein the centering device has, with respect to the support of the weighing frame, three translational degrees of freedom x, y, z in a conveying direction, at right angles to the conveying direction, and in a vertical direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein the centering device includes a rocker with a pivot point, a load arm, and a force arm, wherein a first cantilever spring of the weighing frame rests on the load arm of each rocker. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The conveying and metering device according to claim 6, wherein a lever travel of the force arm is variably adjustable in a vertical direction through a screw. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The conveying and metering device according to claim 6, wherein the first cantilever spring of the weighing frame is supported on the centering device or the weighing device in a freely movable manner in a conveying direction and/or at right angles to the conveying direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The conveying and metering device according to claim 6, wherein a seat and/or a stop for a second cantilever spring of the weighing frame is provided on the centering device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The conveying and metering device according to claim 9, wherein the second cantilever spring of the weighing frame is supported in the centering device so as to be movable in the conveying direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The conveying and metering device according to claim 9, wherein the second cantilever spring of the weighing frame is supported in the seat of the centering device under preloading. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The conveying and metering device according to claim 1, wherein an adjustable overload protection device is provided at each corner of the weighing frame adjacent to the centering device.