Weighing apparatus

A weighing apparatus comprising:

• a rough-charge weigher configured to weigh out objects to be weighed, such that the weighed objects have a predetermined rough-charge weight less than a target weight, and discharge the weighed objects;
• a combination weigher including a plurality of weighing hoppers, each of which is configured to be fed with objects to be weighed, the combination weigher being configured to use a difference between the weight of the weighed objects that have been weighed out by the rough-charge weigher and the target weight as a target combination weight, weigh the fed objects to be weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers, select a combination of weighing hoppers, from which to discharge the weighed objects, from among the plurality of weighing hoppers based on weights of the weighed objects that have been weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers and the target combination weight, and discharge the weighed objects from the selected combination of weighing hoppers;
• a collecting chute configured to collect the weighed objects discharged from the rough-charge weigher and the weighed objects discharged from the combination weigher, and discharge the collected weighed objects;
• and
• a controller configured to control the rough-charge weigher and the combination weigher, wherein
• the rough-charge weigher includes:
• a feeding device configured to discharge the objects to be weighed;
• a lower hopper configured to hold and discharge the objects to be weighed that are fed from the feeding device;
• a feeding adjuster configured to feed the objects to be weighed from the feeding device to the lower hopper, and adjust an amount of the objects to be weighed that are fed from the feeding device to the lower hopper;
• and
• a weight sensor provided on either the feeding device or the lower hopper, and the controller:
• continuously measures, by the weight sensor, a weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed by the feeding adjuster from the feeding device to the lower hopper;
• and
• at a point when the weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed to the lower hopper has reached the rough-charge weight, stops the feeding adjuster from feeding the objects to be weighed.