Endless conveyor belt load measurement system and method of automatically calibrating same

Abstract

This invention relates to an endless conveyor belt load measurement system and a method of automatically calibrating the same using a digital computer. Measuring means are provided to measure movement of the conveyor belt and scale means are provided to measure the weight of successive portions of the conveyor belt and the load carried thereby both having digital pulse output signals which are communicated to digital computer means. Means are provided to temporarily apply a selected number of calibration weights to the scale means while the conveyor belt is rotating empty. The computer means calculates average output signals received from the scale means during complete revolutions of the empty conveyor belt with varying members of the calibration weights applied to the scale means and substitutes these in a set of curve fitting linear equations to calculate a set of linearization coefficients. The rate of load carried by the conveyor belt and the total load delivered is then calculated by the digital computer means from the outputs of the movement measuring means and scale means using the calculated linearization coefficients. The system may be quickly, easily and accurately periodically recalibrated using the digital computer means by terminating the load on the conveyor belt, applying the calibration weights, calculating corrected values for the linearization coefficients and substituting them into the formula used to calculate the load carried by the conveyor belt.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.