Hydraulic weighing apparatus

A weighing apparatus for combining the output pressures of a plurality of hydraulic load accepting cells and for producing one output signal that is proportional to the sum of the individual load accepting cell output pressures, said weighing apparatus comprising:

• A. a plurality of hydraulic load totalizer cells, each including
• 1. a piston member,
• 2. cooperating cylinder means for receiving said piston member in freely interfittable, relatively reciprocally movable relation, and
• 3. a flexible diaphragm of fluid impervious material sealed in said cylinder means and overlying said piston member to form a fluid pressure receiving chamber therebetween, an annular fold of said diaphragm interlying a portion of the free space between said cylinder means and said piston member, each of said hydraulic load accepting cells being in fluid communication with one hydraulic totalizer cell pressure receiving chamber,
• B. frame means for interconnecting said plurality of cylinder means in spaced coaxial relation,
• C. means for interconnecting said plurality of piston members in spaced coaxial relation and for permitting free reciprocal movement relative to said plurality of cylinder means and said frame means,
• D. force sensitive output signal generating means mounted in said frame means in operative relation to said interconnected piston members for receiving force therefrom when fluid pressure is received in any of said pressure receiving chamber, and
• E. means for adjustably varying the axial location of each piston member relative to its cooperating cylinder means
• whereby the amount of force that each piston member applies to said output signal generating means in response to a given pressure received in the respective pressure receiving chamber may be equalized to calibrate said weighing apparatus.

A weighing apparatus for combining output pressures of a plurality of hydraulic load accepting cells and for producing one output signal that is proportional to the sum of the individual load accepting cell output pressures, said weighing apparatus comprising:

• A. a plurality of hydraulic totalizer cells, each including
• 1. a piston member,
• 2. cooperating cylinder means including
• a. a pressure block, and
• b. a cylindrical collar member fixed to said pressure block to define a cylinder open at one end for receiving said piston member in freely interfittable, relatively reciprocally movable relation,
• 3. a flexible diaphragm of fluid impervious material sealed between said pressure block and collar member and overlying said piston member to form a fluid pressure receiving chamber therebetween, an annular fold of said diaphragm interlying a portion of the free space between said collar member and said piston member, said collar member having an undercut portion underlying the inner cylindrical surface thereof to permit the inner cylindrical wall of said collar member to flex in the radial direction in response to fluid pressure received in said pressure receiving chamber and said diaphragm annular fold to maintain the acting area of said diaphragm at a substantially uniform value independently of the relative position of said piston member and cylinder means, each of said hydraulic load accepting cells being in fluid communication with one hydraulic totalizer cell pressure receiving chamber,
• B. frame means for interconnecting said plurality of cylinder means in spaced coaxial relation,
• C. means for interconnecting said plurality of piston members in spaced coaxial relation and for permitting free reciprocal movement relative to said plurality of cylinder means and said frame means,
• D. force sensitive output signal generating means mounted in said frame means in operative relation to said interconnected piston members for receiving forces therefrom when fluid pressure is received in any of said pressure receiving chambers, and
• E. means for adjustably varying the axial location of each piston member relative to its cooperating cylinder means
• whereby the amount of force applied to said output signal generating means by each piston member in response to a given fluid pressure received in the respective pressure receiving chamber may be equalized to calibrate said weighing apparatus.

In a hydraulic load measuring device for combining the output pressures of a plurality of hydraulic load accepting cells for producing one output signal that is proportional to the sum of the individual load accepting cell output pressures, and having a plurality of vertically arranged hydraulic totalizer load cells each including a cylinder, a cooperating piston reciprocally carried in each cylinder and a diaphragm enclosing each cylinder and overlying the associated piston to define a variable volume fluid pressure receiving chamber therebetween, a frame interconnecting and mounting said cylinders in vertically spaced relation, and force sensitive output signal generating means mounted in said frame;

• an apparatus for calibrating said hydraulic load totalizer to have the same output for the same input to each individual hydraulic load accepting cell, said calibrating apparatus comprising:
• A. means for interconnecting the plurality of pistons in spaced vertical relation with one of the pistons in operative relation to the force sensitive output signal generating means for applying pressure thereto when fluid pressure is received in any of the hydraulic totalizer cell pressure receiving chambers, and
• B. means for adjustably varying the axial location of each piston relative to its cooperating cylinder
• whereby the amount of force applied to the output signal generating means by each piston in response to a given fluid pressure received in the respective hydraulic totalizer cell pressure receiving chamber may be equalized to calibrate said load measuring device.