US 4,095,723 AGranted

Article handling system with weight-controlled dispenser

AssigneeAutomated Packaging Systems, Inc.

InventorBernard Lerner

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Abstract

In a batch weighing and dispensing system, articles are fed from a supply hopper by a vibratory conveyor to maintain a controlled level of articles in a bowl-shaped feeder hopper. Articles are initially discharged from the feeder hopper through two discharge openings into an accumulator bucket. A weighing unit monitors the weight of articles in the bucket and signals a door to close one of the discharge openings as the weight of articles in the bucket begins to approach a predetermined weight. The weighing unit subsequently signals the feeder hopper drive to slow its feeding action as the weight of articles in the bucket more closely approaches the predetermined weight. Once the predetermined weight is reached, the feeder hopper drive is stopped, and the weighed batch of articles is discharged from the bucket. The feeder hopper discharge openings are arranged near each other at locations where the door-controlled opening will provide a rapid, bulk feed of articles, while the other opening will provide a single-file trickle feed. The weighing unit is supported on a common frame with the feeder and without vibrations hindering operation of the weighing unit.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An apparatus for forming batches of articles, comprising:

a. an upstanding base structure;
b. a vibratory feeder having a bowl-shaped feeder hopper for feeding articles from a hopper base portion upwardly along an inclined ramp toward a discharge station;
c. article supply means including an article support and drive means for driving the article support to feed articles into the feeder hopper;
and,
d. electrical control means for generating an output signal to selectively start or stop the drive means to maintain a predetermined level of articles in the base of the feeder hopper, including:
i. electrically operated sensor means for sensing the level of articles in the feeder hopper and for generating an electrical input signal representative of the sensed level of articles in the feeder hopper;
ii. a manually operated electrical control means for generating an electrical reference signal representative of a desired predetermined level for articles to be maintained in the feeder hopper;
iii. comparison means connected to the sensor means and to the control for receiving and comparing the input and reference signals and for generating an output signal indicative of when the actual sensed level of articles is above and below the desired predetermined level.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.