Sealed load cell construction

A load measuring device operating with a small amount of vertical travel comprising:

• (a) a base including a cylinder chamber near the bottom thereof;
• (b) a flexible diaphragm disposed in fixed position a small distance from the bottom of said cylinder chamber to define, therebetween, a thin sealed, fixed volume reservoir for a non-compressible fluid;
• (c) a piston slidable within said cylinder chamber and resting in face-to-face contact with said flexible diaphragm to apply a load directly to said diaphragm;
• and
• (d) a transducer held in direct contact with said diaphragm to provide a reading proportional to the value of said load.

A weigh scale comprising:

• (a) a fixed peripheral frame base structure;
• (b) a central load supporting platform;
• (c) means for interconnecting said platform with said peripheral frame base structure to allow limited vertical motion of the platform, the interconnecting means comprising at least three torque transmitting tubular bars arranged around the perimeter of said load supporting platform, with one portion of each of said torque bars being supported with respect to said fixed peripheral frame base structure, and another portion of each said torque bar being supported with respect to said central load supporting platform;
• and
• (d) a load measuring device centrally supporting said load supporting platform, said load measuring device comprising a base, a thin sealed, fixed volume reservoir for a non-compressible fluid forming the lower portion of said base, a flexible diaphragm sealing said thin reservoir and being in direct contact with said non-compressible fluid in said reservoir, means for applying a load directly to said diaphragm, and a transducer held in direct contact with said diaphragm to provide a reading proportional to the value of said load, and including means connected to said transducer to convert said value of said load to weight.

A weigh scale comprising:

• (a) a fixed peripheral frame base structure;
• (b) a central load supporting platform;
• (c) means for interconnecting said platform with said peripheral frame base structure to allow limited vertical motion of the platform, the interconnecting means comprising at least three torque transmitting tubular bars arranged around the perimeter of said load supporting platform, with one portion of each of said torque bars being supported with respect to said fixed peripheral frame base structure, and another portion of each said torque bar being supported with respect to said central load supporting platform;
• and
• (d) a load measuring device centrally supporting said load supporting platform, said load measuring device comprising a base including a cylinder chamber near the bottom thereof, a flexible diaphragm disposed in fixed position a small distance from the bottom of said cylinder chamber to define, therebetween, a thin sealed, fixed volume reservoir for a non-compressible fluid, a piston slidable with said cylinder chamber and resting in face-to-face contact with said flexible diaphragm to apply a load directly to said diaphragm, and a transducer held in direct contact with said diaphragm to provide a reading proportional to the value of said load, and including means connected to said transducer to convert said value of said load to weight.

A load measuring device operating with a small amount of vertical travel comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) a thin sealed, fixed volume reservoir forming the lower portion of said base;
• (c) a load-transmitting material in the form of a non-compressible fluid in the thin reservoir;
• (d) a flexible diaphragm sealing said thin reservoir and being in direct contact with said load-transmitting material in said reservoir;
• (e) means for applying a load directly to said diaphragm;
• and
• (f) a transducer held in direct contact with said diaphragm to provide a reading proportional to the value of said load.