Torsion load cell

An electronic scale comprising a pair of beam assemblies interconnected by torsion means, platform means attached to one of said beam assemblies and arranged to move upon receipt of some material thereon, said beam assemblies being very rigid in the direction of applied force when a material is placed on said platform means for minimizing non-torsional deflections of said assemblies, one of said beam assemblies being a stationary unit and the other of said beam assemblies being mounted for movement through flexure members that are free of relatively movable bearing surfaces, said others of said beam assemblies including a support bracket having a section closely adjacent said stationary unit, said support bracket being attached to and movable with said platform means and being movable relative to said stationary unit, electronic position sensing means including a member coupled to move with the platform means and said support bracket for producing an electrical signal indicative of the weight of said material, said torsion means comprising a torsion means comprising a torsion bar coupled both to said stationary unit and to said closely adjacent section of the support bracket through torsional force-transmitting, non-slip coupling means including welds, said torsion bar having a portion located in the region between the stationary unit and said adjacent section of the support bracket and constituting the twist situs of said bar, said portion of said bar extending for a sufficiently short distance to substantially eliminate non-torsional deflections in said bar, and thereby substantially eliminate the heating and cooling effects associated with such non-torsional deflections in said bar, whereupon movement of said platform means upon receipt of said material thereon causes said portion of the bar, through the coupling of the bar to the stationary unit and the closely adjacent section of the support barcket, to twist about an axis of said bar to produce torsional movement detectable by said sensing means, with said sensing means producing an electrical signal indicative of the weight of said material.