Control system for combinatorial weighing or counting apparatus

A control system for a combinatorial weighing or counting apparatus for weighing articles charged in a plurality of weighing machines having hoppers and feeders, for effecting a combinatorial arithmetic operation on obtained weights or numbers of the articles converted from the weights, for selecting an optimum combination of added weights or numbers having an optimum added value which is closest to a target value within preset limits, and for discharging the articles from those weighing machines which give the selected optimum combination, said control system comprising:

• a plurality of subcomputers, each provided for a group of weighing machines which are divided into a plurality of groups, for controlling the operation of the hoppers and feeders of the corresponding weighing machines, monitoring weight data from the weighing machines, and adjusting zero points and spans of the weighing machines;
• and
• a main computer coupled to said subcomputers via a communication line for executing sa combinatorial arithmetic operation based on the weight data from said subcomputers to select weighing machines giving an optimum combination, transmitting data to said subcomputers corresponding to the weighing machines which have been selected as giving the optimum combination to discharge articles therefrom and for operating the feeders corresponding to said selected weighing machines for charging articles thereto, the operation commands delivered from said main computer to said subcomputers.