Apparatus for the automatic determination of a continuous bulk material throughput by means of a continuous balance

Apparatus for automatic control of throughput of a bulk material through a continuous balance, comprising:

• (a) a weighing vessel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening;
• (b) weigh measuring means having an input and an output, said input being operatively connected with said weighing vessel;
• (c) an adjustable closure member positioned in an outlet region of said weighing vessel and connected thereto for closing and opening the outlet opening of said weighing vessel, said closure member having means to movably position the closure member in said weighing vessel to define said outlet opening of said weighing vessel so as to adjust a shape and a size of said outlet opening to ensure in it's opened position a continuous mass flow of said bulk material within and out of said weighing vessel;
• (d) position indicating means connected with said closure member and having an output;
• (e) a dosing member positioned upstream of said weighing vessel and adapted for control by the continuous balance as a function of weight changes monitored by said weighing measuring means;
• (f) control means having a program for controlling the throughput of bulk matearial, said control means having a first input, a second input, a first output, and a second output, said first input being operatively connected with said output of said weight measuring means, said second input being operatively connected with said output of said indicating means, said first output being operatively connected with said closure member to set a position of the closure member to meet a programmed product-dependent opening position with respect to a desired throughput, and said second output being operatively connected with a control input of said dosing member to adjust the position of the dosing member such that an output signal of the weight measuring means is kept within a given range by the program of said control means, the limits of said range being chosen to lie between a first and a second output signal value, the first value corresponding to the lowest filling level of the weighing vessel at which said continuous mass flow is still possible while the second value corresponds to the maximum filling level, thereby using the weighing vessel with a set shape and size of said outlet opening thereof to ensure desired throughput.