Apparatus for measuring the throughput of material on a conveyer

Abstract

Apparatus measures the throughput of material being conveyed through a conveyer, wherein the conveyer blades carrying the material (in particular, cereal grains) are continuously moved in a conveyer shaft and a photoelectric device is mounted perpendicularly on the shaft. A light beam of a photoelectric device is aligned substantially parallel to the plane surfaces of the blades. A signal processor determines the distance between the top edge of the material and the passing blade carrying this material from the light-dark periods of the signal. By taking into account the spacing of the blades, the thickness of the blades, and the cross-sectional area of the shaft, the signal processor then determines the apparent volume of material on each blade. Further measuring devices are connected to the signal processor and the inclination and/or shape of the material surface is determined via signals from the measuring means. An average depth of the material is calculated based upon the orientation and position of the surface relative to the light beam. A highly accurate volume of the material on each blade is thereby determined.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.