Apparatus for weighing elongate containers supplied along a conveyor line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9222826-B2
Application number	US-201214000994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2012
Priority date	Mar 4, 2011
Publication date	Dec 29, 2015
Grant date	Dec 29, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus ( 1 ) for weighing elongate containers ( 5 ) supplied along a conveyor line ( 4 ) comprises: weighing means ( 2 ); a support member ( 6 ) suitable for restingly receiving at least a container ( 5 ); a first articulated system ( 7 ) and a second articulated system ( 12 ); the apparatus ( 1 ) being configured such as to impart, by means of the first articulated system ( 7 ) and the second articulated system ( 12 ), a translating and rotating motion to the support member ( 6 ) such as to transfer the containers ( 5 ) from a first position (K 1 ), in which the support member ( 6 ) is arranged at the conveyor line ( 4 ) such as to receive therefrom the containers ( 5 ) to be weighed, and a second position (K 2 ) in which the support member ( 6 ) engages with the weighing means ( 2 ) such as to enable the containers ( 5 ) to be weighed in an inclined position, and vice versa.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for weighing elongate containers each exhibiting a bottom and having a lateral surface and which are supplied along a conveyor line in a vertical orientation, comprising:
a weighing device arranged laterally to a stretch of the conveyor line;
a support member comprising a base and a lateral wall which contact and support, respectively, the bottom and the lateral surface of a container to be weighed;
a first articulated system configured to transmit a motion of translation to the support member;
a second articulated system configured to transmit a rotation motion to the support member,
the apparatus being further configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor line such as to transmit a translation and rotation motion to the support member by means of the first articulated system and the second articulated system, between a first position, wherein the support member is arranged at said stretch of the conveyor line such as to receive therefrom and support with the base of the support member at least one container, and a second position, wherein the support member is inclined with respect to a vertical direction and engages with the weighing device to enable said weighing device to weigh said at least one container,
wherein the second articulated system is configured to transmit a rotation to the support member during movement thereof from the conveyor line to the weighing device so as to incline the support member with respect to the vertical direction and thereby provide said at least one container with an inclined disposition with respect to the vertical direction at the weighting device so that the container is weighed by the weighing device in an inclined position with respect to the vertical direction, wherein during the transfer from the conveyor line to the weighing device the container is supported by the base and the lateral wall of the support member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first articulated system includes a first member, a second member hinged to the first member, a third member hinged to the first member, and a fourth member hinged to the second member and the third member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second articulated system includes a connecting member, a fifth member hinged to the connecting member, a sixth member hinged to the connecting member, and a seventh member hinged to the fifth member and the sixth member; the fifth member or the sixth member or the seventh member being connected to the support member.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the fifth member or the sixth member or the seventh member is connected by means of an eighth member to the second member or the third member to receive motion therefrom.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 , including elastic means articulated to the second member or the third member on a side, and to the fifth member or the sixth member or the seventh member on another side; said elastic means being arranged and configured such as to facilitate a return of the support member from the second position to the first position.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the support member is solidly constrained to the seventh member.

7. Apparatus according claim 2 , wherein the first member is solidly constrained to a frame of the apparatus.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first articulated system is a parallelogram bar linkage.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , including connecting means for connecting the first articulated system to the second articulated system.

10. Apparatus according to claim 3 , including connecting means for connecting the fourth member to the connecting member.

11. Method for weighing elongate containers exhibiting a bottom and a lateral surface, comprising:
supplying the containers in a vertical orientation along a conveyor line;
drawing at least a container to be weighed from the conveyor line by means of a support member which contacts and supports said container;
transferring the container to be weighed from the conveyor line to a weighing device by means of a translation and rotation of the support member, wherein during the translation and rotation of the support member the support member is inclined with respect to a vertical direction and contacts the container at the bottom and at a portion of the lateral surface of the container so as to incline the container with respect to the vertical direction and maintain the container inclined with respect to the vertical direction whereby the inclined container engages with the weighing device in an inclined orientation with respect to the vertical direction;
weighing the container in the inclined orientation with respect to the vertical direction by means of said weighing device;
transferring the container once weighed from the weighing device to the conveyor line by means a rotation and translation motion of the support member ( 6 ) so that the weighed container is returned to the conveyor line in a vertical orientation.

Assignees

• Cavina Luigi
• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Cavina Luigi

Classifications

• G01G17/00

  Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property (determining weight by measuring volume G01F) · CPC title

• G01G15/00 Primary

  Arrangements for check-weighing of materials dispensed into removable containers (packaging aspects B65B; {electric measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value G01R17/00}) · CPC title