System to determine if vehicle correctly positioned during weighing, scale ticket data system and methods for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9453757-B2
Application number	US-201414192906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle weighing system for counting the number of vehicle axles before and after weighing of an unloaded vehicle to determine if the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned during weighing, as well as method for generating a scale ticket to record vehicle axle count data from the vehicle weighing system. Also, a scale ticket data system with a plurality of such scale tickets and a scale ticket electronic database which collects the scale tickets and identifies those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing, as well as a method for querying the scale ticket electronic database to identify those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a vehicle weighing scale having a vehicle weighing area for weighing an unloaded vehicle having a plurality of vehicle axles, wherein the vehicle weighing area has a vehicle entry edge and a vehicle exit edge;
a first vehicle axle counter unit which is activated to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle entry edge before weighing of the unloaded vehicle; and
a second vehicle axle counter unit which is activated to count the number of vehicle axles which pass completely over the vehicle exit edge after weighing of the unloaded vehicle;
wherein the system, in response to the number of vehicle axles of the unloaded vehicle counted by the first and second counter units, automatically identifies and records on a scale ticket that: (i) the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned on the weighing area when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units are the same; or (ii) the unloaded vehicle is incorrectly positioned on the weighing area when the number of vehicle axles counted by the first and second counter units are different.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle weighing area comprises a weighing platform.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the weighing platform is generally rectangular.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle weighing scale comprises a platform scale.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle weighing scale comprises a pit scale.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the front edge of the weighing platform corresponds to the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the rearward edge of the weighing platform corresponds to the vehicle exit edge.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are optical counter units.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units generate an optical beam, wherein the optical beam of the first vehicle axle counter unit is at least parallel with the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the optical beam of the second vehicle axle counter unit is at least parallel with the vehicle exit edge.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical beam of the first vehicle axle counter unit is aligned with the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the optical beam of the second vehicle axle counter unit is aligned with the vehicle exit edge.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are mechanical counter units which are positioned to detect the wheels on one or both sides of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mechanical counter units of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are positioned to detect wheels on both sides of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mechanical counter units of the first and second vehicle axle counter units are positioned to detect wheels along one side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first axle counter unit comprises one mechanical counter unit positioned to detect wheels on one side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles passing completely over the vehicle entry edge, and wherein the second vehicle axle counter unit comprises one mechanical counter unit positioned to detect wheels on the other side of the unloaded vehicle to thereby count the vehicle axles passing completely over the vehicle exit edge.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second axle counter units count axles of an unloaded truck.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the unloaded truck comprises a tractor having a plurality of axles and a semi-trailer having a plurality of axles.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second axle counter unit is activated after the first axle counter unit is deactivated.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second axle counter unit is activated before weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second axle counter unit is activated during or after weighing of the unloaded vehicle.

Assignees

• Int Paper Co

Inventors

• Sasser Calvin S

Classifications

• G01G19/02 Primary

  for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles · CPC title

• G01G19/08 Primary

  for incorporation in vehicles · CPC title

• G01G19/027

  using electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• G01G19/025

  wheel-load scales · CPC title

• G01G23/42

  electrically operated · CPC title