Abstract: A weight measuring apparatus which comprises an input signal switching circuit for selectively outputting analog signals input to a plurality of channels, analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog signal output from the input signal switching circuit into a digital signal, and a digital signal processing circuit for filtering a digital quantity output from the analog-to-digital converter for each channel, or filtering digital quantities from a plurality of channels after these digital quantities have been combined together.

Abstract: A transverse sealer for a packaging machine has a pair of seal jaws for sealing a film after it is made into the shape of a bag by a former and the bag is filled with articles to be packaged. The pair of seal jaws are disposed on opposite sides of the path of the film and downstream to the former. A pair of rotary arms supporting these seal jaws is moved towards and away from each other such that the seal jaws move in straight trajectories along the path of the film and is so controlled that the compressive force between the seal jaws can be maintained at a specified level according to the thickness and material property of the film.

Abstract: A weighing machine has a weighing conveyor with a conveyor belt supported by a load cell and uses a digital filter to eliminate high-frequency components of weight signals from the weighing conveyor. In order to improve accuracy of measurement, operating conditions of the digital filter are set with regard to the length of the object to be weighed. Alternatively, time required for the object to be completely on the conveyor belt may be calculated or the timing for the zero-point adjustment for the load cell may be adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A load cell utilizable in a weighing apparatus. The load cell is fabricated by forming a strain gauge pattern (4) of a copper-nickel alloy on a surface of a strain inducing element (1) by the use of a sputtering technique and subsequently heat-treating the strain gauge pattern under an oxygen-free atmosphere, wherein the weight ratio of copper and nickel is chosen to be of a value effective to permit the temperature dependent coefficient of resistance of the strain gauge pattern (4), which undergoes shrinkage and expansion together with the strain inducing element (1), to be substantially zero. In this way, the load cell can be obtained which is not affected by a change in temperature and which gives a high measurement precision.

Abstract: A horizontal sealer for a vertical pillow type form-fill-seal packaging machine has a pair of horizontally elongated heater assemblies which are supported such that they remain horizontal as they individually rotate around mutually parallel axes. The distance between these axes are varied as the heater assemblies rotate around them such that the heater assemblies have generally D-shaped trajectories as they horizontally seal a tubularly formed thermoplastic flexible film material to make a bag. Mechanisms are provided whereby the heating surfaces of the assemblies remain oriented in the same direction, the pressure applied to the film material can be controlled and the bag can be squeezed before the horizontal sealing such that articles being packaged will settle inside the bag. A similarly structured vertical sealer may be provided to a horizontal pillow type packaging machine.

Abstract: An improved system for making packages includes one or more packaging machines, a storage device for storing film rolls and a transporting device for transporting these film rolls to the packaging machines for loading. The packaging machines are of a type having a cantilevered film-supporting shaft for holding a film roll and sealers for longitudinally sealing overlapped side edges of a film pulled out of a film roll supported by the film-supporting shaft and horizontally sealing tubularly formed film to make bags. The film-supporting shaft extends in the forward-backward direction of the machine such that, when a plurality of these machines are arranged in a mutually side-by-side relationship, their film-supporting shafts are also in a side-by-side relationship and can be easily approached from one direction. The storage device may store the film rolls horizontally or vertically. The transporting device may be a forklift.

Abstract: In a weighing apparatus wherein a weighing belt conveyor (10) is supported on a weight detecting device, the present invention is characterized in that an aerodynamic force acting member (17) is provided so as to overlay at least an object (A) to be weighed so that an aerodynamic force such as a buoyance acting on the object (A) can be counterbalanced.

Abstract: In a weighing and labelling system for a product, a suction unit (35) having its lower surface carrying a label (Z) is lowered by a drive motor (25) and, immediately before the suction unit (35) is brought into contact with a product (Y) to be wrapped, the supply of an electric power to the drive motor (25) is interrupted to allow the label (Z) to be applied to the product (Y) by the effect of an inertia operation and, thereafter, the suction unit (35) is immediately elevated. Alternatively, by the utilization of a servo mechanism, the label (Z) is applied.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal type packaging machine pulls an elongated film out of a film roll, directs it to a former to roll the film into a cylindrical form and produces bags by longitudinally sealing the overlapping side edges of the film and transversely sealing the tubular film at top and bottom positions. A roller-like film-guiding piece normally disposed adjacent to the former is on a slidable base plate so as to be retractable away from the former for the convenience of the operator when the film is initially set or when the former is replaced by another one. The slidable plate can be automatically stopped at its normal position adjacent to the former by detecting the extension of the former by a sensor. A device for straightening the film undergoing a zigzag motion is also supported by this slidable plate and hence can be retracted away from the former.

Abstract: A weigher-conveyor has a conveyor which is for transporting an object and is supported by a weighing device such that the weight of the object on the conveyor can be measured while it is being transported. A detector is disposed near the downstream end of the conveyor and, when the presence of an object on the conveyor is detected, a control unit determines whether weight signals from the weigher are already stable. If they are stable, the conveyor continues to be driven and a weight value indicated by the stabilized weight signals is outputted. If they are still unstable, the conveyor is stopped until the weight signals stabilize. A weight value indicated by the stabilized weight signals is outputted in this situation.

Abstract: A weighing-packaging-pricing apparatus has a roll supporting device to rotatably support a film roll, a film transporting device to pull a stretch film from this film roll and to transport a stretched film sheet to a packaging station, a weighting device for weighing and measuring the dimensions of an object on a tray to be packed while it travels to a lifter which lifts the object to the packaging station and pushes it against the stretched film sheet, and a folding device for folding edge sections of the film sheet to form a package. The film transporting device clamps side edge sections of the film pulled out of the film roll and adjusts the clamping positions automatically according to the position of the film roll.

Abstract: A load sensor is made of a load-sensitive element made preferably of an aluminum alloy, a bridge circuit with strain gauges made preferably of tantalum nitride and formed on the load-sensitive element, and two operational amplifiers with their non-inversion input terminals connected respectively to the signal output terminals of the bridge circuit and their inversion input terminals connected to each other through a temperature-sensitive resistor having a positive second-order temperature coefficient and a precision resistor. The resistance values of these resistors are adjusted so as to compensate for the first-order and second-order temperature coefficients of the temperature-dependent output from the bridge circuit.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal packaging machine, which pulls out an elongated film from a film roll and transports it to a former to form it in a tubular shape, includes a mechanism with two parallel rollers such that the film path can be shifted transversely. The two rollers are formed as two sides of a linked parallelogram unit, of which the shape is automatically changeable according to the direction of the rollers so as to reduce the transverse distance by which the film will have to slide on the rollers. According to another embodiment, the packaging machine has its film-supporting shaft extending in backward direction. A horizontal rod disposed diagonally to the path of the film causes it to turn by 90 degrees towards the former at a front part of the machine. This diagonal rod is adapted to move horizontally in the forward-backward direction, depending on the width of the film being transported such that the film is accurately directed to the former.

Abstract: In the weighing apparatus, a plurality of weighing sections are connected to a main unit having a display section, and weight data from one of the weighing sections are indicated by the display section. Each weighing section has an instability detection section for detecting the instability of a weight signal. The main unit has a section by which the weight data from the weighing section whose weight signal is instable are selected on the basis of a signal from the instability detection section.

Abstract: A weighing-packaging-pricing apparatus has a roll supporting device to rotatably support a film roll, a film transporting device to pull a stretch film from this film roll and to transport a stretched film sheet to a packaging station, a weighing device for weighing and measuring the dimensions of an object on a tray to be packed while it travels to a lifter which lifts the object to the packaging station and pushes it against the stretched film sheet, and a folding device for folding edge sections of the film sheet to form a package. The folding device includes transversely moving plates for folding side edge sections of the film sheet, and the motion of these plates is controlled according to the size of the tray to be packaged.

Abstract: A film-pulling apparatus for a packaging machine includes guide plates with arcuate inner surfaces. A cylindrically formed bag-making film material is pulled down inside these guide plates while being adsorbed to their inner surfaces by the negative pressure inside suction vacuum chambers flanking the path of the film material. A pair of pull-down belts is vertically stretched between pulleys adjacent to the path and over the suction vacuum chambers. The belts have many holes such that the negative pressure from the suction vacuum chambers is communicated to the film material through the pull-down belts as the pulleys rotate to pull down the film material. An auxiliary vacuum chamber is connected to the suction vacuum chamber through a normally closed valve such that the vacuum condition in the suction chamber can be quickly restored by opening this valve when an abnormal pressure condition in the suction vacuum chamber is detected.

Abstract: A weighing apparatus has a scale cell and a dummy cell, both similarly structured and cantilevered. A load to be measured is applied to the free end of the scale cell and a standard weight is attached to the free end of the dummy cell. Analog electrical signals from these cells are converted to digital data. The effect of the standard weight is removed from the digital data from the dummy cell to obtain the effect of external vibrations which effect is multiplied by a suitable coefficient dependent on the applied load and subtracted from the digital data from the scale cell.

Abstract: For a system such as a combinational weighing system that requires a large number of parameters to be set for its operation, groups of parameters which frequently assume same sets of values are identified and each of such sets is assigned a reservation number. Memory space for storing values assumed by the parameters can be reduced if these values are grouped by such frequently occurring combinations and the user specifies a single reservation number instead of specifying values of the individual parameters. Selection of operating condition is effected by an input device with a touch screen. For some parameters, currently set values are displayed as a bar graph and a user can set or reset a value directly on the screen by moving a cursor on the bar graph.

Abstract: A sales data transmission system includes a sales data processor such as a scale of the type capable of calculating and displaying a sales price from a unit price and a measured weight, a communication device which is made a part of this data processor and transmits and receives signals indicative of sales data and a memory unit which serves not only to receive and store the sales data transmitted from the communication device but also to transmit the stored sales data back to the communication device in response to a request signal therefrom.

Abstract: A load cell has a cantilever-type load-sensitive element with an upper beam and a lower beam, each having formed thereon a pair of strain-generating parts which generates a strain corresponding to an applied load. Only one of these two beams has an indented part formed on its surface and strain-detecting elements are attached to its bottom surface at positions corresponding to the strain-generating parts. A moisture-proof sheet is attached to the beam to completely seal the interior of this indented part to protect the strain-detecting elements from humidity and moisture.